Wow, has it really been a month since I’ve written? The last month has flown by so quickly! My apologies for not keeping you in the loop on what’s going on. I’ve been too busy doing rather than writing about it, but I know you like to follow along, so here’s an update.

We’ve been quite busy with so many aspects of the Global Hug Tour as well as our parent site, InspireMeToday.com. Because of the global reach of the Global Hug Tour, we made the decision for InspireMeToday.com to be 100% free. We invite you to check it out and make it a part of your morning routine.

As for the Global Hug Tour, each day brings new opportunity to us. At this time, our team is very busy with the PR, the social media, sponsorship, finalizing the itinerary and many other things.

We’re currently identifying important causes in each geographical area that we can donate to for the Global Hug Tour. We’re being extra careful, as we want the funding to go to causes that make a direct difference. We’re building relationships in geographical areas that we don’t yet have a presence and sifting through the many important charities, to provide a wide variety of places for our hug sponsors to send a hug.

We’re still looking for quality organization in these areas and would greatly appreciate your help:

Nagasaki, Japan (we’re open to another city here also- but not Tokyo as we can’t land there!)
Singapore
Berlin, Germany
St. Petersburg, Russia
Prague, Czech Republic
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rome, Italy
Paris, France
Dublin, Ireland
Glasgow, Scotland

If you know of anyone doing amazing work in any of these areas, please be in touch with me directly as soon as possible, at gail@inspiremetoday.com. Thank you!

I look forward to hearing from you soon and promise to keep you updated on what’s happening. Thank you for your continued support of the Global Hug Tour!

Please spread the word to your friends and family. The more people know about our project, the more people globally will benefit!

Big hugs to you,

Gail

The past month has been a difficult struggle between priorities and commitments. About a month after we announced the launch of the Global Hug Tour, leaving in May of 2009, my daughter Carly informed us that she and her husband are expecting their first child. Woohoo! I’m going to be a grandmother! That’s so cool!

We are elated, as this is also our first grandchild. However, the timing created a quandary for us, as the baby is due in late August, a month before we were to return from the Global Hug Tour, previously scheduled from May-September.

This is my only daughter and my first grandchild. Not only do I want to be there for the birth of the baby, but I also want to be there for my daughter as she goes through her first pregnancy.

Therefore, with mixed emotions, we have made the decision to delay the launch of the Global Hug Tour until September 9th, 2009. I sincerely hope this doesn’t create any difficulties for anyone planning to coordinate with us in any of the cities. If so, please accept my heartfelt apologies for the change in plans.

Our tentative itinerary now begins from Boulder on 9/9/09, to New York City for 9/11/09, heads west to Dallas and Los Angeles before leaving the US for Canada, Russia and points beyond. We’ll return into Washington, D.C. on 1/21/10, National Hug Day. Seems fairly serendipitous, no?

Sometimes when things are changing it appears that the plan is going sideways or that the path is wrong. Yet in the end, what originally seemed to be negative can easily turn into the greatest positive. Reminds me of a blog I wrote recently called “We’ll see”.

I know that all things happen in Divine timing and for the perfect reason, even when I try to resist the change. I had my heart set on leaving in May, but I also have my heart set on being there if my daughter needs me when the baby is born. And, I’m quite excited to give my first hug to this beautiful little child, my first grand baby.

Thank you for your understanding in this decision!!! It didn’t come lightly and I’m hoping that we still have your love and support for the tour, even if it’s delayed for a few months. I’m sure the extra time will help The Global Hug Tour be even bigger and better than we’d originally planned.

Here’s the new itinerary:

Boulder, CO      9/9/09

New York, NY      9/9

Dallas, TX        9/13

Los Angeles, CA        9/15

Vancouver, BC, Canada        9/17

Juneau, AK

Anchorage, AK       9/19

Adak, AK       9/22

Petrapavlovsk, Russia        9/23

Sapporo, Japan        9/24

Nagasaki, Japan        9/26

Seoul, South Korea        9/29

Shanghai, China        10/2

Hong Kong, China        10/5

Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam        10/8

Siem Reap, Cambodia        10/10

Singapore, Singapore        10/13

Kuala Lumpur, Maylasia        10/16

Chiang Mai, Thailand        10/19

Kathmandu, Nepal        10/22

Chennai, India        10/25

Mumbai, India        10/28

Dubai, UAE        10/30

Kuwait City, Kuwait       11/2

Beirut, Lebanon        11/6

Amman, Jordan        11/9

Haifa, Israel        11/12

Athens, Greece        11/15

Pristina, Kosovo         11/18

Prague, Czech Republic        11/20

Berlin, Germany        11/23

Vilnius, Lithuania        11/26

Riga, Latvia        11/28

St. Petersberg, Russia        11/30

Helsinki, Finland        12/3

Stockholm, Sweden        12/6

Copenhagen, Denmark        12/11

Amsterdam, Netherlands        12/14

Rome, Italy        12/17

Barcelona, Spain        12/20

Paris, France        12/23

London, England        12/27

Dublin, Ireland        12/30

Glasgow, Scotland        1/2

Reykjavik, Iceland        1/5

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland        1/8

Gander, Newfoundland        1/8

Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada        1/9

Washington, DC        1/12

Toronto, Ontario, Canada        1/15

Chicago, IL        1/18

Boulder, CO        1/21

We greatly appreciate your understanding, love and support and look forward to meeting you along the way.
With gratitude and big hugs,

Gail

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to talk with Marcia Wieder, Bob Proctor, and Les Brown at the filming of the movie, Beyond the Secret. Below you can see what they had to say about the Global Hug Tour. I am honored to have their support for our Global Hug Tour and grateful to call them friends. Also, check out all our other YouTube videos by clicking here.

This project is the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life! I’m so excited to share this with the world- in only 3 months! Woohoo!!!!!

Yesterday I had the honor of speaking to Gary Vaynerchuk in reference to the Global Hug Tour. I’m at the Affiliate Summit in Las Vegas and Gary was the keynote speaker (check out 44:25 on the video link). In a room of thousands, during the Q&A section after his presentation, I briefly explained the Global Hug Tour and asked him for his recommendation on how to best share our story with the world.

Gary’s thought the idea was “freakin awesome!” and said he’d personally hug everyone in the room. He went on to say that in order to get the word out, I should spend 4-7 hours a day doing whatever it takes to get this story in front of Oprah, the Today Show and other major players, because while social media is excellent too, this story also should be shared in the mainstream media, specifically with Oprah. Additionally, he recommend beating websites like the Huffington Post, Tech Crunch and Life Hack into submission until they’d cover the story.

Our team was inspired. The people in the room were inspired. After the speech Gary spent time greeting his fans and yes, sharing hugs with those that wanted them, including me.

Throughout the day many people approached me to say “Thank you” for what we’re doing with the Global Hug Tour, and to share how just hearing about it brightened their day. We were handing out hundreds of cards that said “HUG SOMEONE” and people were doing just that. It was almost if everyone had permission to hug someone else and the energy of the place shifted. The online community is already a very warm and friendly bunch but it was if another barrier between people had been removed.

At the end of the day a gentleman approached me and told me he owed me. When I asked what he meant, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a 8 x 10 photo of Gary V and himself hugging, which had only been taken earlier that morning. In spite of being at a trade show, he’d already had this printed and was proudly sharing it with others.

He went on to tell me that he believed the experience of him hugging Gary happened because we shared the Global Hug Tour. He asked me if I’d noticed a difference in the energy of the room and how the conference seemed friendlier because of the goodwill that we shared that morning. People were sharing hugs and he was grateful.

People were talking possibility.

Many asked how I can up with this idea in the first place. I shared that it came from asking a few simple questions…. “If I knew I could do anything and couldn’t fail, what’s the greatest way I could be of service in this world? What’s the biggest way I could play?”

I encouraged others to ask themselves the same questions. One guy shared that he’d always wanted to run for public office and now he was going to do just that. It was powerful to see the sparks turn on inside individuals, all because of asking a few questions and the sharing of a hug.

If this reaction is a microcosm of the effect on the world with our Global Hug Tour, we’re on to something here. If this idea can do this in a room can we duplicate it in a city or a country? Can we not only make a tangible difference through sharing of financial resources, but also through the sharing of love, hope and possibility?  I believe we can and I’m really excited to find out.

p.s. Huge thanks and bear hugs to Angie Swartz and Alan Underkofler of Square Martini Media of San Diego for spearheading the social media effort for the Global Hug Tour! You guys rock!