Interdependence Day

March 31, 2009

XL NationToday is Interdependence Day, also called National Day for XL. Today XL Results Foundation embarks on the next chapter of the journey. XL 1.0 steps up to become XL Nation 2.0.

Every nation has a Declaration of Independence and so a focus on national interest. XL Nation as the world’s first global nation will have a Declaration of Interdependence. It will have a focus on global interest that is inclusive not exclusive. This means that our ability to sign federation agreements with charities, learning institutions, other organisations and eventually other nations as either service providers or program partners will be an important part of our growth in influence and scale towards achieving World Wide Wealth.

Now you know why we are here: to achieve World Wide Wealth.

Within XL1.0, by 2008 the amount of value being delivered was phenomenal – over 2,000 events around the world, content, learning delivered every week in stories, magazines, 24 hour radio, videos. The problem was most even the most active members would only ever get to 5% of this value, which made it a very inefficient and ineffective use of resources. In XL2.0, the focus of XL Nation should be 100% on Effective Giving.

When Roger Hamilton & Dave Rogers started the XL Results Foundation in 2001, their vision was a way to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals without needing to rely on governments or other institutions. What better way then bringing entrepreneurs together could have achieved this? Today the history continues and we are creating the next chapter.

So, where are we now? Well today, the Bali Convention takes place and about 10% of the Founding Members Citizens of XL Nation are there to sign the Declaration of Interdependence. The new flag will presented and several speeches will inspire us even more. Our XL Vision 2020 is growing and more is being donated every day!

What can you do to step up? Join XL Nation now and start giving effectively! If you need a hand, let me know…

Now it’s time to celebrate the birth of a new nation! Party time :-)

Enjoy every day,

Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker & Life Coach

1 Comment | About Bert, Contribute, events | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

Go Bananas!

March 23, 2009

Showing up and helping people in need, stepping up for charities and giving back to society in general are very important for Tonia and me.

In 2008 I have dedicated about 10% of my time to contribute to these initiatives.

Our main charity projects is Go Bananas. Our goal was to find a way to help Kevin Allen, the Banana Man, with his amazing goal of providing 1,000,000 meals for the forgotten orphans in Zululand, South Africa. We decided to step up and set ourselves an ambitious goal of 10%, which is a whopping 100,000 meals.

As most of you already know we created a challenge for ourselves to walk 100 km (60 miles) in 1 day. Supporters could sponsor us for every km we walked. We also found a number of corporate sponsors and presented several banana deals.

With additional help and events, we received more money. We finally calculated the new total and we are so happy!

We gave € 6,417 to Banana Appeal in total!

This means that we surpassed our ambitious goal and more children will be fed thanks to all our sponsors and supporters. This eye-wathering result made us realize how great we have it in our own life. Not only do we have a roof over our head, but also plenty of food, drinks and even a car. We go on holidays and enjoy time with friends and family. I feel so grateful every day! Do you too?

Coming back to Go Bananas, we enrolled to participate in a radio quiz Quizt’t on Radio 2. This Thursday 26th March, we’ll be headed to the studios in Ghent with several supporters. So, if you are willing to support us, you are most welcome to join us too! We need at least 20 supporters! Mail me and I’ll send you the details. The winner of the quiz takes € 1,000, which would be a great start for 2009!

Of course, we are still accepting gifts for Go Bananas as well. This year will be a special year and I’ll be back with updates and plans for 2009 later.

In the meantime, think about your own actions to step up and give back to society and charities. Now would be a great time to take that extra step! And if you can’t choose which one, give me a call, we always welcome extra support for Go Bananas!

Have a great week,

Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker & Life Coach

Leave a Comment » | About Bert, Contribute, events | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

Shift Happens!

December 6, 2008

Did you know?

After posting this outstanding presentation on several forums, people asked me why I did not publish it on my own blog? Great question! So, I decided to step-up and just do it  :-)

So, enjoy the movie!

[YouTube="http://www.youtube.com/v/pMcfrLYDm2U&hl=en&fs=1" ]

For my Dutch-speaking friends, there is a Dutch version available (Shift Happens in het NEDERLANDS).

You can find more info and background on this project at Shift Happens!

My personal feedback on Shift Happens :

“Everyday Shift Happens!

I believe now is the best time to step-up and gear ourselves for the future.

It is about our bigger purpose that shapes our destination.

It is about our ability to change that upgrades the world.

It is about our ability to inspire others that will create extraordinary people.

It is about our ability to earn that will create success for all.

It is about our ability to serve others that will make the difference.

It is about our  ability to contribute to the needed that will satisfy our own needs.

It is about our ability to connect to others that will unite the world.

It is about letting go to get everything you want.”

Enjoy every day,

Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker & Life Coach

2 Comments | About Bert, Contribute, Free stuff | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

Team Hoyt!

October 28, 2008

Respect!

After writing about Nick Vujicic‘s life without limbs last year, I have another compelling story to tell. Well, actually, I was introduced to this amazing story by Sofie Vanhoutte and she wrote me a message that sounded like this :

A son asks his dad:
“Dad, will you run a marathon with me?”
Despite the fact dad has a heart condition, he says : “Yes!”
They run a marathon together.

Then the son asks again:
“Dad, will you run another marathon with me?”
The dad says “Yes!” again.
So, they run another marathon together.

One day the son asks his dad:
“Dad, will you run the Ironman with me?”
(fyi : the Ironman is a triathlon : approx. 4km swimming, 180km biking and a marathon running)
And his dad agrees again.

Now, this story as such is not so spectacular unless you actually see this YouTube clip:

It moved me! It gave me an enormous extra boost to keep on contributing to the world. In fact, I also learned that Rick has graduated from high school and university. He lives in his own apartment. He shows how you can overcome tough challenges in life. “I CAN” is his motto!

Closer to home, Sofie Vanhoutte is running her own charity : Chalkline (Krijtlijn), a non-profit organisation, which helps people with a handicap to get access to trainings, workshops and coaching in order to find the strength and motivation to get a better life. Get in touch with this brave lady in a wheelchair to see how YOU can help…

So, what did you learn from all this? What challenges are you facing lately? And what will you do about them? Time for action!

Enjoy every day,

Bert Verdonck
Create, Connect & Contribute

Leave a Comment » | Contribute | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

Go Bananas!

July 19, 2008

Today I updated the Go Bananas website. Our contribution to a wonderful initiative by Kevin “Banana Man” Allen. He’s an extraordinary man who was touched by a documentary about AIDS orphans in Zululand, South Africa. He took all his savings, bought a ticket and just went there.

He bought all the fruits from local merchants and started to feed the children, who nicknamed him the Banana Man. Once back in the UK he took on a second job to continue his contribution to save as much children he could. He started a charity and I felt like stepping up and give Kevin a hand with his big yellow mission :-)

Lets Go Bananas and save a life!

Let's Go Bananas and save a life!

So, Tonia and I will participate at the Dodentocht (“March of Death”) on the 8th-9th of August in order to raise money for Banana Appeal, Kevin’s charity. Many people think we are nuts taking on a challenge of walking 100km in 24 hours, so that’s why we created a special website called Go Bananas! Let’s go bananas and save a life!

Our goal with Go Bananas is to raise money for 100,000 meals! Impressive, but if you know that Banana Appeal needs a mere 0.07 Euro to feed a child for 1 day, what’s keeping YOU from stepping up as well? Donate money today to this charity and also buy Kevin’s book, a unique Go Bananas ballpoint pen, a Banana Guard or taste our Award winning, genuine Banana Beer!

With just € 0,07 Banana Appeal can

1. Feed a hungry child fresh fruit for a day at school.
2. Help them gain an important education, as they attend school to receive the food.
3. This provides the children with a more stable environment at school.
4. Being fed regularly brings the children away from begging or prostitution.
5. This helps stop the children from contracting AIDS from infected adults.
6. This has a positive impact on the children’s mental and physical health.
7. Combined this gives the children hope of a better future.
8. It also provides many of the parents dying of AIDS a little comfort that their children won’t be left alone to fall into a cycle of poverty and abuse – but be fed, educated and looked after, once they have passed away.
9. The project also provides much needed trade to the local fruit sellers.
10. All whilst uplifting the spirits of an entire community.

Check out the website and start contributing NOW! For as little as 0.07 Euro (also £ and $ will work just fine!) you can help one child for at least 1 day. So, start giving and contribute to a really great cause…

Thanks for helping out the forgotten children in Zululand! For them it really makes a big difference…

Thanks for your support,

Bert Verdonck
Create, Connect & Contribute

Leave a Comment » | About Bert, Contribute, events | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

Voorbereiding 100km

July 13, 2008

Vandaag stappen we 45km ter voorbereiding van de Dodentocht. Deze keer zullen we in Merksem, bij Antwerpen trainen. De weersvoorspelling is niet super. Hopelijk blijft het toch redelijk droog…

Zoals je weet, doen we mee om het GoBananas-project te steunen. Kevin Allen, alias de Banana Man, heeft dringend ondersteuning nodig. Vele AIDS wezen in Zululand, Zuid-Afrika zitten zonder opvang en sterven uitgehongerd. Lees er hier meer over…

Help ons om de Banana Man te steunen, zodat hij de vergeten kinderen van Zuid-Afrika kan helpen!

Ik heb gisteren ook een speciale Banana Deals-pagina gecreëerd. Verschillende sponsors doen extra moeite om ons te steunen. Geniet vandaag nog van hun uitzonderlijke kortingen!

Let’s Go Bananas,

Bert Verdonck
Create, Connect & Contribute

Leave a Comment » | About Bert, Contribute | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

Download Day

June 16, 2008

Tomorrow is Download Day!

Be prepared, be ready and be part of a new world record!

Download Day FirefoxHow? Simply by downloading the new Firefox 3 brower. If you want to step up, go to SpreadFirefox.com and pledge to download the browser. Of course, you can find all kinds of banners and extra info to join a growing number of Firefox aficionados.

Several people are organising local events and have started groups. I just found out, there is one in Belgium too!

Why is Firefox one of my favourite browers? Openness, innovation and freedom of the Internet. Also a large number (3000+!) of fantastic plug-ins that facilitate my life as a lifehacker tremendously!

Enjoy every day,
Bert Verdonck
Lifehacker

 

Leave a Comment » | Contribute, Free stuff, Fun | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

Best wishes!

December 31, 2007

Best wishes

Leave a Comment » | About Bert, Contribute | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

Going from ‘to see’ to ‘foresee’!

October 11, 2007

Lately, I am so lucky to go through several amazing experiences! For some people hard to believe, for me an (almost) every day experience! Just (dare to) ask and it is given…

During the creation of my new vision in life I came across several keywords, issues, plans, intentions, feelings and dreams. I destilled a list of “things” I really like to do and others I really dislike. The latter was thrown away, in order to focus completely on my positive list. I only want to do what I love to do, living with passion and enjoying every day!

Visualising is a very important practice. I defined my concept of 2C (to see), creating and connecting. This way I can maximize my non-stop creative mind and help people in a practical way solving their issues. I concluded that selling myself as a creative consultant is an excellent way to act upon this fun activity of creating ideas, new products/services, new applications, new markets, …

I also like to talk to people, listen to their story, build relationships and truely help people. Everyone is always looking for something or someone in particular, right? By connecting people, I am actively helping people solving their issues or challenges. This activity resulted in becoming a professional networker. For some of my friends it was obvious, because to them I am a natural networker. Some even suggested it to me as the perfect road (thanks Martijn & Bert B.) !

These 2Cs, create and connect, started to become part of my vision, “to see” my perfect future!

During my power-sabbatical, earlier this year, it became clear that these 2Cs are part of a higher element : contribute. I want to contribute to a better world. I want to help the people that are living in less fortunate circumstances. My dream is to start up my own charity foundation.

I also want to contribute to the lifes of the people around me, both private and professionally. This brings me to my fourth C : coaching.

My four Cs (4C) allow me to help others to visualise their perfect future. I inspire people. By creating, connecting, contributing and coaching, I help them “to foresee” and realise their dreams!

How may I help you?

Enjoy every day,

Bert Verdonck

Leave a Comment » | About Bert, coaching, Contribute | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

The “Banana Man”…just go bananas!

September 21, 2007

“Wow! Respect!”

These were my first two words after reading the story of Kevin “Banana Man” Allen!

Kevin saw a documentary about AIDS orphans in Zululand (South Africa) and quite literally went bananas. He watched in horror as a young boy witness his father die of AIDS in front his of eyes. He had to walk miles back to his home, a filthy mud hut with no running water, gas or electricity. Distraught and starving, he soon broke down in tears – so did Kevin. His mother had already died of AIDS a year early and his brave sister, aged only 11, tried to comfort him in vain.

Kevin could not accept this and six days later went to Zululand, bought a taxi full of bananas to offer it to the starving children (hence his nickname : the banana man). He sold his house, went back, giving as much as he could, started a charity fund (Banana Appeal) to initialise a structural way of helping orphans. In the meantime he wrote a book about his story.

He only needs 4p (6 eurocent) to feed a hungry child for a day with fresh fruit! 

His goal is to feed 1 million school meals…so, how can you help? Visit the site, donate, buy the book, sign up as a volunteer, …

Time for action,

Bert 

Leave a Comment » | Contribute | Permalink
Posted by bertverdonck

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 2,297 other followers