Posts

The Beauty of Having a Dulce Heart

/in /by

If you want to change the world, it always starts with a ‘Dulce Heart’. But what does that really mean? Inspired by little Dulce and the goodness her name is spreading to the world, having a ‘Dulce Heart’ is much more than an expression we like to throw around, it’s a way of life and a calling for all of us to follow this little girl’s lead for a chance at a more fair and equal world. Simply, having a ‘Dulce Heart’ means:

  • Caring for the things that happen outside our comfort zone and in different parts of the world.
  • Not just dreaming of a better world, but taking a step each day to make this world better.
  • Caring about the planet and the environment and doing our best not to harm it.
  • Reaching out a helping hand to the ones in need and giving back to humankind.
  • Being kind to animals, respecting the wildlife and refusing any products that cost the lives of animals.
  • Giving hope to children who don’t have much to hope for.
  • Standing up for the causes we believe in and letting our voices be heard.
  • Finding a deeper connection with nature.
  • Showing kindness and compassion, and letting love lead the way.
  • Dressing ethically and caring about who made our clothes.
  • Making purchases with a purpose and opting for sustainable and fair trade products.
  • Empowering women, local farmers, artists, craftsmanship, local and sustainable businesses through the products that we choose.
  • Fighting against child labor and forced labor.
  • Not turning the blind eye or looking the other way.
  • Standing up for equal rights for all.
  • Understanding how our actions impact the world, knowing that we are able to make a difference and leaving a positive social impact wherever we go.
  • Being thankful and being content with what we have.
  • Volunteering, donating and raising awareness.
  • Creating good and sustainable daily habits.
  • Being a voice for those who can’t be heard.
  • Saving water and preserving our oceans.
  • Helping more people gain access to medical facilities, safe water and food supplies.
  • Setting an example for others to follow and inspiring others to join the revolution.
  • Not settling for an average world, fighting for change and being the change we want to see in the world.

So have a Dulce heart, spread love wherever you go and join the revolution to make this world better and fairer.

Good Habits Start at a Young Age

/in /by

In our previous blog, we mentioned “involving your children” as one of the key steps towards a more sustainable life. It is after all within this mindset that the Dulce Salerno brand was born and our journey of doing good began. It all started when our founder wanted to influence her children from an early age and install good habits within them so that doing good becomes a habit and not something that takes effort. In this post, we share with you some valuable insights from our founder on how to get your children involved in changing the world for the better.

 

Lead by example.

It’s no secret that children tend to learn the most when we’re not really teaching them. They observe our every move, pick up our habits and imitate our actions. So if we really want to pass on to our children valuable life lessons and fundamental values, the best way is to lead by example. If they see us being compassionate with others, being kind and responsible towards the environment, helping the less fortunate and standing up for causes, chances are they will follow the same path as well. But if they see us look the other way or wait for others to bring change, then our words won’t be enough and won’t mean much to them.

 

Let them see for themselves.

Children really do have a huge and creative imagination, but nothing works as good as seeing with their own eyes the realities that happen outside their loving home and comfort zones. Only then will they truly understand how privileged and lucky they are and how not everyone is born with the things we take for granted. Every now and then, schedule visits with them to see the less fortunate and give out donations. Do however prepare them ahead of time for what they are about to see. If you’re worried that they may be too sensitive and some experiences may scare them or traumatize them, reassure them that you will never leave them there and that you will be right by their side. Explain to them that you will always do your best to protect them and provide a good life for them so that they never have to go through the same, and let them know how much their visit by itself has helped those people for the better. When traveling, make it a point to visit a local charity or less fancy neighborhoods so that they can see the different levels of living in different parts of the world.

 

Explain the impact of their actions.

Children are more likely to learn to be responsible if they understand the impact of their actions. Telling a child not to leave the water running may work, but it’ll work even more if you explain to him why saving water is so important and what he can do not to waste water. Explain to them why it is so important to preserve the environment and how each action they make such as turning the lights off, picking up garbage from the streets, writing on both sides of paper, recycling, saving unused art supplies, avoiding plastic, planting trees, etc… contributes positively to the environment. When they give away their toys, make sure they know that because of them a less fortunate child is now smiling. Always remind them that they are powerful enough to make a difference and change the world for the better. Encourage them to volunteer so that they can be of use to humanity, and let them know that when they see something that isn’t fair such as bullying or discrimination, it is up to them to take a stand against it if they want change.

 

Connect them to Nature.

Playing outside will always be one of our fondest memories but unfortunately it’s not an activity that’s popular among children nowadays. There’s no better way for children to form a connection with earth and care more about the environment than by spending time outside. Don’t be afraid of dirt or a few falls, let your children run around in the fields and climb some trees. Try to limit your children’s time on TV, playstation and iPads and plan outdoor activities and trips instead whenever possible. Encourage them to ride their bikes and take up sport activities, or even gardening activities!

 

Give them love, not things.

It is very easy for children to get attached to things but if there’s one value our founder tries to teach her children every day is that the best gift that they can ever receive is the love they have for each other. Instead of wasting time on toys, TV and food, she focuses on quality family time, fun and learning experiences together and the little simple things. That way, they can appreciate what they have and learn early on in their life that they don’t need much to be happy.

Inspiring Celebrity Speeches

/in /by

Don’t you just love it when celebrities use their voices to share motivational personal stories, raise awareness for the causes that matter and inspire you to do good? From subjects that tackle looking after the environment, empowering women and helping others, here are some of our favorite celebrity speeches that resonate deeply within us:

 

Leonardo DiCaprio on Climate Change:

Leonardo DiCaprio is not just an outstanding actor. He’s also a great humanitarian, an avid climate change advocate and a United Nations Messenger of Peace. The Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation(LDF) is dedicated to the health and wellbeing of all Earth’s inhabitants, focusing on wild lands and oceans conservation, climate change and indigenous rights. With all his power, Leonardo focuses on increasing his ambition to overrun the climate crisis by promoting the best climate solutions, which includes a full transition to 100% renewable energy. In this empowering speech, he reminds us that it’s also on us to protect our planet and that we can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. He hits the nail on the head when he says: “Now think about the shame that each one of us will carry when our children and grandchildren look back and realize that we have the means of stopping this devastation but simply lack the political will to do so“.

 

Emma Watson on Gender Equality:

Just a few years back, you couldn’t think of Emma Watson without directly associating her to her Harry Potter character, Hermione. In recent years however, she went from being a childhood movie superstar of one of the most popular film series in the world to a powerful voice for women and a lashing power towards fighting gender inequality. Now whenever you think of Emma Watson, you cannot but think of women empowerment, sustainable fashion and human rights. What sets Emma apart is that she does not believe that feminism goes hand in hand with attacking men, but in demanding equal rights for both genders. In this beautiful speech, she takes the words right out of every woman’s mouth when she says: “I think it’s right that I am paid the same as my male counterpart. I think it’s right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body.”

 

Angelina Jolie on Being of Use:

Angelina Jolie is known all over the world for her beauty, her humbleness, her charitable efforts, her loving heart and for being a voice for the oppressed, the forgotten and the less fortunate. Through her actions and her words, she continuously inspires people to do good, to care more and to not turn a blind eye towards all the injustice happening in the world. In this heartfelt and emotional speech, Jolie reminds us of our responsibilities towards the less fortunate and that our purpose in life is to always be of use. She talks about the women across the world who are incapable of expressing themselves or having an opinion, and who worry if their families have enough food to eat or if their children will ever return home. In a broken voice, she speaks a line that echoes deep within us: “I don’t know why this is my life and that’s hers.“

 

Matt Damon on Clean Water:

As supporters of Water.org, it comes as no surprise that we’re big fans of Matt Damon and his commitment to ending the water crisis. The multi-talented actor, screenwriter, producer and humanitarian has gained international fame and love for his work both on- and off-screen. Matt has always devoted himself to environmental and social issues, with his biggest passion being providing access to safe water and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this interview, Matt opens our eyes to what it means to not have water and how “it’s not just a life or death issue, it’s a quality of life issue.“

 

Rihanna on Being a Humanitarian:

If you live on this planet and listen to music, chances are you’re pretty familiar with Rihanna. A diva in her own rights, she’s stolen the hearts of millions with her chart-topping hits, her fashionable style and her strong girl vibes. But Rihanna doesn’t just use her voice for her singing career, she’s also a humanitarian who strives to inspire others to do good. After receiving Harvard’s Humanitarian Award, Rihanna delivered a genuine speech encouraging everyone to make a commitment to help one person. Helping others and saving the world often seems like an overwhelming responsibility, but the beautiful singer breaks it down to just one action, one person, one organization and even just one dollar. As she put is, “if you’ve got a dollar, there’s plenty to share.“