The third principle in the Don't Seek Success - Be Happi model is "Heart." In the wake of two horrific tragedies in the United States last week, the Boston Marathon bombings at the hands of two terrorists and a devastating accident at a fertilizer plant in the small Texas town of West, ordinary Americans showed they have "Heart" in a big way.
Among the hundreds of stories of ordinary people showing their "Heart" and taking action to help victims of the bombings in Boston is the story of Ben and Mike. As reported by USA Today;
Darrel Folkert, 42 of Redondo Beach, Calif., says he is thankful for two men named Ben and Mike – he doesn't know their last names. They carried Folkert to safety when he was hit by shrapnel by the second explosion near the finish line Monday.
Folkert was standing on the north side of Boylston Street to watch his wife Jac ,42, finish the race. Jac Folkert never made it there and was instead diverted off the course a half-mile from the finish. Folkert made it across Boylston, but that was it.
"I was able to stumble across the course and I sat down on the curb," he said. "A number of different people offered to help me."
Darrel Folkert said Mike and Ben carried him down a side street to Shaw's grocery store where the two good samaritans stayed with Folkert while employees of the grocery store responded.
Folkert had suffered lacerations and puncture wounds on his lower legs.
"I couldn't have moved without somebody helping me," he said. "What they did was way above and beyond."
Ann Marie McDonough is a bookkeeper for Shaw's and has been with the company for 30 years, according to store supervisor Benjamin Guiterrez. He said McDonough rushed to Folkert's aid with bandages and water, and she got on the intercom to ask if there was a nurse in the store.
Mike and Ben tracked down police officers who called an ambulance, and Folkert was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital and treated for his injuries.
"The staff was amazingly attentive and extremely helpful, not just to my injuries but also helping me get in touch with my wife and family," Folkert said. "It wasn't until an hour after I arrived at the hospital that I knew my wife was OK." (USA Today).
Jerri Milbank lived 30 minutes outside of Boston, but still wanted to do something and she found a way to help;
"I thought, 'What can I do?' I live 30 minutes outside of the city and I have a big home with a lot of room," she said. "In my heart, I wasn't doing anything — all I did was offer my home. But the generosity from all over the world was amazing." (USA Today).
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| Joe Andruzzi carries Injured Victim to Safety |
Time Magazine wrote about Joe Andruzzi: a former New England Patriots offensive lineman "carried an injured woman to safety, and a photo of the courageous act has gone viral. He did not know the woman’s name; he only knew that she was from Virginia, and that she and her three daughters were looking for her husband, who was running in the race. Just moments ago, he had carried a man covered in blood to the medical tent. Andruzzi’s instinct to help runs in his family; his brothers are NYC firefighters who worked at Ground Zero during 9/11, ESPN reports. A cancer survivor himself, Andruzzi had been at a marathon watching party for his cancer charity at The Forum, a restaurant along the finish line, when the explosions occurred."
According to FOX News, Boston eateries such as Appleton Cafe and Vapiano donated food and let people use their establishments as places to regroup. At one point, El Pelon Taqueria offered free watermelon juice and wi-fi, and let people use its electrical outlets to charge their phones. The Middle Eastern restaurant Oleana volunteered on Facebook to put up anyone who needed a place to stay. On Reddit, a California woman Liz Kosearas organized Random Acts of Pizza, a thread where people worldwide can arrange via GrubHub for Boston pizzerias to deliver pies to needy people or places where people are working around the clock such as Boston hospitals, fire houses and police stations.
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| Dr. Nancy Stavas |
An then there is Dr. Nancy Stavas, a pediatric resident at Boston Medical Center who instinctively rushed into the line of fire to treat victims immediately after finishing the Marathon on a broken foot no less. Dr. Stavas, who broke her foot during training, was running the famous Boston Marathon for charity along with her father Joe, a radiologist.
The UK's Daily Mail reports in the minutes after the explosions, she carried out CPR and used bits of clothing to help stop people's wounds bleeding. 'As a physician, I take an oath to do the best I can,' she told the LA Times.
Dr. Stavas almost pulled out of the race because of her broken foot, but she was determined to run and complete the race because she was doing it for charity. As the Daily Mail reported, had she not been there, victims would not have been treated so quickly.
"I hope I can help us move forward and be a stronger person and overcome what we have been through...and go back out there next year and cross the finish line of the Boston Marathon," concluded Dr. Stavas.
Meanwhile, just a day later some 2000 miles away in the town of West, Texas a fertilizer plant explosion literally destroyed a densely populated area in the small town of 2700 residents. Like the people of Boston, the citizens of West, Texas showed they have "Heart" too.
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| West, Texas Senior Being Evacuated After Explosion |
CBS DWF reports, "Businesses, homes and churches near West have opened their doors to displaced residents. Reverend James Stevens with the First Baptist Church of Gholson said, “People are bringing food and water and blankets and necessities for these victims, and we’re so thankful for everybody’s generosity in time of crisis.”
“I know we hear a lot about police, a lot about first responders and about firemen rushing into the scene,” said Swanton. “Folks, I am here to tell you that there are some true heroes out there today that aren’t cops, aren’t paid firemen. They are civilians, and they’re going into a line of fire with us as well. So, certainly we appreciate those folks that are showing up in a supportive role. They are saving lives with us.”
Why do people help during and in the aftermath of tragedy? Quite simply because they have "Heart." In Don't Seek Success - Be Happi, I divide "Heart" into there areas, the "Moral Heart", the "Mental Heart", and the "Emotional Heart." The "Moral Heart" is doing the right thing in the face of opposition or even danger. There is something about a tragic event that triggers our "Moral Heart" and we spur to action because it is the right thing to do. Thankfully, tragic events like the Boston Marathon bombings and the accidental explosion in Texas are rare. Most us are not in the wrong place at the right time to allow our "Moral Heart" to kick in, but we can and should seek to use our "Moral Heart" everyday and do the right thing.
In an interview with HuffPost Teen, former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton advises "Ask yourself what you can do for others. " She says, "When [my grandmother and parents] would ask me, 'Well, what did you do today?' part of what they implied was, 'Well, what did you do for others?' It would not have been okay at the dinner table if I just didn’t have something to say ... That was the kind of world I grew up in. And being asked those questions really often helped me to always think, 'Wow, I have a real responsibility to define my life partly through what I can do for others and what I can learn from others.' I’m grateful that they set that example."
In an interview with U. S. News, journalist Elizabeth Svoboda, author of a book to be released in August entitled, "What Makes a Hero? The Surprising Science of Selflessness," says, "To be a big hero you need a big opportunity. If you're not in the middle of a situation like Boston, you might not have the opportunity to be one of these front page of the newspaper type of heroes, but if you keep your eyes open, there are plenty of opportunities to help people on a daily basis. You can attune yourself to what people around you need and develop a mindset where you're focused on others, so you might be more likely to step up if you get into a big situation."
Here is a perfect example of finding opportunities to exercise your "Moral Heart" and do the right thing. Yesterday, I had walked to the grocery store and bought way more than I should have to carry home walking. There is a hill that must be climbed to reach my house. A very nice young couple heading out to dinner saw me struggling with the grocery bags and offered to go out of their way and give me a ride home. Their "Moral Heart kicked in and they felt it was the right thing to do. Thank you Jackie and Teo.
There are rewards for employing your "Moral Heart" too. We feel good about doing the right thing and helping others.
Svoboda says, "...studies have found that when you do something selfless, such as give money to charity, the part of the brain that processes rewards light up on MRI scans. In some sense, when you're giving to others you might feel like when you're getting a gift yourself or winning the lottery. Helping others gives us the feeling we're making a difference and makes us happy because we feel as if we have a purpose. (U.S. News).
Congratulations to the citizens of Boston and West Texas. You have Heart!
And now, I have a challenge for everybody reading this, What can you do today to employ your "Moral Heart" and help somebody in need?
For more on "Heart," see Don't Seek Success - Be Happi."
Be Great!
MB
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