Did you know that the iconic smiley face was created in 1963 by Harvey Ball, an artist from Worcester, Massachusetts. This image went on to become a symbol for good will and happiness, and universally it is recognized by all irrespective of our politics and religion. But the over-commercialization of the smiley face left Ball worried as he felt the symbol was losing its value and purpose. This concern compelled Ball to create World Smile Day.
World Smile Day has just one purpose - all of us need to devote one day to making people around us smile through our acts of kindness. This day was first celebrated in 1999 and since then has been observed every year on the first Friday in October.
I can’t honestly say why I risked it all. There was no burning bush, no lightning bolts. No apparitions and no voices in my head.
For all of us 9/11 conjures up images of tragedy, devastation and sadness. The iconic twin towers crumbled. Three thousand innocent men, women and children lost their lives to terrorism. But, out of the debris and ashes that accumulated, the human spirit rose with strangers helping each other. Countless acts of service and compassion followed for days after. What was meant to break us apart only brought us closer. The acts of service that swarmed New York City in 2002 inspired the nonprofit organization MyGoodDeed along with other service organizations to launch 9/11 as National Day of Service and Remembrance.
When was the last time you took a course or tried to learn something new? If you can’t remember then it is time to do so. The first week of September is Self-University week, which has been sponsored by Autodidactic Press since 1989. The goal of this week is to remind people that getting an education is not just a phase in your life. It should be a lifelong process. It should be something you pursue to better yourself. It is a responsibility you need to shoulder to shape a better tomorrow.
August 22nd is Be an Angel Day. On this day people can become angels by engaging in random acts of kindness. The objective is for people to do something nice or be kind or help someone who needs it. It can be an emotional or a physical or a financial help. It doesn’t have to be a grand act. It can be anything you do to reach out to someone else and serve them in any way possible. For often times when we serve others there is a domino effect. The person you serve will be inspired to serve others and the process continues.
Serendipity. While most of us would be happy just reading about this term and then moving on, Madeleine Kay went on to create a Serendipity Day, which is celebrated on August 18th. Kay defines serendipity as “the willingness to live your life as though everything is a miracle….with the belief at any moment, something wonderful is about to happen.” The purpose of the day is to give people an opportunity to live serendipitously, to be open to the endless possibilities and embrace them.
What do you want from life? Fame. Fortune. Finding the purpose of your life. Your list could be endless, but, the bottom line is we all want to just be happy. And on August 8th you can join the happiness bandwagon as it is Happiness Happens Day. The Secret Society of Happy People founded this day in 1999 with the sole purpose of encouraging people to think about what makes them happy and celebrate that feeling.
The first week of August is Simplify Your Life week. If you feel the need to move from clutter to clarity try one of our seven recommended ways to do so.
I guess I had been going on for sometime that day. It was early in the morning and it was not the first time he heard this little speech. Every other time he just nodded in sympathy and let me go on. Not this morning....Finally, he just asked me if it was fair that he wasn't a lawyer like me ...
Global Forgiveness Day is celebrated annually on July 7. This day was founded by the Christian Embassy of Christ's Ambassadors (CECA) as an attempt to reduce the number of conflicts that dictate our lives through forgiveness. On this day people are encouraged to forgive one another.
Loving Day is celebrated on June 12. This day is a celebration of multiethnic families and the freedom they enjoy thanks to the landmark civil case Loving v. Virginia. On this day the Supreme Courts decision invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriages. Ken Tanabe started the Loving Day as a way to educate people and continue the fight against racial prejudices.
There are 14 million cancer survivors in America today. And the first Sunday in June is the day dedicated to celebrating these people, honoring them for their courage and bringing awareness to the the challenges they face. National Cancer Survivors Day (NCSD) started in 1987 and today it is a global event.
The main goal of this day is to increase public awareness, gather more research and get more funds so that greater advances can be made to combat cancer and the improve the quality of life after cancer.