Only four responses to date. I’ll admit, the temptation for discouragement is real. But sitting here at 1:23am, after a day of dealing with life, has left me reflecting upon the responses that we have received thus far. All proving to me that we are on the right path.

So, no worries, we will continue forward… and I am certain in time we will grow to gain the momentum that I am dreaming of. Still, I must ask… and, I promise that I’m not putting a guilt trip on any of you, “please take a moment to Interview-365? Your words really do matter… and anything you say will go a long way in growing our community.”

And for today, please say hello to “Stranger…” now “Friend.” Hailing from Toronto, Canada, a warm welcome to Rhianna.

RHIANNA’S ANSWERS:

Question One:
If you had the stage… the undivided attention of the world… and all were listening… What words of wisdom, council or advice would you share..?

“Love”

Question Two:
Looking toward the future… as far, or as close as you want to imagine (one year or hundreds of years)– Where do you see the people or the planet … or, what do you think we should be doing now to prepare for the future..?

“We need to consider the impact we have on the planet and turn our attention to developing the ways we can eliminate waste and pollution. We need to find peace in one another and look for the joy in coming together to do great things, rather than the destruction that comes from being divided. We need to learn to love one another’s differences and find peace and strength in doing so.”

CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR THOUGHTS TO INTERVIEW-365

The momentum of Operation-365 is picking up. Every day we get new subscribers, and soon I’ll be hitting the streets again to interview more absolute strangers.

But Operation-365 has been created to offer more than the publishing of only my words, it is here to be used as a platform for the sharing of your thoughts and perspectives.

For this reason we have created “Interview-365.” With it, we extend a personal invitation to you in asking what words of wisdom you want to share with the world.

So no matter where you are, or what you do… your thoughts matter. We would love to hear from you. In participating in the survey, you become an active “Ambassador” to the works we are doing. May we stay united as we continue to build this much-needed community of global understanding.

And to pull at your heart-strings a bit– here is a shameless plug. Today… May 13th is my birthday. I would consider it the greatest gift to receive at least the 50 interview responses that I have been dreaming of. If we get them, we will be able to begin publishing demographic statistics. Would be so very cool to have a visual reference of the community we are forming.

The power of any one voice can truly be a remarkable healer and motivator… Looking forward to what you have to say!

Talk soon my friends,

Richard

CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR THOUGHTS TO INTERVIEW-365

Operation-365… the power of one voice is remarkable!

WENDIE’S ANSWERS:

Question One:
If you had the stage and all the world were listening… What words of wisdom, council or advice would you share?

“:)”

 Question Two:

I’m not confident we will change a great deal in the next 100 years unless people in general wake up and realize we are all in the same sand box and it’s getting pretty messy in here. No matter a person’s faith or spiritual beliefs, the reality is we share one very small planet and we need to take care of it and each other or we will kill it and ourselves.

I heard a young man recently on a TV offer some of the wisest words I have ever heard. He said,”If we go back far enough we all have the same mother and father so let’s just decide to get along.” Makes sense to me. Religion, politics, other human institutions and prejudices divide us rather than unite us. The best piece of advice I could give is to treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Hopefully that would be with grace and gratitude. Love is so much easier than hate.

We are just beginning; let’s see what we can do to make this a smaller planet.

Operation-365… we were once “Strangers…” now we are “Friends.”

AMY’S ANSWERS:

Question One:
If you had the stage and all the world were listening… What words of wisdom, council or advice would you share?

“:)”

 Question Two:
Looking toward the future, as far or as close as you want to imagine (one year or hundreds of years). Where do you see the people or the planet being, or what do you think we should do now in regards to the future?

“There is nothing to suggest that life is serious. You get out of it what you put in.

People are connecting with each other in ways that we never thought possible. We’re starting to understand each other better and realize that our basic instinctive drivers are the same – Everyone wants happiness (in whatever form) for themselves and the people they love, regardless of their gender, race, age, country of origin – those are nothing more than labels that we allocate so that we can make sense of the world. The biggest thing that divides us all is money – without it, we’d level the playing field.

I always liked Gene Rodenbury’s vision of a world free of hunger and money where boundaries between nations are meaningless and we all share the planet and work only for the betterment of ourselves, each other and the good of the planet. But I’m an idealist; I doubt I’ll see such a thing in my current lifetime.

The best we can do is make the most of the life that we have, and as I say above, not take it too seriously – for me happiness is about fun, and where’s the fun in taking yourself too seriously!”

Click photo to read Brook’s original post: 365 Day 155 / “Somewhere Magical… Hopefully It Will Involve Fairies.”

It was February  11, 2012 – Day 155 of Project-365 that we met the enchanting Brooke. To this day she has been a constant ambassador to all that we are striving to become as the community of Operation-365. Brooke has never let distance fall between us and is endlessly active in whatever she can do to keep the child in all of us alive. When we first met her, she challenged us to dare to dream and for this, we can be ever thankful. Click here to read her interview and, please take a moment to read below regarding her invitation to a special cause.

“You are invited to join this project! Join LA or start your own!

LA calls for a Happiness Sprinkling! What is a Happiness Sprinkling? Watch this 2 min video to see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAhPcUORmXw

People gather to picket injustice, mourn tragedy, rally for all sorts of causes, and to get drunk and party…why not to sneak surprise ordinary citizens with a little cheer?

Kind words can help heal this world…Be part of a random fun way to spread hope, love and joy!

I am really excited to be part of this project! Participate by passing this on to others! And join the fun in person! 

If you live in Los Angeles, join us at the Sherman Oaks Galleria:
Wed. May 15^th – 6pm-7:30pm.

MORE details to come… get your yellow shirt ready… let’s have some fun!!!

RSVP to Brooke Harker brooke_harker@hotmail.com with words of enthusiasm & cheer!”

Brooke, thanks for the update. We love what you are doing.

Take care my friends,

Richard

Please take a moment to watch… very powerful and moving.

Click the photo to watch

We call it, “Chin up and eyes open to the world.” Simply stated… living every day with thoughts and hearts facing towards our fellow human; desiring a greater appreciation of who they are. No road rage, no judgment, and surely no guile. You know, the opening the door for other people stuff that says, “I see you… and you matter.”

In the spirit of this idea, we invite you to attend a living, breathing one-week outreach event (April 10 to April 17, 2013). There are no registration forms, no attendance fees, and you will definitely not be sequestered in any one venue. Really, how you participate is totally up to you. So, step-up as you are comfortable.

Some of you may be very outgoing. For you, perhaps it is sharing your hellos, good days and the likes with everyone you pass. More reserved? No worries! Just look upon your fellow human with an open, examining and awakened point of view. And for all of us… let’s take pause before we too quickly react or dismiss anyone, allowing ourselves to engage our minds in seeking a deeper understanding of what truly motivates those around us, as well as ourselves.

We are in this thing together—all of us. Everyday people living our lives the best we can. The magnificent thing is that in every one of us can be found keys to a better world.

One by one may we unify our efforts. One by one may we do what we can within our own circle of influence. And, one by one may we grow together in crumbling the many walls of fear that separate us. The power of any one action can be remarkable, so let’s let our lights shine!

And please, share your experiences with us this week, large or small. We welcome, encourage, and look forward to your comments on our Facebook and Blog pages.

Operation-365. We were once “Strangers”…  now we are “Friends.”

Talk soon my friends,

Richard

No fan fair tonight, much more subdued than that. The actuality, here I am, sitting in the hallway of the local YMCA, perched with all the other proud parents of children practicing in ballet class. No, I’m not a stalker, quite the opposite. Just a home schooling dad hanging with all the other mom’s as we, like the coaching staff of an Olympic team, carefully observe our kids through the wire reinforced windows of “Exercise Room One.”

I give thanks to new friend Kate (not pictured), who with the use of my trusty iPhone takes this photo to prove what a YMCA dad looks like as he writes.

Perhaps this is the quite moment I’ve been waiting for to receive the jolt of inspiration as to the right time to launch Operation-365 (the natural progression of our charter outreach, “Project-365”).

I’ll confess, back in October, when I announced that we would be launching phase two of 365, I think I might have been a tad too ambitious when I said I would have an update by the end of October. In hindsight, I had no idea of how long it would actually take to develop the design, content and back-end of where we now are. And quite frankly, even with this launch, there is still much more work to do. Looks like we really are in this thing together.

But as for perfection, we can wait no longer, I miss all of you, my new friends, far too much the delay any longer. We are close enough to launch, so here we go.

Even worse, my typing fingers are beginning to atrophy, weak from the lack of keyboard time. They are hungry and aching for the feel of laptop nirvana. The YMCA hallway has whispered into my ear, “now is the time!”

Thus, without further delay, “welcome, to Operation-365 my friends.”

So to you, all my loyal readers… I’m back. To all who are joining us for the first time… we embrace you and look forward to what you have to say. And, to all of us… here we go, at ground level, to witness the birth of a new city. One who’s boarders are limitless, open to all who desire to examine fellow man with open hearts, minds and eyes.

Now, I will be continuing to contribute to the blog portion of Operation-365, and I promise you that my writing will not silence. However, I’m fairly certain that I will not be entering on a daily basis as I did during the lifespan of Project-365. I promise the interviews of strangers will not cease, and I will continue to do my part in keeping my chin up and eyes open to the world around me as I steer the development of Operation-365.

For two focused years, in addition to a lifetime, have I invested in looking upon my fellow man with an examining heart. In doing so, I’ve been ceaseless in spouting our “chin up and eyes open to the world” mantra; a challenge that has blossomed to become both very personal to my own development as a human as well as a resounding motivation behind the reasoning of Operation-365, and its initiatives. With this, you’ll probably notice a tab titled “Interview-365.” Through it, I encourage you to share your words and photos with us. Think of it as a place where you can go to do your part in touching the lives of the many who have chosen to become citizens of our global community.

You and I… the silent majority… everyday people… living our lives the best we can; a magnificently diverse group of strangers… who in a vicarious way have become friends in a shared cause that is uniquely personal; yet, very empowering in calling each of us to expand our ever-growing community of understanding.

Like I mentioned in opening this entry, “so goes my romantic notions of the perfect launch party for the beginnings of Operation-365.” And having this moment of happy hallway time has provided me the much-needed brain waves to write this announcement entry.

I accept… there are no fireworks. I agree… no anthem is needed. And, without a doubt… no grand marketing campaign has begun. Just as did Project-365 commence, so to is Operation-365.

Funny though, something just feels right about beginning the next phase of our grand outreach this way, humbly, honestly and from the heart.

Welcome to Operation-365… May we continue to awake in building our bridges the a greater understanding.

Talk soon my friends,

Richard

A little over a year ago, Richard started kicking around the idea of doing this project… he was seeking for a meaningful expression of his art, and after a late night 2am viewing of Julia & Julia (gotta love Netflix streaming), the genesis of the idea came together.  After about two months of hearing about it, I finally said to him, “Just pick a date and do it!”  He picked the date, but that date ultimately found him on the East Coast, second guessing, wavering…  but thanks to his flight home with a random, classic sitcom traveling companion, he made the leap and began his journey.

I will say that had I known (had either of us known), just how much of a sacrifice this project was going to take, I don’t think I would have pushed him to get going on it.  I think that is one of God’s true blessings to us — not always showing us just what the journey is going to entail, for if He did, we would never embark… but having embarked, we cannot turn back and despite the challenges that come our way, we come to the end and look back at  the journey with gratitude for the experiences and growth that are now forever ours.

I have not had the pleasure of meeting all the people that Richard has had the opportunity to meet — and yes, how did he put it?…I am a little more skeptical about walking up to total strangers and striking up a conversation… and asking them searching questions…and requesting that I  take their photo…and post it on my blog…  Richard is truly amazing to me.  I don’t have his gift for doing what he can do, however, I do believe in Richard’s quest.

Richard has always looked for the good in people — sometimes, almost to a fault  (thus we are getting hounded by telephone sales people these days because he could not help striking up a friendly conversation with one of the callers. Did you know Richard used to work telephone sales in the 80s…   wait for it….   selling…    wait for it…    nail polish and lipstick — over the phone!  No wonder he has a soft spot for telemarkers).

All kidding aside, Richard has always had a kind heart and this project has helped him take that love and belief in his fellowman, meld it with his talent as a photographer and allow him to create a meaningful expression of what he feels and sees.

Although Richard has been on the front lines of this project, the blessings have extended over all of us in our little family.Yes, I have been a cheerleader for him and pushed him on days that he was less than enthusiastic about getting out there, but I am no angel —  he is too nice to tell you about the days that I would have won the Grouchy-Complaining-I Wish You Did Not Have to Go Out and Meet Someone Today-Aren’t You Finished Writing That Award, and for that I am truly sorry     But despite my sometimes less-than-perfect attitude, I have always believed in Richard and his vision of 365.

I have always believed that everyone is born with a light, a goodness within them. For many that light glows bright, but for many, sometimes because of choices, or life, or circumstances or whatever, that light can get a little dim, perhaps almost gone. For many, having someone just notice their light helps their light to grow.  That is what 365 is about, at least for me —  slowing down a little and taking the time to look for and nurture the light –in both ourselves and our fellowman.

So thank you, Sweetheart, for embarking on the journey, for taking us with you and for your amazing example of not giving up.  We are with you wherever Operation 365 may go. You are a light for us.

Love,

Terri and your DD
PS:  Oh, and by the way, that comment in your last post… “I can also carry an unintended aura of arrogance. Most of my friends don’t see it…”  I had to smile as I read that — your friends prefer to use the term “control freak,”  never say it in front of you, usually accompany their comments with a smile and an eye roll…  and we all love you still.

Wow, this day has come way too fast… and exactly how do I express the impact “Project 365” has had on my life?

Intent is the word that wakes me this morning as my eyes cracked open and my mind began running its sleepy headed reflections, booting up while pondering just what to say in wrapping “Project 365.”

A very emotional task indeed, and in my reflections an unusual word creeps into my imagination… intent.

I’ll confess, I’m caught off guard. Why such a very technical word to explain a very emotional and spiritual journey? Yet the more I think about it the more I understand how it applies to the change that 365 has had on my life.

Although the inception of Project 365 was pure in desire to better understand my fellow human, and came from a very emotional core, there was a little strategy involved, for behind it was the whole SEO thing, and I figured that my reach-out would be good for my traffic, and give me something to share, not only with you, but with my potential clientele. An ethically thought-out win-win.

Wait, don’t sign off!  I am not a commercial dog… Project 365 has made that powerfully apparent to me. And while I feel tremendously blessed to have the business that I do, 365 has radically changed the way I do everything that I do, even managing my career. 365 has matured me more than I expected, and at fifty-one years of age, I feel as if I have passed through an enlightenment that has lifted the weight from years of disciplined learning off my shoulders.

More strange, since I’ve been on the journey, I have not sent one single promotional email, attended only one portfolio review to sell my work, and basically put the greater part of my energy into meeting the world around me, and in doing so I’ve focused as best as I can on not letting my priorities fixate on overworking to grow my business, and have looked away from the worries of life. I’m not stating that I have become irresponsible, quite the contrary, I’ve just reprioritized, and because of it, I will never be the same.

Intent, I say, the word reaches deep into my heart this early morning, (5:30am) as my fingers are at laptop keyboard. The pounding question in my heart, “Will you ever go back to past perspectives and slip away from the life attitude that 365 has provided you?”

My honest answer, I pray not, for through it I have realized that the wonderment of life is not so much in what we do, it is more about how we understand and who we become.

I’ve said many a time, “I am no Gandhi,” a great man of peace and courage, a man that would be impossible to measure up to. Yet, he taught us great lessons in tolerance, and proved to the world that having the courage to do the right thing does not necessarily translate to aggressive or self-centered behavior. I mean not to make my final entry a tribute to Gandhi, but to not mention the influence his example has had on my life would not be just. Nor do I mean to preach in any way, I promised you a revealing of how Project 365 has taught me about me.

Thus, back to intent… and why did I really go into my 365 year? I think Rabbi Mentz (Day 362, We Are On The Right Road) hit the nail on the head, “To discover myself,” true, but in the process, and more importantly, I discovered you and the world around me. Again Rabbi Mentz, “All souls are connected;” a belief that transcends into just about every traditional faith as well as untraditional perspectives on religion and spirituality. I know this first hand now, after approaching well over two thousand strangers and feeling of their acceptance. And yes, I also bore scorn or ridicule from many. The result, it’s not about me, it’s about, again, understanding.

Sure, in the first months of this blog challenge, I had no clue as to what was happening to me… and I still don’t. All that I know is my heart is softening, my mind is opening and my thoughts are becoming actions. Actions that are deeper than any physical act, and begin at the very starting point of my thinking processes. Something that I dream can happen to all the people whom I’ve grown to call the “silent majority.” Again, you and I… the real people.

With this call, I have to plug my challenge: Chin up and eyes open to the world for one year. Please say your hellos… and try to visualize your feet in the shoes, or footprint, of others… when you are lacking understanding, own the fact that we were all once infants, and question, “What happened to make this person that way.”

Also, it is so difficult to express tone in writing, so know that as I give this challenge, it is with a great smile and happiness to be able call you either friend or stranger. For in either case, it really matters not, “We are all in this thing together.”

Thanks for the indulgence, I’ll step off my soapbox.

Basically, all that I am… is one of you… a real person… with real joys… with real trials… with real fears and hurts… with real strengths and weaknesses… having my moments of genius and my moments of absolute stupidity… a real human, living in a real world.

I’m a bit of a skeptic as to how I feel about astrology, but for those of you who follow the Zodiac, I am a Taurus, you know me, the romantic bull in the china shop. And although I can be quite passionate, I can also carry an unintended aura of arrogance. Most of my friends don’t see it, but I know in my heart that my pride is my Achilles heal. So why do I reveal such an exposing statement? Because I have to. Again, another one of my 365 friends, Dez, Random Acts of Kindness, Day 128, who asked me if I think my blog is a form of narrative therapy… absolutely is the answer I can reply.

But the thing about it is the realization that the more I write about others, the more I discover myself. Christ said, “To find yourself, lose yourself in the service of your fellow-man.”

No comparison there, we already know that I am no Gandhi, and there is no way I will even try to compare myself to Christ. But, in his lesson can be found the key to greater self-understanding. That is, to really find out who we are… we need to look beyond ourselves and be willing to learn who others are. I know, it’s crazy and against every textbook on self-affirmation. But as hard to accept as this premise is, if practiced with an open mind and heart, it reveals itself in the most powerfully affirming ways.

It’s far too easy to get caught up in our own world and allow ourselves to disassociate with the lessons around us, a real problem in this virtual world, where we all are suspect to living vicariously in, or directed by, our digital domain. Not knocking it, technology is a wonderful tool… even a gift, for without it we would not be having this dialogue.

Yet, as amazing as it is for dropping boarders and bringing us all together, it is also Pandora’s box. A fact that has hit me squarely between the eyes over the last year as I have spent a minimum of three hours a day buried to the 365 screen, lost in typing away; even now, my daughter is sleeping on the floor beside me, her way of compromising in getting a bit of daddy time as he works on 365… again.

The upside, although my family has sacrificed much of my time, and even sometimes joined me in frustration when daddy misses dinnertime… again, we are all together in the cause of 365.

The blessing therein comes when I watch my little girl looking at the world with 365 eyes. She is not afraid of strangers, yet she is aware, and will not walk into harms way. Her mind is sharp and free of judgment, and she is confident enough to reach out and wise enough in knowing who to stay away from. She has no fear to be in the world, and (tears coming to my eyes), holds no contempt for anyone. Other than the usual, how come I don’t have that LPS?

My wife… although a bit more skeptical than I (and I love the balance she brings into our family) has continued to push me out of the house on the days that I was in the doldrums, and every time she did, both of us became at peace with the lessons learned through living up to the commitment we made in sacrificing our time to a cause greater than ourselves.

Thirty-years of fighting in building my small business —  a career that I love and continue to love and have neglected horribly in putting 365 at the front of the queue; strange as it may sound… it has blossomed. And, I am happy to say that this year has been a banner year. What does that say about letting go and trusting that higher power thing?

“To find yourself, lose yourself in the service of your fellow-man.” Amazing council that can be found in so many religions and life practices, but so scary to believe in, and even more difficult to practice in this modern world.

Two thousand people plus have I approached, and in all, two-thirds have spoken with me… many even embracing me. I’m humbled to the center of my very being, and every time that I speak with a stranger, even in the rejections, I have felt a peace that is hard to fully explain. The easiest explanation, “It is not about me and I am not alone.”

There was that repetitive song, “Don’t worry… be happy.” In its playful lyrics is great wisdom. Now, so you now, I worry a lot, I think most of us do… we’re human and impressionable.

And yes, the world is in trouble in so many ways. In it, it is so easy to become paralyzed and discouraged in turning to bury our heads in the sands of negative attitudes and behaviors. From vice… to isolation… to the creation of horribly defensive walls, the choices of defeat are endless.

I, too, am suspect, and often fall to the frustrations of the day. But 365 has challenged me, forced me to look a little deeper into any situation, trained me to breathe a little more relaxed and provoked me to listen a little longer, so hard for a Taurus dude to do… let alone an artist.

So back to intent, that driving subtext of life that we all possess, the stuff that move us to do what we do from the moment that we wake in the earliest hours, to the time we rest our heads on our sleeping pillow. 365 has held me accountable to examine my reason for doing all that I do and has taught me well.

The answer is lengthy and does not have a black and white conclusion, but it lies in this thing we call self-mastery. I have to state once more, most of the time I am a babbling idiot, but my greatest moments are those in which I can muster the strength to control my brain power, my fears and my hurts in simply letting go… to look… to listen… and allow myself and others to feel.

Yeah, life is tough, some days are terrible, but in equal balance,and if we are open, others days are magnificent. Hundreds of people have courageously shared of themselves with me over the last year. Both bright times and dark times have been had. From these experiences I have seen many sides of the equation of being human. I will not hold any punches, it is what it is… the world can rip the very essence of compassion and hope from any of our fragile spirits. But we have the tools to be part of a silently active army of the hopeful. And as many times we have said – the power of one is magnificent!

My dream in continuing forward with what is to come in  my outreach is pretty transparent, to share whatever I can to open our eyes to one another in a unified voice of inspiration and truth.

Absolutely, things are thrown at us and burdens are placed upon us, yet in the center of it all, light can be found, that is if we recognize it.

I’m no saint, I’ve screwed up a lot of things in my life, I’ll be the last to stand on any podium and profess of any grand answer to all of life’s questions. And without a doubt I am nowhere near where I thought I would be in life and am only just beginning to grasp the slightest clue of why I am here. But one thing is certain, after one year of reaching beyond my own problems, pushing past my fears and opening up to the many amazing people I’ve met over the last twelve months, I think I have met one very close stranger… me.

I will never be the same again… and 365 will never cease to exist.

Here is the tear I’ve been anticipating… for the final time of this project, “Talk tomorrow my friends.”

A quick swallow… the tear has past… and realization has hit… we will talk again my friends… the voyage is only beginning.

Operation 365 has set sail, building the technological back-end that will grow us closer. This time we will be able to hear from you… and how cool is that! We’re not done yet!

Awake and nnite my friends!