site administrator | June 15, 2013
As a society we have agreed on general beliefs about what is right and what is wrong. What it means to be successful and what it means to not make the grade. But it is a limited perspective on life. We are all individuals, not molds. As a result, often times we carry on an internal struggle. We impose an image on ourselves of what we think we should be or what others expect us to be rather than what we really are. Instead of befriending and trusting the individual we truly are inside, we sometimes try to deny it or even annihilate it. For instance, if your heart tells you to pursue a career in acting or painting instead of a 9 to 5 office job, what is really keeping you from doing it? The only thing that moves us to be something we are not is fear. Fear of criticism, fear of lack of approval, fear of failure. It is here where you should ask yourself: Should I trust a made-up version of myself or the real version? Which one would better guide me through life? Which one can I rely on?
Category: Our Board Of Directors, Sharing |
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Tags: Gabriela Pinto, helping others, human values, Humanity Project, philosophy, positive psychology, psychology, The Humanity Project, www.heal-anxiety-and-depression.com
Bob Knotts | June 1, 2013
The Humanity Project is proud to be part of the LGBT equal rights movement. We have spoken out about lesbian gay bisexual and transgender issues in this space and elsewhere — and increasingly this cause has become folded into our existing and new programs. Our highly regarded Anti-bullying Through The Arts program always has had a common bond with efforts to end bullying against LGBT students. Now we’re almost ready to launch a new website for socially isolated middle school students, including many LGBT students: thp4kids … “The Humanity Project 4 Kids.” We also meet regularly with an alliance of South Florida nonprofits that work to make life better for the LGBT community.
Category: Our Programs, Our Website |
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Tags: anti-bullying, Anti-bullying Through The Arts, bullies, bullying, helping kids, human values, Humanity Project, LGBT community, LGBT issues, LGBT Pride Month, positive psychology, school bullies, school bullying, teaching human values, The Humanity Project, thp4kids, thp4kids.com
Bob Knotts | April 20, 2013
It has been a tough week for those of us in this country, here in the United States. The Boston bombing, the ricin mailings, the chases, the shootings and arrests … and of course the deaths and injuries that followed another terrorist attack. At such times, it helps to look toward the light. And toward faith — faith in other people, ironically enough. Whatever your personal religious beliefs, a faith in humanity surely must be part of a useful belief system for any person.
Category: Our Programs, Our Website, Sharing |
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Tags: helping others, human values, Humanity Project, philosophy, positive psychology, shared value, The Humanity Project
Bob Knotts | March 29, 2013
With the arrival of another spring, the Humanity Project is full of hope. We are an optimistic organization anyway, with faith in humanity based on a rational assessment of our past and present as well as our very attainable future as a species. Despite the news stories of tragedy, there is much more good than bad in this world. And the human race truly is moving in the right direction, as studies of things such as worldwide poverty and access to education have shown. And so as millions of our fellow human beings celebrate religious or spiritual holidays, we offer some thoughts on hope, that most human of emotions.
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Tags: helping others, hope and humanity, human values, Humanity Project, philosophy, positive psychology, quotes on hope, The Humanity Project
Bob Knotts | February 21, 2013
Sometimes we all ponder the big questions, don’t we? Why are we here? Where are we going? What becomes of us in the end? At the Humanity Project, we think about these things too — through art. All our Humanity Project programs and other materials use the arts in one form or another to help convey a positive message and also to make sure that message sticks in the minds of the people who can benefit from it. One example of this is our original stories for adult readers, which we like to call fables. Short fictional tales of this type have been used for centuries to convey meaningful ideas. The tenth Humanity Project fable just has been completed and posted, dealing with some of those big questions in a fresh, brief, fun way.
Category: Our Programs, Our Website, The Arts |
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Tags: art as educational tool, helping others, human values, Humanity Project, philosophy, positive psychology, teaching human values, teaching through art, The Humanity Project
Bob Knotts | January 25, 2013
“Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service.”
Martin Luther King Jr. … At the Humanity Project, we love that quotation. Words from a man who surely knew what he was talking about, a preacher who rose to greatness through extraordinary service to humanity. This idea of greatness through service also is an underlying concept of Humanity Project programs and our other efforts in the community.
Category: Our Programs, Sharing, Volunteering |
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Tags: helping kids, helping others, human values, Humanity Project, positive psychology, The Humanity Project
Bob Knotts | January 8, 2013
The new year will be exciting for the Humanity Project. Not least because we will launch our new website in 2013: The Humanity Project 4 Kids. You’ll remember that this is a site especially for socially isolated middle school students, including many LGBT kids. It will feature videos, games, quizzes, photos, poetry, blogs and more. All created by a team of advanced high school students through a grant from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board.
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Tags: helping kids, Humanity Project, positive psychology, The Humanity Project, thp4kids, thp4kids.com
Bob Knotts | December 28, 2012
Many of us have a strong desire to help other people. But for lots of good-hearted people, the question is how to do this. “How can I make a real, meaningful difference?” Of course, there are countless needs in our society and countless ways to assist the effort to meet those needs. Here at the Humanity Project, we rely on dozens of adult and student volunteers to carry out our work. But there is something very simple any of us can do to make a real difference — right now. We can focus on helping other people feel good about themselves, showing them through our words and behavior that they have value as individual members of the human race. That’s not as difficult or lofty as it may sound.
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Tags: helping kids, helping others, human values, Humanity Project, philosophy, positive psychology, psychology, The Humanity Project
site administrator | November 21, 2012
(Editor’s Note: Carolyn Burns is a broker associate with Prudential Florida Realty and a community activist in South Florida. This blog for the Humanity Project was adapted from her recent Facebook post. We felt it was especially appropriate as we enter the holiday season.)
Facebook posts for quite a while had been so negative and divisive since the election that I took time off to put Facebook aside for a few days and figure out what is really important. There was so much garbage on Facebook, so much nonsense and too many personal things being shared that needn’t be shared. It all became distracting in my personal life and filled me with angst and anxiety. There are some really more important issues in our global world and our own personal worlds that need to be worked on. Meditation and solid reflection time was necessary for me to put things back into perspective.
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Tags: Carolyn Burns, helping others, human values, Humanity Project, philosophy, positive psychology, teaching human values, The Humanity Project
site administrator | October 12, 2012
Teaching young people to be kind to one another is critical to preventing bullying. Yet too often, adults fail to model kindness and civility. Instead, adults yell at, interrupt and insult one another, not just in private but in very public domains as well. From media to popular culture, sports to politics, adults are failing to demonstrate the attitudes and behaviors we want of our children and youth. Many of today’s media pundits, both conservative and liberal, operate in constant attack mode. They invite guests onto their shows only to interrupt and insult them. Having the last word seems to matter more than treating others, even those with whom you disagree, with dignity and respect. The plethora of media opportunities, from traditional news outlets to social networking and beyond, make the incivility ubiquitous.
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Tags: Barry University, Dr. Laura Finley, human values, Humanity Project, politics and civility, positive psychology, teach kindness, teaching human values, The Humanity Project
