An October Challenge

Join us each and every Monday for a strong cup of inspiration, Soul Coffee is a collection of stories, thoughts, questions and images to help you kick off the week with a bit of hope and encouragement

​“Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live.”

The first time I heard these eight little words there was no looking back. I have grown up in a society that celebrates success, achievement and extreme wealth. I have grown up with good schools, always had access to health care, and seldom have I truly gone without. I now teach young people who live a life with an even greater status, and the entitlement builds.

Where I have lived has absolutely determined the fortune I have experienced.

But what did I do to select where I was born? I did not choose to be born middle-class, or American, yet, because of just those two factors I have no doubt led a life very different from most of the world.

As Americans, we are often lulled into an apathetic sleep when it comes to the numerous global issues that most of the world’s population endures. Our news is filtered through our often limited perceptions and, as a result, we are blind to the daily walk others face. Even right here in our country we have many places that resemble much of the developing world.

But what if we took the above quote as a challenge to be authentic in all areas of our life?

Over the past few years, I have worked to live more and more with authenticity as my guide; I have slowly begun to see past the lines my society has drawn around global connectedness. As I invited understanding into my life, experience after experience flooded my world.

I have sat with recent genocide survivors, shared meals with former child soldiers, listened to immigrants who envision hope in the face of insurmountable obstacles, seen the power of music to cross all cultural barriers, watched as a refugee selected a new date of birth because they have never known when they were actually born, seen the impact of a solar-powered lantern to transform a family, and listened to a former sweatshop laborer share about the harsh treatment that scarred her hands. For me, each story is no longer a global issue, but rather the experiences of my extended family. There are no lines, just limited perceptions. Do you believe that…that we are all family?

I simply cannot shake the idea that where we live does not have to determine our survival. It gnaws at my heart asking me to become aware and remove the blindfold of privilege. 

This month, at The Authenticity Project, we challenge you to live the next 31 days without that same blindfold. Global Awareness is about to be much more than a theme, this time, let’s make it about listening to that inner voice of authenticity.

We have some amazing stories, guest writers, and interviews headed your way, but if the next 31 days leaves your soul a little jolted, then in the words from the film Invisible Children: The Rough Cut: ‘If you see that and you’re uncomfortable, well ask yourself why…”

Join us this month around the larger table of humanity and let’s break a little bread, share from the same bowl, and begin to see the power empathy has to shift it all…

Heidi Rickard is the Creative Director for The Authenticity Project, you can contact Heidi at TheAuthenticityProject@gmail.com 

Staring at a Fence

​"If I insist on staring at the fence of my limitations those are things that will, in the end, define my thoughts and actions. However, I have too much courage and hope to be a person that will let this happen. With all that I have, I will focus on the pasture of opportunity and possibility because I know that I have much to offer this world."

Foreign Kindness

Join us each and every Monday for a strong cup of inspiration, Soul Coffee is a collection of stories, thoughts, questions and images to help you kick off the week with a bit of hope and encouragement

​This summer I packed my bags, loaded the car, made sure that I had a reasonable stash of Cheez-Itz and made the trek across the border to Canada with my family. Having not been north of the border in over ten years, I was pretty excited mainly because I hardly remembered too much about it. After interacting with a few individuals upon the hotel check-in a thought had started to creep into my head. A notion that I had thought ridiculous and stereotypical but once it was there I could not shake it.

Are Canadians really that much nicer than Americans?

I could not help but feel a little silly for even wondering it but for the following week, every citizen that I was able to interact with did nothing but show me kindness.

It is a way of life. It is a part of the culture. It is incredibly obvious how genuine it is.

On the 8-hour drive back home I had plenty of time to reflect on the question that I had originally asked myself a week earlier. “Are Canadians really that much nicer than Americans”? By my limited experience, the conclusion was yes. This led me to the questions that I would like to ask you.

What is kindness? What does it take to be kind?

What stood out to me was how simple kindness is. It was not that people were doing extravagant things at random. That is not what made my experience so thought provoking. It was the fact that I came to realize everyone that I had interacted with whom was caring and kind were doing it in the most simplistic way possible. They treated everyone like they wanted to be treated. They did favors for others when they didn’t have to. There was no selfishness to be found. Taking two minutes of the day to answer a question, provide information or even do a physical favor was the norm.

It is difficult to get over the hump of the weekend and enter a Monday with high levels of enthusiasm. I think its safe to say that Monday may be the hardest day of the week to find kindness. I urge you be that person that can change someone’s mood today. You do not have to do anything extravagant or life changing. Listen to someone who needs an ear. Run an errand for someone who is feeling overwhelmed. Show the simplistic kindness that we all have the power to show within our hearts.  

-Ben Heydt is a Team Member of The Authenticity Project

You can Contact Ben at TheAuthenticityProject@gmail.com

The Invisible Weapon

​"Words are full of power and we wield a strong sword whether our mind is fast enough to catch and shield a blow before it leaves our lips. As George Herbert expressed: “Good words are worth much, and cost little.” So at little cost to you, why not share more anonymous notes of your own?"

Life in Terms of Music...

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”

-Albert Einstein

I think if we were to really sit down and think about it (and I surely hope we do) we can agree that there is a soundtrack we each have for our lives. I can think back to my adolescence and remember specific moments and even feelings based on the music that played nonstop in my gigantic red Sony Walkman. Romantic crushes-Simple Minds, youthful angst -Dead Kennedys, and the adventures of suburban exploration -Van Halen. All these memories when played back in my head are accompanied by the music of my youth. Music is a unifying language that all people speak, no matter where you go in the world you will find music in one form or another and it not only defines the culture of its origin but it shares the artists’ hopes, dreams, and passions.

So without further ado, here are three new albums that have found there way into my current soundtrack that I think are worth a listen:

  • Artist: The Ravonettes. 
  • Album: Observator

This co-ed Danish indie rock duo (Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo) have crafted, and I don’t use that word lightly, an eclectic album that is both brash and haunting at the same time. At first listen you might be put off by the fact that it sounds like it was recorded in an empty high school gymnasium, but after a few minutes the open and reverberating sound becomes a part of the music itself and adds to the character of the album. Taking turns singing the lead vocals allows you to get to know each of their styles and when their voices join in flowing harmonies in songs like “You Hit Me (I’m Down)” they become more than the sum of their parts. Although many of their lyrics and sound can be dark such as in the second track “Observations”: ‘flowers in the daytime, Lucifer at night...’, there is a strong feeling of innocence and a longing for hope. This album has quickly made its way onto my daily playlist.

Best way to listen: Alone in a comfy chair with a glass of wine, through speakers - avoid earphones as the big empty room sound of the recording clashes when played through your ear buds.

  • Artist: Reel Big Fish. 
  • Album: Candy Coated Fury

Alright, I should start off by saying I have a big, soft, ticklish spot for old school Ska music and very few bands do Ska better then Reel Big Fish (most notably Five Iron Frenzy) and their new album is no exception. Reel Big Fish have been around for years and hit a bit of commercial success back in 1990 with their single “Sell Out” from the album Turn The Radio Off. Now it's 22 years later (holy cow am I really that old?!) and they haven’t missed a beat…pun intended… with their new album Candy Coated Fury. They start off with the same raw, satirical wit that made them one of the genres most notable names with the peppy and innocuously offensive first track “Everyone Else is an A**hole”. Its tongue-in-cheek lyrics: “I try to let love rule, but I feel like such a fool, cause everyone else is an a**hole” demands not to be taken seriously and echoes the frustrated venting of anyone who has ever tried to be the better person - only to be trod upon by someone else’s selfish agenda. As with any album, there are a few misses and some of the lyrics go beyond satire into flat-out whining, but the music that accompanies it is so toe-tapping and finger-snappingly good that you’re willing to look past it. And, if none of this sounds like your cup of tea, at least skip to the last track “The Promise”, a Ska and reggae cover of the classic 1987 hit by When in Rome.

Best way to listen: In a car, with a group of friends, preferably on a long road trip. Or in the shower so no one can see you playing the “air trombone”.

  • Artist: Dave Matthews Band. 
  • Album: Away From the World

This is the Dave Matthews Band’s 8th studio album and the first one since 2009’s Big Whiskey. Without a hiccup they have once again managed to create a slick, poetic and purely Dave Matthews sounding album. All of the songs could be seamlessly slipped into any of their other albums without standing out at all, which is good news for folks who like the sound that made this band so popular to begin with back in 1994. Suffice it to say this is another classic DMB album full of Jazz-infused rock and Matthews signature quick-fire and tempo-hopping lyrics that revolve around the standard themes of romantic love and political-social issues. A couple songs really stand out on Away From the World, the first has to be “Belly Belly Nice” an upbeat and downright bouncy number that is reminiscent of “So much to Say” from Crash with the catchy lyrics that no one but DMB could pull off: “you can’t get too much love, you can feel it in your belly come and get you some.” Then there’s the moving and powerful “Mercy” which is going to have non-profits everywhere fighting for licensing rights to use in their promo videos, and as much as I would love to single out one line of the song to share, it’s almost impossible to pick just one because each line brims with the passion and longing for a positive change in the world; and it’s done almost uncharacteristically by a more kinder, gentler Dave - much different from the slamming, reproachful tone of “Don’t Drink the Water” from Before These Crowded Streets, and yet, is just as persuasive.

Best way to listen: In a dorm room while cramming for finals, or while drinking coffee and reading the morning paper.

***So what are you listening to? Share your soundtrack here in the comments section or on our Facebook page!​

-Erik Ewing is a Team Member of The Authenticity Project and Director of the Definition Collective.

You can Contact Erik at TheAuthenticityProject@gmail.com

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Bounding Barricades

"​If we spend our days scaling walls then when do we ever soar to our dreams?  How hard is it to choose a cloud in the sky and realize that it is ours?  We are free to bounce from one cloud to the next; to change its shape and its direction.  We are the sculptors of the wind..."

A Whole New View

​Join us each and every Monday for a strong cup of inspiration, Soul Coffee is a collection of stories, thoughts, questions and images to help you kick off the week with a bit of hope and encouragement.

A Whole New View​

Why is it easier to slump into a bad mood than it is to crawl out of one? After reading a recommended book and a few conversations later I realized that the answer to crawling out always seemed to point back to gratitude. How can you remain in a sour mood when your focus is on all the things you are thankful for? Those thoughts of gratitude tend to push the negative, frustrated thoughts right out the door.

However, I seem to have a very short memory as I soon forget that I was on the search for small and big things to be thankful for. I’d recently read about a challenge to write down 1,000 (that’s right, one thousand) blessings. Daunting task!  But, I was curious so I started a journal to tote around and record those moments, people, and mundane parts of life that are actually things I’m quite grateful for. Since working on this

little

project I’ve noticed a switch in how I look at the world. All of a sudden I am constantly searching for that next moment I can be a part of, be thankful for and remember in a few words scribbled in a notebook:

The sticky, sweet mess of a summer peach.

The overwhelming mixed aroma of a spice cupboard.

An old sage eating lemon cake watching the world buzz by.

The words collect in this notebook, but bigger than that, and even bigger than the challenge to count to one thousand (and beyond) is the fact that I am taking these moments to stop and really see. Really look at others and my surroundings without judgment, and instead to authentically be in each of these moments. It’s not perfect and I still get cross when someone cuts me off in traffic, or I miss the bus to work, but I’m slowly learning how to re-direct and still look for the good that is all around me.

My challenge for you on this Monday (notorious for being the ‘let-down’ after the weekend – thus, a perfect day to start) is to look at the world through a renewed lens of gratefulness. Share some of your discoveries and get ready to smile.

If you want to join the challenge of finding 1,000 things to be grateful for grab a notebook and start looking with an open heart! You can also tweet with the hash tag #smallblessingsproject and share your inspiration!

Happy searching!

-Jennifer Anderson is a Team Member of The Authenticity Project

You can Contact Jennifer at TheAuthenticityProject@gmail.com

Brady Peters

This is an interview with my good friend Brady Peters, he is probably one of the most inspirational people I have ever met. He definitely inspired me when he came to visit as a Roadie with Invisible Children. Brady has a great heart and through several conversations he helped set my heart in a good place.

enjoy,​

Heidi Rickard​

Ok Brady, If you had to describe yourself as a breakfast cereal, which one would you be and why?

Does it need to be a cereal or could it be a breakfast food? I guess I am changing the question, but I think I would describe myself as toast. This is because you can serve it a million different ways, but it is still simple. And I like toast a lot, I guess. It’s plain and simple and everyone likes it.

What does the term Authenticity mean to you?

To me, authenticity is a way of living, working, and I think that it’s attractive when you see real authenticity in people. You can’t help but be drawn to it because it is something we all desire. Whether it is an organization, a person, a company, or a product, if it is authentic and real, it is attractive.

Share a time when you really felt like you were truly following your heart?

Hmmm…I would say I was truly following my heart right after I graduated from college and went to work for a non-profit in Colorado. I knew that I wouldn’t get paid for a while, since I was just interning, and it just takes time out of college to get experience. You can’t expect to have a full-time paid job right away. So, I interned for the summer and I interned during the fall. Then I came back in the spring, and I knew that I probably still wouldn’t be getting paid. However, there was something about this organization, called Light Gives Heat, that I realized this is something I could be doing for a while.  So, I asked myself, if I don’t get paid, is money the reason I am doing this or am I doing it because I believe that it is what I should be doing? I knew that I wanted this to be a part of my life. Then when I made the decision to return to work with them, with the knowledge that money was not going to be a part of the equation, then that was the time that I really realized that following my heart is good, but it’s going to require sacrifice. I feel like that time in my life was really a turning point in realizing the cost of following your heart, literally and figuratively.

How do you define success?

There are many different types of success. I think every person has their own way to gauge their success. I think for me, if I am being successful ….I think success is a mixture of things for me. Some of the most important things for me to be successful are to surround myself with loving and like-minded and like-hearted people. I also think that for me in order to be a success there has to be an element of risk taking and knowing that my success doesn’t solely ride on my accomplishments or failures, but success is a big picture, it’s a way of approaching the world. I also think that defeat often takes the form of settling down and not looking for a way to grow or expand your horizons. So, I would say that success is always looking for ways to grow and it isn’t something that you can reach, it is always rising and is not stagnant.

Who inspires you? Why?

Besides you…because that’s the answer. There are a lot of people that inspire me. I think that I could point to one guy that I worked with at Invisible Children named, Jedidah [Jenkins]. I think a lot of people would be inspired by him, and I think the reason he is inspiring to me is that his sense of purpose is so clear. You can see his purpose radiating out from him. Lots of time people look at him and wonder how can you be so vibrant at all times? It’s not that he has super human abilities or is faking it, it’s because he has found freedom in letting himself be himself. That is just so beautiful and it is inspiring. He is inspiring not because he makes a ton of money, he works in an office with a bunch of interns, and it’s not the sexiest and most glamorous job, but he is free and he is himself all the time. I think that is one thing that is inspiring about him. That is what I really admired about him and that is something I want to see more of in myself.

It’s hard to do.

It really is,  there is so much vulnerability in being authentic and being a free person who is not ashamed to be free around people who feel like they don’t have permission or don’t feel worthy of being themselves. It’s a strange dynamic when you are in an environment where there are people that are strongly themselves and there are people who are along for the ride. I hope that I can work in an environment where there is freedom to be who you are.

Where have you seen the power of connectedness in your life?

I know that I keep pointing back to Invisible Children, for good reason because it is such a beautiful place to work. When I set foot in the doors of Invisible Children in March, the video Kony 2012 and the Kony 2012 campaign just took off; we started getting emails from people asking how they can get involved. I was a part of the team who were responding to emails and directing them to people they should get in touch with and where they should go. We were getting email from all over, places like: Belarus, Thailand, Australia, South Africa, I mean, ALL OVER THE PLACE. It was insane. Just seeing the way the global community saw an issue and was moved to respond was unbelievable. Even driving through the streets with the Kony 2012 sticker or driving in the Invisible Children van, you would always see somebody who was waving or just excited about the work that is being done and that they could be a part of it.

What is one experience that you have had that shifted your perspective about something?

When I was in college, I took a course called, Business and Professional Speaking.  It was a good course, but I went to school at a small college in Kansas so most of my classmates were middle-class, white, and there wasn’t much diversity within the class. The professor of the class would say okay, you have an improv speech to make today. She would throw out a topic and we would have to give a five minute speech if we were called on. It was really intimidating sometimes and she would have us just be uncomfortable for a few minutes and sit there to work out our feelings and thoughts that way. Every Friday, people would just be praying please don’t call on me; I don’t want to do this. They would get up and stumble through a five minute speech. One day, she said, I want you to think of one moment or day in your life that something happened, an event or something in your life that after that moment you were never the same. I want you to talk about it to the class. The immense diversity of stories that came from this group of students that I previously thought were all very similar and came from similar backgrounds was astounding. We had a girl who was riding the bus one morning and the bus driver got a call from someone who said to drop this girl off. So, they just dropped her off on the side of the road where her mom was waiting for her and she then found out that her dad had just passed away. So she became a caretaker for her siblings when she was only eight years old. There was another girl, who on Sept. 11 knew someone from her community who was in one of the planes that crashed. There were just gnarly stories that were coming out of the mouths of my peers that I just assumed unfairly that didn’t have good stories. The crazy thing about that day was that everyone who stood up shared their stories with such confidence, and sincerity, and such ease, because they were the experts of their own stories. They didn’t have to be nervous, they were just being themselves, and they spoke beautifully. People who were stumbling and stuttering on their words, were now speaking with clarity and confidence. It just moved me in a way that it made me realize that everybody has a story to tell and everybody wants to tell their story, but not everybody is willing to listen. If we can listen to people’s stories and their experiences, I think that it would change the way that we see each other and the way that the world interacts with each other. We would just understand a little bit more where someone is coming from if we just took the time to listen to a story.

Have you ever set aside fear to move forward?

I don’t think that I have ever set it aside, but I’ve carried it behind me. I think that fear can stop someone dead in their tracks. I know that I have been stopped by fear before, but I think it can also be a good indicator that you are going down the right track because if you were doing something that isn’t worth while there wouldn’t be any resistance. You wouldn’t feel fear if you were just living an ordinary life. I think that fear is an indicator that something is going on and that something big is about to happen. I think disregarding fear is something people can do, but I wouldn’t for a second think that dismissing fear is the right action for me to take, because if I’m going to measure where I’ve come from and how far I’ve gone, I need to include my fears in that measurement. It helps me gauge my development as a person and as a soul.

What is one question you would love to ask people? And why?

I really like that question my speech teacher had asked, “What is the one moment or one day that changed you.” It is not a threatening question, but it certainly opens up a big door to understand where a person is coming from and where they have been and where they are going. I think those defining moments can be an indicator of the character of a person and the kind of things that they value. Yeah, it would probably be that question, yeah.

If you had a super hero power, what would it be? And why?

He is technically a super villain, but he is a misunderstood super villain. His name is Magneo and he has magnets as a means to attract metal things and do super cool stuff with it. I’ve always thought that he was cool, but not because he was bad, but because of his power and his ability to build stuff and fly things around and play some cool pranks on people.

Anything else you want to share, where you are at in life, your journey?

Hmmm…yeah, this past summer, I really came face to face with a lot of my anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. There were a few times over the summer where I started having panic attacks, which were really scary. You realize that there is a lot of stuff going on in your mind that you aren’t aware of, or that you don’t think is worth the time to deal with. I can point back to the times this summer where I have really experienced these times where I thought, “Am I going crazy?” I really thought that I might be going crazy or that there is something wrong in my mind. I started doing research online, and looking at what anxiety really is, and I saw that there are so many people that are dealing with anxiety and depression. This made me wonder how I managed to never know about this, I mean there are millions and millions of people who deal with this kind of stuff. I’m not sure, but it seems like people avoid talking about or admitting it. I don’t think that is healthy. If you are dealing with something, don’t be ashamed of it, once you speak it into the universe, and into relationships, chances are you’ll probably meet somebody who has dealt with it before and they can help you out. I talked with a few people that I worked with over the summer and one person was like, oh yeah I had panic attacks for a year when I was in second grade, and another person said, yeah I dealt with panic attacks all through high school. I was like oh so I’m not a weirdo, and they were like no, this is just something that happens to people sometimes. You can totally deal with it, you might feel like you are going crazy, but you aren’t. It was just freeing, and I think that if more people would just share the things that they viewed as a weakness or a disability, I think they would be incredibly surprised to find that there are a lot of people dealing with very similar issues and that its nothing to be ashamed of. This just something that I have learned this summer.

Any parting words?

Be true to who you are and stop at nothing! Yeah Stop at Nothing…

(Note: Stop at Nothing is the slogan that was used for the Kony 2012 campaign)