Misstropolis | Spirit

350.org International Day of Climate Action

2009-10-27T18:07:08-05:00

You don’t need 350 reasons to read this, you only need one: climate change is real. Here are more anyway: it’s happening now, it’s threatening our planet and your children’s futures will be effected by the actions you take today. With his movement, 350.org, writer and activist Bill McKibben has given new meaning to world wide web. He has social networked his cause into more than 180 different countries and millions upon millions of homes. It may sound simple, but spreading the message that we as a global community must bring carbon dioxide levels down to 350 parts per million to keep our planet safe and halt climate change is anything but. It takes grassroots genius and a global village. You don’t need 350 reasons to read this, you only need one: climate change is real, it’s happening now and it’s threatening our planetary hacienda. However there are more… With his climate change awareness movement 350.org, writer and activist Bill McKibben has created a new world wide web. He has social networked his cause into more than 180 different countries and millions upon millions of homes. It may sound simple, but spreading the message that we as a global community must bring carbon dioxide levels down to 350 parts per million to keep our planet safe and halt climate change is anything but. Here are the pictures to prove it.

BostonGives Gives Big

2009-10-16T12:52:06-05:00

BostonGives is a unique charity for many reasons. One of the most profound in our minds is that the principals of the organization insist on remaining anonymous. “This is not about having our names out there,“ explained one of BostonGives’ founders at their recent Big Give event. “No names are attached to what we do, we want it to be about the giving, the causes and the fun we can have getting together to give back.“ BostonGives’ Big Give Event took place at the Boston Harbor Hotel last month. In a special piece for Misstropolis, behind the scenes BG miracle workers Megan Leavy and Josh Kennedy write that BostonGives not only makes giving big, it makes giving fun as well. Giving can and should be fun. This was the genesis of BostonGives, an idea that began over breakfast between three members of the investment industry in Boston, who were seeking a way for their firms to give back to the community. Too many people were suffering from charity fatigue: one rubber chicken dinner too many, one long impassioned speech too many. Advocates for worthy causes were not reaching willing donors and supporters because charity functions had become obligations. Giving had ceased to be fun.

Leggo My Ego: the Spirit of Yoga

2009-09-15T19:30:44-05:00

Taylor Wells, owner of Prana Power Yoga in New York City, Newton, MA and Cambridge, as well as the just opened Prana Raw Cafe in Newton knows from personal experience that there is no room for egos on the mat. What is the true Spirit of Yoga?Years ago, one of my first teachers stood next to my mat and disciplined me for doing something different than the rest of the class. I was nursing an injured back; I wonder now what he was battling. “Why do you even bother coming?” He asked loud enough for the whole class to hear. “Why don’t you just practice at home?” I stayed on my mat. Leaving would mean that I had taken on the humiliation that he was unconsciously trying to project onto me. Leaving would mean that I would lose the solace I had learned to find on my mat during a difficult time in my life - the separation from my husband after 18 years.

Fashion for Compassion with the MSPCA

2009-07-28T20:31:25-05:00

Tails will wag! Fur will fly! On Wednesday, August 5th, 25 dogs will scamper, claw and pant their way down a turf catwalk for the fourth annual Fashion for Compassion fundraiser at the MSPCA Nantucket headquarters. One of the islands most beloved summer events, the canine fashion show creatively draws attention to a serious cause. Animals on the island need our help as much as they do on the mainland. Misstropolis got the scoop from the women running the show. On Wednesday, August 5th, 25 dogs will scamper, claw and pant their way down a turf catwalk for the fourth annual Fashion for Compassion fundraiser at the MSPCA Nantucket headquarters on Crooked Lane.

Music Against Myeloma

2009-06-30T16:22:10-05:00

Not long ago, patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma faced a lonely battle against the disease. Despite growing awareness of other forms of cancer, few knew of myeloma and little was being done to raise awareness and funds toward a cure. Slava Rubin and Matt Ostrower, the founders of Music Against Myeloma (MAM), are part of an influential movement to change that here and abroad. Abigail Jones speaks to the founders in New York City where MAM recently held its annual fundraiser - a deliberately non-black tie party, focused on music and fighting cancer one song at a time.This spring, nearly 150 young professionals dressed in skinny jeans and casual work attire, some tipsy, all of them giddy, gathered at BLVD, a bar in SoHo in New York City. On stage, R&B and jazz sensation Danielia Cotton belted out contagious tunes while the crowd clamored for cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine (an NYC obsession), cheeses from Murray’s Cheese (another local obsession), and “Cancer Sucks” socks.

Revolutionary Philanthropy

2009-06-03T17:45:32-05:00

Kathy LeMay thought the only way she could make an impact was by donating lots of money to the causes she cared about. But her work as a trusted advisor in the fundraising world has shown her that the most powerful form of philanthropy is available to each and every one of us.My mother spent her life teaching me about making a difference. We went without when I was young—there were times spent in food banks, times we used food stamps. Still, my mother would say, “There is always someone who is worse off. Our job is to help.”

My Day with the Dalai Lama

2009-05-12T01:47:49-05:00

Omgal Rebecca Pacheco reflects on her life-affirming day in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. With 15,000 others in the temporarily sacred Gillette Stadium, the author experienced live the compassionate wisdom that had moved her through teachers and readings since she was a college student. A calm mind and when appropriate, a Patriots hat, are what guide him she found, on the path to peace and happiness. Can we learn to follow?Following the Dalai Lama’s visit to Boston this weekend, the media’s coverage of the event, a two-part lecture held at Gillette Stadium, was largely relegated to posts regarding the above photo, wherein His Holiness donned a New England Patriots hat during the afternoon session. I can’t say that I blame them; it was pretty fantastic. The hat, of course, was a gift from Patriots team owner Robert Kraft, who happened to be sitting with his wife Myra, just a few feet away from me, so I snapped a shot of him too.

How Do You Do It? Heroic Words from Mom Entrepreneurs

2009-05-05T17:22:57-05:00

For us at Misstropolis the approach of Mother’s Day is not a time of panic over what flowers to send or brunch reservations to make. Instead we like to reflect on how absolutely kick ass mothers are every day of every year. Moms who are entrepreneurial highlight the death-defying high wire act that all mother’s perform daily and give us an opportunity for a proud collective cheer. Here, four women reflect on the courage, balance, love and self-knowledge that comes from being business owners - but always mothers first. And surprise! Owning a business requires a lot of the same qualities as being a mom. For us at Misstropolis the approach of Mother’s Day is not a time of panic over what flowers to send or brunch reservations to make. Instead we like to reflect on how absolutely kick ass mothers are every day of every year. Moms who are entrepreneurial highlight the death-defying high wire act that all mother’s perform daily and give us an opportunity for a proud collective cheer. Here, four women reflect on the courage, balance, love and self-knowledge that comes from being business owners - but always mothers first.

Couture for Cancer: Carmen Marc Valvo for Ovations for a Cure

2009-04-29T16:33:01-05:00

This Saturday, take part in a most extraordinary event at the Liberty Hotel in Boston. Join designer Carmen Marc Valvo and local celebrities to support Ovations for a Cure, one of the only organizations in the country dedicated exclusively to finding a cure for ovarian cancer. Fashion and Philanthropy combine for an afternoon you won’t forget. Grab a friend and celebrate Couture for a Cure.More than 22,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year and 15,000 ultimately succumb to the disease. shockingly, this 15% survival rate has not changed in over 30 years. Ovations for the Cure is one of the few organizations in the country dedicated exclusively to ovarian cancer. Ovations fights to proliferate information about ovarian cancer risk factors and warning signs, and aggressively supports research and treatment initiatives. In its three-year existence as an organization, Ovations has donated over $1.25 million to ovarian cancer research across the country.

Seek With an Open Mind

2009-04-23T03:43:50-05:00

Making a morning better, a day better, a life better can be simpler than it seems. Letting go of fears and assumptions can be like tossing an old script into the fire. Yoga teacher, artist and writer Sheryl Light captures the Spirit of her yogic philosophy in a short piece about opening to possibility and laughing in the face of limitation.In this very moment permit yourself to float softly and gently down a beautiful path. On this day, be mindful of the places you frequently pass by without really ever seeing. Take time to pause and explore, maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what wonders you find. Right now, exactly where you are, anything is possible. With your next step there are no limitations, only remarkable potential; seek it with an open mind.