Make a Difference

"You can't fake passion." -Barbara Corcoran

"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you."

-Oprah Winfrey

I look at passion as the fuel that powers the engine to drive creativity and the innovation that comes from it.

 “Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one” ― Stella Adler

Welcoming Ellen and Bailey to the podcast from #whatisschool PLN chat on Thursday nights. I hope you enjoy the show.

“Creators understand that their emotions are not necessarily a sign of the circumstances. They understand that in desperate circumstances they may experience joy, and in jubilant circumstances they may feel regret. They know that any emotion will change. But because emotions are not the centerpiece of their lives, they do not pander to them. They create what they create, not in reaction to their emotions but independent of them. On days filled with the depths of despair, they can create. On days filled with the heights of joy, they can create.” ― Robert Fritz, The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life

 “Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting.” ― Edward de Bono

Lets examine how creativity and innovation work when we are faced with an issue.

Evan Robb joins the podcast with an exciting way he is impacting his students during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep them reading and growing on their journey.

Blue Missions is dedicated to improving public health by providing families with clean water and sanitary environments. Through sustainable, community-owned projects, our team works with locals to empower progress and transform rural communities for the better.

The organization allows volunteers to travel with us to lend a hand in the construction of these projects in order to educate them about global inequality and inspire them to become the change-makers of the future.

Today's show learns more about his great organization through Jorge Rodriguez, the Chief Growth Officer.

Listen today to people who choose to "Make a Difference" and learn how both traditional and non-traditional volunteer opportunities are created along the way.

Today's show takes a different approach from the traditional shows. This episode will feature an interview with a non-profit in the Cleveland area that really does Make a Difference.

Please do share this show across your network and help spread the work that opportunities abound for those looking to make a difference.

I hope you found this discussion informative and even answering ways that you would like to give back.

Greater Cleveland Volunteers can be found on the web at: https://greaterclevelandvolunteers.org and also on Twitter at: @CLEvolunteers and Facebook @greaterclevelandvolunteers

“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play” ― John Cleese

Think about this concept for a moment.

Have you every had a job that allowed you to play? I am not talking in the off task type of way, but rather in a way that allows you to feel stimulated, engaged and alive?

Today's quote by Linda Naiman invites us to examine this idea and she states: 

“When we engage in what we are naturally suited to do, our work takes on the quality of play and it is play that stimulates creativity.” – Linda Naiman

Each of us has a unique set of skills and talents that allow us to accomplish tasks in a way that appear creative, effortless or natural to others.  When we are in this zone there is a natural flow to how we approach what we do.

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's work on flow allows us to examine Naiman's quote in a focused way and look for ways to develop it into a workflow.