Figmentations

Heard about a few more inspiring campaigns out there to help make this world a better place. All with quite different themes; all equally interesting.

• Rachel Ray’s Yum-o! site ‘in partnership with President Bill Clinton’s Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation‘ talks about how healthy food can be fun, too.
• Athletes for Hope.org has top athletes working to combine their efforts. With superstars such as Mia Hamm, Andre Agassi, Lance Armstrong, Tony Hawk, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Warrick Dunn, Andrea Jaegger, Muhammad Ali and Jeff Gordon. They describe themselves as being for people that “care about caring“.
• Tyra Bank’s new “So What?” campaign focusing on helping women not obsess about their weight and/or negative body images.
• Women Of Worth.com (not the .org) expanding on L’Oreal’s “Because I’m Worth It” tagline to feature women of worth making a difference in their communities.

Either there are more and more of these groups/campaigns being started up these days, or I’m just more alert to them.

There were even a number of causes featured in the May 7th edition of People Magazine, you know, the one featuring the “100 Most Beautiful” people. See the section called “Beauty Inside & Out” listing celebrities that “Do More Than Just Look Good. They Do Good, Too” (includes, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Alicia Keys, George Clooney, Tyra Banks, and Leonardo DiCaprio).

I recently volunteered to work at an Anthony Robbins Event* and during the course of the weekend I had the opportunity to hear Gary King of PayTruth Forward speak.

As Gary spoke of honesty and integrity, which I place very high on my list of things important to me, I was surprised to find myself being resistant to his 24 Hour Truth Challenge of being totally “honest and authentic in everything you say and do”.

While honesty is important to me, so is kindness and consideration for others. To me, being totally blunt and honest with people, I associate with being rude and disrepectful. My way of “hedging” the truth, what is also considered to be “white lies”, is what others would call being a diplomat.

What actually reminded me of Gary’s talk, was the following quote which I just came across today:

“Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.” ~Robert Brault

Something to think about. Maybe honesty and truth are two different things. Either way, I think I’ve got the kindness part down, but maybe I can add a bit more honesty to it without becoming rude about it. And I do realize that Gary King is not about being rude or disrepectful to others, according to his website he explains it as:

If you honor the people around you, be honest with them.

*Note: For more info on Anthony Robbins Events and Products, see this link:
“One Decision Can Change Your Life Forever”! - Anthony Robbins - Click Here To Change Your Life!