Happy autumn, my favorite time of year! As the leaves change color and wither, I’m reminded that they’re nourishing the soil for new growth in the spring. As a college student, I remember pausing amid the hustle and bustle of each fall semester — my part time job, internships, extracurriculars, running cross country and, oh yeah, school — to take in the mixture of warm and crisp air in San Francisco and revel in the changes.

I remember thinking:
1. What is going well that I need to keep doing? Like working out, getting good grades and speaking at school events.
2. What do I have to say goodbye to? What things aren’t serving my best self, so I can let it fall with the leaves?
3. To remind myself to pause and breathe in the crisp morning air, take in the sights of the beautiful fall colors and slowly sip on my cinnamon and pumpkin spice latte.

As I reflect upon the changes from last autumn, I decided that instead of pushing myself to create more videos, I’d nurture the existing content we had — the stories and messages — and work on repackaging them for a greater impact. I went with the flow. Team members got married, some had kids (talk about changes!), while others moved on to other cities and jobs and others are still here. I can’t believe we’ve had more than 150 volunteers who have found their “inner superhero power” helping me help unsung heroes.

One of my favorite things to do now is pause and enjoy the process, whether things seem well or stuck in motion. I also love to catch up and follow up with some of our heroes as their stories and impact continue to ripple out.

For example:

1. Nico Castro, our Halloween hero is at it again, collecting costumes for his friends in the hospital who are too sick to go trick-or-treating. We’re happy to report this 11-year-old warrior has fought off the villain (brain cancer). His mom tells me he is undergoing regular check-ups and follow-up procedures to continue winning the battle. If you’re able to donate new costumes to help him bring cheer to his friends in the hospital, here’s how (see flyer below):

2. Matthew Kaplan of The Be ONE Project, a peer-to-peer mentoring program, was chosen to be a CNN Hero last fall! Woo hoo. CNN producers reached out and licensed our footage and interviews for their feature on Matthew’s anti-bullying program that blossomed when he couldn’t find a youth-centric anti-bullying program to help his younger brother who was harassed by cyberbullies.

3. One of my favorite quotes is from the late poet, Maya Angelou: “When you get, give. When you learn, teach.” Little did I know, the past decade I dedicated to Go Inspire Go’s mission of featuring everyday heroes to inspire the hero in each of us would help me find my own superhero power. I grew and evolved personally, professionally and spiritually through each story, interaction with my volunteers/team and meeting you all and hearing how GIG impacted your lives. This led me to shed my insecurities around growing up poor and ashamed to tell my story about the struggles of being an immigrant whose dream didn’t align with my parents’ “American Dream.”

I’ve spent the past year on GIG 2.0 — the “TruthDare” podcast. I interview badasses who have found their “true calling” and I dare you to also find your truth. I realize all the work I’ve been doing has a single thread running though them: finding out your truth — that special thing that excites you when you wake up and makes you, YOU. I realized that when you own and live your truth, you give people the permission to live theirs. When you share it with others, that, my friends is JOY.

I’m inviting you to listen and share, and to “Trust your truth, I dare you!”

Onward,
Toan

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The post My Favorite Time of Year: Fall Forward, Reflecting Back appeared first on Go Inspire Go.

Happy holidays everyone! ’Tis the season to be jolly right? I don’t mean to be a Grinch, but for many, the holidays are anything but merry. For me and many people I know, it’s a time when the hustle and bustle of the holidays — the glistening lights, Christmas cards and holiday parties — force us to reflect on our losses. Loss comes in many forms: loss of loved ones, a break-up, losing a job, etc.

For many years, the holidays were anything but happy for me.

Every October, just before the holidays as the leaves change, so does my spirit. Joy is the antithesis of what I felt going into the holidays. It’s the time of year when families and friends gather for feasts and schedules are packed with celebrations. It also a time when I’m reminded of my loved ones lost.

My father passed away in October of 2001. I was living in Wausau, Wisc., at the time. I remember the phone ringing. On the other end, my brother’s unrecognizable stoic voice muttered, “Toan, sit down. I have some bad news to tell you.

“Dad was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer. He has six months to live.”

The rest of the phone call was a blur. I was a reporter for the ABC local affiliate and I immediately met with my news director and told him I was going home to take care of my dying father.

Six long months ensued. Cold, dark, heavy emotions clouded my existence. Memories still haunt and taunt me, especially this time of year. The images remain fresh in my mind: shoving morphine down Dad’s throat, my Mom busting the door open in the middle of many nights, her face pale as snow, begging me to help her help my father get dressed as he was, yet again, getting rushed to the hospital because of the unbearable pain.

Six months after I got the call from my brother, my father passed away. I would lose three more family members in a year’s time: my aunt and both grandmothers.

Not a single holiday passes by that I don’t think of them.

So what do I do to get through this so called “holly, jolly, happy” time of year, a season that stirs up much of the grief?

I believe that all our experiences are like scattered dots. When we’re going through them, it’s hard to decipher the “Whys?” “How could haves?” and “Why me’s?”

Thirteen years since my personal tragedies, I can finally connect the dots thanks to my dear friend Marianna Cacciatore. She’s the author of “Being There for Someone in Grief: Essential Lessons in Supporting Someone Grieving from Death, Loss and Trauma,” host of the VoiceAmerica show “Ordinary People doing Extraordinary Deeds,” and former Chief Inspiration Officer of the nonprofit Bread for the Journey, but I know her as a wise, grounded, kindred spirit and grief expert. She’s someone you want want by your side when grief strikes. None of us are immune.

Again, when I use the word loss, I’m not just talking about grieving the loss of a family member or friend. Rather, it’s the loss of anything you may have experienced; a job, family, friend, sexuality, your preconceived notions of what others wanted you to be or as a parent, it’s losing your freedom when having children.

For the first time, Marianna is sharing her story of loss at a young age — the brutal murder of a best friend. Through this tragic experience, Marianna shares her unique perspective on how grief leads to generosity and love.

With the words, wisdom and voice remnant of Maya Angelou, Marianna eloquently explains the patterns she sees in the space of grief. She believes grief leads generosity and then — get ready for this — feeling a deep love. Now, what do the words “grief,” “generosity” and “love” have to do with one another? You’ll be surprised.

“I have observed that there is a natural relationship between grief and generosity,” she said. “And if the inspired impulse toward generosity is noticed and nurtured, it leads to an experience of belonging, connection and love that is life-changing and transformative.”

If you or anyone you know has or is experiencing grief and loss, please share this video with them, I know you’ll find it as cathartic as I have. This may be the best gift you can give to someone this holiday and all year round.

Grief is as unique as each person it touches. We all process and experience it differently. It gets scary, we lose ourselves in the emotions and there isn’t a clear route for any of us. But I can tell you first hand that Marianna’s observation holds true to my experience.

After letting myself grieve and heal over time, I took action when the time was right. Eight years after losing four family members, I felt a deep generosity that words can’t define. It transformed my life and changed the trajectory of where I’m at today and where I’m headed in the days to come. It sparked a curiosity, generosity and love through my passion work, my life’s work with Go Inspire Go, a multimedia movement to inspire kindness, compassion, generosity and action.

In the words of my wise friend Marianna, “It took time and concentration to learn to be there for someone in grief in a way that is welcomed and respectful. Lucky for me, I had great teachers. My deepest wish is that I have found just the right words to help you become a person who can be there for someone you know, perhaps someone you love, who needs your deep presence as they grieve.”

Marianna, thank you for being one of my greatest teachers and shedding light around a topic so taboo, dark and scary. Your bold words and wisdom, I will cherish in all my living days.

If you feel like this video and/or blog has helped you, please share with those you love, those who have lost and those who are lost in the shadows of grief.

Reflect & Act:

1. We’re naturally generous. Notice when the impulse to be generous shows up & ACT on it. Let us know what you did! Tag: @goinspirego

2. Know someone who has experienced LOSS, share this video.

3. Learn More: www.mariannacacciatore.com, subscribe to her email list and share her message.

Marianna is currently writing her second book about grief, generosity and love. It explores the many losses and perceived failures we experience in a lifetime and how, when we do our important and necessary interior work to heal from the wounds of loss and failure, we can choose to have our heart break open instead of apart. Stay tuned to her website, www.mariannacacciatore.com, for news of when the book will be released.

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The post Tea with Toan: A Conversation About How Grief Leads to Generosity & Love appeared first on Go Inspire Go.

After all, disguised in our everyday day-to-day, we are all seekers. Everyone is put on earth to discover our highest calling and everyone deserves to live the biggest, most fulfilling life possible. But some of us get lost along the way. Some bury themselves with work, others consume uncontrollably and amass debt, while others don’t sit still and listen to the intelligence in the quiet during challenging times.

When I was a hyper-busy TV reporter, I had to quiet my mind by running through the wooded Presidio area here in San Francisco. This quiet time allowed me process what was going right and what wasn’t right (trust me, there was more of the latter at the time).

A series of miracles occurred which led me to my life’s work, my calling, which I call Go Inspire Go. It started with a thought: I want to use my power — storytelling and connecting with people on a purposeful, deeper level to spark action and do good — for a helpful cause. Then one volunteer came along. Fast forward five years, we have more than 100 volunteers and this lovely program we call “Community Heroes,” a lesson on compassion for the youth co-created with a Marin Mom and soul sister, Kala Shah.

We recently met Melissa Stephens, a teacher at Kent Middle School in Marin County. Melissa is the definition of Maya Angelou’s “Get, give. Learn, teach” message.

After meeting Melissa and feeling her energy, Kala and I knew that she would be the perfect person to expand our message and chose her school to become the flagship middle school for our Community Heroes program.

Melissa is all about “being the person you needed when you were younger.” Her classroom is a fortress fun of goodness, an environment that allows kids to connect on an authentic level, show their gratitude and just be. It’s filled with fun things such as a “Gratitude Tree” where you would “leaf” a message of gratitude, and a full length “Check Yourself Mirror” where students who look in the mirror have to follow through with a set of action items, such as telling Mrs. Stephens something awesome about themselves.

After our meeting, Melissa texted Kala and me to tell us about an amazing experience that unfolded in her classroom as we said our goodbyes. A student, whom we will call “Bobby,” brought Melissa lunch. We thought it was sweet, but didn’t realize the deeper meaning — Bobby is on the free lunch program.

I asked Melissa to blog and share her sentiments about it. Sparking compassion and action is what the Community Heroes program is all about. It touched me deeply, and in a way healed me also.

I was on the free lunch program from Kindergarten to 12th grade. I was embarrassed and would hide my little blue ticket that fed me daily. Now that shame has dissipated.

Thanks for sharing your story, your classroom and your light Mrs. Stephens. You’ve inspired and rewired me to extend myself more to the youth and be the person I needed when I was younger.

—Toan Lam

By Melissa Stephens

I have been gifted with the opportunity to write this guest blog for the incomparable Toan, and the gratitude I feel to share this particular story is overwhelming. It is a story of love, service and the ultimate gift of self.

This is my 20th year of teaching, but I must say that the passion I feel and the inspiration I am filled with is more representative of a new teacher’s optimism and zest for the profession than one who has been at it for a score.

It is easy to get burnt out in education. Long hours, short budgets and challenging situations test even the hardiest of educators. But I work at a school with incredible colleagues, extremely supportive administrators and beautiful kids who have so much spirit and joy that I wake up each day excited to go to work.

While I have taught several grade levels over my two-decade span, I have worn a variety of hats the past two years with a delicious combo platter of roles at our middle school. I teach fifth grade Language Arts, English Language Development (ELD) for fifth through eighth grade, and am the Student Activities Director for the entire school. While I love every position, I believe it is the last one that has afforded me the biggest opportunity to serve my life’s purpose.

We are often asked as teachers to explain our philosophy of teaching. For 20 years, I have tried to do just that but could never quite nail it down to encompass what my style is all about. My colleagues could rattle off Ed Code and different education gurus’ methods, while I would be frantically trying to say, “I just want to create an environment for my kids that makes them want to come to school” in a way that sounded intelligent and “teacherly.” Because honestly, that is my whole philosophy: make it fun, and the rest will follow.

It wasn’t until a few weeks ago when my brother sent me a quote he found that perfectly summed up why I teach. It read, “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” Gut punch. Took my breath away. That was it. This is exactly why I teach and precisely what drives me to create a space for my kids (and yes…my students are my kids) where they feel safe, loved, and supported.

It is this exact passion that spurred the Student Activities room and all it offers the student body. It is a place where kids can come during lunch and recess to relax, chat and take a break from the struggle that can be middle school. So it is extremely fitting that Toan happened to be in my room for a Go Inspire Go meeting with Kala and me when the lunch bell rang and kids began streaming in.

The first one in the room was a boy I will call “Bobby.” He was in my ELD class a few years ago, but has since tested out. Still, he comes to my room every day to hang out and catch me up on the latest middle school happenings for him.

A quick side note: normally when I recount stories from teaching, they are riddled with humor and sass. See, I have also done stand up comedy for some time, and even took a leave from teaching a few years ago to write, produce and star in an original one woman comedy show about teaching in an affluent area. However, to retell this story of Bobby with anything but total reverence would be a sin, so I will treat it, and him, with the utmost respect. Now back to the story.

When Bobby came in, I introduced him to Toan and Kala and said, “These are the people who are going to skyrocket our [student body’s] community service!” Then I told Toan and Kala, “And this is my pal who keeps me company at lunch.” Bobby just smiled, said hello then dropped something on my desk. When Toan and Kala left, I had a chance to see what it was. And what it was brought tears to my eyes.

See, Bobby does not come from money like most of the students in our school. He also does not have the same skin color as the majority of his classmates. Life is not easy for him, but I swear his smile is one of the brightest you’ll ever find. This year, something must have changed at home for him because his mom used to drop off his lunch, or I would share mine with him. But now he is on our free lunch program, and what he dropped on my desk was just that. When I looked at him questioningly, he whispered in my ear, “They said I could take two today if I wanted to. Dunno why, but I felt like you needed one.”

And in fact, I did.

See, I hadn’t had time to pack a lunch that morning, so my husband was going to drop one off for me. But his day got crazy, so he was unable to. My stomach was growling by the time lunch rolled around, so this unexpected gift could not have come at a better time.

It was so beautiful, so selfless, so giving that it not only filled my belly but it flooded my heart and soul. He who has so little gave me what he could. This is the spirit of true service. This is what I know in my heart Go Inspire Go is all about.

And so we sat together, eating our matching sandwiches, content in the knowing that we would always be there for each other to lift each other up when we needed it and to give what we could of ourselves.

Twenty years later and I know this above all else: my students are my greatest teachers.

Take Action:

1. Share this blog with your community/kids.

2. Do one kind thing for someone and use #goinspirego to let us know what you did.

3. Start your own Community Heroes Club: www.goinspirego.com/communityheroes

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Join our movement & Go Inspire Go…

The post When the Student Becomes the Teacher appeared first on Go Inspire Go.

“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” —Dr. Maya Angelou

Eloquent, simple, deep. This quote defines the foundation in which I live, both in my personal and professional life. I’ve had a lot of job titles in the past. My first job was selling rattan baskets at a flea market with my uncle. Then there was the movie theater, financial aid officer in college, waiter, retail cashier, instructor at the Academy of Art University and University of San Francisco, host/reporter of a PBS show, TV reporter and currently, “Chief Inspirator” of Go Inspire Go. The list goes on, but there’s an underlying theme to all of the jobs — teacher.

As a child growing up in a lower socio-economic area of South Sacramento, I had three dreams that I kept quietly inside: be a TV reporter in a big city, do anything related to PBS (PBS was a teacher of sorts — I learned English and was entertained by Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood), and be a teacher. Dreams I was embarrassed to share because they weren’t the American dreams my parents had for me.

Looking back, I can’t help but get chills writing this blog. Why? Because, despite my sordid start, I achieved all three dreams (and more) by the age of 30. When I was 10, I remember how I had thought that my voice DID NOT matter. Who would want to listen to this Chinese boy’s message? What did I have to say that was of worth anyway? I didn’t think I had a message or a gift to give anyone.

Little did I know that I would manifest my dreams ten-fold. Yes, I am literally a teacher at the university level, but I feel like I’m teaching and learning from every facet of my life as the founder of Go Inspire Go and through our Go Inspire Go “Community Heroes” Youth Lesson on Compassion program.

I believe everyone we meet are our teachers — everybody! The nice, and even not so pleasant folks, teach us something and add value to our lives. I had many teachers along the way. Here are three who impacted my life personally, professionally and spiritually.

1. Ma (my grandmother)

Ah Ma was my father’s mother who helped raised us. She struggled more than anyone I’ve ever met. She lost her husband in her early 20s, fled China and became homeless with three children. She would eventually outlive all five of her children. Throughout all the heartache and challenges, she always seemed to embody a sense of joy. I remember being by her side throughout my childhood soaking in her grandmotherly wisdom. She instilled morals, values and life lessons through her stories, wounds and words. She taught me to be kind, humble and live in balance. She was my first hero.

2. Carolyn Weber

Carolyn is a tall, beautiful, wickedly intelligent woman who was an assistant professor at my alma mater, the University of San Francisco. She was the first person to validate my obsession with the art of human connection, creative writing and helped me discover my gift for connecting with people through conversation.

Growing up with immigrant Asian parents who wanted me to be a “doctor, lawyer, engineer” was stressful. Secretly, I wanted to do something with words instead. I wanted to become a writer, journalist and teacher. When I was younger, I would often read the words on shampoo bottles aloud in the shower: “Rinse, lather, repeat.” I would read my favorite children’s books aloud, pretending to give each one a unique voice. I would dream that one day, I could tell everyone stories for a living and use the power I knew I had to help people realize their own power.

Taking Carolyn’s class ignited the power inside of me. I remember the first assignment: write a one-page paper about a moment in your life that changed you. I don’t remember what I wrote about — that’s how petrified I was that she would expose me. Scenarios played in my 20-something-year-old head as to how she would react and rip me a new one. I feared that she would tell me that I didn’t belong in her class.

The next week, I sauntered to her class, palms sweaty, heart beating, blurred vision. She handed me the paper and in perfect red penmanship it read, “You are such a gifted and lively writer. What will you do with your talents?”

For the first time in my life, someone validated my passion and my gift, which became an integral part of my life’s work.

3. Oprah

Although I haven’t met Lady O (yet), she has had a huge impact on my young self. As a kid, I didn’t see any Asian male TV hosts and very few Asian males on TV. I remember watching most of her shows, even the ones that didn’t resonate with me (like the “Are you wearing the wrong bra?” episode) so I could study the way she read the prompter and connected to her viewers and audience. It didn’t seem like she was reading, rather, it seemed she was just talking to us.

I realized that she wasn’t in the business of TV. Her show was the vehicle to deliver the stories to her fans. She was in the business of connecting people. It didn’t seem to matter whether she was interviewing celebrities like Julia Roberts or a homeless, transgendered person. She still made you feel their pain and celebrate their triumphs.

She taught me about being my authentic self, having the courage to follow my passion and to use my talents — and platform — to serve humanity. The trajectory of my life changed after hearing her say, “Once you know, you can’t pretend you don’t.” Those words planted the seed for what I do today.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned was: If you give yourself permission to dream, dare to follow your passion and set your intentions into action, you manifest what Oprah says is the “fullest expression of yourself.”

I think the highest honor and the biggest gift you can give to others is to teach them something that’s added value to your life. It is then that the gift will be regifted. I learned that you don’t have to be rich or famous to make a difference. Although it would be fabulous to say, “You get a car, and you get a car.” LOL.

I have the best job in the world through Go Inspire Go. I discover everyday heroes, tell their authentic stories and leverage social media so that my viewers discover and use their true powers to help others. It’s because of these phenomenal teachers in my life that I’ve become my fullest self. I’ve found joy. That’s why I teach and that’s why I give. It doesn’t get better than that!

Take Action

We want to hear stories of how a teacher has impacted your life. Share below or tweet using hashtags #GoInspireGo and #NationalTeacherDay.

Hit share if you care, please share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or comment.

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The post Happy National Teacher Day: 3 Teachers Who Changed My Life appeared first on Go Inspire Go.