12 Year Old Ansleigh Adkins Finds Passion, Purpose and a Whole Lot of Heart in Wake of Critical Illness.

People with passion, purpose and heart can be found everywhere and at any age. In Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi, I write about how many individuals find passion and purpose through a tragic event in their lives. Take the inspiring story of 12 year old, Ashleigh Adkins as an example.

Ansleigh has been through a lot in her short life. AOL’s Everyday Life reports that Ansleigh suffered from an inherited condition called FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis) which meant she had a 100% chance of getting colon cancer. Thus, her only option was to have her colon removed.

When she was in the hospital for the colon removal surgery, Ashleigh brought her teddy bear along for comfort. In spite of the serious nature of her condition and a difficult surgery, Ansleigh was not thinking of herself and what she was going through, instead she asked her mother if she could raise money to give other children at the hospital teddy bears and she did just that.

Ansleigh raised more than $2,000, enough to buy and distribute 70 bears to children at the Cleveland Clinic where she was also being treated. The Build-a-Bear Foundation saw a story on Ansleigh and sent her another 100 teddy bears, which Ansleigh recently distributed. Watch a video on Ansleigh below:

“Children in a hospital can be bored or scared. Getting a stuffed animal makes them feel more normal and comfortable in an unfamiliar place.” “It just really brightens their day,” said Andrea Rapport, a child life specialist at Cleveland Clinic. (Source: AOL’s Everyday Life.)

Ansleigh’s experience at the hospital has inspired her to have a career goal of helping children in hospitals.

Ansleigh Adkins is a remarkable young woman. Today Ansleigh is healthy and happy, wise beyond her years and filled with passion, purpose and heart!

For more on passion, purpose and heart, see Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi.

Be Great!

MB

Patrick and Bobbin Mulvaney Lend Expertise, Blood, Sweet, and a Whole Lot of Love (Heart) to Help Homeless Moms Gain Work Skills

Photo by Randall Benton for the Sacramento Bee

Patrick and Bobbin Mulvaney own a traditional for profit restaurant in Sacramento, California, Mulvaney's B&L. That has not, however stopped them from venturing into social entrepreneurship by volunteering to help launch an intriguing concept that helps homeless mothers learn job skills and gain a work history to lead them on a path of self-sustainability.

These busy restaurateurs definitely have passion, purpose and a whole lot of heart.

Three years ago, the St John’s Shelter Program for Women and Children in Sacramento, California launched a restaurant called simply “Plates,” guided by the expertise and help of the Mulvaneys. The difference here, is that the casual eatery employs homeless mothers that often have little or no work experience.

The Mulvaneys are totally committed to the concept. Bobbin Mulvaney tells Cathie Anderson of the Sacramento Bee that they “put a lot of "love and Elvis" into it.”

The experiment has been more than successful.   Plates now grosses about $650,000 in revenue. $45,000 of that revenue helps to pay for other programs.

Diners at Plates to Go
Photo by Randall Benton
 for the Sacramento Bee

With the success of the original Plates, St. Johns Shelter is expanding with the addition of “Plates to Go” in midtown Sacramento. Again with the blood, sweet, and love of the Mulvaneys.  

St. John's Shelter CEO Michele Steeb told Anderson, “There's not a word in the English language to describe how instrumental the partnership with the Mulvaneys has been. That came in loud and clear the week that the original Plates restaurant opened. We had a chef, but it worked for only about a week. We opened the first week and Patrick was on the line cooking for three out of the first six days."

Plates to Go Executive Chef
Stu Edgcombe & Kitchen
Manager Tamara KafkaPhoto by Randall Benton
 for the Sacramento Bee 

Apparently the Mulvaneys hire people at their own restaurant with a lot of heart too. Stu Edgcombe, a former chef at Mulvaneys B & L, volunteered to help out and liked the concept so much, he stayed on as the Plate to Go Executive Chef.

At the new Plates to Go, Kitchen Manager Tamara Kafka escaped domestic-violence.  A graduate of the St. Johns Shelter Program, Kafka tells CBS 13 in Sacramento, “It was not a good time in my life,” she said. “The environment wasn’t healthy for me and my kids, so that’s what made me homeless. You can’t let the past define you. We all have a past, we all have a story. We just have to move on and motivate each other.”

Tamara is no longer homeless. That makes it all worthwhile for the Mulvaneys.

For more on passion, purpose and heart and how to find your own passion and purpose in life. See Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi.

Be Great!

MB 

Life is Good continues Optimism and Heart in the Wake of Boston Bombing Tragedy

Bert and John Jacobs believe life to good. So that is exactly what they named their now thriving company, but it was not always that way. In 1989, the brothers began selling t-shirts door to door and on the streets. As they tell it on their website, the early years were something less than profitable. They lived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and as two single guys at the time, they say “chicks were not impressed.”

Searching for an answer, but ever optimistic, they found it in the form of a drawing on their apartment wall that served as a kind of early brand and logo called “Jake.”

Bert and John recall;

“Jake's contagious grin, simple as it was, seemed to express everything the Jacobs brothers believed in.

  

One fateful September day, they printed up 48 Jake shirts for a local street fair in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They laid the shirts out on their rickety card table. By noontime, all 48 of those tees were gone. A star was born.

Soon Jake was introduced to local retailers, and his simple message of optimism was embraced like nothing the brothers had ever seen. As demand for product soared, Jake's team grew, and the Little Brand That Could began to spread across America.”

Today, Life is Good has 260 employees and continues its emphasis on simplicity, humor and humility.

The more you learn about this company, you will find, they have a whole lot of heart and an abundance of love.

Life is Good is based in Boston and during the Boston Marathon, the company had several employees in the crowd promoting the company’s brand. One was seriously injured.

In a story for Inc. Magazine Chief Optimist Bert Jacobs says, their employee was badly burned, but grateful he survived and knew that others were much worse off. (Sounds like a perfect employee for Life is Good to me.)

Bert continues; “The day after the attacks, our employees started asking whether we could do something to raise money for the victims and their families. I said no. I felt like we had to get our own house in order, to feel like it was OK to get back to work, before helping somebody else. But we're a brand about the power of optimism. We should be leaders of the spirit when bad things happen. So by Sunday, I changed my position and said we should make a T-shirt.”

Make a T-shirt they did.  Bert tells Inc., “We looked at what was already out there. A lot of "Be Strong" and "Boston Strong," that tough Irish mentality. I don't knock that. But it's almost like they're suppressing emotion: We're so strong, let's just move on. Life Is Good focuses on what's right in the world.

No matter how you slice it, this was a hate crime. But instantly afterward, all these people--the first responders and the people who helped people on the street and opened up their homes and ran to the hospitals to give blood--performed acts of love. So we created a shirt that says "Boston" on the front and "There is nothing stronger than love" on the back.”

The company’s sales plummeted after the attacks, and Jacobs says the T-shirts helped to head the company and sales bounced back because of the t-shirt. “We have 260 employees, and there is not a single person who did not touch that shirt. From start to finish, we got it out there in just under 30 hours. We're not built to turn something around that fast, but our people figured it out. They worked day and night. We're proud of their hustle,” said Jacobs.

In fact, according to Jacobs, the T-Shirt may be their fastest selling product ever with over 70,000 units sold in the first week. Life is Good had a goal of raising $50,000 to $100,000 and now it looks like they could hit a half a million. All proceeds are going to One Fund Boston.

Life is Good’s good works are not limited to the tragedy in Boston. Fox News reports, has raised over 9 million for kids in need.

Without a doubt, Bert and John Jacobs and the entire Life is Good team emulates the Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi model. They focus on core principles like Belief, Enthusiasm, Heart, Attitude, Passion, Purpose and Imagination. What they call optimism. They believe that by focusing on and staying true to their core values, that success will find them and it has in a big way.

Life if very good for Life is Good.

Click here to learn more about the Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi model.

Be Great!

MB

Seattle Mom Robyn Rosenberger Uses Heart, Passion and Purpose to Create Tiny Super Heroes

Robyn Rosenberger
and some of her Tiny Super Heroes

Seattle Mom Robyn Rosenberger is using Heart, Passion and Purpose to turn children suffering from illness and disability around the world into tiny super heroes. "I want the world to know we think of kids with illness as different. Truth is, they are extraordinary because they overcome things we can't imagine and they do it with a smile," Rosenberger told ABC News.

After a move from St. Louis to Seattle, Robyn renewed her interest and passion for sewing. She sewed a super hero cape for her 2 year old nephew. She had also been following a blog of a brave little girl named Brenna who was born with a rare skin disease. Rosenburger decided that Brenna needed a cape too. So she sewed a special cape for Brenna with a big “B” on the back and “Super Brenna” was born. Needless to say, Brenna loved the cape.

Super Brenna with her Cape

Robyn tells ABC News, that she “...quickly realized there were other kids out there who actually were tiny superheroes."

After featuring “Super Brenna's” cape on her Blog, Rosenberger received dozens of requests for other tiny super heroes who needed a cape.

In six months, she's sent 700 personalized capes to sick children in 45 states and 11 countries. Each cape comes with a handwritten message.

Rosenberger now gets 10 to 20 requests a day. She quit her job and has pulled friends in to help.

Super Hero KE, a 10 year old suffering froma severe gastrointestinal
disorder never takes his cape off.
According to his mother, He has taken it to his biopsy, to the emergency room,
showed it to other patients,
'it gives him a sense of comfort," she says. ABC News

“We are building a Tiny Superhero squad. Together these kids can make a difference. We cross-reference their stories," she said. "Then, by sharing them we can help raise awareness. Raising awareness brings funding, funding leads to more research, and research brings cures.”

Rosenberger has mailed capes to children affected by Oklahoma's recent tornadoes.

She hopes to establish contacts with children's hospitals and ultimately have a Tiny Superheroes center “that takes our relationship with the children outside the virtual world.” (Source: ABC News for GMA on Yahoo.)

Robyn Rosenberger used her heart in finding a way to turn her passion for sewing into an incredibly worthy cause helping young children suffering from rare and life threatening illnesses find courage and comfort as tiny super heroes. In a nutshell, Robyn found her life purpose through her heart, passion for sewing and imagination in wanting to help a brave young girl named Brenna become Super Brenna and it snowballed from there to create hundreds of tiny super heroes.

Rosenberger says, “If you would have told me six months ago that this would be my life, I would have paid a million dollars to make this my life, but I wouldn't believe you,”

Do you have a passion in which you can use your imagination to create a life purpose to help those in need in your community, country or even the world? We all do and it is up to us to find it and implement it. All it takes is a little heart and imagination!

For more on heart, passion, purpose and imagination, see Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi.

Be Great!

MB

Lacombe, La Residents Show Heart by Helping Orphaned Teens

Cheyenne and Tyler Osburn
Photo by Mark Asnin for People Magazine

Teens Tyler and Cheyenne Osburn have suffered tragedy and hardship throughout their young lives. Their father died when they were infants. In 2007, there mother was permanently disabled in a fire and died of a heart attack around Christmas time in 2011. Suddenly, Lacombe, La residents, Tyler and Cheyenne found themselves all alone and scared.

In an article for People Magazine, Cheyenne says, "I was so scared of not having a mom, having no one to come home to, having to deal with grown-up things like bills, I felt so alone."

Cheyenne and Tyler soon found they were not alone after all. People Magazine reports that friends, neighbors and total strangers came together to help the newly orphaned teens stay in their childhood home.

“Their mom's friends Gwen Babin and Karen Labatut agreed to be the children's legal guardians and started a rotation with family friend Pam Taylor, taking turns cooking dinner and staying overnight at the teens' home. A men's Bible study group mowed their lawn. A local pizza business donated meals. And Jackie Dantin, head of the local nonprofit Community Christian Concern, Inc..set up a fund to help pay their monthly mortgage, groceries and other bills through this summer.”

The community efforts on behalf of Cheyenne and Tyler have allowed them to stay in their home and finish high school. The teens still worry. Tyler is committed to making sure they can stay in their home. "I think about [my mom] every single day," After she passed away, I felt really lost. My sister gives me hope. It's my instinct to protect her. I'm going to be there for her no matter what."

The siblings are doing well. Tyler, 19, is working in construction, and Cheyenne,17, will start college soon. They are grateful for the support of their community.

Cheyenne adds, "I never thought all these people would want to help so much. It's been amazing."

The residents of Lacombe, La could have easily gone on with their busy lives leaving the teens to deal with social service agencies and fend for themselves. Lacombe would have none of that. The town came together and rallied to the aid of Tyler and Cheyenne.

The residents of this small town of 8000 have shown the country and the world how to do did the right thing when nobody is looking by not turning a deaf ear and blind eye to two of their community residents that needed them.

Lacombe, La has heart!

For more on the principle of “Heart,” see “Don't Seek Success – Be Happi.”

Be Great!

MB 

Cameron Lyle has Heart! Shortens College Athletic Career to Donate Bone Marrow and Save a Man's Life

University of New Hampshire Track and Field athlete Cameron Lyle was looking forward to his senior year conference championship meet when he received a one in five million phone call that would ultimately cut his college athletic career short.

That call informed Cameron he was a potential bone marrow match for a complete stranger in need of the transplant. After more tests, the match was confirmed. Lyle had a huge decision to make, end his college track and field career early to save a strangers life or decline the donor request. Transplant patients are not told of a potential match until the donor agrees, so the stranger would know any different if Cameron Lyle declined.

Cameron tells Good Morning America/Yahoo News, that the decision was easy, "It was kind of a no-brainer for a decent human. I couldn't imagine just waiting. He could have been waiting for years for a match. I'd hope that someone would donate to me if I needed it."

Watch the GMA Video with Cameron Lyle here.

After saying yes, Lyle slowly realized his season was over and he had to tell his coach, a conversation he was nervous about and not looking forward to having. After the procedure, Lyle, a Shot Put and Hammer Throw specialist will not be allowed to lift more than 20 pounds over his head, effectively ending his season. "It's just a sport," he said. "Just because it's Division I college level doesn't make it any more important. Life is a lot more important than that, so it was pretty easy." (Good Morning America/Yahoo News.)

It turns out there was no need to be nervous about telling his college coach that he would no longer be able to compete. UNH Track and Field Coach, Jim Boulanger was supportive and proud of his athlete whom he had coached for four years.

"Here's the deal," Boulanger told Lyle. "You go to the conference and take 12 throws or you could give a man three or four more years of life. I don't think there's a big question here. This is not a moral dilemma. There's only one answer. “

“I don't have any doubt that he's very compassionate and it was just a given that he'd do it. "You can't ask for any more out of a person than to help another person," said Boulanger.

Cameron's mother, Chris Sciacca is more than pleased with her son's choice too. "I am beyond words proud. He is my hero," Sciacca said. "When your children inspire you to be better people, you know it's come full circle and he's inspired his mom to be a better circle." (Good Morning America/Yahoo News).

Cameron competed in his final event in April and a few days later he was in the hospital to complete the donor procedure. The transplant patient is a young man with leukemia. Lyle was told that the man only has six months to live without the transplant. Lyle and the recipient have to remain anonymous for at least a year, but can then sign consent forms to release their identities should they choose.

"I really want to meet him," Lyle said, "and I hope he wants to meet me."

Cameron Lyle has “Heart” in a big way. He sacrificed his senior season college athletic career to save a man's life whom he had never met. Cameron used his “Moral Heart” to do the right thing.

In a self centered world Cameron Lyle is truly an inspiration.

Do you think most people put in a similar situation would do the follow Cameron's lead? What would you do? Comment below.

For more on the principle of “Heart,” see Don't Seek Success – Be Happi.

Do you know of an inspiring story that exemplifies one or more of the core principles of Don't Seek Success -Be Happi (Belief, Enthusiasm, Heart, Attitude, Passion, Purpose and Imagination), email me at pbi2012@aol.com.

Be Great!

MB 

The People of Boston and West, Texas Have Courage and Heart!

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).

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.

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.

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

Hair Salon Owner Karen Ennis has Heart and Finds Purpose in Allowing Customers to Pay What They Can Afford

Karen Ennis, a Wrightsville, Pennsylvania hair salon owner started a new price model on February 16 that is sure to drive marketing experts and MBA’s crazy.  Karen now let’s customers pay what they can afford. 

According to report entitled “Hair Salon Owner Tells Customers, 'Pay What You Can Afford” by Huffington Post and WGAL TV, “customers now leave what they wish in an unmarked envelope in a box. Ennis does not open the envelopes until the end of the week to ensure the payments remain anonymous.”

Ennis, tells WGAL that she noticed some of her loyal customers had stopped coming in for regular salon services over the last three years. They couldn't afford it, she says. "I look around and I see nothing but hurting souls because the economy has put stress on moms," said Ennis.

Watch the WGAL story below;

The pay what you can afford price system is Ennis way of helping to ease the economic hardship in her community. In the interview with WGAL, Ennis said, "A lot of people are concerned I will lose my shirt," but it's a leap of faith."

It is too early to tell whether the unusual price system will work, but early indications are that many pay more than what was originally on the old price list.

Ennis says this is not a gimmick and has nothing to do with competition. She says she does not want to steal customers from other salons, she just wants to do her part to help in difficult times.

Without a doubt, Karin Ennis has certainly found her moral heart by doing what she believes to be the right thing for her community in spite of many telling her she is crazy. Karen also has found new purpose through her business in helping her community through tough economic times. Karen says it is pure joy to see some of her old customers return and not have to worry about breaking their family budget to get their hair done. To borrow a phrase from Master Card, for Karen Ennis, that joy is priceless.

I was struck by a comment to the Huffington Post report on Ennis, Julie99 says among other things, “There are many good people in the world. Success is not measured by dollars, but what you can do for others. Hurray for this woman.” Julie99 knows what she is talking about. Money is not the answer to happiness and personal fulfillment. That comes from Passion and Purpose, along with the other principals in the “Be Happi” model of Belief, Enthusiasm, Heart, Attitude and Imagination. There is nothing wrong with money, but it will not in and of itself make you happy or assure that you feel successful.

Here is Julie99’s full comment to the Huffington Post report on Karen Ennis;

“Ending near 40 years of service in hairdressing, I charged $5.00 a cut for adults and $3.00 for kids. Some people doubled that in tips. If you required a service more and could not afford, we did the bartering system. If they said they could not afford a perm, I asked if they could bake a cake? We fed a lot of hungry people on those cakes cookies or whatever. We traded service of raking leaves and shoveling snow for some kids. Shoveling parking lot, fixing my auto for part price and exchange for hair services. Once some lady brought two plants, and another two old pantsuits, the best one was when one lady brought two live chickens. I had egg farmer I quickly delivered them to. Cancer victims never left empty headed, as, people would drop off old wigs and we fixed them up. Nothing for me to run to a rummage sale before work to purchase boots or shoes for the needy coming in. Not a fancy place, but where I also raised my children. Christmas, I purchased trees that were selling out for a dollar, for people who never had one, bought construction paper and old cards for their kids to decorate, wrapped up things at my shop and dropped them off anonymously. There are many good people in the world. Success is not measured by dollars, but what you can do for others. .Hurray for this woman.”

For more on the principles of heart, passion, purpose and the entire Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi model, visit Amazon.com to read a preview of the book.

Be Great!

MB

6 Year Old Dylan Siegel Knows How to Be Happi

Dylan Siegel has discovered what “Be Happi”is all about. He embodies each of the core principles of “Be Happi,” belief, enthusiasm, heart, attitude, passion, purpose, and Imagination and Dylan is only 6 years old!

The first grader wrote a book entitled “Chocolate Bar” to raise money for his best buddy, Jonah Pournazarian who suffers from a rare disease called glycogen storage disease type 1B.

In an article entitled “Boy, 6, Writes 'Chocolate Bar' Book To Raise $30,000 For Friend With Rare Liver Disease” Ron Decker of the Huffington Post reports that sales from the book and chocolate bars donated by Whole Foods have topped $30,000.

When Dylan approached his parents with the idea, they suggested a more traditional method of fund-raising like a bake sale or lemonade stand. Dylan quickly rejected those ideas and had the first pages of “Chocolate Bar” to his parents in less than an hour. Chocolate Bar is the term used by Dylan to mean Awesome.

Here is how Dylan is living the “Be Happi” model;

Dylan has belief. He believes his friends disease can be cured and his friend, Jonah will someday be able to live a normal life so buttressed by the success of “Chocolate Bar,” Dylan has a goal of raising one million dollars for research to find a cure.

Dylan has Enthusiasm. He is giving his time and energies to helping his friend.

Dylan has Heart. He has a Moral Heart by doing the right thing in helping to find a cure to help Jonah and others with this rare disease. Dylan shows a Mental Heart by having the discipline to stick with the project and produce the first pages of his book in less than an hour. And of course, Dyan is showing his Emotional Heart in his concern and love for his friend.

Dylan has a positive Attitude. He knew what he wanted to do and did not let anybody steer him in another direction.

Dylan has Passion and Purpose. Dylan is passionate about helping his friend, Jonah become healthy. This has led Dylan to his purpose of helping to find a cure for Jonah and others with the disease by raising money for research.

Finally, Dylan has Imagination. He envisioned writing a book called “Chocolate Bar” which was different and unique. He did not want to do something that had been done before.

Dylan Siegel is living the Be Happi model at 6 years old.

For more on the Be Happi model, see Don’t Seek Success – Be Happi.

Be Great!

MB