Who Was Leif Erikson? by Nico Medina

 Who Was ...? biography series for middle grade brings Leif Erikson who was the first European to explore the lands of North America. 

Leif Erikson was born in Iceland around the year 980 to a Viking family. When his father, Erik the Red, was banished from Iceland, he took his family to Greenland. After settling in Greenland, it became Leif’s dream to explore the unknown western lands. He reached today’s Canada’s Baffin Island. He reached North America 400 years before Columbus. The place they found livable, he named Vineland as they discovered grapes there. After returning to Greenland, he became the chieftain of Greenland for over twenty years. The settlement prospered under his rule. He died around 1025. 

Leif never returned to North America but others did, including his two brothers and sister Freydis.

This book doesn’t cover much of Leif’s story. I’m assuming there is little information about him. Nevertheless, he left a mark as a skilled sailor and brave leader. His voyage to North America motivated others to follow in his path.

This book is mostly about Vikings: their life, settlements, traditions, households. They were fierce warriors and sailors from Scandinavia who were brutal in their attacks and known for their tactics. But they also paid attention to the natural world around them, finding guidance in nature. They were also known for their skills in building ships.

Even though, this story doesn’t involve much about Leif Erikson, it is still a fascinating story about Vikings, and interestingly written.  

This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences and enriched with insightful inserts. 

Published in 2018 by Penguin Workshop

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Explore the World Around You

 

Traits:

·         He was curious about unknown lands and wanted to explore them

·         His bravery motivated others to follow and explore the world around them

·         He was a good leader

·         Coming from Vikings who were skilled in ship building, he was a good sailor

·         He used his natural talent to make a difference

 

“The pain that we cause is the cause of our pain.” – Leif Erikson 

“We are all leaders – whether we want to be or not. There is always someone we are influencing – either leading them to good – or away from good.” – Leif Erikson

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

·         Openness – it helps us to find our path and listen to others without judgement

·         Practicing Vedanta – ancient philosophy about happiness

 

“Vedanta, one of the world’s most ancient philosophies, tells us that happiness for a reason is just another form of misery because the reason can be taken away from us at any time. To be happy for no reason is that happiness we want to experience.

Happiness is a state of consciousness that already exists within us, but it’s often covered up by all kinds of distractions. Just as a beautiful sunrise might be hidden behind the clouds, so, too, our inner happiness is hidden behind our everyday concerns. Social conditioning and constricted awareness keep us from glimpsing this kingdom of heaven hidden in the depths of our heart. But we can learn to rise above the clouds of conditioning and rediscover the source of joy deep within us. Upon discovering this joy, wonderful and miraculous things begin to happen. The expression of happiness brings a sense of connection to the creative power of the universe. Having that connection, we fill that nothing can stop us from accomplishing anything we desire.

When our life is an expression of the inner state of happiness, we discover an immense reservoir of power within us. This power gives us freedom from fear and limitations, and allows us to realize all the abundance that we aspire to. Even more significantly, this power nurtures all of our relationships and makes them truly fulfilling. We find ourselves becoming beacons of light and love, and our very presence nurtures the environment around us. People are drawn to support our desires, and even nature responds to our intentions.

The more we live in the state of happiness, the more we experience the spontaneous fulfillment of desire in the form of synchronicity and meaningful coincidence.”

-          Power, Freedom, and Grace: Living from the Source of Lasting by Deepak Chopra

If you’re not up for reading, then maybe listening:

There are many podcasters offering interviews with Deepak Chopra. One of them is by Jay Shetty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJoeh6itLUA

Who Was Milton Hershey? by James Buckley Jr

 Who Was...? biography series for middle grade brings an inspiring man – Milton Hershey - who created the first American chocolate company, and also turned out to be one of the greatest philanthropists. 

Milton Hershey’s (1857-1945) father was a dreamer trying different ventures that left the family in dire conditions. His mother couldn’t take it anymore and left her husband taking Milton with her. Milton wasn’t a good student and his mother needed his help. So his education ended at twelve. He could barely read and write. 

He didn’t like his first job working for a printer, but his second job working at ice-cream parlor was a different story. He observed how different kinds of ingredients were mixed to create new candies. He began experimenting on his own. 

At nineteen, he opened his own shop in Philadelphia. It was a hit from the start, but he didn’t know how to manage a business and it failed. He, then, joined his father in Colorado where the gold rush was drying out. Instead, Milton got a job at a candy store where he learned how to make caramel. Then, he moved back to the East Coast and in New York opened his candy shop which did well. But due to his father’s insistence, Milton tried to make cough-drops which were expensive and ruined his business. He went back to Pennsylvania where he didn’t give up on his passion. 

During his failed ventures, he learned that he could make more money by selling in large quantities. Instead of opening another shop, he borrowed money from the bank and opened a small caramel factory. A man from England visiting Lancaster loved Milton’s caramel and placed a big order which allowed Milton to pay off a bank loan and invest in more equipment. 

Lancaster turned out to be a very good location for his business. The cows from the nearby farms provided all the milk. Lancaster itself was near one of the new electric plants, so he had all the power he needed. The railroad brought all the ingredients he needed and transported his candies to other cities. 

He continued to experiment with new ways to make caramel. He did so well that by the early 1890s, he was one of the richest men in Lancaster. 

He took a trip to Europe where he learned about chocolate being a new big thing. Milton became so obsessed with making chocolate that he sold his caramel business in order to focus on chocolate. 

Before making one chocolate bar, he invested in building a huge chocolate factory and a town for all its workers. He also tried a new way of making chocolate on an assembly line, and he continued to experiment with chocolate. 

By 1905, the factory was making a hundred thousand pounds of chocolate a day.

Milton was generous. He continued to improve the town he built for workers, adding post office, library, bank, and zoo. 

In 1907, he opened a park for all residents. He was one of a kind, believing that giving back to community was as important as making money. He shared his success with his workers, giving them a bonus each year from company’s profits. 

Milton and his wife couldn’t have children. Instead, he started a school for orphan boys. After the passing of his wife, he spent a lot of time with the boys and treated them like his own sons. He became beloved by those boys.

In memory of his wife, he gave all his stock in Hershey to the school. Till today, the school is richer than most universities in America.

This biography illuminates an incredible man who from his father’s experiences knew that finding what he was looking for could take many trials and errors before succeeding. His mother instilled the principles of hard work in him which carried him through his search for the success. When achieving his goal, his natural instinct, was to share his success with those who worked for him and support community he lived in. His generosity continues to make legacy for him. A man who barely knew how to read and write turned to be a great success story and above all one of the most generous people ever. 

This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 7-10, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts. 

Published in 2013 by Penguin Workshop 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: The More You Give the More You Receive

 

  

Traits:

 

·         He could barely read or write but that didn’t stop his curiosity

·         His father was a dreamer, investing in different ventures. Despite all of them failing, he gave Milton a good example of trying new things even if they failed. It’s better to try new things even if you fail, rather than stand still to be safe.

·         When he found what he liked to do, he started experimenting in that field.

·         He succeeded in creating a good product but failed at managing business as he lacked education and experience but that didn’t stop him from continuing his passion.

·         Along his failures, he learned that selling in large quantities was the key to success, thus, instead of opening another shop, he opened a small factory and used assembly line.

·         After creating a good product (caramel), he didn’t stop there. When he learned about chocolate, he believed that it was the future. And continued to pursue what he believed in.

·         While he was building his chocolate business, at the same time, he built a town for his workers. He believed in investing in people.

·         He shared his profits as he instinctively knew that his success had to be shared with his workers.

·         He couldn’t have children, so he built a school for orphan boys and gave all his stock in Hershey to the school, which till today is richer than most universities in America. (That’s the power of generosity).

·         One of the traits that stands out for the successful people is that they never stop learning and improving a good product.

 

 

 

“One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy and only useful as he contributes his influences for the finer callings in life.” – Milton Hershey 

“Give them quality. That’s the best kind of advertising.” – Milton Hershey 

“The value of our good is not measured by what it does, but by the amount of good it does to the one concerned.” – Milton Hershey

“Business is a matter of human service.” – Milton Hershey

“Be honest; train yourself for useful work.” – Milton Hershey

 

 

 

 

SEEK DAILY INSPIRATION AND THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR:

 

·         Giving back to community doesn't necessarily mean money. It could be giving a smile or an encouraging word, sharing your talent for example singing or playing an instrument or using your strong muscles to give a helping hand.

 

Further inspiration/reading:

 “Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money” by Ken Honda

 

Many podcasters have interviews with Ken Honda about his latest book. One of them is Lewis Howes, host of The School of Greatness.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG2E8UrkAHo

https://kenhonda.com/join-arigato-living-community/

“Community is one of the primary pillars of Happy money.”