2014 Big Ideas from TED

“Ideas come from everything” ― Alfred Hitchcock



Stay inspired my friends!

Christmas Virginia

In 1897, Dr. Philip O'Hanlon, a coroner's assistant on Manhattan's Upper West Side, was asked by his then eight-year-old daughter, Virginia O'Hanlon, whether Santa Claus really existed. O'Hanlon suggested she write to The Sun, a prominent New York City newspaper at the time, assuring her that "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." He unwittingly gave one of the paper's editors, Francis Pharcellus Church, an opportunity to rise above the simple question and address the philosophical issues behind it.

Dear Editor

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stay inspired my friends!

Christmas Love of Others

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.” - Unknown

What a wonderful gift to give another person.

A wish for others to fill their day, to fill their hearts.

We makes choices daily on either to pull people up or to put them down. Pulling someone up is a much better choice to make if you think about it. Each day we have a grand opportunity to brighten another person's day. Every day you have the opportunity to make a positive impact on another person's life.

Make life better for those around you, make life better for you.

Stay inspired my friends!

Christmas Saddles

"“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” ― John Holmes

As we live our lives, we get wrapped up in the everyday burden of just surviving sometimes. It is an effort to maintain a job and just keep the bills paid. Worse yet, it could be your effort to find a job after being laid off and keeping the bills paid.

We each have something in our lives to contend with.

Some of us have much more on our plate than others but it isn't about your struggles being greater than mine. All of this is about knowing each of us have our struggles. And this common bond comes with understanding we are not alone in those struggles.

By reaching out to others, the power of connection will pull us up.

Before you know it "... you'll be back in the saddle again. Out where a friend is a friend." The world will look more manageable from on top. And when we receive help from others, we are also giving back.

Together we will ride that dusty trail.

Together we'll make this a great life and a great journey.

Stay inspired my friends.