One People -- One Planet -- Limitless Possibilities -- Mpowered Life

One People -- One Planet -- Limitless Possibilities -- Mpowered Life

January 27, 2015

http://empoweritforward.org/mpowered-life-announces-partnership-with-a-very-gifted-artisan-in-the-city-center-of-ubud-in-bali-indonesia/#sthash.GQn8CJUi.dpbs

As you can see, our 9 Gifts of Gaia concept has evolved much since writing the posts, here on this blog, about the Journey to Discovering Purpose. What a journey it has been! What an incredible feeling it is, waking up everyday, doing what I love; helping people.

I've been so blessed to attract the perfect team. All of whom share the same heartfelt intention and vision of making the world a better place, by dedicating our lives to something as simple as placing our individual and collective focus on the Empowerment of others. 

The question that drives us, and one which we continue to ask ourselves daily is, "what would the world look like, if people everywhere made it their daily intention to support one another, no matter the circumstances?" We don't have the answer to this question, yet the limitless possibilities within the notion are enough to keep us on the course, to do what we can to help make it so.

It doesn't take money to make a difference. It just takes Love. Action. Commitment. Follow through. I'm so grateful for all the amazing support for my work and this project. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I pledge to show my deep level of gratitude by Empowering it Forward to as many others as I can. This is my commitment and promise. Everything is possible if we just believe. I BELIEVE~BK

2015 ~ The year the Impossible becomes the Inevitable

Below is our latest update on Indiegogo. If you have the means, donate $1, support the movement and get it on the next raffle! Just wait until you see what we will be giving away! ;)

http://igg.me/at/empoweritforward/x/9285437

#Empoweritforward

14 Days to Go & We're Making Great Headway!

Despite a slow week of donations, the supportive energy coming in through our fan page and from people getting involved has been through the roof! 671 shares on Facebook is HUGE!

We've also transitioned this project from idea phase to full blown action! Since our last update, Brian Kelly, our Founder, has made a move over to a small village in Bali, Indonesia, called Ubud. This area is home to some of the most talented, yet under supported artisans in the world. Unfortunately, many of them cannot afford to pursue their passion for the arts, as they simply don't make enough to sustain themselves and their families.

We are on a mission to change that and will do so with your support. In just two weeks, Brian has already formed relationships with a small handful of rural artisans, living outside of the main city center, hearing their personal stories, and finding out how their lives would change if they had an outlet to offer their art on a wider scale.

This video update is with our first chosen artisan partner, Geru Bug. Geru is a traditional Balinesian wood carver with a beautiful story.

 

The winner of this beautiful hand carved mask from Geru will be announced later today on Facebook! Just wait until you see what we have in store for our next winner. All it takes is to share this campaign and you're in!

Thank you all so much for being a part of this project! Don't forget to share the campaign and use #empoweritforward on Instagram and Twitter, and help us make Empowerment go viral right now! The more we raise in this campaign, the more sustainable opportunities & lifestyles we will be able to create!

The story of Geru:

Mpowered Life is very pleased to announce that we have established a partnership with a very gifted artisan in the city center of Udud in Bali, Indonesia.

Geru Bug is carving Balinese masks since 15 years, which he offers through a small storefront. He carves the masks at his home and it takes about 3 days for a large mask to complete.

Geru is 32 years old and shares a house with 5 more family members. His family has a long tradition in wood carving which is where Geru derives his inspiration for his creative art from.

He uses waru tree wood from Karanasum which is part of the hibiscus family. Geru considers his artistic expressions to be a combination of traditional and modern art inspired from his higher self. His masks represent his passion and zest for life.

We are not surprised that Geru is not happy that the world of plastics has reached the island of Bali. If he would have the power to do so, he would change that.

Through our partnership, Mpowered Life will be able to offer these masks in our online storefront once it’s established. Being able to sell more of his beautiful masks would enable Geru to enhance the life of his family and create an empowered future for his local environment.

Here is our first campaign update video. Had no idea this would create such a buzz! So incredibly grateful for all the love & support <3 ~ BK

One Human Family; Food for All

One Human Family; Food for All

January 15, 2015

Thank you Sherry Sawyer for posting this video on our Empowerment It Forward Facebook page. Tears of joy, welling up in the corner of my eyes as I watched it and now write this post.

I didn't think it was possible to embody the message of the Empower it Forward movement in only one minute. I was wrong...

"Based on an ancient story about hunger and sharing, this animated video is part of Caritas’ “One Human Family, Food for All” campaign. The “allegory of the spoons” teaches us that when we struggle to feed only ourselves, everyone goes hungry. But when we focus on our neighbour’s hunger, we discover there are ways to feed everyone."

Will be contacting this group to see how we may be able to get involved and help out with their efforts. There are enough resources on the planet to provide food, clothing, shelter and a proper education to every human being multiple times over. Ending poverty is not a fantasy. It is more possible now than ever before. 

By supporting this campaign, you will assist us in co-sponsoring a project to bring a new water desalination technology (the Desolenator) to a school in a water deprived village in Tamil Nadu, India.

#empoweritforward
http://igg.me/at/empoweritforward/x/9285437

2015: Lights, Camera, Action!

2015: Lights, Camera, Action!
January 10, 2015

Doesn't matter which way it's sliced, action always beats intention. Action represents the very distance that separates our dreams from our reality. The question then becomes, what kind of action creates the highest impact? I've looked at this question many times over the past few months. All of my combined life experiences loop me right back around to this...

"If you focus on how you can help, how you can serve other people, and how you can make the world a better place, nothing will be impossible for you. If you help people get what they want from life, you can get anything you want out of life." - Zig Ziglar

How long will it take to turn things around on this planet if people everywhere adopted this mindset? What are we capable of when we Unite for a common purpose? How many need to jump first before we decide to follow?

Time to take the leap...

Here's my plan. It's just the beginning. If you're inspired, donate $1 to help make it happen. Want to get involved? Email me. A wise man once said, taking bold focused action, creates explosive results. No more wasting time. The mission starts now... 

http://igg.me/at/empoweritforward/x/9285437  (Campaign copy also below)

  

"Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive."

by Uwe Uehle

The empower it forward project is an idea whose time has come.

Think global - act local is a philosophy everybody is familiar with. There is a latent desire in each of us to contribute with our own gifts and inner potential towards ideas that are much bigger than we are as individuals. 

Nothing is more rewarding than to make another being happy. This is one element of the unconditional love often being talked about - but what does it take to get there?

Imagine a world in which individuals decide to empower others no matter what the circumstances. Can we see & feel the real beauty that is at the core of every being we come in contact with, no matter how many layers of conditioning are hiding the true essence?

We live in times of much confusion and uncertainty about the future of our species. Are our so called leaders really able to deal with the problems humanity is facing?

The empower it forward movement tries to counter the division of people on all levels with a focus on love & unity.

Envision a world in which all the creative potential is being released by a people that does not focus on projecting criticism anymore but employs methods of tangible empowerment towards each other to enable everybody to live to the fullest regardless of personal background or circumstances.

A smile or random act of kindness is a simple act of unconditional love that can not only transform an individual - but impact communities and even larger groups of people. 

Now imagine what the creation of opportunities, support of causes and empowerment towards self-sustainability can do for an individual and an entire culture.

When people make a conscious decision to help with any form of suffering they come across - being it poverty or lack of basic living condition supplies like water or food - they will realize the power that is latent in each of us. 

You have probably heard the expression that to change something you need to build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete?

Do you agree that we have arrived at a point where the old model of competition and scarcity should be made obsolete by a world of exchanging value of any kind based on mutual empowerment towards building sustainable communities and a way of life that promotes harmony with nature and the environment?

How about we shift our consumer behavior towards supporting businesses and commerce that is not focused on profits but on how much sustainability can be created and how many lives we may impact with our purchase?


How about becoming an active part of a movement that is focused on maximizing sustainability and empowerment month after month on all levels of society from individual to communities that just need that initial support to kick start a new wave of decentralized but interconnected mutually empowering communities in alignment with the growing awareness that teaching somebody how to fish is of more long lasting value than just giving one or a few fish?

http://igg.me/at/empoweritforward/x/9285437

Be the Change You Wish to See in the World. Join the movement; Empower it Forward.

 Bali, Indonesia  Small Business

We believe in the power of community and have seen first hand how it connects and empowers people from all walks of life. The #empoweritforward project grew out of a simple desire to take an active stand against all forms of human suffering, by putting focus on Empowering each other, no matter what the circumstances. When we do so, we fill each other with up with new levels of hope, confidence,  joy and a renewed positive outlook on life, providing ample amounts of fuel, ripe for Empowering our individual & collective creative Spirit. 

Empowerment comes in many forms. A good deed. A random act of kindness. The sharing of wisdom. A hug or a smile. It doesn't take much to Empower another. This project, by 9 Gifts of Gaia, is aimed at connecting people & communities around the world and impacting lives through the most simple act of Love; Empowerment. 

If you 1) share this Indiegogo campaign on any social media with the #empoweritforward hashtag and 2) shoot us an email tobrian@empoweritforward.org with a screenshot or a link of where you shared it, we will not only enter you into a raffle for a free chance to win lots of Empowering prizes & perks throughout the campaign. We will also send you a free PDF digital download (as well as customized .jpg for social sharing) of our custom Empower It Forward cards!

Start spreading the message of unity & hope by Empowering others today!

Artisans from around the world (many living in rural communities) don't have the means to sell their work on the international market. We hope to give them a platform to do this, and reach customers on a global scale. Within a few days of launching this campaign (using my own funds), I will be making a move from Morocco to Bali, Indonesia. Aside from low costs of living combined with local access to cheap organic materials for t-shirts and apparel, it is also home to some of the most skilled and talented artisans in the world. 

By helping us reach our goal of $9,999 you will take part in the launch of a project that will touch the lives of many, while creating awareness, and empowering men & women through entrepreneurial development. This goal will also allow us to buy materials, cover purchasing costs, shipping, marketing and promotions. Above all we hope to connect communities through Empowerment by growing new partnerships that will create even greater opportunities for rural artisans. If we don’t reach our entire goal, the funds raised for the Empower it Forward Project will still go directly toward production, marketing, and shipping of our various offerings, simply on a smaller scale. 

February: Poverty Eradication Initiative (Kiva)

We believe All human beings are born with unlimited potential, unlimited capacity & unlimited creativity. EVERYONE is a creator. One of the greatest challenges, however, is that poverty stunts creativity. How can people be Empowered to create freely when 50% of the planet lives below the poverty line?

The solutions to the world's greatest social issues will not come from governments or political leaders. They will come from people.

PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU.

People just like the ones seen in the following video from Kiva, our first of many cause partnerships:

Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

Access to financial solutions empowers people living in poverty to transform their lives, their children's futures and their communities. 

Our Empower It Forward plan with Kiva: As loans are paid back, they are then re-distributed back out, further extending the reach and potential of each loan made, Empowering the lives of not one, but many entrepreneurs who need the support. 

"Desolenator will provide families with the ability to turn salt water and contaminated water into pure drinking water. The technology has the potential to provide water independence for up to a billion people living in coastal and water stressed areas - using the power of the sun alone. Join our journey to disrupt the global water crisis!" - The Desolenator Team

We will be Empowering It Forward 10% of our entire funding campaign to pre-order Desolenators to co-sponsor a project at a school in a water deprived village in Tamil Nadu, India. Details will be announced in an update within the first few days of the campaign!
           

Check out & support their crowdfunding campaign which is live now here on Indiegogo:    http://igg.me/at/desolenator/x/9285437

      

                   How the Empower it Forward Project works with your support. 

Here's how you can get involved. Be part of the change in the world, show your support & be rewarded in the Empower It Forward Project.

Opt Out Reward Option: Want to support the movement but not interested in the rewards? No problem. Just fill in the field in the upper right of the campaign that says "select a contribution amount below," & we'll donate the cost of the reward toward funding our  Desolenator sponsorship!

Imagine a world where business and commerce are redesigned to be used as tools for Empowering life on planet Earth. 

This is not a fantasy. It is already a reality...

A focus more on People & less on Profit represents a small shift in thinking, carrying within it the capacity to make a huge shift in people's lives. $1.3 Trillion spent in e-commerce last year alone, presents a tangible opportunity to leverage consumer spending to support global empowerment. $9 may not seem like much, but when multiplied enough times, by enough people, throughout a large enough network of inspired businesses, $9 can help bring Empowerment to the world.

Our message is simple: If you're going to shop, shop with purpose. Start supporting people & brands that make a difference.

While living in Morocco we discovered one of nature's best kept secrets: Pure Certified Organic Moroccan Argan Oil. The New York Times has called Moroccan Argan oil “Liquid Gold,” which created a global demand for the oil, most commonly used as a moisturizer and for it's natural anti-aging benefits. 

We have secured a source through a Fair Trade Women's Co-operative for the highest quality, 100% pure oil. Fair Trade empowers women workers and women-owned businesses around the world. Buying via Fair Trade guarantees women workers have access to health care, rights, and the freedom from harassment. Women around the world often face unequal treatment in terms of wages and rights and come up against discrimination. Farms that are Fair Trade certified empower women through education and leadership roles, not only within their families but also within the cooperatives where they work.

    

Empowering Fair Trade women's co-operatives combined with leveraging the global demand for the oil allows us to maximize our giving potential.

People Helping People

   

• As an independent radio host & blogger, I got a jump start in putting the message out that this project is coming. Lots of buzz created and connections made. In these three blog posts (here, here & here), I share some of my story and how this project came to be.

• Partnered with a small collection of artisans who believe in our mission and vision.

• Conducted market research on: Argan Oil & organic cosmetics, apparel development and fulfillment, international shipping practices, import/export regulations (for the oil). 

• Secured a direct line to a women's co-operative in Morocco for the purest, highest grade, certified organic Argan Oil.

• Developed a wide range of marketing graphics, promotional materials and strategies, web copy and blog posts, etc.

• Building a team of networkers, affiliates, artisans and strategic partners. A few of which have offered their services for free because they resonate with the concept so deeply. See below from Tony, a retired Ad Exec contractor, turned supporter:

In 2011 a 29 Day giving challenge changed my life. This is that story and a major part of the inspiration for launching this project: How Giving Changed My Life

   

(Click here to watch another interview on how this project was inspired & the vision for the future) 

In 2011, I received my first big taste of how rewarding it can be to Empower others less fortunate, when I was invited by my High School Health teacher to go on a trip to the Dominican Republic, with her non-profit Una Vida (One Life in Spanish). In a small village called La Descubierta, very close to the Haitian border, we mixed cement by hand and laid concrete flooring in many of the local homes, helping to reduce the likelihood of disease caused by dirt floors. The trip was designed to give high school students an opportunity to see the great contrast of life in a developing nation. An experience uniquely designed to illustrate how blessed and fortunate we are, with hopes of planting seeds within their consciousness, that would one day grow into beautiful flowers, inspiring a life of service. A very BIG seed was planted on that trip. I just wasn't expecting it to be within me.

The DR is also where I was first introduced to an Una Vida creation, called Madres. This was the project that inspired our concept of Empowering rural artisans by supporting their craft & creativity. 

The Madres Jewelry Collective was created in 2011 in Los Pinos del Eden, Dominican Republic, a rural mountain community near the Dominican-Haitian border. In a culture burdened by inequality and steeped in economic woe, women in poverty often have few resources to support themselves and their families. By paying fair wages in an area with little formal employment, our program empowers mothers to invest in their future and the future of their families. Madres employs both Dominican and Haitian women, building solidarity between two cultures that have endured centuries of mistrust stemming from colonial legacies and competition for scarce resources on an impoverished island. By providing sustainable incomes and opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration, Madres is fostering enduring change in Los Pinos.

"We rise by lifting others." - Robert Ingersoll

Sustainable Community Project: (Bolo Eco Village)

"Bolo means 'together' in Wolof, the main language in Senegal & is a heart expression of a new way of community life, in which abundance is created through activities within the community, with a primary focus to directly satisfy the needs of the community in an uplifting environment. Bolo is a community stimulated to express our unique talents under a common vision, the vision of sustainability. This is not just a sustainable community, it's a prototype for a new way of life. One that is in  harmony with nature and the environment." 

Have ideas for causes to support? Send them in and be a part of the selection process! We're mapping out our campaigns for 2015 now. 

Our Greatest Challenge -- Establishing Credibility & Earning Trust

People have a hard time giving their trust to companies they've never heard of before. There are so many non-profits and charities (we are neither) who have faced an extreme amount of bad press and scrutiny for misusing/misappropriating funds, as well as not following through with their promises and commitments.

Solution: Prove ourselves. Our aim is to make our entire business model COMPLETELY transparent. As funds come in and are disbursed out to that month's campaign there will be verifiable evidence and proof (by way of tracking and digital screen shots) that funds ended up where promised. This is also the reason why we plan to be extremely selective when it comes to causes we'll support. Causes where funds go directly to individuals, groups and projects ensure we have oversight as to fund distribution. Earning trust takes time and most importantly consistency.

Empower Others and Make a Positive Difference in Their Day

Empower Others and Make a Positive Difference in Their Day
January 7, 2015
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/empower-others-and-make-a-positive-difference-in-their-day/


This beautifully written story hits close to home right now, for so many reasons. This concept of Empowerment is not a new phenomenon. But, how deep have we truly gone in understanding the depth of its meaning. Perhaps, much more importantly, what it "feels" like to be truly Empowered, or even better yet, to Empower another. One could argue, this concept of Empowerment is one of the greatest acts of Love a human being can offer. So much yet to be explored in the possibilities and implications of a truly Empowered human race. From my vantage point we are ripe for this shift in focus, to one of offering unconditional empowerment to each other on every level and in all ways imaginable. Shall we give it a shot? What could we possibly lose when there's so more to gain?

When we Empower each other, we Empower ourSelves...I AM EMPOWERED <3
“Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit. We cannot flower and grow without it.” ~Jess lair

One of the more important lessons I learned as a child came from my father.

One day a beggar knocked on our door looking for a giving hand. Though I was a small child, I still remember how he looked. He was old, with an untamed beard and tattered clothes. He had a wretched odor; I imagine he hadn’t showered in months. He was, more likely than not, homeless.

I remember how my father treated him. I remember my father inviting him into our home, seating him in our kitchen, opening the fridge, and feeding him a hearty meal. I don’t remember much more than that, yet my father’s actions that day taught me an important lesson. It was a lesson about how to treat others. It was a lesson about empowerment.

Recently, I have gone on a journey in the world of altruism. I sought out “good people” in order to understand the characteristics that define them. What piqued my interest were not just their acts of kindness, but also an understanding of their inner world.

The inspiring, kind people who I met throughout my journey are incredibly influential teachers. It is worthwhile understanding their insights, the way they approach life, and more specifically the way they treat others. Meeting them has had a profound effect on my life.

One of the lessons I learned through my interaction with them was the importance of empowering others.

Each of our inner circles is growing and encompassing more people: children, significant others, friends, colleagues, and random people we meet and don’t know as intimately. As the circle grows, so too does our influence.

Every nod, every smile, every interaction can completely change the course of someone else’s day. We can either wield that influence in a positive or negative way. The people who I met chose the former.

The following I would like to dedicate to those special people who identify with their fellowmen, and use their influence to empower them.

Empowering others is one of the most important acts of kindness one can do for his fellow man.

Empowering others means not criticizing them.

Empowering others means not judging them.

Empowering others means not being cynical toward them.

Empowering others means praising the struggling student in the class on his or her progress—any progress, no matter how small.

Empowering others means curbing your ego.

Empowering others means connecting to the best elements that lie within you.

Empowering others is contagious.

Empowering others means giving them the feeling that they are loved.

Empowering others is to understand that the cashier at the supermarket, the waiter at the café, the guy who pumps your gas, the doorman, the street cleaner, and the janitor are not transparent. They are people just like us.

Empowering others means smiling at these people, inquiring about their wellbeing, thanking them for the services they provide, and wishing them a good day.

Empowering others means being happy for them, and praising them on their accomplishments. Praising them in any way possible. Always.

Empowering others means identifying with them.

Empowering others is easy. It does not require any effort.

Empowering others means smiling when someone else approaches.

Empowering others also empowers us.

Empowering others makes the world a better place.

Empowering others means to be moved by the American poet and author Maya Angelou, one of the most important figures in the American Civil Rights Movement, who said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Mark Corske's Engines of Domination -- A Lifting the Veil Documentary

Mark Corske's Engines of Domination -- A Lifting the Veil Documentary

January 2, 2015

Happy New Year! As I write this post, I'm sitting here feeling very grateful I made it out of 2014 in one piece. There's something about the new year that gets people's blood pumping. Excitement and anticipation fills the air. While congruently, the world seems to be spinning out of control in a downward spiral, there is also a palpable sense of deconstruction underway. Bringing with it a great deal of hope and faith that a new reality lurks in the distance, waiting to greet all those who have committed so much time and energy to reveal the great deception playing itself out in our world today. So many working tirelessly to expose the facade of the reality matrix for what it is.

Someone sent me the link to Mark Corske's documentary last night and I was blown away by the angle he has taken to reveal what he calls the "Engines of Domination." I've watched plenty of amazing documentaries over the last few years, whose aim is to expose the system and help shake people out of the coma that allows it to continue. But this one, WOW! Mark does an absolutely incredible job of simplifying and analyzing the complex web of deception which has allowed the reality we see around us to come to be. He argues the point that, the world as we know it is not the result of human nature. Not even close. It is the result of a small handful of murdering psychopaths who hijacked our reality not long ago and bent it to satisfy their thirst for power and control. Very soon, the masses will sleep no more. Let's make 2015 the year we have ALL been waiting for!

PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO FAR AND WIDE!! THIS NEEDS TO GO VIRAL!! ~BK