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	<title>The Tiny Soprano &#187; The Art Of Giving</title>
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	<link>http://thetinysoprano.com</link>
	<description>Operatic Riffs On Life And Music. Natalie Christie&#039;s Site For Passionate Creativity, Authenticity and Audacious Fearlessness.</description>
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		<title>We Raised $120 For Haiti!</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:09:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Haiti]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thetinysoprano.com/?p=1231</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Thank you!
After my recent Help Haiti Blog Challenge, I am honoured to announce that we raised $120 for Partners In Health.
This was a project that could so easily have missed the transition from thought to action. But what we don&#8217;t do, doesn&#8217;t matter. And I&#8217;m so grateful that we did something.
So massive, unadulterated, chocolate-flavoured hugs [...]


If this post worked for you, perhaps you might like these too:<ol><ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Help Haiti Blog Challenge'>The Help Haiti Blog Challenge</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/singing-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Singing For Haiti'>Singing For Haiti</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/twitter-superpowers-for-good/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!'>Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!</a></ul>
</ol>]]></description>
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<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>After my recent <a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/" target="_self">Help Haiti Blog Challenge</a>, I am honoured to announce that we raised $120 for Partners In Health.</p>
<p>This was a project that could so easily have missed the transition from thought to action. But <a href="http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/what-you-dont-do-doesnt-matter/" target="_blank">what we don&#8217;t do, doesn&#8217;t matter</a>. And I&#8217;m so grateful that <em>we did something</em>.</p>
<p>So massive, unadulterated, chocolate-flavoured hugs of gratitude to everyone who sang along with me for Haiti. (And to <a href="http://www.kellydiels.com/" target="_blank">Kelly Diels</a> and <a href="http://whitehottruth.com/philanthropy/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/" target="_blank">Danielle La Porte</a> for kicking the idea into the world &#8211; you girls rock.)</p>
<div class='wpfblike' ><fb:like href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/' layout='default' show_faces='true' width='400' action='like' colorscheme='light' /></div>

<p>If this post worked for you, perhaps you might like these too:<ol><ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Help Haiti Blog Challenge'>The Help Haiti Blog Challenge</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/singing-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Singing For Haiti'>Singing For Haiti</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/twitter-superpowers-for-good/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!'>Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!</a></ul>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Singing For Haiti</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/singing-for-haiti/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/singing-for-haiti/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Haiti]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hermit Songs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MP3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recording]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thetinysoprano.com/?p=1169</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
UPDATE! We raised $120 for Haiti &#8211; massive thanks to everyone who helped me by purchasing this recording &#8211; I will continue to donate 100% of the profits from any continuing sale to Partners In Health&#8230;so you can hear me sing and contribute to an excellent cause at the same time. Thank you!
So here it [...]


If this post worked for you, perhaps you might like these too:<ol><ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Help Haiti Blog Challenge'>The Help Haiti Blog Challenge</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Raised $120 For Haiti!'>We Raised $120 For Haiti!</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/world-cup-fear-and-singing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: What The World Cup Can Teach You About Singing Away Your Fear'>What The World Cup Can Teach You About Singing Away Your Fear</a></ul>
</ol>]]></description>
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<p><span style="color: #888888;"><em>UPDATE! We raised $120 for Haiti &#8211; massive thanks to everyone who helped me by purchasing this recording &#8211; I will continue to donate 100% of the profits from any continuing sale to Partners In Health&#8230;so you can hear me sing and contribute to an excellent cause at the same time. Thank you!</em></span></p>
<p>So here it is!</p>
<p>Me, singing.</p>
<p>As part of <a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/" target="_self">The Help Haiti Blog Challenge</a>, I&#8217;m offering this recording of my singing to raise as much money as I can for Haiti.</p>
<p>The recording is of the <em>Hermit Songs</em>, written by American composer Samuel Barber in 1953. It is a group of 10 songs in English, composed to a collection of anonymous poems written by Irish monks and scholars from the 8th to the 13th centuries, in translations by W. H. Auden, Chester Kallman, Howard Mumford Jones, Kenneth Jackson and Sean O&#8217;Faolain.</p>
<p>These songs are beautiful, quirky, moving and heartfelt in their simplicity.</p>
<p>There is even a song giving heavenly thanks to <em>beer</em>. Which means it <strong>must</strong> be good, right?</p>
<p>This song cycle was recorded way back in 1996 and it is <em>strictly bootleg hush-hush</em> (even though I&#8217;m here plugging it to the whole world on the web.) As most of my life is still packed away in cardboard boxes from the move back to Australia from the UK, it was the only recording I could get my hands on <em>fast</em>. It was professionally recorded for broadcast, but because it is bootlegalicious I can not really say any more about it.</p>
<p>Except that I really hope that you&#8217;ll love these songs as much as I loved singing them.</p>
<p>When you click the button below, you will be treated to a download of the aforementioned musical loveliness for the bargain donation of $10. This will go to <a href="http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti" target="_blank">Partners in Health in Haiti</a> to assist in bringing urgently needed medical relief to this shattered country.</p>
<p>So go click! And <strong>thank you</strong>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #b30024;"> </span></strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?i=596444&amp;c=single&amp;cl=89010" target="ejejcsingle"><img src="http://www.e-junkie.com/ej/x-click-butcc.gif" border="0" alt="Buy Now" /></a></p>
<h3><span style="color: #888888;">Natalie Christie &#8211; Hermit Songs Op. 29 By Samuel Barber</span></h3>
<ul>
<li>&#8220;At St Patrick’s Purgatory&#8221; (translated by Seán Ó Faoláin)</li>
<li>&#8220;Church Bell at Night&#8221; (translated by Howard Mumford Jones)</li>
<li>&#8220;St Ita’s Vision&#8221; (translated by Chester Kallman)</li>
<li>&#8220;The Heavenly Banquet&#8221; (translated by Seán Ó Faoláin)</li>
<li>&#8220;The Crucifixion&#8221; (translated by Howard Mumford Jones)</li>
<li>&#8220;Sea Snatch&#8221; (translated by Kenneth Jackson)</li>
<li>&#8220;Promiscuity&#8221; (translated by Kenneth Jackson)</li>
<li>&#8220;The Monk and his Cat&#8221; (translated by W.H. Auden)</li>
<li>&#8220;The Praises of God&#8221; (translated by W.H. Auden)</li>
<li>&#8220;The Desire for Hermitage&#8221; (translated by Seán Ó Faoláin)</li>
</ul>
<div class='wpfblike' ><fb:like href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/singing-for-haiti/' layout='default' show_faces='true' width='400' action='like' colorscheme='light' /></div>

<p>If this post worked for you, perhaps you might like these too:<ol><ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Help Haiti Blog Challenge'>The Help Haiti Blog Challenge</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Raised $120 For Haiti!'>We Raised $120 For Haiti!</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/world-cup-fear-and-singing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: What The World Cup Can Teach You About Singing Away Your Fear'>What The World Cup Can Teach You About Singing Away Your Fear</a></ul>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Help Haiti Blog Challenge</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:47:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Haiti]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[help]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philanthropy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recording]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[singing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thetinysoprano.com/?p=1152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		

I&#8217;m a great believer in not watching the news.
Especially since I became a parent. There is a British comedian called Al Murray (aka &#8216;The Pub Landlord&#8216;) who observes that the minute you have children you suddenly find yourself more right wing. (In context this is really funny &#8211; sadly you won&#8217;t get the joke here.) [...]


If this post worked for you, perhaps you might like these too:<ol><ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Raised $120 For Haiti!'>We Raised $120 For Haiti!</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/singing-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Singing For Haiti'>Singing For Haiti</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/twitter-superpowers-for-good/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!'>Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!</a></ul>
</ol>]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://www.kellydiels.com/2010/01/14/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge-you-can-do-it-we-can-do-it-together" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" style="border: 3px solid #ddd;" src="http://www.kellydiels.com/images/help-haiti-blog-challenge.png" alt="" width="202" height="119" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I&#8217;m a great believer in not watching the news.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Especially since I became a parent. There is a British comedian called Al Murray (aka &#8216;<a href="http://www.thepublandlord.com/" target="_blank">The Pub Landlord</a>&#8216;) who observes that the minute you have children you suddenly find yourself more right wing. (In context this is really funny &#8211; sadly you won&#8217;t get the joke here.) The often grotesque and explicit images fed to us via the media &#8211; particularly those involving children -literally make me physically sick.  I feel that twisting, clawing, eating up inside that comes from observing people in distress&#8230;and <em>I don&#8217;t like that feeling.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">BUT if there is a cry for help, I do not turn away and do nothing.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I have written recently about the <a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/learn-to-love-dancing-with-the-bad-stuff/">idea of contrast</a> and we can use how negative events in our lives as a defining mechanism &#8211; as a way for us to observe the devastation and to launch within ourselves the desire for something better.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">So when a disaster of the magnitude of the Haiti earthquake takes place, it is for us to take it in. And then to focus intensely on making the situation better.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">While the mainstream media glory in the death toll, the footage of <a href="http://www.productiveflourishing.com/help-haiti-and-get-some-help-too/" target="_blank">bodies piled into tractors</a> and the failures of the emergency systems to fully cope, it is up to us to do whatever it is we can, however small, to construct a different future.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">When Kelly Diels launched <a href="http://www.kellydiels.com/2010/01/14/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge-you-can-do-it-we-can-do-it-together" target="_blank">The Help Haiti Blog challenge</a> (inspired by Danielle La Porte) I was immediately <strong>in.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Regular readers will know I am already throwing everything I can at the scarce snippets of time that I have at my fingertips.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">But hell, why not start <a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/how-to-be-deliciously-overworked/">spinning <em>another </em>plate</a>?<span id="more-1152"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://whitehottruth.com/philanthropy/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge/" target="_blank">Danielle</a> was offering to donate her full Firestarter session fee. <a href="http://www.productiveflourishing.com/why-im-helping-haiti-the-way-i-am/" target="_blank">Charlie</a> was offering coaching in a very dark and unshavenly kinda way. <a href="http://www.kellydiels.com/2010/01/14/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge-you-can-do-it-we-can-do-it-together">Kelly</a> started collecting the links of other passionate bloggers who announced their own unique initiatives.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">There was also mudslinging and shoe throwing all over &#8211; and not unjustified &#8211; from those who saw this as a blatant form of profiteering from disaster by desperate, broke, link-hungry bloggers.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">But I believe that if you have something of <em>value</em> that you can share with others AND contribute to a cause, then isn&#8217;t that better than sitting on your hands?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">There is <strong>momentum</strong> in providing value for a charitable dollar. If you don&#8217;t get this, just ask Bob Geldof why he didn&#8217;t just get musicians to donate money instead of perform at LiveAid&#8230;.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">So what was I going to offer?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I could offer my new online voice critique service (to be launched this week) but I expect not many of my readers are aspiring singers (although email me if you are). I am still working on my first product which won&#8217;t be ready for a few months yet. I could offer to donate for comments or links&#8230;but honestly I thought I was capable of creating something a little more unique.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Then it came to me.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">It was ridiculously obvious really, what I needed to put together, and most of you will be like, &#8216;Duh, silly woman. She must still be suffering from preg-headedness, poor thing.&#8217;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What I have assembled is a very cheeky, naughty little bootleg selection of recordings of me&#8230;you know, like&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">*come closer so I can whisper it to you*</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&#8230;<em>singing</em>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I know!! Cool huh? <img src='http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  So I&#8217;m hugely excited and can&#8217;t wait to throw it out there to all of you who are interested in finally hearing the kind of racket this Tiny Soprano makes.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I won&#8217;t go into too much detail here suffice to say that if you fancy hearing some gorgeous music &#8211; hopefully that has been done some justice by yours truly &#8211; then stay tuned Monday night 9pm EST. I will release the link for the recording then on Twitter and here on the blog.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">100% &#8211; that&#8217;s every last cent &#8211; of the profits from the sale of the CD will go to <a href="https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/haiti_earthquake" target="_blank">Partners In Health</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I look forward to helping the people of Haiti by sharing some of &#8216;me&#8217; with all of you.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">x Natalie</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: #b30024;">UPDATE!!!</span></strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">You can see the full details of the project I created <a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/singing-for-haiti/" target="_self">here</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kellydiels.com/2010/01/14/the-help-haiti-blog-challenge-you-can-do-it-we-can-do-it-together" target="_blank"><br />
</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;">
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<p>If this post worked for you, perhaps you might like these too:<ol><ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Raised $120 For Haiti!'>We Raised $120 For Haiti!</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/singing-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Singing For Haiti'>Singing For Haiti</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/twitter-superpowers-for-good/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!'>Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!</a></ul>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Are You Pretending To Listen?</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/are-you-pretending-to-listen/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/are-you-pretending-to-listen/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:38:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie Christie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Being Authentic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Growing & Learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Your Beliefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conversation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[listening]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thetinysoprano.com/?p=1043</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Have you ever had one of those conversations with someone when you knew they were not really listening to a word you were saying? I bet you could almost hear them planning what to say next while you were speaking &#8211; their eyes taking on a dull glaze as they wait for a pause.
It&#8217;s really [...]


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</ol>]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/coveringears.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1045" style="border: 3px solid #dddddd;" title="coveringears" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/coveringears-150x150.jpg" alt="coveringears" width="122" height="122" /></a>Have you ever had one of those conversations with someone when you knew they were not really listening to a word you were saying? I bet you could almost hear them planning what to say next while you were speaking &#8211; their eyes taking on a dull glaze as they wait for a pause.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s really boring after a while, when you know you&#8217;re being heard&#8230;just not being <em>listened </em>to.</p>
<p>In the real world, we tend to do what we can to avoid hanging out with these kinds of people. They tend to suck away our energy. Make us feel unimportant. Undervalued and unappreciated.</p>
<p>But &#8211; when someone really listens!<span id="more-1043"></span> Not only looks us in the eye, but takes what we have said, tosses it around and then spins it back to us! The conversation expands and evolves and mutates, and takes on a life of its own.</p>
<p>People who really listen add to us, inspire us, challenge us, refute us, contradict us, <em>amplify</em> us.</p>
<p>But online, it&#8217;s not so simple.</p>
<p>Online, it&#8217;s important to be visible. To look for information to pass along the network. To be seen to &#8220;share the love&#8221;. But how can we ever really connect with anything &#8211; a person or an idea &#8211; unless we have taken the time to properly listen first?</p>
<p>Because it&#8217;s easy to <a href="http://www.successful-blog.com/marketing/twitter-are-you-listening/" target="_blank">assume a listening posture</a> from behind the computer screen. It takes seconds to hit RT. One click and you can &#8220;like&#8221; a Facebook comment. There&#8217;s barely any effort involved in giving the impression you are paying attention.</p>
<p>And who&#8217;s going to know anyway? You&#8217;re still spreading the love &#8211; does it matter that you haven&#8217;t actually read that person&#8217;s blog post? Or followed the link they have suggested? Information moves so quickly that surely it&#8217;s more important to be fast and found&#8230;than slow and invisible &#8211; right?</p>
<p>Of course it matters &#8211; if you believe in <em>the power of conversation</em>.</p>
<p>Because when we listen we learn.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #b30024;">But most importantly, when <em>we</em> are listened to <em>we learn even more</em>.</span></strong></h3>
<p><strong><span style="color: #b30024;"> </span></strong>We clarify and contrast. Our ideas are sharpened and our own positions shifted into newer perspectives. A conclusion that we have come to alone is a very different beast to one we arrive at via discussion, illumination, struggle and debate.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s give each other the gift of our attention. Let&#8217;s &#8220;take it in&#8221;, respectfully, and then throw it back out there with a new edge. Let&#8217;s take the conversation and <em>run with it. </em></p>
<p>Perhaps instead of asking &#8211; who is listening to me? Ask yourself, how can <em>I </em>listen more?</p>
<div class='wpfblike' ><fb:like href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/are-you-pretending-to-listen/' layout='default' show_faces='true' width='400' action='like' colorscheme='light' /></div>

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<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/playing-to-the-wrong-crowd/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Are You Playing To The Wrong Crowd?'>Are You Playing To The Wrong Crowd?</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/talent-vs-hard-work-overrated/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Talent Vs Hard Work &#8211; Are They Both Overrated?'>Talent Vs Hard Work &#8211; Are They Both Overrated?</a></ul>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How You Can Help To Sew A Special Kind Of Magic</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/how-you-can-help-to-sew-a-special-kind-of-magic/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/how-you-can-help-to-sew-a-special-kind-of-magic/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:02:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nikki In Stitches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sweater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thanksgiving]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thetinysoprano.com/?p=954</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Welcome to Series #1 of &#8220;Tiny Stars&#8221;. This is where I get a huge kick out of introducing you to amazing and inspiring people who are doing tiny but significant things to make a difference in a huge way. I hope you appreciate their stories as much as I do!


I love the people I am [...]


If this post worked for you, perhaps you might like these too:<ol><ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Raised $120 For Haiti!'>We Raised $120 For Haiti!</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/twitter-superpowers-for-good/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!'>Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/the-tiniest-difference/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Tiniest Difference'>The Tiniest Difference</a></ul>
</ol>]]></description>
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<h4><em><span style="color: #888888;">Welcome to Series #1 of &#8220;Tiny Stars&#8221;. This is where I get a huge kick out of introducing you to amazing and inspiring people who are doing tiny but significant things to make a difference in a huge way. I hope you appreciate their stories as much as I do!</span></em></h4>
<p><em><span style="color: #888888;"><br />
</span></em></p>
<p>I <em>love </em>the people I am meeting right now, through my blog and especially through Twitter.</p>
<p>Coaches, writers, parents, teachers, healers, artists, marketers, thinkers&#8230;to those who dismiss Twitter as being trite and pointless rubbish, I say to thee &#8211; you are just talking to the wrong crowd!</p>
<p>I have never had more opportunities to connect with people who challenge me, inspire me and generally impress me every day with their generosity and spirit.</p>
<p>Take Nikki McGonigal over at <a href="http://nikkiinstitches.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Nikki, In Stitches</a>. She is busy sewing a particular kind of tiny magic on her blog that I deeply admire. Having left her teaching career to be a full time mom to her gorgeous son, she is now days away from giving birth to baby number two. And what has she been doing with herself in this precious calm before the beautiful storm?<span id="more-954"></span></p>
<p><a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/NikkisMittens.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-957" style="border: 3px solid #ddd;" title="NikkisMittens" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/NikkisMittens-150x150.jpg" alt="NikkisMittens" width="150" height="150" /></a>In a little over ten minutes Nikki sews together a pair of mittens salvaged from an unwanted sweater. A pair of mittens that will leave her hands and be delivered to the frozen fingers of the men and women being fed and sheltered at the <a href="http://www.columbushouse.org/" target="_blank">Columbus House Shelter</a> in Connecticut. Right now, she has enough sweaters for 100 pairs of mittens, scheduled to be delivered on Thanksgiving. She has plans for another batch at Christmas time, and no doubt this will be even bigger, with more shelters hearing about her generosity and dedication, and asking if they can also be a part of her drive. But with the winter fast approaching, she needs as many sweaters she can get her crafty little fingers on.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #b30024;"><strong>This is where you come in.</strong></span></h3>
<p>Do you want to make a tiny difference yourself? Has this story shown you how easy it can be to <em>take action </em>to make another person&#8217;s life just a little better? Can you see how it&#8217;s about just <em>taking a step</em> &#8211; no matter how small &#8211; even when you&#8217;re flat out and think you have no time?</p>
<p>I urge you to collect <em>just one sweater</em> and send it to Nikki.</p>
<p>It doesn&#8217;t take much, just the cost of posting it to her. It can be an old sweater that is lurking unloved at the back of your wardrobe. It can be that ugly jumper your hubby occasionally wears that you have been dying to throw out for ages (because now you have an excellent excuse!) Maybe you have a few that your kids have outgrown. Or if you don&#8217;t have one yourself, collect one from a friend, or your mum and dad.</p>
<p>You can see from her picture that the mittens she makes are really lovely &#8211; there is so much love and thought going into making every pair, well worth the tiny effort it will take you to contribute an unwanted item of clothing. Every sweater you send will make a huge difference to the hands of a very deserving and grateful person this winter.</p>
<p>For a woman who has so much going on in her own life and must be feeling really ungainly and achy and tired (and I know how she feels, as I am due to give myself in a month or so)&#8230;how <strong>incredible</strong> is it that she is focusing on making other people &#8211; <em>strangers</em> even &#8211; more comfortable?</p>
<p>She is truly a woman worth supporting, and I urge you to help her in any way you can.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #b30024;"><strong>What you need to do next : </strong></span></h3>
<p>Send 1 sweater as soon as possible to -</p>
<p><strong>Nikki, In Stitches, P.O. Box 8242, Berlin, CT 06037.</strong></p>
<p>Don&#8217;t forget to say I sent you and make sure you include your details &#8211; I will be following up with Nikki after her campaign and we want to be able to share her thanks to you personally here on this site. But if you would prefer to be anonymous, that&#8217;s totally OK too.</p>
<p>And even if you think that you cannot help her this time, then please, <strong>retweet this post</strong>, or <strong>email it to a friend</strong>, or <strong>blog about it</strong> yourself, and help Nikki to spread the word!</p>
<div class='wpfblike' ><fb:like href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/how-you-can-help-to-sew-a-special-kind-of-magic/' layout='default' show_faces='true' width='400' action='like' colorscheme='light' /></div>

<p>If this post worked for you, perhaps you might like these too:<ol><ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Raised $120 For Haiti!'>We Raised $120 For Haiti!</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/twitter-superpowers-for-good/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!'>Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/the-tiniest-difference/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Tiniest Difference'>The Tiniest Difference</a></ul>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Imagine Using Your Twitter Superpowers For Good!</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/twitter-superpowers-for-good/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/twitter-superpowers-for-good/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:39:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie Christie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Epic Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thanksgiving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tweetsgiving]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thetinysoprano.com/?p=846</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Yes! Finally-  here is an unmissable opportunity for all you avid Tweeters/FBers/bloggers out there to flex your fingers for an excellent cause AND get to know me a little more as well (which has got to be pretty exciting, right?)
As you know, here at The Tiny Soprano I am all  about achieving massive results [...]


If this post worked for you, perhaps you might like these too:<ol><ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/my-tiny-song-of-gratitude/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: My Tiny Song Of Gratitude'>My Tiny Song Of Gratitude</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/how-i-caught-the-universe-red-handed/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How I Caught The Universe &#8220;Red-Handed&#8221;'>How I Caught The Universe &#8220;Red-Handed&#8221;</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Raised $120 For Haiti!'>We Raised $120 For Haiti!</a></ul>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-right: 0px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthetinysoprano.com%2F2009%2Ftwitter-superpowers-for-good%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthetinysoprano.com%2F2009%2Ftwitter-superpowers-for-good%2F&amp;source=thetinysoprano&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
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<p><a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/supert.gif"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-851" style="border: 3px solid #ddd;" title="supert" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/supert-150x150.gif" alt="supert" width="150" height="150" /></a>Yes! Finally-  here is an unmissable opportunity for all you avid Tweeters/FBers/bloggers out there to flex your fingers for an excellent cause AND get to know me a little more as well (which has got to be pretty exciting, right?)</p>
<p>As you know, here at The Tiny Soprano I am all  about achieving massive results from <em>little bursts of magnificence</em>.</p>
<p>Whether it is a random act of kindness, a positive word or a moment of reflection where you suddenly understand just how powerful you really are&#8230;all it takes is <em>one tiny step of gratitude</em> to experience the giant leap towards being the <em>best possible version of you.</em></p>
<p>Now is your chance to get grateful in a BIG way&#8230;<span id="more-846"></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #b30024;">Introducing TweetsGiving 2009!</span></strong></p>
<p>This year Thanksgiving in America falls on the 26th November, and as part of the celebrations <a href="http://epicchange.org/" target="_blank">Epic Change</a> are celebrating<a href="http://tweetsgiving.epicchange.org/story/" target="_blank"> Tweetsgiving 2009</a>, a fantastic 48 hour opportunity to celebrate gratitude and giving in as many ways as possible.</p>
<p>Last year in 2008, with just 6 days in the planning and 2 in the launch, the very first Tweetsgiving raised over $10,000 to build a classroom in Arusha, Tanzania &#8211; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cndeOGJOoIo" target="_blank">The Classroom Built From Gratitude.</a> It quickly became the #1 trending topic on Twitter as thousands of grateful tweets from across the globe filled the stream, and hundreds of blogs, from <a rel="external" href="http://mashable.com/2008/11/26/tweetsgiving/">Mashable</a> to <a rel="external" href="http://venturebeat.com/2008/11/27/tweetsgiving-uses-twitter-to-fund-a-classroom-in-africa-on-thanksgiving/">VentureBeat</a>, spread the story.</p>
<p>This year, between 24th and 26th November, you are invited to join in and <a href="http://tweetsgiving.epicchange.org/help-us-celebrate-online/" target="_blank">unleash the gratitude</a> online via your blog, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace &#8211; wherever you like! You can even go &#8220;real world&#8221; and host a gratitude party at your place, or join up with one already taking place in your city.</p>
<p>If you want to expand what is possible for you personally, then why not use this event as a gratitude &#8220;launch pad&#8221;? Getting grateful is such a powerful place to start, so why not expand what is possible for others at the same time?</p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Now comes the best part&#8230;</span></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #b30024;">I am looking for 20 Tiny Tribesters to come on this journey with me!</span></strong></h3>
<p>I figure it would be really cool to use this event as an opportunity to get to know some awesome and creatively like-minded people out there on the interweb at the same time as doing something fantabulous for charity. Having fun, meeting inspirational people and making a difference at the same time is pretty much my manifesto!</p>
<p>Does this sound like you?</p>
<p>We could easily set ourselves a small but very achievable target:</p>
<ul>
<li> If 21 of us each pledged $10 = $210</li>
<li>We then reach out to 10 people each (easy!) &#8211; and these 10 people pledge just $10 to the campaign = $2100</li>
<li>Total raised = $2310.</li>
</ul>
<p>See? Tiny and simple, but magnificent all the same.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #b30024;">YES! YES! YES! Count me in BatGirl! What do I have to do?</span></strong></h3>
<ol>
<li><span style="color: #b30024;"><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/thetinysoprano" target="_blank">Send me a Tweet NOW</a> (@thetinysoprano) using the hashtag #TinyTG (so I know you&#8217;ve read this). </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #b30024;"><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://bit.ly/TGonline" target="_self">Pledge your own $10</a>. It takes seconds and really this is the whole point, right? Put your dosh where your beak is!<br />
</span></span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="color: #b30024;"></span>#Tweetsgiving<span style="color: #b30024;"><span style="color: #000000;"> will all be a huge <em>fun sharing of grateful stuff</em> and I can&#8217;t wait to help make a difference for these children.<br />
</span></span></p>
<p>We have less than 2 weeks left! Do you think gratitude can make a difference? Why not ditch the disguise and show the world what a social media superhero you truly are? <img src='http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.twitter.com/thetinysoprano" target="_blank">Tweet me now</a>!</p>
<div class='wpfblike' ><fb:like href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/twitter-superpowers-for-good/' layout='default' show_faces='true' width='400' action='like' colorscheme='light' /></div>

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<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/how-i-caught-the-universe-red-handed/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How I Caught The Universe &#8220;Red-Handed&#8221;'>How I Caught The Universe &#8220;Red-Handed&#8221;</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2010/we-raised-20-for-haiti/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: We Raised $120 For Haiti!'>We Raised $120 For Haiti!</a></ul>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Some Free &amp; Tiny Beautiful Things</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/some-free-tiny-beautiful-things/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/some-free-tiny-beautiful-things/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:08:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie Christie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Get Motivated!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beautiful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freebies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kind]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		


I love the work that Amanda and Jenn are doing at Kind Over Matter, a site dedicated to &#8220;Kind Acts, Inspirational Art &#38; Kind Projects&#8221;. They produce a huge wealth of free craft ideas and beautifully designed printable cards, like the &#8220;Create Positive Change&#8221; picture, or this &#8220;Love Your Inner Wild Woman&#8221; poster -

But my [...]


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<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/how-i-caught-the-universe-red-handed/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How I Caught The Universe &#8220;Red-Handed&#8221;'>How I Caught The Universe &#8220;Red-Handed&#8221;</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/my-tiny-song-of-gratitude/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: My Tiny Song Of Gratitude'>My Tiny Song Of Gratitude</a></ul>
</ol>]]></description>
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			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthetinysoprano.com%2F2009%2Fsome-free-tiny-beautiful-things%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthetinysoprano.com%2F2009%2Fsome-free-tiny-beautiful-things%2F&amp;source=thetinysoprano&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
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<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/2009/09/freebie-printable-create-positive.html"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-803" title="CreatePositiveChange" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/CreatePositiveChange.jpg" alt="CreatePositiveChange" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: left;">I love the work that Amanda and Jenn are doing at <a href="http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kind Over Matter</a>, a site dedicated to &#8220;Kind Acts, Inspirational Art &amp; Kind Projects&#8221;. They produce a huge wealth of free craft ideas and beautifully designed printable cards, like the <a href="http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/2009/09/freebie-printable-create-positive.html" target="_blank">&#8220;Create Positive Change&#8221;</a> picture, or this <a href="http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/2009/08/love-your-inner-wild-woman.html" target="_blank">&#8220;Love Your Inner Wild Woman&#8221;</a> poster -</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/2009/08/love-your-inner-wild-woman.html"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-804" title="InnerWildWoman" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/InnerWildWoman.jpg" alt="InnerWildWoman" width="290" height="375" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">But my favourite is definitely these beautiful handmade <a href="http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/2009/03/kind-over-matter-fortune-cookies.html" target="_blank">Fortune Cookies</a> that you can print out and make yourself &#8211; complete with tiny fortunes (you could even fill them with your own messages.)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/2009/03/kind-over-matter-fortune-cookies.html"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-805" title="FortuneCookies" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/FortuneCookies.jpg" alt="FortuneCookies" width="180" height="240" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: left;">I only wish I had more rainy days here in Brisbane that would allow me to curl up and get crafty with my girls. Sadly I fear the youngest would only want to stick her fingers in the glue&#8230;*eternally cleaning up sigh*.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">You can also admire their wonderful photography by joining their group on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/kindovermatter" target="_blank">Flickr</a> or follow them on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/kindovermatter" target="_blank">@kindovermatter</a>. Enjoy!</p>
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<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/how-i-caught-the-universe-red-handed/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How I Caught The Universe &#8220;Red-Handed&#8221;'>How I Caught The Universe &#8220;Red-Handed&#8221;</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/my-tiny-song-of-gratitude/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: My Tiny Song Of Gratitude'>My Tiny Song Of Gratitude</a></ul>
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		<title>How I Caught The Universe &#8220;Red-Handed&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/how-i-caught-the-universe-red-handed/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/how-i-caught-the-universe-red-handed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:16:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie Christie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Being Authentic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ego]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kindness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law of attraction]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thetinysoprano.com/?p=520</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		

&#8220;It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.&#8221; ~ Charles Dudley Warner
The World Is Full Of Scary People Out To Get You&#8230;Right?

Some would have you believe that we live in a world where the approach of a stranger signals danger. In [...]


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<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/10-powerful-resources/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 10 Powerful Resources For Inspiring Change'>10 Powerful Resources For Inspiring Change</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/some-free-tiny-beautiful-things/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Some Free &#038; Tiny Beautiful Things'>Some Free &#038; Tiny Beautiful Things</a></ul>
</ol>]]></description>
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<div style="font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/RandomKindness.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-537" style="border: 3px solid #dddddd;" title="Random Kindness by Heath Brandon @ Flickr" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/RandomKindness-150x150.jpg" alt="RandomKindness" width="150" height="150" /></a></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial;"><em>&#8220;It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.</em>&#8221; ~ Charles Dudley Warner</div>
<h3 style="padding-top: 2px;"><span style="color: #b30024;"><strong>The World Is Full Of Scary People Out To Get You&#8230;Right?</strong></span></h3>
<div style="padding-top: 2px;">
<p>Some would have you believe that we live in a world where the approach of a stranger signals danger. In this version, the universe is a place full of fear and suspicion.</p></div>
<div style="padding-top: 2px;">
<p>It&#8217;s a grim, dark kind of world, where there are few opportunites for &#8220;random acts of kindness&#8221; to flourish without anticipating some creeping, hidden motive. Automatically, we expect the worst of people. We anticipate the &#8220;going wrong&#8221; of things.</p></div>
<div style="padding-top: 2px;">
<p><em>But I just don&#8217;t buy it.</em> Especially when I&#8217;ve had a day like today.</div>
<div style="padding-top: 2px;">
<p>Because today I caught the universe &#8220;red handed&#8221;. I&#8217;m going to share with you an experience that illustrates perfectly how<strong> </strong>I believe the universe secretly works. Where sushi, spilt coffee and groceries all come together to shout out how magical the world can be, and how random acts of kindness may not be so random after all.</p>
<p>Shall I begin?<span id="more-520"></span></p>
<h3><span style="color: #b30024;"><strong>Raw Fish, Spilt Coffee and The Ego</strong></span></h3>
<p>My husband Antonio and I were eating sushi (well he was, I was eating california hand rolls with avocado &#8211; sadly no raw fish until baby arrives) and we were having an intense and focused discussion on doing things to <em>deliberately challenge the ego. </em></div>
<p>The idea was to perform acts of kindness and service in situations where we would normally resist &#8211; for instance, choosing to clean up the spilt coffee and left over rubbish left thoughtless all over a neighbouring table. To perform little acts of thoughtfulness that are not about making ourselves feel good, or even as an attempt to make the other person feel good, but simply as an inspired act. A giving back of ourselves.</p>
<p>We decided to look for moments like this to practise being more flexible in our thoughts and to allow ourselves the opportunity to put ego in its place &#8211; even if it was only for a moment.</p>
<p>After lunch we headed home, and I went off to the supermarket.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #b30024;">Kindness In The Carpark<br />
</span></strong></h3>
<p>Being 30 weeks pregnant, I am starting to find it tiring to get around, especially now that the weather is hotting up. So by the time I emerged from the supermarket with my groceries, my 18 month old little girl wriggling like crazy to get out of her seat in the loaded trolley, I felt pretty light-headed. I manouveured myself awkwardly towards our car that had been baking nicely in the afternoon sun.</p>
<p>After a brief struggle getting the little one into her seat, I walked (well okay, <em>waddled</em>) to the back of the car to start loading up all of my bags.</p>
<p>Suddenly I hear a voice to my left. &#8220;Are you right with that?&#8221; A man in his 50s was standing a few cars away. His face was slightly sunburned and it crinkled in the bright sun. &#8220;Yes, I&#8217;m fine, really.&#8221; I said instinctively, and turned away to continue.</p>
<p>&#8220;No, really, let me help.&#8221; He walked over to me, and strangely enough I felt no fear, no apprehension at all.</p>
<p>I stood there watching as he began loading all of my heavy bags into the car. I tried every now and then to pick one up myself but each time he stopped me with a &#8220;No, let me.&#8221; All I was allowed to do was watch. I could hear myself saying &#8220;thank you&#8221; over and again, half expecting him to get bored halfway through and walk away.</p>
<p>But he stayed and loaded every bag I had.</p>
<p>Then I reached up to close the boot (and being tiny this is quite a sight) but he beat me to it and casually flung it shut.</p>
<p>I then grasped the handle of the trolley to move it away, but again he was there, already whisking it away.</p>
<p>I called out my thanks again, and he turned and waved, with a huge smile on his ruddy Queensland face. I watched in my rear view mirror as he drove away in a beat up white 4WD,  my keys in my lap.</p>
<p>What just happened?</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #b30024;">How To Manifest A Not So Random Act Of Kindness</span></strong></h3>
<p>I had just been given this incredible gift by a total stranger, and I couldn&#8217;t stop saying &#8220;thank you&#8221; out loud as I sat there in my hot car.</p>
<p>Let me be clear &#8211; I have NEVER had anyone help me with my groceries like that before. (I&#8217;ve been pregnant in London where sadly you&#8217;re lucky to even have someone give up their seat for you on the tube. )</p>
<p>And as I drove home, I couldn&#8217;t help connecting the generosity of that man with the conversation that had unfolded with my husband at lunch.  I believe that our combined intention to get selfless &#8211; to open ourselves to opportunities to serve others &#8211; and the <em>quality</em> of this &#8220;attention to intention&#8221; &#8211; allowed a tiny act of service to come flying back my way. And how quickly, too!</p>
<p>This was supposedly a &#8220;random&#8221; act of kindness from a total stranger. <em>But was it really random?</em></p>
<p>In a seemingly distrustful world where acts of kindness appear to be so rare and our responses so wary, isn&#8217;t it more powerful to choose a more generous and kind vision for your world? Where this kind of reciprocity can happen all the time, if you allow it in?</p>
<p>A world where kindness may not be so random after all? </p>
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<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/10-powerful-resources/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 10 Powerful Resources For Inspiring Change'>10 Powerful Resources For Inspiring Change</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/some-free-tiny-beautiful-things/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Some Free &#038; Tiny Beautiful Things'>Some Free &#038; Tiny Beautiful Things</a></ul>
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		<title>10 Powerful Resources For Inspiring Change</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/10-powerful-resources/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/10-powerful-resources/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:59:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie Christie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Being Authentic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Get Motivated!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Get Productive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Growing & Learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Your Beliefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Abraham-Hicks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Robbins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Deepak Chopra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E-Myth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[excuses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law of attraction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[millionaire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[momentum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[now]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Dad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Secret]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wayne Dyer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thetinysoprano.com/?p=249</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Listed in no particular order, I am very pleased to present a very special selection of books and recordings that have become my must-have recommendations. While it is hardly an exhaustive list, it does represent the top ten resources you should get cosy with now in order to give you maximum momentum.
Some of these are [...]


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<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/who-moved-my-cheese/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Has Your Cheese Moved On Without You?'>Has Your Cheese Moved On Without You?</a></ul>
<ul><a href='http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/the-secret-of-the-roundabout/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Secret Of The Roundabout'>The Secret Of The Roundabout</a></ul>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-right: 0px;">
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				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthetinysoprano.com%2F2009%2F10-powerful-resources%2F&amp;source=thetinysoprano&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="size-full wp-image-317 alignleft" style="border: 3px solid #ddd;" title="&quot;Time For Change&quot; by David Reece on Flickr" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ChangeSmall.jpg" alt="&quot;Time For Change&quot; by David Reece on Flickr" width="150" height="100" />Listed in no particular order, I am very pleased to present a very special selection of books and recordings that have become my must-have recommendations. While it is hardly an exhaustive list, it does represent the top ten resources you should get cosy with <strong>now</strong> in order to give you maximum <a title="The Secret of the Roundabout" href="http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/the-secret-of-the-roundabout" target="_self">momentum</a>.</p>
<p>Some of these are books which you will actually have to <a href="http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/find-more-time" target="_self">make time </a>to read. And I mean <em>read</em>, not flick through a couple of times only to leave them sitting on your shelf, wasting space. (Anthony Robbins calls this &#8220;shelf-help&#8221;, which isn&#8217;t really very effective!) Most of these are also available as audio books (try <a title="Audible" href="http://www.audible.co.uk" target="_blank">Audible</a> or iTunes) which is awesome really &#8211; if you are anything like me and have no choice but to multi-task, you can listen when driving your kids to school, or sitting on the tube or even while washing the dishes.  (See, you <strong>can</strong> be seriously domestic as well as diligently committed to your own self-improvement.)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b30024;"><span style="color: #000000;">Are you ready for some serious motivation? Let&#8217;s get started!</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignleft" style="border: 3px solid #999999;" title="How To Get What You Really Want" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/HowTo-Get-What-You-Really-Want-150x150.jpg" alt="How To Get What You Really Want" width="150" height="150" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a title="How To Get What You Really Want" href="http://www.hayhouse.co.uk/Product/1401901379" target="_blank">&#8220;How To Get What You Really, Really, Really, Really Want&#8221;</a> by Dr Wayne Dyer and Dr Deepak Chopra.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">This recording first taught me the importance of attention and the power of thought. Because the truth is, you keep on getting the things you think about the most. If your attention is on how fat you are, then funnily enough, being fat just doesn&#8217;t go away. We don&#8217;t say &#8220;pay attention&#8221; for nothing &#8211; attention is currency, and Dyer and Chopra reveal how to spend it more wisely.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b30024;"><span style="color: #000000;"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-250 alignleft" style="border: 3px solid #999999;" title="Rich Dad, Poor Dad" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/RichDad-96x150.jpg" alt="RichDad" width="97" height="150" /></span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0751532711?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thetinsop-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=0751532711">&#8220;Rich Dad, Poor Dad&#8221;</a><img style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thetinsop-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=0751532711" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> by Robert T. Kiyosaki.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">Before I read this book, I had no idea what &#8220;cashflow&#8221; was. How <em>could</em> I, when at the time I wasn&#8217;t earning enough cash to even notice the direction it was flowing to. (Out the window, incidentially.) I discovered I could choose to spend money on things that actually made me <em>more </em>money! I discovered I could make money <em>even when I wasn&#8217;t singing!</em> (Money that I didn&#8217;t have to give to my agent or the taxman!) Take control of the money in your life, starting now. You will never look at the ways in which you earn and spend it in the same way again.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">
<p><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-255 alignleft" style="border: 3px solid #999999;" title="Who Moved My Cheese?" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/WhoMovedMyCheese-106x150.jpg" alt="Who Moved My Cheese?" width="97" height="150" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0091883768?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thetinsop-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=0091883768">&#8220;Who Moved My Cheese?&#8221; </a><img style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thetinsop-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=0091883768" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" />by Dr Spencer Johnson.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">What does cheese have to do with change? Quite a bit, actually. While this appears to be a very easy to read fable about two mice in a maze in search of their missing cheese, on a more grown-up level it is really about change. If you imagine your goals and desires in life as being a wedge of the finest fromage &#8211; what do you do when one day, you discover your cheese has moved? Disappeared even? Do you sit around and wait for more cheese to appear? Or do you do the scary thing and start searching through the maze for a new wedge of cheese, even though it means&#8230;gulp&#8230;moving on? Ignore the management speak and buy it to decide if it&#8217;s time to move on to new and better cheese somewhere else.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-264" style="border: 3px solid #999;" title="The Power Of Now" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ThePowerOfNow-104x150.jpg" alt="The Power Of Now" width="97" height="150" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0340733500?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thetinsop-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=0340733500">&#8220;The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment</a>&#8220;<img style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thetinsop-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=0340733500" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> by Eckhart Tolle.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">&#8220;Living in the now&#8221; is possibly my most important challenge. I can sometimes devote inordinate amounts of time and brain space to worrying about the future.  I notice myself stressing too much over events that have long since passed, and I often care waaaaay too much about what other people think of me. (Not great when you work in the performing arts and have people criticising and judging you, 24/7.) But if you take the time to really get into and apply the principles in this book, you will find yourself happier, more content and peaceful, just by being more &#8220;present&#8221; and less resistant to life.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-288" style="border: 3px solid #999;" title="Ask and it is Given" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/AskandItIsGiven-100x150.jpg" alt="Ask and it is Given" width="90" height="135" /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1401904599?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thetinsop-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=1401904599">&#8220;Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest the Law of Attraction&#8221;</a><img style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thetinsop-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=1401904599" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> by Esther &amp; Jerry Hicks</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">If you have seen or heard about the movie called &#8220;The Secret&#8221; (see below) then you may not know that it was inspired by this work. One of the most profound and inspiring teachers on the planet today. See Esther and Abraham in action <a title="Abraham-Hicks" href="http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/videos.php" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-291" style="border: 3px solid #999;" title="Excuses Begone!" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ExcusesBegone-107x150.jpg" alt="Excuses Begone!" width="96" height="135" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1401921736?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thetinsop-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=1401921736">&#8220;Excuses Begone!: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits&#8221;</a><img style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thetinsop-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=1401921736" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" />by Dr Wayne Dyer</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">If you have heard of the &#8220;Placebo Effect&#8221; then you will already have a good idea of how powerful our beliefs can be. If you think you don&#8217;t have enough time, money, companionship or motivation in your life to achieve the things you dream of, this book is the answer.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-293" style="border: 3px solid #999;" title="The Secret" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/TheSecret-113x150.jpg" alt="The Secret" width="90" height="120" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000KK22GU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thetinsop-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B000KK22GU">&#8220;The Secret&#8221; (Extended Edition) [DVD] [2006]</a><img style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thetinsop-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000KK22GU" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" />by Sophie Angelle; John Assaraf; Anthony Baron; Dr. Reverend Michael Beckwith; Lee Brower</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">The original version of this film included Esther Hicks and Abraham (who inspired the director Rhonda Byrne to make the film), but eventual disagreements led to all footage featuring Esther and Abraham being removed shortly after its release. I was lucky enough to download this first version and I&#8217;m incredibly grateful that I did &#8211; Esther is such a potent presence that I really missed her in the later, re-edited version, which is now the only one available. However it is still an excellent introduction to the subject, not to mention the other speakers featured &#8211; Jack Canfield in particular.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-296" style="border: 3px solid #999;" title="The E-Myth" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/EMyth-106x150.jpg" alt="The E-Myth" width="85" height="120" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0887307280?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thetinsop-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=0887307280">&#8220;E-myth Revisited&#8221;</a><img style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thetinsop-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=0887307280" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" />by Michael E. Gerber</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">As a performer, I am what Gerber would call &#8220;a technician&#8221;. Someone with a particular skill that they use in their occupation. Most of us, when starting our own businesses, use this &#8220;skill&#8221; and make it the focus of our new venture. But what we don&#8217;t realise is that we end up working harder &#8220;for ourselves&#8221; because there are no systems in place to hire someone else to do it for us. Surely that is the point of starting your own business &#8211; to work less, not more. To work smarter, not harder. This is why most businesses fail, and why this man is such a legend. Buy this book to rethink how you are running your own &#8220;business&#8221;, learn how to organise it differently and then finally your life back!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-298" style="border: 3px solid #999;" title="Awaken The Giant Within" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/AwakentheGiantWithin-104x150.jpg" alt="Awaken The Giant Within" width="94" height="135" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0743409388?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thetinsop-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=0743409388">&#8220;Awaken the Giant within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Life&#8221;</a><img style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thetinsop-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=0743409388" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" />by Anthony Robbins</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">One of the greatest turning points in my life occurred in May 2005, when I attended the Anthony Robbins &#8220;Unleash the Power Within&#8221; seminar and the extraordinary firewalk at the Excel in London. (Yes, I actually walked over hot coals.) His sheer energy, passion and intellect have inspired millions around the world to reach beyond their perceived limitations. And his <a title="Basket Brigade" href="http://www.anthonyrobbinsfoundation.org/arf/inter_bb.php" target="_blank">Basket Brigade</a> project is a perfect example of how to organise massive charity efforts on a local scale. (Get your hands on one of his recordings to get the best experience and results &#8211; email me if you want to know where to start.)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-302" style="border: 3px solid #999;" title="One Minute Millionaire" src="http://thetinysoprano.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/OneMinuteMillionaire-97x150.jpg" alt="One Minute Millionaire" width="87" height="135" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0091884632?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thetinsop-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=0091884632">&#8220;The One Minute Millionaire&#8221;</a><img style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=thetinsop-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=0091884632" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" />by Mark Victor Hansen &amp; Robert Allen</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">I was so excited by the time I had finished this book I could barely sleep. If you want some outstanding techniques for generating significant income FAST, not to mention the mindset that goes with it, then this is where you should start. There is also a real emphasis on how you contribute and give back while you earn, which is in true alignment with the Tiny approach to living. You will be bursting with ideas and itching to get started on your own first million before you turn the last page&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">
<p style="text-align: left;">There are many more books (and particularly recordings) that I can recommend, and no doubt you will find posts on specific authors and writers throughout the site. But even if you do nothing else, just choose <strong>one</strong> of the resources from the list above and allow yourself to get to know it. Take the time (and you can <em>always</em> find the time) to add a little more to your mindset every day, and you will begin to notice the difference in the way you respond to your thoughts, actions and reactions. You&#8217;ll feel noticeably better, more &#8220;juiced up&#8221; about life and more optimistic about your future.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I would love to hear which books and authors have inspired you to get moving and create some change in your life &#8211; what has made an impact on you? Do you have a story to tell about getting going and changing something for the better?</p>
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		<title>Brisbane Twestival Countdown</title>
		<link>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/brisbane-twestival-countdown/</link>
		<comments>http://thetinysoprano.com/2009/brisbane-twestival-countdown/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:01:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Natalie Christie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The Art Of Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brisbane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[OperaAid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philanthropy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twestival]]></category>

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Those of you out there who have been Twittering furiously for charity already know about Twestival Local, which is happening over the weekend of September 11-13. Brisbane Twestival kicks off on Friday 11th at the Joshua Levi Galleries in Woolloongabba, and Tiny Soprano will be there with a clutch of diva hangers on, ready to [...]


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<p>Those of you out there who have been Twittering furiously for charity already know about Twestival Local, which is happening over the weekend of September 11-13. <a title="Brisbane Twestival" href="http://brisbane.twestival.com/" target="_blank">Brisbane Twestival </a>kicks off on Friday 11th at the Joshua Levi Galleries in Woolloongabba, and Tiny Soprano will be there with a clutch of diva hangers on, ready to make merry, eat cup cakes and even stand on a table and sing an aria or three, all to raise money for the <a title="Inspire Foundation" href="http://www.inspire.org.au/" target="_blank">Inspire Foundation</a>. This is a fabulous cause, helping young people to escape from depression and potential suicide. In true TS style, one tiny donation on one little evening can make a massive difference and I urge any one who can make it to come down and join in the craziness.</p>
<p>And stay tuned for news of my own little baby, OperaAid &#8211; launch date to be announced very soon!</p>
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