It should be Halloween every day of the year. Kids should be happy, smile, laugh, dress up, dance. Parents should enjoy the excitement, awe, and wonder in their kids’ eyes. Kids should not see black or white, but love, kindness, and inclusion instead. Friends should have fun together regardless of race, nationality, and religion. We should not be scared to send our kids out of the house. I can keep saying “should” or we can decide to ban together and do something about it. Isn’t it enough already? Hate groups in Charlottesville, Mass Shootings in Vegas, Orlando, Sandy Hook, etc, and now Cars running over people in NY last night. It’s time to do something about it.I’m not a politician so I can’t change the law. But I can do everything in my power to make sure this stops becoming the norm, to reach the next generation, to teach them how to deal with their emotions, to live in light, and be Ambassadors of Peace. You can help too. We all have our strengths. Find yours, and make this world better. If you are a Republican, become friends with a Democrat. If you are a Muslim, become friends with a Jew. Talk to a stranger, extend a hand, help someone else today. Teach the kids to do the same. The time is now.
I’m exhausted. I work on Wuf Shanti after my day job, after my errands, after taking care of the kids, homework, cuddle time, doctor appointments, etc. at 2am. I’m sad. Many weekends are at children’s hospitals spending time with kids who G-d willing will pull through and make it (and their parents with a mixture of despair, hope, and torture in their eyes). It is hard. Science has shown that positive thinking can help the healing process, so one of our goals is to train kids early to think positively and get rid of any negative loops in their heads. I’m nervous. Everything we have done, has been for free, including the TV shows to PBS, the Children’s TV Network (the in-house station at children hospitals across the country), school visits, hospital visits, etc. I’m frustrated. Sometimes it is a challenge, like when bad things keep happening in the world instead of all of us coming together to make a positive change, or when schools say that yoga and meditation are a religion (they are not, they are for everyone), or when I have to do things out of my comfort zone, or when friends are not as supportive as I’d like them to be.
One small example, last week I became overwhelmed attempting to get our YouTube numbers up so that we can stay on YouTube Kids and SFLPBS. It takes only a minute to subscribe to our YouTube Channel and it’s free, and it would really help us get the word out about this wonderful character. We have more than 60K followers on FB, but not a lot on the other platforms. That is probably on me, because I feel more comfortable using FB, and haven’t pushed the others. The easiest way to convert the FB followers to YouTube is to start by asking those people to subscribe to the channel… And hey, whenever anyone asks me to help them out, I usually do it right away, so they should reciprocate, right? *sigh* There’s that word, “should” again. People are busy, believe me, I get that, and completely empathize.
Oftentimes, I have to remind myself to breathe, to let go of expectations and judgment, and to focus on sending love out. I have to carve out time, even 5 minutes a day, to meditate, live in gratitude, and implement the same advice that Wuf Shanti shares with the kids every day. We are all human. But through all of that, I refuse to give up, because every child that dies of cancer, and every child that dies or loses a parent to mass violence, reminds me each day, why we do what we do, why we work so hard, why we keep going. This character is so important right now, with everything going on in the world, and we truly believe that the next generation is the key to making a positive difference in the world.
And so, I’m also happy. We are helping so many children to learn the tools they will need as they grow up to heal their bodies, calm their minds, deal with their emotions in productive ways. I’m also hopeful. I do believe that these kids will grow up to be less depressed teenagers and happier content peace loving adults. I have faith for our planet. I’m also grateful. This project has allowed me to spend wonderful moments with my son, to watch him become the compassionate awesome OMazing person that he is and to know he has made a huge positive impact in someone’s life. I have met so many wonderful light workers that have the same mission we do and have joined us on this magnificent journey. I have watched my daughter blossom into a happy laughing joyous child, and her smiles are contagious for all around her. Some may call me naive`, but I see it as choosing to see the sun through the clouds, focusing on the good in the world, and believing with all my heart that together we can and will make a difference.
Rarely do I speak about myself in connection with Wuf Shanti. 1. Because I believe the focus should be on the character’s message, and 2. because I think it is important to remember that it was created by a kid for other kids. I am making an exception for this blog post. I want all the grown-ups reading this post to understand why we work so hard to get this message out, and why we think it is so crucial to the fabric of our being. So, when I do have to do something that makes me uncomfortable, like ask for donations, you understand why it is so important, what we are working towards, and that I don’t want to be a nag, only to help as many kids on this planet as we can in a positive way.
Below is the link to our indiegogo campaign. Every dollar up to 15K will be matched, so if you donate $25, it is really $50 for us. This money will go a long way to help so many. The page says “fully funded” but that is a little misleading because they show the amount we raised from the previous campaign to pay for the production of the TV show. This is a new campaign, and the money will be put towards the mobile app, the coffee table style book (read more about both at the link below), our visits to schools and hospitals, and more.
Someone said something that made me laugh the other day. She said, “I’d much rather have my kid watch a character that educates them about yoga, meditation and kindness in a fun way than have them stuck on the iPad watching adults open up surprise toy eggs for two hours.” LOL, we’ve all been there, so I totally got what she was saying about those “commercials” in which the kids just play with one toy after another. With this character, our goal is to promote health, wellness, and happiness, encourage peace and positivity, celebrate kindness, give gratitude, and think well. It is a yogic-minded lifestyle for kids, and we hope you will join us.
Donate to Indiegogo: https://igg.me/at/wufshanti
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for Free: https://www.youtube.com/c/WufShanti
Wuf Shant in the news: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health-fitness/article168843957.html
Learn more about Wuf Shanti: https://wufshanti.com/2017/07/learning-wuf-shanti/
If you have a hospital you would like for us to visit, a picture you would like to share, or a story to tell, please contact us at [email protected] .
In love and gratitude,
Namaste` 🙂