Harvesting Happiness

The concept of Pay it Forward dates back to ancient Greece in 317 BC. The model was used as a key plot element of the play Dyskolos, (a title which can be translated as "The Grouch") by Menander. His work was lost in the Middle Ages and the theory was rediscovered by Benjamin Franklin and described in a letter below to Benjamin Webb dated April 25, 1784. “I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.” Charley Johnson is an entrepreneur and former Owner/Executive V.P. of a Manufacturing company with over 250 employees has a deep passion for Pay it Forward. Believing in Pay it Forward so much so he left his company, career & millions behind to change the world and how people view humanity.

Charley Johnson Pay It Forward Foundation

Born in 1934 in Durban, South Africa, Arun is the fifth grandson of India’s legendary leader, Mohandas K. “Mahatma” Gandhi. Growing up under the discriminatory apartheid laws of South Africa, he was beaten by “white” South Africans for being too black and “black” South Africans for being too white; so, Arun sought eye-for-an-eye justice. However, he learned from his parents and grandparents that justice does not mean revenge, it means transforming the opponent through love and suffering.

Arun Gandhi, Following in His Grandfather's Footsteps

Chelo Alvarez-Stehle is a journalist, documentary and new media producer who has worked for over 14 years exposing stories of human trafficking through her creative and outreach work. A Spaniard, she worked in Japan in documentaries for NHK and became Tokyo’s and then Los Angeles’ correspondent for Spain’s El Mundo daily. Her writings on trafficking have been published worldwide. In 1997, Chelo's first published interview on this issue received the publishers’ award, enabling Anu Tamang, a Nepali survivor just rescued from in India, to attend school for the first time in her life. In 2002, the article was turned by Canal+ into TIN GIRLS, a feature documentary film on sex trafficking in the Himalayas, for which she was assistant director, interviewer and consultant. After production of TIN GIRLS, Chelo co-founded the Masala Project, an income-generating spice factory for trafficking survivors in Nepal. Then, in 2011, Tamang received the Hero to End Modern-Day Slavery Award by Hillary Clinton during the official release of the U.S. State Department Human Trafficking Victims Report.

Chelo Alvarez-Stehle- Sands of Silence

Giving service to others is not only good for the recipient, but it is also heartwarming for the giver. When you feel like you are at your lowest point, nothing can lift you up like giving service to others. Our guest this week does just that. He is a regular fixture around Walter Reed and Bethesda hospitals. He is one of the first persons to see the wounded and give them the strength they need in the overwhelming situation they find themselves in. Some have had a limb amputated, while others are suffering from traumatic brain injuries. He is a welcome visitor of the soldiers and gives support to all in need.

Bob Nilsson

Garcia made his directorial debut co-directing The Wayshower (2012) with John-Roger, filmed primarily in Utah, and with major scenes shot on location in Morocco, France, England, Peru and Spain. The Wayshower stars Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts, Peter Stormare and Academy Award nominee Sally Kirkland and Garcia also plays the leading role as 'Jesus'. Garcia worked closely with Academy Award winner Dane Davis (TheMatrix) on the sound design, and was mentored by Academy Award winning Director Stephen Soderbergh throughout the directing and editing process and the result is an independent film with strikingly high production value. The Wayshower won Best Ensemble Cast at the FirstGlance Film Festival in Hollywood, and continues to screen at film festivals in 2011.

Jsu Garcia The Wayshower

Dr. Gettis spent two years as a Vietnam era army psychologist in the late 1960's. In the 1970's, he worked for seven years at a large mental health center as the Chief Psychologist. He is a clinical psychologist with graduate degrees from Central Michigan University, Utah State University, and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He has been in private practice since 1974.

Dr. Alan Gettis, Author of The Happiness Solution

We are born with gifts. We all possess our own unique qualities, talents, strengths, and weaknesses. Our greatest gift is the gift of knowing. Knowing how to hone in on ourselves and manifest the greatness of who we are and what gifts we were given at birth. It is our birthright to be happy and pursue our dreams and intentions. Our guests this week are two examples of knowing what they were born to do and are living their intentions.

Chrissy Carew and Ben Utecht

The American Dream was founded on the belief that anyone dedicated to thrift and hard work could create opportunities and achieve a better life. Now that dream has been reduced to a hyper quantified desire for fancier clothes, sleeker cars, and larger homes. As our standard of living has climbed over the past forty years, our self-reported "happiness levels" have flat lined. We've somehow lost our way, but it's not too late to find it again.