Just wanted to send out a big "Thanks" to everyone who was involved in the Asbury House Benefit Show this past Saturday!

The musicians, the artists who donated their work, the people who came to show support, and the organizers of the event. You were all great!

It was a fun time & we really hope this event helped to raise more support & awareness for the Asbury House!

Thanks again to everyone who was involved or came to show support! You guys are great!

<3

TONIGHT! Asbury House Benefit Show!

Hey guys!

Just a reminder that the Asbury House Benefit Show is tonight! We're very excited, & for thoes of you who live near Fort Collins, CO - we hope to see you there!

Please feel free to visit the Facebook page for the event! Asbury House Benefit Show

Asbury House Benefit Show

For those of you living near the Fort Collins, Colorado area (or know someone who does), we've got some news for you!

Lately, we've been working with a really awesome group of people over at the Alleycat Cafe to bring you (drumroll please) ...

The Asbury House Benefit Show!

(The Asbury House is a local (Fort Collins) nonprofit organization, that strives to provide extended care treatment to women who struggle with substance abuse, addiction, and the co-occuring metal health disorders that often accompany these disorders. They incorporate the needs of the client while also incorporating the needs of the client's family, and with consideration of the impact that addiction has on the wider communities in which they live.)

The Asbury House Benefit Show will take place over at the Alleycat Cafe, Saturday April 7th, at 7:30PM. It'll be an epic night filled with great music thanks to the kind-hearted musicians that will be donating their time and their awesome talent to this cause.

The night will also be filled with art! Another thanks to some kind-hearted artists willing to donate their original paintings and prints. And with each one sold, the money from the painting/print will go to the Asbury House as well!

You can check out the Facebook Event page here: http://www.facebook.com/asburyhousebenefit

There's a lot to look forward to (besides the awesome atmosphere, food, & drinks) and we're all super excited to be doing some good for the world & spreading some love.

Here's hoping you'll join us - Looking forward to seeing you kids there! ;)

Semi-Selfish Reasons to Do Good

So what if you consider yourself a wee-bit lazy of a person, who's currently lacking a reason or urge to want to go out and help people?


Well, here's a simple 1-page list that should give you plenty of reasons to do good... that just-so-happens to benefit you in the process.


The Healing Power of Doing Good: The Health and Spiritual Benefits of Helping Others



It was written by Allan Luks - the former executive director of the Institude for the Advancement of Health/ executive director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of New York City - so yes, he knows quite a bit about this stuff.


(The following is quoted directly from the link above)

Some of the most significant findings of his research include the following:

1. Helping others contributes to the maintenance of good health and can diminish the effect of minor and serious psychological and physical diseases and disorders.

2. The rush of euphoria often referred to as a “helper’s high” after performing a kind act involves physical sensations and the release of the body’s natural painkillers, the endorphins. The initial rush is followed by a longer period of calm and improved emotional well-being.

3. The health benefits and sense of well-being return for hours or even days whenever the helping act is remembered.

4. Stress related health problems improve after performing kind acts. Helping others:

• Reverses feelings of depression. • Supplies social contact. • Reduces feelings of hostility and isolation that can cause stress, overeating, ulcers, etc. • Decreases the constriction in the lungs that leads to asthma attacks.

5. Helping can enhance feelings of joyfulness, emotional resilience, and vigor, and can reduce the unhealthy sense of isolation.

6. The awareness and intensity of physical pain can decrease.

7. Attitudes such as chronic hostility that negatively arouse and damage the body are reduced.

8.     A sense of self-worth, greater happiness, and optimism is increased, and feelings of helplessness and depression decrease.

9. When we establish an “affiliative connection” with someone (a relationship of friendship, love, or some sort of positive bonding), we feel emotions that can strengthen the immune system.

10.   Caring for strangers leads to immense immune and healing benefits.

11. Regular club attendance, volunteering, entertaining, or faith group attendance is the happiness equivalent of getting a college degree, or more than doubling your income.

Soccer + Science = Change

Hey guys!

So it's been a little busy lately, so sorry for the lack of posts! Anyways, here's a really interesting article on something pretty cool.

Two graduates over at Harvard came up with this idea while taking an engineering class for non-engineers. They wanted to make change, and they came up with a simple idea that has potential to change the lives of people in developing countries.


The idea? Playing soccer while safely, and more cost-effectively generating electricity to help people developing countries.


Sounds interesting, right? Check it out :)
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505363_162-57393370/soccer-ball-brings-energy-to-developing-world/?tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesAreaMain

Team Hoyt

If this story doesn't inspire you want to go out and make a difference,

even if it's just in one other person's life -

I don't know what else will!

(This video was complied of a few others - 

but it has a more complete story because of that.)

It just goes to show that no matter who you are, and what hand you've been dealt in life -

you can be happy, you can love & be loved, and you can help the world in some way or another.

:)

If you'd like to learn more about Team Hoyt, please visit their website:

http://www.teamhoyt.com/

*This April, they'll be running their 30th Boston Marathon. 

Simply awesome.*

"A Story For Tomorrow"

This creative and beautiful video asks you two things:

"Is it possible to be happy with this life?"

And maybe the more important of the two...

"Did you enjoy your story?"

Don't wait until the end of your life to wonder this -

make sure you enjoy your story :)

go live.

"This video was written and produced while traveling through Chile & Patagonia with my girlfriend. We spent 5 weeks exploring this amazing country, and this is how we chose to document it. Thanks so much for checking it out."

(If you'd like to watch this video on the uploader's Vimeo channel, please click HERE.)