# 33 we're a Minga!!

The example I choose where a group became a minga was in leadership class for Walk for Wade. We were one group that had one goal which was to raise money for Wade. We came together and were able to complete that goal. As a class we stopped what we were doing to help wade by making t-shirts, collecting money, or making cakes. We made sure that we did the best that we could for wade. I think this is a Minga because we brought the whole school together and finished the fundraiser with a great reward. We brought our leadership class together but we also brought the whole school and community. It felt pretty good to see the school supporting our fundraiser I was so proud of the school and what we accomplished. I wasn't a big part of the organization or anything but I felt really proud and inspired by the school and Wade. I think we could use more Minga's in our community. I think we do it almost everyday maybe working with someone you don't like or doing a fundraiser with the school. The Minga in the story with the Israeli youth and the Palestinian youth working together to deliver pencils to a poor school was a great example.

#37 invictus

This poems connection with Nelson Mandela is that it talks about the darkest place or in the worst circumstances you are still incontrol. In Nelson Mandela's case this poem can relate to his life. The first stanza of the poem is related to when he was in jail. Even though he knew he shouldn't be in their he stayed strong and stuck to what he believed in. In the next stanza it says he has 'not winced nor cried aloud' which shows that he is not giving in to the un fair punishment he is facing. In the third stanza it talks about the dangers of the outside world and what goes on in it, as well as jail. He is saying that all is acary for him but he is not afraid of it. In the last Stanza it says how strong Mandela is about his views and opinion. Even though he was stuck in jail for really no reason he is staying strong and he can control what happens hext. This poem is basically his journey when he was put into jail and how he is going to triumph. Mandela is a great leader showing us that he doesn't want revenge, he is controlling what happens next.

#36 the end of this part of the Me to We journey

This story definetly fits to be the end of the book. The whole book was supposed to be about the shift from Me to We and in that story we get the understanding of where we are supposed to be. The story is very true for anyone, we can always have a big part in life and to others but it is our turn to make that happen. My plan is to make this happen. I am going to be selfless instead of selfish. My goal is to be less me and more we by the end of my highschool career and it is all up to me. I hope that I can be a bigger part in the Me to We group at our school. Maybe attending more fundraisers or helping out with events. I was inspired by how many people are involved with Me to We and that was my motivation. I thought the book was very good and I loved that they had stories of leaders that made the shift from Me to We. I am definetly going to recommend the book to others so they can make the shift as well.

#35 the left handed handshake

I think Santosh had a lot of courage and brazery to be able to do what he did. First of all to be able to stand up the the 'bullies' of his village. He stood up for himself and the other villagers and that takes a lot of confidence. I also think that he is also brave in the fact that he will stick to his values and have anything done to him. I also think that he took his left hand as an advantage. He knew he was only going to have one hand so now he is using it for everything. He isn't letting that stand in his way of doing thins he wants to do. I think it took the most courage to shake the mans hand that cut off your own hand. I would not know what to do in that situation. Santosh forgave him and I don't know if I would be able to do that. Santosh's handashake is also a good symbol of how he will live in the future. he is a very strong willed and strong person. He does what he believes in and and show peace to a man that hurt him, now that takes courage.

#34 each of us has met a mr.Williams(pg.222)

On one of the Bushell family vacations we rented a motorhome to ravel to Grundi Lake. All seven of us were in the motor home and travelling towards a holliday with our friends. Before we made it out ofIngersoll the spare tire fell out of the bottom. We spent a long time trying to figure out how to put it back on and eventually we just put it iinto the motor home. When we arrived at our camp ground my dad was figuring out how to put it back on. he said he figured it out and that we were good to go. We had a nice vacation going biking, swimming and playing a lot of games. When we were on our way home the tire fell off again. A man saw that we needed help and he came over and fixed it for us no problem, without charge. We never met the man before in our lives but he was very kind for doing this.

#32 Lindsey Avner and the run for the cure

I think her whole childhood she was expecting her mom to get breast cancer. Since breast cancer ran in the family she expected her and her mother to get it. I think it was too early for her to comprehend how serious it was. Her mom had breast cancer and lindsey knew that she was going to die. For her working around the house and keeping her mind off things was her tactic. I felt by reading this story she was also isolated and alone, not because she has no friends but because she doesn't want anyone to see her like this especially her mom. She kept most of her emotions inside instead of sharing them with her father or even her mother. After they heard that her mother was free of the cancer for now, she didn't seem to excited. She new that it would strike her and her mother because of the history of breast cancer in the family. This made her become alone, angry and frustrated because their was nothing she could do. I think that everyone handles this type of situation differently and for her it was trying to figure it out by herself.

#31 pg 190 victor frankl's words of wisdom

He says that life ultimetly means "Taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fufill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual."pg 190 Victor Frankl. This means that during your life you should take responsibility for your life and take charge of it. Find out who you are and take advantage of the sopportunities given to you. Make sure you do everything that you want to do in life. Everyone has a reason for being on earth and in order to live life to the fullest you have to figure it out and fufill it. I believe in this because it is important to live life to the fullest. I believe that getting what you want or completeing your goals is important in living a successful life. It is important to me that I get the most out of life and in order for me to do that I am going to need to take advantage of opportunities and take charge of it.

#30 coach carroll

He enjoys what he does and he shows it on the field. His style is different because he doesn't bring his players down he keeps them up. He is very enthusiastic and makes his team get really pumped before games. He thinks that he runs the best practices and makes sure that his practices are like a real game. He thinks that the best players come out of practices. I think his leadership styles are very unike. He gets kids off the street and offers them to play football with them. I think he represents a good leader because of his coaching style. His positive influence and his incredible incouragment is very inspirational. Not only is he an incredible coach winning games and championships but he also makes sure he helps stop gang violence. It is great to see how involved he is and how much he wants to help others.

#26 the cars in the Bronx, NYC(poor) and in Palo Alto, California (Rich)

I think in the end of the experiment , a conclusion can be made aboout the closer community caring about the deserted cars. Palo Alto was said to be a close community because they cared about what happened in there community and the strangers that lived there. In the Bronx they didn't have a close nit communtity and they didn't care about what happened to them. I think if the student body cared about our school and took care of it we will all stand up together rather then in cliques or gangs. It is important to respect the schools and the students and I think it is hard for some students to realize this. I think we should apply this by picking up garabage or getting to know people that you may or may not know. Being friendly and sticking up up for kids that are being bullied are also a way we can make our community closer. If our school community is strong then i think the ripple affect will happen. Other schools will start to realize that we should be a closer school aswell.

#29 watch the shortened version of the last lecture

This lecture was very inspirational. He made me re think things in my life that I could be doing differently. Even though I don't know him I feel he has made a huge impact on my life. One of the things that surprises me is how strong he is. He was determined to live his life to the end and he continued to be strong. His points about childhood dreams, choosing people over things, and the part about working hard and not complain gave me inspiration. He chooses not to talk about his cancer but make us understand that we need to start living. I don't think it's the fact that he was dieing that got me it was the things he said. It seemed throughout the whole lecture he meant every word. I think it's awesome how he chooses to have fun with life he has left. Randy Pausch knows he has two months left to live and he chooses not to complain about it. I was really motivated after hearing it and it made me want to be a 'Tiger'.

#28 pg 180 one lesson from Joe Opatowski's life and death

A lesson from Joe's story would be to never take life for granted. It amazes me that he was able to change and view the world differently just because of a camp and a close friend. He knew the life he was living wasn't right and he was determined to fix it until he was happy. It all started with his friend telling him the camp wil change his life and it turned out it did. He became fascinated with the idea of free the children and me to we that he decided to help out. He was offered a job as a public speaker for me to we and he was vary inspirational. Joe shared his happiness with everyone as he continued to show students how to change from me to we. He realized that happiness doesn't come from what you get or what you want, it comes from how much you care. The more you care and show your generosity about something the happier you will be. Joe used his gifts of rapping and public speaking to his advantage. He continued to show his views on it and continued to change. I like how he changed his life and he didn't take it for granted. Joe realized he had a gift and could do more and that is what he did. the life Joe had was not realistic but it just goes to show people that one person can make a difference. Even though Joe died it was good to see that his life got turned around.

#25 What can IDCI learn from Monarch Park Collegiate?

I think this story is a great story of how one school shifted from me to we. Even though the school itself was in need of money they still did their part to help out a community that was in more need then themselves. It takes a lot of generosity to be able to give money to another school that is across the world. It is amazing how a school with that reputation could change like that and be able to raise a lot of money. I am pretty sure they were happy with how much money they raised, it would've been cool to witness how much people were giving at monarch park collegiate. I am pretty sure that students would have been surprised at who donated money towards events held at the school. Sally Hakim said that it kept growing and growing and continuing to grow. She compared it to a snowball that couldn't stop. It seemed like when the school had nothing they kept giving more. I feel that Monarch Park Collegiate started something and now it's going to be a big chain or wave that floats across the country

#27 Oprah's show

I think her show has been a huge inspiration to many people around the world. I am a fan of people making a difference and for her that is what she is doing. I don't believe in the amount of money she is making but she has changed many lives and I think that is great. It is important to get your inspiration from somewhere and she gives it to many people so they may change their lives. I believe in her show and I think why it's so big is because she gives hope to so many people for a better life. It gives people a new dream and new ideas in order to change their life.

#24 safe schools

I wasn't present for the play at IDCI nor did I go on the safe schools trip. I heard the play was better then the video and everything went over well. It is important for people to be aware of homophobia because people may offend others without even knowing it. I thought the whole idea of having it was a great idea.

#23 think pink

I think it went over well , more and more people are staring to become more aware of bullying around them. I think that it is good to bring awareness to bulling because it may give the kids who are getting bullied more confidence to talk about it or to tell someone. It can have a positive or a negative effect on you depending on how you look at it. I am sure for some of the kids watching the play they understand that it is going on around our school and that something needs to be done about it.

#22 Belonging

For me this year the IDCI senior girls basketball team was a major part in my life. This year it wasn't about a team for me it was about being apart of a family and that's what happened. We went through a lot this year and the only people that understood was the group of us. I went into this basketball year thinking I was going to be an outsider. These girls already had their best friends and I was coming into this hoping to get some playing time. I now gained 10 best friends that I probably will never lose in my lifetime. I have a close relationship with each one of them as well as all my coaches. Everyday we stepped into the gym we became closer. We stood by each other no matter what. That season was probably one of the most hardest years as well as one of the best years. I was a rookie this season and I never really understood what was going on like the other girls but I still felt like they impacted my life immensely. I know this probably sounds a little corny but it's the truth. It changed my views and my life.

#21...lions, tigers and zebras...oh my...

We can apply the lessons of the zebras here at home by working together in order for us to live strong. Like the Maasai man said " When we come together we are powerful"pg. 97. In order for us to live life we need to work together as a community. For our school , we need to work together to make it a good year. In order for us to accomplish goals for the future our school needs to come together so we are able to accomplish them. The zebras stand a greater chance of surviving if they all blend in rather then one standing out from the other. For us , we need to work together in order for us to survive and continue on the journey from me to we.

#20 Kim...Mike...and Brenda... three more me to we heroes

The story that most inspired me was Brenda's story. This inspired me because she was happy from the beginning. Her life consisted of work and never having time for herself. When she realized that most of her patients were cancer patients she knew she had to do something or that she could do something to help these people. Taking more time out of her life she managed to help the cancer patients with a skill she already possessed, fixing hair. I think this was a great story about shifting her focus from me to we and she managed to grow as a person as well. As well as helping others she managed to help herself and finish her schooling so she could open up more opportunities. It amazing how one little skill someone has could changed peoples lives and their own life. This was a great story for anyone to read and it is very inspirational to read about helping others as well as helping herself.

#18 the blue and white overnight

A) I think if we keep advertising it and making posters people will see it and startto talk about it. If we keep making the night look fun and maybe add some announcements in their people will start to want to come. Along as we keep advertising it I think it will be a hit. I also think it would be a good idea to make posters or announcements on certain activities that we will be doing at the blue and white overnight to get their attention. If we make these on really fun activities or activities you know will be fun kids will come.
B)I think if we create prize games like the raffle or an auction or something it would be fun. As long as the night keeps going I think it will be very profitable.

#17 back to the book

I think Empathy would be the most important skill to develop because it helps us look at other peoples situations and points of view. By being empathetic you are already making a move from me to we. To understand another persons situation is to be empathetic. To care about another and to identify one self through another person is to be empathetic. With this said empathy is a big part of moving your perspective to others rather then yourself. It takes selfless in order for humans to be empathetic and this task seems to be hard in the world we are in now. Seeing what another person is going through and have that connection with them will allow the person to see the big picture. If you can empathize with on person it will allow you to see the world in that same way.

#19 pay it forward the movie

I thought the movie was very good. It had a great plot which made it veryenjoyable to watch. The movie was sort of predictable but it still had some surprising spots in it which made it interesting. I liked how the boy wasn't the perfect idealistic boy but rather the complete opposite. It gives people hope that they can make a difference in the world. I am also very interested in how the movement went about. How one little boy's idea could change people's views on everything. It was good to see how focused and how determined the little boy was to complete his task and finish the project. I think how hard he worked at this pay it forward plan made people want to go through with it. After he died he still was able to make an impact on people around the wrold. Overall the movie was great because it showed people how much of an impact they can have on the world. I think the movie was idealistic because it seemed like the impact the boy had was bigger then ever. I don't think that many people would have been impacted by his words or they wouldn't of even bothered to pay it forward. People wouldn't of gone to the extremes they did to pay it forward in real life. Some of the plot points in the movie weren't realistic at all like when he died or the romantic plot. But this is how they get peoples attention to view the movie. I also think that making that big of an impact on the world is a little out of reach. Although the movie was unrealistic it still gave people hope for a better life.

#16 back to the book

The story I chose to blog about was Tim's story. This story had gave me and i am sure a lot of people inspiration. What amazed me about this story was Tim new he was ruthless and self centered and he changed. He changed to help others see what he saw in life which was his art. The art was trying to put a creative spin of what is in your mind and he help the mentally disabled people do this. He changed his whole perspective on life and he helped others in the process. He found a connection in the hospital with those people and he wanted to chare his talents with them. I chose this story because I like to see people come from nothing or come from the very botton to being on top. What I mean is that i like to see a person suffering or in tims case 'self-centered' , become an amazing person and help the people that really need it. These kind of stories give me inspiration to be a better person and to help others around me. Teaching people about your own personal talents and finding a way to help them is honourable.

#14 a spring clean up

I think that the spring clean up is a very good idea. Their are a lot of people that don't like to clean up their yards and I think many people would go for it. I am definetly in, their are many spots around town that can be cleaned up. This is a great way to recieve money for charity and italso helps the community. Even if the family or household can't or won't pay you it is good that we will still clean it up. I think that cleaning up a near by forest or what not would be good too even though you won't get paid. I thought it was a good idea based on the fact that we are getting out of school and that th money we raise is going to charity. We are creating change in the community by creating a cleaner environment and by reaisin money for charity. I also think this will be a fun experience when you are doing it with your friends.

#13 the roseto mystery

I think everyone was so healthy because they were always happy. In the story it mentions that they were always happy and welcoming to everyone. I think that their happiness paid off in their actual life. What i got from this story was a normal village or town that basically survived on well being and their own personal happiness. They also could have a heredity thing where none of the previous relatives of the little village had heart disease.

#15 blue and white overnight

My idea for the blue and white overnight is to play mat ball. I used to play it at my elementary school and it was really fun. You would set up a series of mats and put to floor hockey nets at each end. You need to find a partner of the same sex that is equal in strength and then your pair is given a number. One partner will be on one team and the other partner would be on the other team. When two teams are made with a partner on each side, a person will call out a number and they will fight to get a goal. If you throw the ball in you get one point, if you take yourself and the ball in you get 2 points. and if you bring you, the ball and the other person in the net you get 3 points. Each group gets a minute to play and more then one pair can fight for the ball at the same time. The team with the most points win. It was really fun but the only rule is you cant have girls and boys fight each other. They have to be girls against girls and boys against boys.

#8 Keith's story

His whole plan started out with making three goals that he set for himself. This is how his life was planned and in the end he was able to complete all these goals. By determination and inspiration Keith was able to be a professor, live in New york city and be a philanthropist. The first two came first and not having his third goal completed he had to make some big changes in his life in order for him to accomplish what he set for himself. He practically cut down half of his things so he had some extra cash to help others with there problems. He ended up living with a tv, couch, bed and dishes, and a web site that is well known. He has helped and changed so many lives and it is another example of someone that is a great person. keith was willing to give up some of his money when he was not even that wealthy. He put in a lot of time and effort and his own money to give other people hope.

#6 Marc's Story

I think it is weird that one event or place can change your whole outlook on life. When Marc went to Thialand it was a big step for him and he did something that most people can't do. He left his family, went across the world. and had to do medical on people when he had no experience. That takes a lot of courage and toughness to be able to stick with it and help others. he said this changed his life and made him change his views on life and he found himself. That was a huge part of his life and he said one of the best moments in his life. When he came back he thought he had his life all planned out, but he realized he wasn't happy with his welathy and secure career. He wanted to make a difference and I don't think many people can do that. If you were able to go and get a career that paid extremely well and it was secure I am sure most people would do that instead of making a difference in the world. Marc had a lot of courage to be able to do that and I believe he has inspired many people and has helped changed peoples views on the world.

#11 Me to We pg 46

I think it is very surprising that 90% didn't stop. If I see someone on the ground I usually ask if they are ok. I think that the 90% is more significant then the 10%. Although that 10% of the people did stop, 90% didn't and that is a big percentage. It is very ironic that the class was going to a good samaritan lecture and they don't even help someone that is on the ground. I think it is very important to show respect and helpfulness to others. Doing that lets you know that you care and those people that do need the help really appreciate people stepping up and helping them.

#10 so this happiness thing....

Happiness is doing something that you like to do to or creating opportunities in life that will make you happy. It depends on the person to what provokes there happiness. for me to obtain happiness would be getting good grades, going to OFSAA, watching some movies or shows, or hanging out with friends. To experience happiness it is important that you enjoy what you are doing, you are excited about what you are doing, and it gives you the ultimate happiness. You would recognize it when you start getting a good feeling about what you are doing everyday and it feels right to do it.
a) If I were given $500 right now i would probably put it in my bank account and save it for the future.
b) If I were given $5000 i would put all of it in the bank and maybe buy a computer.
c)If I were given $50000 dollars i would buy a car, give money to my parents, save some money and buy tickets for the next olympics or save the money and wait until i could purchase the tickets. I would also buy them for my friend because that is our plan.

#9 the world Values survey

I guess they weren't really that surprising because I have heard that before. When I heard it the first time it surprised me. I couldn't believe that countries that are less fortunate then us would be happier. It would make sence that since we live in a country where we are free from war, have houses, resources, entertainment, and great opportunities that we would be happy. It turns out having more or being more wealthy doesn't automatically mean you are happy. I think that we aren't in the top four for the happier countries because we take a lot of things for granted and we expect more from life. I think that we can learn a lot from this because it will alow us to look at our lives and think about what we have and maybe be happier.

#5 Kim's Story

We can take from this story that we shouldn't take anything for granted. We are so lucky in Canada to be a free country and it's important that we respect that. Another thing we can take from this is that a picture can change your life. When Kim had that picture taking of her, it was basically a life and death situation. In that time Kim had nothing and now her picture is famous all over the world. That one picture that Kim can barley look at makes people want to take more pictures of her. It changed her whole outlook and action on life, she has moved away from her home to a new home in canada and as she said she is famous but doesn't want to be. She is now a big part in making peace. It is important that we take from this story that even when the worse thing happens in your life, you don't get down about it, you look for ways to change and make it a better world for other people. This is what Kim did, she was in a life or death situation, had a lot of serguries, was self consicious and now living in Canada speaks around the world about peace.

#12 romancing your soul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP9IQuz-jlk It is the I believe CTV theme song for the 2010 Olympic winter games

I chose this video because it gives me inspiration to achieve my goals in my athletics. Just like the title 'I believe' it makes me want to do the best i can in everything I do. This video makes me feel proud that I am Canadian and it is also a very good pump up song before a big game or any game. This video also makes me believe in our olympic athletes. Just watching the games and hearing this song makes me feel apart of the team and apart of the olympic journey. It feels good to know that are canadian athletes are doing well. The video captures everyones dreams, if your an athlete or your not. It makes you believe in our Canadian athletes and it's a fantastic way to lift the spirits in Canada.

#7 IDCI is.....

IDCI is a old school that makes a difference im lives other then the students attending the school. IDCI is a school where we donate so much to charitable organizations, help out countries and families in need, and open up opportunities to other people that may not have opportunities like the ones we do at IDCI. IDCI means a communtity that helps change lives in so many different ways. It is a caring school that always looks for the we instead of me. Our school is known for retreiving donations, our athletics and bringing out the leaders in our students. I feel that their are a lot of leaders and potential leaders that go to IDCI. This leadership is how we are making a difference. We are good at creating different activities that will suit everyone, we are good at accomplishing our goals and we are also good at working together in different groups and with different people. IDCI could improve on school spirit, our academics, and our school cleanliness.

#4 thinking we

I think It would take a lot of guts and courage to be able to sell your house and give up half your stuff. This would also take a lot of heart and caring especially coming from a young teenage girl who has a wealthy family and wants to give up her stuff and sell her house. I also think it would take a lot of courage just to share the idea with your family or parents. If we were a wealthy family I don't think it would ever cross my mind. It probably wouldn't cross any of my families mind because it is just beyond normal. You never think of giving up big expensive in your life that you have earned and give it to the homeless or other charitable events. Maybe when I am older I can make big decisions to help others like the girl in this story.

#1 the great maple leaf handprint flag thing

I thought our group worked very well together. Their were a few people in our group that shot out ideas so people went with it. We started out by just making hands then a few other people put the hands together. A small group inside our group, figured out the hand part of our flag and Tori thought of the hands coming out the side. I thought everyone made a excellent contribution to the brillance of our flag. I also felt that everyone participated to the group. Even though they may have finished there original job of making hands or cutting out the hands they still found other jobs they could do to help.

#2 everythings amazing.....nobody's happy

I think this clip told the truth. We are taking everything for granted and we aren"t really realising ho0w good we have it. Like the guy said in the clip we have a computer but are getting mad at it because it is slow or we are complaining about our phones when back in the day they had to use the spinny phone. People are unhappy and there is no reason to be unhappy when we have all this new technology that practically can do anything anywhere. he also makes a point about plains and how people complain about there flights, when people should be taking in that they are actually flying. Our society has developed a new technology age but know one really seems to be happy about it. I thought he made some very good points and people need to take into consideration some of the points.

#3 Craig's story

Craig's story gave me a whole new perspective of how we can help others. It is amazing that one 13 year old boy could make a big difference in the world. I also find it amazing that even though Iqbal died he still impacted another childs life that eventually would change the world. Not only did craig change his school but he also changed the views of some important figures in our society. He also made a trip to Asia to see what young children were doing in factories. I feel craig is very strong, brave and kind- hearted. It would be hard for a thirteen year old boy to first change the views of others, second to make speeches and go on live television infront of a world audience, and third to be able to see first hand what children are going trough throughout the world. He made a huge impact and it is amazing how many people he has changed to help children.