Articles by: Darrell Fusaro

  • Op-Eds

    If You Want a Treat, Press Play


    Here's a dog treat that will make your tail wag.  When Best Friends pulled Blanca from a Los Angeles shelter, she was filthy. They wasted no time in arranging an extreme makeover, transforming her into a dog that no one would overlook.  Press play and enjoy this 100% true feel good movie in under a minute. 


    Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization focused exclusively on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. A leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as lifesaving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in American shelters from 17 million per year to about 4 million. By continuing to build effective initiatives that reduce the number of animals entering shelters and increase the number who find homes, Best Friends and its nationwide network of members and partners are working to Save Them All®.






    –Darrell Fusaro

    Darrell Fusaro is the author of What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug? and co-host of the Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed podcast

  • Have Fun with The Law of Attraction and Your To-Do List



    Look, if you have a problem with to-do lists, or think they’re a waste of time, that’s great, because that’s not the to-do lists we’re talking about.  Most people are convinced, since they can easily set important appointments and the out-of-the-routine errand in their phone, that a traditional to-do list is unnecessary.  That’s fine if you believe keeping appointments and remembering errands are the sole purpose of a daily to-do list.  But they are not. 


    The point of your to-do list is to set an intention for the day so you can enjoy the journey.  When you begin to use your to-do list with this in mind you’ll be amazed at how your circumstances start conspiring in your favor.  Setting your intention at the beginning of the day makes you feel enthusiastic about what you are doing and where you’re headed. 


    When you feel good about what you're doing and where you're headed, you attract MORE opportunities that make you feel good about what you're doing and where you're headed.  It's the law of attraction.  What a welcome relief from the belief that in order to succeed I must suffer and struggle.  The reality is, if you have to fight to get it, you're going to have to fight to keep it.  


    Hard work doesn’t yield sustainable results; enthusiasm does.  I used to believe that a to-do list was to be used to whip myself into fulfilling obligations in order to be a success.  I thought I was goal setting but I was only setting myself up for frustration.  

    “Hard work is not the path to Well-Being.  Feeling good is the path to Well-Being.  You don't create through action; you create through vibration.  And then, your vibration calls action from you.”  –Abraham-Hicks        


    Thirty years ago I was introduced to the idea of using my to-do list to feel good and I have been enjoying the daily benefits ever since.  Here’s how I do it: After I’ve enjoyed my morning coffee and inspirational readings I make my handwritten to-do list in my pocket sketchbook. 


    I usually begin by jotting down a quote or affirmation as my intention for the day – something that appealed to me from the morning readings or something I’ve made up for myself.  Here’s one I like from Catherine Ponder, “Divine love, expressing through me, now draws to me all that is needed to make me happy and my life complete.”


    Any intention that focuses on being a "bless-er" makes me feel best because it gives me a spiritual theme as my overall marching orders.  Then I jot down my best idea of what I think God’s will is for me for that day.  This includes appointments, chores, and errands.  I also learned to include the little everyday stuff that seems too insignificant to list, like make the bed, floss, walk dogs, and dishes. 


    Crossing items off your to-do list feels great.  Whether you're conscious of it or not, every time you cross an item off your list, even a routine task, you're giving yourself praise.  It's the equivalent of giving yourself a pat on the back.  Most of us berate ourselves for not doing enough.  If this happens to you during your day, you can always pull out your to-do list and start jotting down accomplishments you’ve completed that were not previously included on your list and cross them off.  My close friends and I do this and it never fails to reignite our enthusiasm.  This also helps us remain optimistic and flexible when some of the things on our list aren’t accomplished.  Those are the days I end up with what I call "Bonus Miles!"  This is when unexpected things came up that needed my attention in addition to or at the expense of what I had planned. 


    When I believe that a certain thing must be accomplished and it isn’t, a remarkably positive reason for the delay always presents itself.  Having a to-do list gives me tangible proof that all things come together for the highest good and that nothing happens in God’s world by mistake. 

    "I thank God for this day.  Miracle shall follow miracle and wonders will never cease.  All that needs to be done by me today is done with effortlessness and ease."  This is my go-to to-do list affirmation and I use it often. 


    My daily to-do list has had the uncanny power of curing me from being a perpetual victim.  Whenever unexpected delays, accidents, or obstacles arose I was devastated. My mantra was, “Figures, nothing ever works out in my favor.  I knew this was too good to be true.”  Now when these same things occur I tend to be optimistic and think to myself, “I wonder what good thing is going to come from this unexpected appointment.”


    In short, if you want to start feeling great about yourself and where you’re headed, make a daily to-do list so you can go praise-y!  A to-do list is the key to appreciating yourself on a daily basis – and that’s the secret to success.


    At the age of 93, Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore expressed his enthusiasm by saying: “I fairly sizzle with zeal and enthusiasm and spring forth with a mighty faith to do the things that ought to be done by me!”




    Here's an example of how my a to-do list looks at the end of the day.




    On the left, you can see some of my "Bonus Miles!" I jotted down and crossed off from the previous day.  I use the alphabet instead of numbering the items on my list.  I do this because letters don't feel like any one has a higher value over another.  This keeps everything I intend to do on an even playing field, knowing I'll accomplish more without stress.  I use highlighters to cross off items because they're colorful and I can still see and read what I've accomplished.  There is no rhyme or reason to my use of different colors.  I just like using different colors; it's fun and I enjoy the way it looks.  I also cross off the items that weren't accomplished.  This I do by making a symbol that combines the letter "T" in a circle.  The "T" represents I'm going to "Turn it over to Divine Order" and that I may, or may not, carry it over for entry on "Tomorrow's to-do list."  This practice puts me to bed at the end of the day feeling satisfied that I've accomplished all that was expected of me.






    –Darrell Fusaro

    Darrell Fusaro is the author of What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug? and co-host of the Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed podcast

  • Op-Eds

    Have Fun with The Law of Attraction and Your To-Do List



    Look, if you have a problem with to-do lists, or think they’re a waste of time, that’s great, because that’s not the to-do lists we’re talking about.  Most people are convinced, since they can easily set important appointments and the out-of-the-routine errand in their phone, that a traditional to-do list is unnecessary.  That’s fine if you believe keeping appointments and remembering errands are the sole purpose of a daily to-do list.  But they are not. 


    The point of your to-do list is to set an intention for the day so you can enjoy the journey.  When you begin to use your to-do list with this in mind you’ll be amazed at how your circumstances start conspiring in your favor.  Setting your intention at the beginning of the day makes you feel enthusiastic about what you are doing and where you’re headed. 


    When you feel good about what you're doing and where you're headed, you attract MORE opportunities that make you feel good about what you're doing and where you're headed.  It's the law of attraction.  What a welcome relief from the belief that in order to succeed I must suffer and struggle.  The reality is, if you have to fight to get it, you're going to have to fight to keep it.  


    Hard work doesn’t yield sustainable results; enthusiasm does.  I used to believe that a to-do list was to be used to whip myself into fulfilling obligations in order to be a success.  I thought I was goal setting but I was only setting myself up for frustration.  

    “Hard work is not the path to Well-Being.  Feeling good is the path to Well-Being.  You don't create through action; you create through vibration.  And then, your vibration calls action from you.”  –Abraham-Hicks        


    Thirty years ago I was introduced to the idea of using my to-do list to feel good and I have been enjoying the daily benefits ever since.  Here’s how I do it: After I’ve enjoyed my morning coffee and inspirational readings I make my handwritten to-do list in my pocket sketchbook. 


    I usually begin by jotting down a quote or affirmation as my intention for the day – something that appealed to me from the morning readings or something I’ve made up for myself.  Here’s one I like from Catherine Ponder, “Divine love, expressing through me, now draws to me all that is needed to make me happy and my life complete.”


    Any intention that focuses on being a "bless-er" makes me feel best because it gives me a spiritual theme as my overall marching orders.  Then I jot down my best idea of what I think God’s will is for me for that day.  This includes appointments, chores, and errands.  I also learned to include the little everyday stuff that seems too insignificant to list, like make the bed, floss, walk dogs, and dishes. 


    Crossing items off your to-do list feels great.  Whether you're conscious of it or not, every time you cross an item off your list, even a routine task, you're giving yourself praise.  It's the equivalent of giving yourself a pat on the back.  Most of us berate ourselves for not doing enough.  If this happens to you during your day, you can always pull out your to-do list and start jotting down accomplishments you’ve completed that were not previously included on your list and cross them off.  My close friends and I do this and it never fails to reignite our enthusiasm.  This also helps us remain optimistic and flexible when some of the things on our list aren’t accomplished.  Those are the days I end up with what I call "Bonus Miles!"  This is when unexpected things came up that needed my attention in addition to or at the expense of what I had planned. 


    When I believe that a certain thing must be accomplished and it isn’t, a remarkably positive reason for the delay always presents itself.  Having a to-do list gives me tangible proof that all things come together for the highest good and that nothing happens in God’s world by mistake. 

    "I thank God for this day.  Miracle shall follow miracle and wonders will never cease.  All that needs to be done by me today is done with effortlessness and ease."  This is my go-to to-do list affirmation and I use it often. 


    My daily to-do list has had the uncanny power of curing me from being a perpetual victim.  Whenever unexpected delays, accidents, or obstacles arose I was devastated. My mantra was, “Figures, nothing ever works out in my favor.  I knew this was too good to be true.”  Now when these same things occur I tend to be optimistic and think to myself, “I wonder what good thing is going to come from this unexpected appointment.”


    In short, if you want to start feeling great about yourself and where you’re headed, make a daily to-do list so you can go praise-y!  A to-do list is the key to appreciating yourself on a daily basis – and that’s the secret to success.


    At the age of 93, Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore expressed his enthusiasm by saying: “I fairly sizzle with zeal and enthusiasm and spring forth with a mighty faith to do the things that ought to be done by me!”




    Here's an example of how my a to-do list looks at the end of the day.




    On the left, you can see some of my "Bonus Miles!" I jotted down and crossed off from the previous day.  I use the alphabet instead of numbering the items on my list.  I do this because letters don't feel like any one has a higher value over another.  This keeps everything I intend to do on an even playing field, knowing I'll accomplish more without stress.  I use highlighters to cross off items because they're colorful and I can still see and read what I've accomplished.  There is no rhyme or reason to my use of different colors.  I just like using different colors; it's fun and I enjoy the way it looks.  I also cross off the items that weren't accomplished.  This I do by making a symbol that combines the letter "T" in a circle.  The "T" represents I'm going to "Turn it over to Divine Order" and that I may, or may not, carry it over for entry on "Tomorrow's to-do list."  This practice puts me to bed at the end of the day feeling satisfied that I've accomplished all that was expected of me.






    –Darrell Fusaro

    Darrell Fusaro is the author of What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug? and co-host of the Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed podcast

  • Op-Eds

    2016: Try It Left-Handed



    The best thing about taking a trip is that I always end up missing home.  By the time my trip comes to an end I have a renewed appreciation for the life and job that I needed a break from.  The break in my routine always gives me a refreshing perspective.


    But what if you can’t get away, then what?   When I first heard the following suggestion I was at the beginning of my enlistment in the United States Coast Guard and already feeling disenchanted.  “This is it?”  I muttered to myself.   What’s funny is that’s exactly what I was thinking at my previous job that motivated me to join the Coast Guard in the first place. 


    “What was I thinking?”  I signed a four-year contract.  This was the military; it wasn’t like I could do what I’ve always been able to do in the past and just quit.  Those were my thoughts as I walked into a mandatory meeting where I just happened to over hear a senior member making the following suggestion to someone.


    "If you're looking to make a dramatic change and you really want to stir things up for the better here's how to begin.  Start doing the things you do differently.  If, when you put on your pants you do so right leg first, begin putting them on left leg first.  Instead of taking the same route to work, take a different one.  If you’re right-handed, just for fun try doing a few things during your daily routine with your left."


    For some strange reason this appealed to me.  I have no idea why I wanted to believe what he was suggesting would work, except for the fact that I was desperate and felt trapped.  Even before starting, once I made up my mind to follow through with it I began to feel hopeful. 


    The next day I woke up instead of rolling out of the right side of my bed, I rolled out of the left.  Pants the same, instead of right leg: left leg.  Shoes too.  It felt good.  I was on a mission.  On my walk to the carpool I began down a different street. 


    That’s when reason tried to raise an argument.  “Pants and shoes are OK, but taking a different route is going to take longer.  It makes more sense to go to the carpool the same way you’ve been going.  You don’t want to get in trouble for being late.” 


    I wasn’t swayed.  I kept going.  Have you ever tried doing something in your routine differently?  You must try it.  Doing things differently tickled my brain.  I could feel my brain sparkling.  When I got to the carpool and met the desk sergeant to sign out my vehicle I wasn’t my miserable old self.  I was enthusiastic to see him and even made some positive comments.


    Driving off the base I veered off course and took a new route to my duty station.  Everything was new.  It was like going to a new job on my first day, but better.  I saw my life objectively.  Ever spend the day with a friend at work who has a great job and catch yourself thinking, “Man, I wish I had a job like that.”?  That’s what this felt like only it was my job I saw as great.


    My drab routine job in the Coast Guard became the greatest job the military.  No kidding, I had it so good I that at the end of my enlistment I extended for another year.  This seemingly ridiculously childish suggestion transformed my life from the inside out.  Even now when I want to gain renewed enthusiasm for what I’m doing I’ll do it differently.  It always breaks the spell and ignites my creativity.

    “We don’t learn from doing the same things correctly again and again.  Let go of your excessive carefulness.  Over control is spiritually deadening.” 


    The following is the January 10, 2016 four-page entry in my journal that inspired this article.
    In an effort to accelerate change while keeping it to the basics, I decided to shave a bit left-handed.  My left hand wanted to continue over my precarious Adam's apple.  My right hand said, "I'll take it from here."


    Smart decision.  I allowed for praise-full progress combined with enough sense to not over do it either!  AMAZING.


    HEARD: A long long time ago.  "If you've always put on your pants right leg first start out tomorrow putting them on left leg first.  Try driving a different route to work, a different route home."




    –Darrell Fusaro

    Darrell Fusaro is a decorated United States Coast Guard veteran and author of What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?

  • Op-Eds

    Let It Snow



    "Celebration is a forgetting in order to remember.  A forgetting of ego, of problems, of difficulties.  A letting go."  –Matthew Fox



    I like hearing Christmas music during this time of year.  Lately I've been enjoying releasing my mental grip on the steering wheel by singing, "Let it go!  Let it go! Let it go!" to the tune of Let It Snow!.  The chorus is sung with such joyful abandon that my willful mind can't resist letting go.  Whatever it is, "Let it go!  Let it go!  Let it go!"  

    A slight modification to the lyrics of this popular Dean Martin Christmas song can free you up for a lifetime of happiness.  I can already tell this is the one Christmas song I'll be singing throughout the year.  Truth is; now that I let it into my head it's become an ear-worm, I can't shake it.  In this case that's a blessing.


    "There is no need for perfection in our celebration."  –Anonymous



    –Darrell Fusaro

    Darrell Fusaro is the author of What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug? and co-host of the Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed podcast 
     

  • Op-Eds

    Hope You're Having As Much Fun This Christmas As We Are


     

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    The Mysterious Power Behind Cats Fuels The Universe


    Late the other night a neighborhood cat named Peanut was sitting proudly on our front porch.  When I noticed her out there I assumed, since we feed her, she might have been out of food.  I peeked out the door to the right where her bowl is kept and noticed that it still had food in it. 


    I called to my wife, “Lori, Peanut wants you to pick her up and give her some love.”  


    After giving Peanut hugs and petting, Lori walked in saying, “I know what Peanut was trying to tell us.  She brought us a huge rat.  It’s on the porch.”  I thought Lori was joking, I didn’t see a huge rat when I looked out, but when I checked this time and looked straight down, there it was on the welcome mat. 


    “I didn’t see it either when I walked out,” Lori said, “You’re going to have to pick it up and throw it out.”


    As I disposed of the large perfectly intact deceased rat, I kept thinking about Peanut’s decision to get us a gift.  I was fascinated.  This went far above and beyond her animal instincts.  Motivated by the power of love she decided to act.  At that moment something like, “Darrell and Lori are so kind to me, I’m going to get them a gift," must have gone through her little head.


    Then she set out on a mission to obtain the best possible gift her feline mind imagined that we'd enjoy.  I have to believe that she experienced the same enthusiasm that propels me through the thought, planning, and effort involved in the gift giving process.  Beginning with the exciting thought, “I know just what to get them: a nice meal," to, "Oh boy, this one is perfect. They're going to love it," to, "I'll put it right where they can't miss it," and finally, "I can't wait to see how surprised they are when they see what I got them."


    The more I think about it, the more I enjoy thinking about it.  It is proof that love is not that elusive romantic something outside of us that we long to get, but the benevolent power flowing through all life that constantly seeks expression.  The wonderful feeling inspiring Peanut to express her appreciation is within all of us and it's released every time we decide to share it.

    "The love current is not a projection of the will; it is a setting free of a natural, equalizing, harmonizing force..." –Charles Fillmore







    –Darrell Fusaro

    Darrell Fusaro is the author of What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug? and co-host of the Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed podcast

  • Op-Eds

    The Prospering Power of Thanksgiving Is More Than American


    When my elementary school teacher told our class the American Thanksgiving Day story for the first time I was fascinated.  She described that when the Native Americans noticed the pilgrims, these strange newcomers, struggling to survive they felt compelled to help them.  As a result of following the natives’ advice the pilgrims were abundantly provided for.


    Then the pilgrims, realizing that none of their success would have been possible without the natives, showed their gratitude by inviting them to share in the bounty.
      I was inspired by the loving and generous natives and the appreciative pilgrims.  It was the world I wanted to believe and live in.  It made me want to be more like the people in the story.  I couldn’t wait to get home and tell my parents. 


    I still enjoy this rendition because it makes me feel good about the world and the people in it.  It inspires me to be generous toward everyone I meet.


    The tradition of Thanksgiving, the autumn practice of giving thanks for provisions preceding the barren months of winter, has been practiced throughout the history of mankind among multiple cultures throughout the world.  Regardless of their faith, race, or beliefs, they all intuitively knew that giving thanks for what they had would contribute more to their survival than worrying about what they didn't have.


    Today I see Thanksgiving Day as a global reset button; a collective time out.  It gets us to break the momentum of focusing on what we don’t have (with our non-stop striving to get it), and to focus on the good we do have.  A break from the habit of pointing out what’s wrong with other people and the world, in order to appreciate all that’s right in the world.  Science and psychology have proven the significant benefits gratitude has on our mental, physical and emotional health.  I love when science catches up to confirm spiritual laws.  The law is simple: what we focus upon grows.  When I focus on all that’s good in my life, I attract more good to enjoy.



    It was during the height of the Civil War that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national holiday of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."  I believe Lincoln's decision to proclaim Thanksgiving a national holiday during the Civil War was an ingenious act to bring about peace.  By getting us to focus on praise and thanksgiving, even if for just one day, the power of love would be free to fuel the desire for peace.



    I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope your time-out is full of things to be thankful for.  Gratitude is the key to happiness.  When we’re happy our generosity flows freely and the world is wonderful place to be a part of. 

     
    Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.  –Edward Sandford Martin





    –Darrell Fusaro

    Cartoonist Darrell Fusaro is the co-host of the Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed podcast and author of What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?

  • Op-Eds

    How to REALLY Enjoy Panettone Traditional Italian Cake



    After filming wrapped on the set of Cooking with Rosanna a crewmember brought out a Panettone Italian cake and enthusiastically placed it on the table.  We had just taped three episodes of the cooking show. 


    The premise was brilliant, an American of Italian decent who doesn’t understand a lick of Italian paired up in the kitchen with an Italian chef who speaks little to no English.  I was the American, and the only American on the set. 


    The benefit of doing a cooking show is the cast and crew gets to sample the gourmet grub once we wrap.  After completing three consecutive dishes with chef Rosanne Di Michele we had enough of the finest Italian fare for everyone.  I was fascinated that in addition to of all that, they felt it necessary to bring a store bought Panettone cake in a box.


    For nearly fifty years I made up my mind that this cake, boxed at a factory and shipped from a warehouse only during the holidays, must be the Italian version of the notorious American fruitcake.  The American fruitcake: I never saw kids eat it or adults enthusiastic about it, so I assumed that it must be bad.  Since I only ever heard it being referred to as a joke, I figured the only reason it was still around was that it has become a habitual tradition of the holidays that some can’t break. 


    We gobbled up chef Rosanna’s dishes to the sounds of “mmm mmm” and compliments from all.  What could be better than this?, I thought as we all finished.   That’s when the Panettone cake was placed on the table in its commercial box.  You got to be kidding me?  Really?  This is how you top off a gourmet Italian meal prepared by a celebrity chef?


    I was amazed at how enthusiastically chef Rosanna and the crew were responding to this cake.  It was astonishing to me, I can best describe their excitement as that of elementary school kids hearing the sound of the ice cream truck coming down the street.  Our empty plates and utensils were quickly taken away by one crewmember as another removed the Panettone cake from its box and cellophane wrapping.  A third crewmember pulled a gallon of whole milk from one of the production cases and a forth began setting large sixteen once glasses on the table, one for everyone of us and each with a spoon.


    I watched as the cake was torn, not cut, and one by one each piece stuffed into a glass.  Then whole milk was poured into the glass covering the cake before handing it off like a present to each person in line.   Really?  This is how you eat it?  As soon as I had that thought the crewmember beside me said, “This is why I can’t have these I home; I actually at a whole one by myself this way.” 


    When I finally tasted a spoonful for myself: OMG!  My conversion experience was instantaneous, like that of Paul's on the road to Damascus.  No longer a denouncer, I became this treat’s champion.  As I continued to eat I couldn’t stop raving about how incredible it was.  I even confessed that up until this moment I shied away from this cake because I assumed it wouldn't be any good.  They all laughed. 

    It's amazing how what we think we know can limit the size of our life.  From that moment on I’ve felt compelled to share this Panettone treat whenever the opportunity arises.  Although some of my friends were skeptical before giving it a try, no one so far has been disappointed and they all go on to rave about it.

     

    After getting my good friend Edward Biagiotti hooked we decided to share this wonderful way of enjoying Panettone with our audience.  We co-host the weekly podcast Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed broadcasting live in 170 countries with 157,000 downloads.  Since we share stories about how stepping out boldly always leads to better than expected outcomes this experience was the perfect fit.  Click here to watch the special YouTube episode we dedicated to the Panettone cake.

     


    Ingredients:

    1 Panettone traditional Italian cake

    1 16oz glass

    1 Spoon

    Whole milk

     


    Recipe for success:

    Tear a piece of Panettone off the cake

    Stuff it into 16oz glass

    Pour whole milk into glass

    Eat with spoon.

    Repeat :)

     



    If you have a favorite way that you really enjoy eating Panettone please share it with us in the comment space below.   


    Happy Holidays!




    –Darrell Fusaro


    Cartoonist Darrell Fusaro is the co-host of the Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed podcast and author of What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?




     
     
    "There is a principle ...  which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation." –Herbert Spencer




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    I Drew This For You

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