Pilar Stella's Blog (49)

That Crazy Thing Called LOVE

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage. ~ Lao Tzu

I wanted to start writing a blog tonight about how much Twitter has inspired me...but I'll have to save that for next time, as it got trumped by this blog about that thing we call LOVE.

What is the magical thing about LOVE – that inspires, encourages and invigorates us when it hits? When it happens, it usually throws us off kilter for days, weeks, even… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on July 23, 2009 at 5:56pm — No Comments

9 More News & Latest on Giving & Social Media

Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you. ~ Jim Rohn

Every few weeks, I go back through and review the latest news on what’s happening around giving and social media. I can’t quite seem to keep up, but made an attempt this time to create categories for the future…we’ll see how it goes. As with everything, it seems that there is more and more happening with giving, which is… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on July 17, 2009 at 9:39pm — No Comments

A New Paradigm of Giving: Opportunity or Limitation?

A generous man forgets what he gives and remembers what he receives. ~Old Proverb

I have been working in philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, nonprofit and policy change efforts for nearly 15 years. In that time, I have seen a lot of changes. But I will say none have seemed so profound and significant as those going on today. I wrote in one of my last blogs about the changes going on and the divide between the old paradigm and new paradigm.

As Katherine… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on July 14, 2009 at 7:18pm — No Comments

An Attitude of Gratitude

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John F. Kennedy

I have never fully gotten what gratitude meant until recently. Some definitions for gratitude include:

- A feeling of thankfulness and appreciation

- A positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive

- A state of being grateful

- An appreciative awareness and… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on July 13, 2009 at 6:24pm — No Comments

Feeling Alive

I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive. ~Joseph Campbell

When was the last time you felt really alive? I mean that you felt at the core of your being just pure life, vitality and passion. When you didn’t feel lethargic, resentful, achy, sad or any sort of ailment? I bet for many of you, it has been a long time! I know it was for me…a few years ago. Yet, thankfully, today I feel more alive and in… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on July 12, 2009 at 8:47am — No Comments

Old Paradigm: New Paradigm in Giving

Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.

~ George Bernard Shaw

I had a conversation with a nonprofit recently that got me thinking about how times are changing and what an amazing paradigm shift we are going through. It made me wonder how many people, organizations, nonprofits and others will make it through this paradigm shift? And what will be… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on July 7, 2009 at 9:16am — 10 Comments

The Courage To Be Who You Really Are

It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are. ~ e.e. cummings

I had started a bunch of blogs about philanthropy, paradigm shifts and change, but this came up so I wanted to share it first and you’ll have to wait until later for the others on giving! Enjoy!

It is amazing how much changes, with just the passage of time. I have just spent a few weeks back in Denver, Colorado, where I lived for 11 years, to wrap up some personal affairs and do… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on July 2, 2009 at 5:21pm — No Comments

The Future of Philanthropy

As the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and we must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. ~President Barack Obama

If you haven’t seen the TED video with Katherine Fulton on Philanthropy (http://bit.ly/CnGH3), I highly recommend you see it! She talks eloquently and inspiringly on the democratization of philanthropy and how it is changing from a field of the few to one of the many.… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 30, 2009 at 5:44pm — No Comments

This Week’s Top 9+ Giving & Social Media News

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others. ~ Pericles

So on this #FollowFriday, I decided to pull together this week’s latest news on giving and social media. It feels as though every week there is more innovation and excitement going on around giving, philanthropy, change and social media. Here is my latest attempt to pick the best and most interesting news of the week. Enjoy and please share with me other news and… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 26, 2009 at 5:56pm — 2 Comments

Is It Social Entrepreneurship or Conscious Capitalism?

What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to social change. They are the driven, creative individuals who question the status quo, exploit new opportunities, refuse to give up, and remake the world for the better. ~ David Bornstein

In order to make money you have to serve other people – for me that’s the beauty of conscious capitalism. ~Fred Kofman

I recently spoke at a Fulbright Scholars Event on the topic of Social Entrepreneurship.… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 24, 2009 at 5:22pm — No Comments

Latest Top 10 News on Giving & Social Media

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. ~Richard Bach

Since I got such good feedback from my listing of the latest in news on Giving and Social Media last week, I thought I would try to continue the trend on a regular (maybe not weekly) basis. So in trying to help you (and me) keep my head straight on all that is going on related to giving and social media, here are my latest top 10 news tidbits on all that is giving and social media. Happy… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 24, 2009 at 5:20pm — No Comments

Redefining Charity for the 21st Century

Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are. ~Bertold Brecht

As I sat down to write on what is called “Charity Tuesday” on Twitter, I started thinking further about the word charity and wondered if it bothers others as much as it bothers me?

I wrote a blog about it recently and haven’t stopped thinking about it, particularly when everywhere around me, people and organizations are talking about their charities of choice. Now don’t get… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 16, 2009 at 5:59pm — No Comments

Top 10 News and Tips on Giving and Social Media

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. ~ Albert Einstein - Perhaps not! ~ Pilar Stella

As I sat down to write my blog today and I thought about this quote, I thought to myself, “Perhaps, not!” You see it seems to me that we are in an amazing era in which our technology might just be beginning to enhance our humanity. As I thought about all of the different social media tools, news and tips that are being used to enhance and transform… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 14, 2009 at 2:50am — No Comments

Cooperation Over Conflict

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end. ~ President Barack Obama

Yesterday I posted a link on my Facebook page with the "Does your hair feel like mine, Mr. President" picture and link (http://tinyurl.com/mb2xxv). What followed, surprised… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 10, 2009 at 9:08pm — No Comments

Today's Free Thought: Tomorrow's Common Sense

The freethinking of one age is the common sense of the next. ~ Matthew Arnold

I got this quote today from my tea bag and it couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. That is, I had already been thinking a lot about paradigm shifts and how things that are considered “out there” in one generation are often considered “normal” in the next (whatever normal is). Anyway, it got me thinking about the whole social media madness and particularly about Twitter, because I have recently… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 8, 2009 at 10:24pm — No Comments

Is It Really Charity?

Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving. ~Hank Rosso

But what is charity? ~ Pilar Stella

As I work on building a business around giving and philanthropy, the term "charity" keeps popping up and every time it does I find myself twitching with irritability. We have moved into the 21st century and continue to do so more and more every day with techology, social media and even movements for change. I have been completely inspired over the past months as I… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 3, 2009 at 6:58pm — No Comments

Choose Your Path

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yesterday, I wrote about the changes that are occurring through social media and the web. I thought I would write a little bit more of what I learned from the speakers Chris Brogan (twitter @chrisbrogan) and Erik Qualman (@equalman) at the BEA conference in NYC. You may wonder why I care about this so much, mostly because I am a social entrepreneur who is looking at… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 2, 2009 at 8:30pm — No Comments

Ch-ch-changes!

The times they are a-changin’. ~ Bob Dylan

We are truly entering a new era. I went to the Book Expo in NYC this weekend and it reminded me just how much the times are changing. I listened to two speakers in particular share about social networks such as Facebook and Twitter – Chris Brogan, author of Trust Agents (on twitter @chrisbrogan), and Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics (on twitter @equalman). It really was the talk of the conference. And it was apparent from being… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on June 1, 2009 at 6:19pm — No Comments

Speak Out for Freedom

It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it. ~ Aung San Suu Kyi

Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was recently arrested for violating the terms of her house arrest because an uninvited swimmer, who pleaded exhaustion, was allowed to stay at her house before swimming back. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her nonviolent leadership towards… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on May 22, 2009 at 3:17pm — No Comments

Change is Good!

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.~ Mahatma Gandhi

I love this quote! It reminds of when I was a young girl and I went to see the movie about Gandhi with my school class. The movie was over 3 hours and I remember crying for so much of the movie. It hit me so deeply in my soul. I too wanted to make that kind of difference in the world. Such humility, such beauty, such peace. Gandhi inspired me and still does today.

I am inspired by many people -… Continue

Added by Pilar Stella on May 19, 2009 at 6:31pm — No Comments