Quotes from the Dalai Lama Update

One of our earliest projects with Advance Humanity was the development of a Quotes from the Dalai Lama application on Facebook with the simple objective of providing quotes for people on Facebook. This was started almost five years ago, with the computer genius of Pawan and the hundreds of quotes written down by Travis over several years, and it has been surprisingly popular. Currently over 13,000 people like these quotes on Facebook and several thousand people have downloaded the iPhone application. Simple ideas really can go a long way.

We are also currently developing a Firefox application which we hope people will enjoy. To learn more you can visit Quotes from the Dalai Lama anytime on Facebook and AdvanceHumanity.com. 

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Vipassanna in Prison

My dad shared this story with me about Vipassanna meditation (a ten-day silent meditation course I attended myself before Peace Corps) which is very popular in the most dangerous maximum security prison in Alabama. NPR has featured it three times in the last year, once in April and twice this past month here and here. So far the program has included hundreds of inmates who have volunteered for the program, many in for life without a chance for parole, reduced violence within the prison and "changed our lives" according to some prisoners. A documentary about this program named "The Dhamma Brothers" is featured on PBS this month, and is also available for download here.

This definitely makes me even more excited to conduct the meditation research that I've been planning here in Mongolia. Thanks for mentioning the story to me Dad!

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TEDTalk Tuesday : Nigel Marsh on How To Make Work-Life Balance Work

Nigel's very honest and hilarious talk seems very apt for most people. He says, "Up until a few years ago I was the classic corporate warrior. I was eating too much, drinking too much, working too hard and generally neglecting my family. Then when I turned 40 I had an epiphany. I read a line in a book from St. Benedict that said "pause for a moment you wretched weakling and take stock of your miserable existence". I decided it was good advice for me at that stage of my life. I made a resolution to try and change my life - in every way. I gave up the booze, lost the weight and reconnected with my family. I started to 'make a life' rather than simply 'make a living'. It began me on a journey that I am still on to this day. I may be poorer than I was in my 'office days' but I have never been happier." I hope you enjoy it! (TED.com, YouTube)

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Free Tax Refunds

I just filed my federal and state taxes for free with TurboTax again for the fifth year in a row. If you're a Peace Corps Volunteer like me, if you were in the Armed Forces, or if you earned less than $31,000 last year, you can use TurboTax Freedom Edition as well. Check it out!

Also, Peace Corps Volunteers, be sure to check out the Peace Corps website so you can follow instructions on how to claim your living allowance as well as your readjustment allowance. With this year's Making Work Pay Tax Credit you should be getting around $200 as a refund. Go get it!

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TEDTalk Tuesday: Neil Pasricha's Awesomeness

This week's awesome TEDTalk is actually about awesomeness. Neil Pasricha runs one of the most popular blogs on the internet with the simple goal of writing down one awesome thing everyday. His heartfelt talk focuses on seeing inspiration in little moments and recognizing that our lives may be way more awesome than we realize.

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