If you’ve seen our Hero Cards and want to share the love…look for the peace mail link above and send us a note with your address and we’ll be happy to send out a few…as long as supplies last !

Or, maybe you’re a corporation or office that would like to use our Hero Cards in your workplace. We are happy to chat with you more about implementing them into your business. Please let us know!

Thank you for sharing the peace!

For the past 13 weeks, you have been reading, sharing, and living the life of a hero with us on Heroes Wanted! We hope you enjoyed meeting and unmasking the heroes among us!

Did you feel that big hug you just got?? Yep, that was us!

In honor of all that you are, and all that the beautiful world is, we are celebrating the International Day of Peace at The Marsh in Minnetonka, Minnesota!

It’s easy to look at the world today and see only chaos. Yes, the concerns of anger and hostility are there and they are real. This Friday, we are joining people around the world for International Day of Peace, which was designated by the United Nations as September 21st.

This year hundreds, maybe thousands, of events are taking place all over the world to set the intention for a more peaceful world. That day, The Marsh is connecting to all those sites and all those people through you.Imagine what we can create!

We will have all kinds of opportunities for you to express peace to yourself and the world with community fitness classes, silent breakfast, and a peace event, open to the community, that evening.

We envision a night for all ages, going deep and laughing out loud! Become your own superhero (cape and all), drum, sing, dance, be surprised, meet your community, set your intentions and walk the luminaria-lined infinity path in our backyard. A moment of silence will bring us together with the world and send you on your way with a lot to think and feel.

Would you join us and set an internal and external peaceful intention with us? We would love to see you there.

Click here for all the details of the day!

We introduced you to super hero Amanda Hudak on Monday and she’s back to share more of her wisdom with us!

Thinking outside the box is Amanda’s speciality! Her creativity and flexibility have helped foster growth in others which is pretty rewarding. This year she will put on my cape and step into her 14th year of teaching in the public schools. Her job is to inspire, innovate and bring out the best in every adolescent that bebops through the door. Together they will set goals, use technology in new ways, read, write, think, struggle and grow—she is a middle school special education teacher and her super power is TEACHING!

What’s one easy first step on the road to super you do)?

Teaching is about making connections.  If you show students how content is relevant to their lives they are more likely to be motivated to work.  Even more importantly, though, is building relationships.  When I find strengths, things we have in common and take time to notice the little things, I find my students more motivated to reciprocate and be open to growing.

Share a mastery secret for veteran heroes:

What’s your “kryptonite”?

Well, my new kryptonite may be Pinterest!  There are so many fabulous teachers out there with so many good ideas…. How will I ever find time to implement all of trade secrets that are being pinned on a daily basis?!?

How would the four-year-old you define a hero?

A four year old would say I like to smile, laugh, dance, read and make art projects.

What’s your best piece of super hero advice you’ve ever heard?

A former principal who is AMAZING once told me, “There is only one you, so take good care of yourself”.  This is so true… it is hard to take care of others if you do not take care of yourself first.

What’s your super hero name and magical power?

My super power name is “HOO”—short for Hudak and my magical power—EMPOWERING OTHERS!

Enjoy the rest of your week, heroes, see you Friday!

This week on Heroes Wanted, we are introducing you to a Super Hero among us, Amanda Hudak!

Thinking outside the box is Amanda’s speciality! Her creativity and flexibility have helped foster growth in others which is pretty rewarding. This year she will put on my cape and step into her 14th year of teaching in the public schools. Her job is to inspire, innovate and bring out the best in every adolescent that bebops through the door. Together they will set goals, use technology in new ways, read, write, think, struggle and grow—she is a middle school special education teacher and her super power is TEACHING!

Love, love, love it! Here is part one of Amanda’s super hero advice:

Given who you are, what’s your super hero advice? What do you know for sure?

SHINE ON!  When you live your passion, work hard and be the best you can be, YOU ARE A STAR!

What’s your definition of a super hero for yourself?

My definition of a super hero for myself is someone who can laugh at mistakes, be flexible and see the good in each situation.

What’s your definition of a super hero for others?

When did you find out you had super powers?

Being raised in a family of educators, I am pretty sure the “powers” were always in my blood. I do keep a magic wand in my classroom for the days that my own powers aren’t quite up to par.

What’s one easy first step on the road to super powers (related to what you do)?

Teaching is about making connections. If you show students how content is relevant to their lives they are more likely to be motivated to work.  Even more importantly, though, is building relationships. When I find strengths, things we have in common and take time to notice the little things, I find my students more motivated to reciproicate and be open to growing.

Sweet! We’ll hear more from Amanda on Wednesday!

You are a huge part of bringing peace and joy to this world—so why not share your advice and wisdom!

Today, we want to know…

What’s your super hero name and magical power? Think big!

Let your wisdom be heard here, on Facebook, or Twitter!

Now you can soar into this super weekend!

We introduced you to super hero Angie Olson on Monday, and she’s back to share more of her wisdom with us!

Angie has been a teacher in the public schools for the past 18 years.  She specializes in teaching reading to struggling learners.  Helping facilitate a love of learning in children brings her great joy each day!  She has a deep love of learning and enjoys that as much as teaching!

She is also a mother of three precious and wild boys, wife to her soulmate, bibliophile, lover of poetry and shoes, costumed runner, bubble bath taker, campfire admirer, knowledge seeker, and mild rebel who dreams of traveling the world!

What’s one easy first step on the road to super you do)?

Volunteer. Find your joy. Pursue it!

Share a mastery secret for veteran heroes:

Small can be big!

What’s your “kryptonite”?

Fear and worry. I have to work on de-stressing (that’s where the running comes in) and living in the moment every day.

How would the four-year-old you define a hero?

My mom and dad! They are love and fun personified!

What’s your best piece of super hero advice you’ve ever heard?

Simple is better. It was given to me by a member of a band on a cruise ship in reference to my dancing. Seriously. But I have applied it in so many situations (after I got over my initial humiliation, of course!). You don’t need to do the over the top action to make a difference. A simple and genuine conversation or action can be more powerful. Don’t make life too complicated. Look for the simple, pure, and true.

What’s your super hero name and magical power?

My name would be Gutsy Girl. My magical power would be taking fear and worry away from others. My costume would include super high heels, dangling earrings, and sparkles for sure!

Enjoy the rest of your week, heroes, see you Friday!

My superhero was born on January 2, 1995.

When my daughter Krista was four months old I wrote, “Every moment that passes is wasted time unless I am with her. Everyday I try to teach her something new. The excitement in her eyes is contagious. Bright colors are spellbinding to her. Movement is a miracle in her eyes.” This fall, my daughter begins her senior year in high school. Krista is a superhero.

Heroes are people that teach us about ourselves with kindness. They hold a truth mirror up high but then hug us…because the truth often hurts. Heroes are daughters that clean the house while we are at work and play kindly with their younger sibling without us asking. Heroes are teens that stand up for one another and refuse to buy into gossip and greed. Heroes are people who listen. Heroes are people who smile…all the time. Heroes are people who love you despite your faults, blemishes and big and small mistakes. Heroes don’t talk bad about other people. My breathtaking, inspiring, daughter has all these traits.

When we look past the “parent patrol” monitors, we realize that maybe; just maybe we had to conceive them to believe how amazing they could be. Let peace begin with me this school year. Let peace begin with me, in my home, with my superhero
daughter (and my super amazing son) as we walk side by side for life.

Have you hugged a superhero kid today?

Today on Heroes Wanted, we are introducing you to a Super Hero among us, Angie Olson!

Angie has been a teacher in the public schools for the past 18 years.  She specializes in teaching reading to struggling learners.  Helping facilitate a love of learning in children brings her great joy each day!  She has a deep love of learning and enjoys that as much as teaching!

She is also a mother of three precious and wild boys, wife to her soulmate, bibliophile, lover of poetry and shoes, costumed runner, bubble bath taker, campfire admirer, knowledge seeker, and mild rebel who dreams of traveling the world!

Awesome! Here is part one of her super hero advice!

Given who you are, what’s your super hero advice? What do you know for sure?

My super hero advice comes from Mother Theresa, “do small things with great love.” I use what I have to try and make the world a better place each day.  It might be giving someone a compliment or taking extra time to build rapport with a child who is struggling or doing a random act of kindness. I may not have the power or resources to make a grand gesture, but I can do little things that are big to one person!

What’s your definition of a super hero for yourself?

I feel like a super hero when I help a child make a connection and see the light of learning come on!  It is a feeling that is so powerful and joyful!

What’s your definition of a super hero for others?

I see the super hero in others when they are brave, take chances, and act without worrying about what others think. My super heroes act with passion, creativity, boldness, enthusiasm, decisiveness, and love.

When did you find out you had super powers?

I never intended to be a teacher, but I took a class in college and we had to volunteer at a school. I found that I LOVED planning curriculum for the students and that I was good at making connections for students and helping them see things in a different way.  I surprised myself by pursuing a degree in education!

We’ll hear more from Angie later in the week!

Hey heroes!

You are a huge part of bringing peace and joy to this world—so why not share your advice and wisdom!

Today, we want to know…

What’s the best piece of super hero advice you’ve ever heard?

Let your wisdom be heard here, on Facebook, or Twitter!

Now you can soar into this super weekend!

We introduced you to super hero Joan Steffend on Monday, and she’s back to share more of her wisdom with us!

:: photo by Joe Brandmeier ::

Joan Steffend is a co-founder of “peace begins with me (a small BIG peace project)”. She’s spent most of her life telling other people’s stories on stage, on television news in Minneapolis-St Paul, and on Home and Garden Television. But then a few years ago, she told her own story in her book “…and she sparkled“. The process helped her to rediscover what had been missing in her life – herself. Now a new book is coming out this September called “peace in, peace out” – some simple ideas to bring peace into your life and out to the world. As she says in the book, “We have been given just one tool to change the world, and it is our magnificent self.”

What’s one easy first step on the road to super you do)?

I’d say remember the power of the simplest things. We have the capacity to change our world and, quite often, it can be done in the softest and simplest ways. Smile more, think kind thoughts about yourself and others. Be aware that you (your most authentic you) are an important piece of the world’s puzzle and then open yourself up to the adventure that’s waiting.

What’s your “kryptonite”?

It’s been challenging for me to hold on to who I am and what I believe in the face of people who see me differently and say it out loud. To be misunderstood and not seen for who I intend to be has been hard.

How would the four-year-old you define a hero?

Anyone who’d look at me and see potential…and then take me to the Dairy Queen.

What’s your best piece of super hero advice you’ve ever heard?

I don’t know if it would be considered advice, but one of my favorite quotes is from my super hero Albert Einstein. He said, “Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid.” I different, want flower…or a whole world with only one kind of person.

What’s your super hero name and magical power?

I am The Peaceful Sparkler! My magical power would be to reveal the magnificent sparkle within each of us…and the connection we all share.

Enjoy the rest of your week, heroes, see you Friday!