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Women often tend to get a bad rap for being overly competitive or not being supportive of each other. But when push comes to shove, there's nothing stronger than the sisterhood bond.Recently, Celeste and her best friend Savannah's night took a turn for the worse when they came across a woman clearly in distress. They didn't hesitate to put themselves in harm's way to help a sister out.
“Really, bro, you got to resort to this?"Those were a few of Santino Burrola's last words on social media before his life was ruined.Over 1.5 million people, including rapper Snoop Dogg, saw what he did. He'd lose his job, receive racist comments, fall behind on his bills and be separated from his family for what he did. A Crime in ProgressPhoto by Norma Mortenson“Me and the union rep sat down with them and they recommended termination,” recalled Santino Burrola to the New York Post. 'They' were supermarket King Soops, and they just fired him. Never mind that what he did brought a criminal to justice, with two at large. Yet, whenever he talks about it, Burrola says that his motivation is just.“Let me tell you something; if something is happening right in front of me, I’m gonna make it my business,” he said. And that's exactly what he did when he saw three men bolting through the King Soops parking lot. They had stolen over $500 worth detergent. At that moment, Burrola, a former military police officer, gave chase as they ran to load it into a black Chevy Trax. Shortly after, Burrola reached into his pocket and made his biggest mistake. A Grocery Store Worker Goes From Hero to ZeroFlipping out his phone, Burrola began recording the three thieves. “Really, bro, you got to resort to this? The economy isn’t that bad,” he can be heard saying.“Better gettin’ while the gettin’s good,” he joked to them as they loaded the car.The quick-thinking Burrola managed to yank a sheet of foil covering the license plate to get the number, leading to the driver's capture. If you think his brave act got him a thank you, you'd be wrong. Instead, after arriving at work the next day, Burrola learned that he'd been suspended. Then, just a week later, he was fired. As the video and news of his firing spread online, outrage bubbled."This is absolutely disgusting. We should be boycotting the retailer that fired him," fumed one. “Sorry to read you were fired recording these losers thinking they could just go in and steal. Good for you though," wrote one. Another one had an idea. "This guy was doing the right thing. Please someone give him a much better job. He deserves our thanks and to be rewarded. Our Vets deserve a leg up for their sacrifices."One warm reward, coming right up.A Community Rewards a Brave EmployeePhoto by Julia LarsonSomeone who agrees with that comment is Alexia Gomez. With the motivation to help her cousin, she started a GoFundMe to help cover his legal fees and lost wages.In the end, it was a huge success raising over $19,000, almost double its goal of $10,000. Now that's a lot of laundry detergent money.In a prepared statement, King Soops said firing Burrola is all about employee safety. "We are disappointed by the increased level of crime across retail establishments and the impact these incidents have on our associates and customers. We remain committed to working in partnership with local law enforcement to address this issue, as safety remains a top priority," it read. How a Supermarket Employee Proves That Inaction Is a CrimeTo be fair, it's hard to argue with a company trying to protect its workers. After all, if one of those criminals were armed, Gomez might be raising money for her cousin's funeral costs instead. Yet, Burrola would tell you that the biggest crime would be to sit idly by as criminals run wild. He knows that staying safe puts everyone at risk.It might not always be the safest play, but sometimes displaying courage is the right move. More from Goalcast:Homeless Dad Living in His Car With 2 Kids Is Fired From His Job – Then, Strangers Step in When They Hear His RequestBlack Employee Is Fired After He Stands Up to His Racist Boss – Outraged Co-workers Have the Best ResponseMan Saves a Life After He Notices a Person Recklessly Driving a Car – Instead of Being Rewarded, He Is Fired From His Job
It can be easy to fall into a routine and fail to notice things happening around you — especially when you’re at work or in a rush to get somewhere on time. We’re often too busy running our to-do lists through our brains or, if it’s the morning, working on breaking through the fog to notice much else.So it’s understandable that no one really noticed a six-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother roaming the snowy streets one Monday morning. No one, that is, except a heroic bus driver.A Snow-Cold MorningOne Monday morning, just before 8 a.m. in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a bus driver named Nicole Chamberlain was driving her regular route. The temperature was roughly 18 degrees at the time, and people were getting ready for their busy days ahead. But as Chamberlain pulled up to a stop, she noticed the children roaming the streets."Neither one of them had a coat on, and they were headed towards a busy intersection, and I knew there was no school bus stop down there or a school,” Chamberlain told WISN. “I knew right away I had to pull over and help them.”Chamberlain asked the kids what was going on. According to them, they were looking for their grandmother. She had been watching them, and when she disappeared into the basement for a moment, the children ventured outside to look for her.“I picked them up and put them on my bus and called the police,” Chamberlain explained.A Search to Find GrandmaChamberlain waited where she was and wrapped her coat around the little girl. A few minutes later, she was glad she’d waited because their grandmother appeared and explained what had happened. In the end, Chamberlain was glad she was there. What would have happened to the kids had no one stopped?“If that were to happen to my children, I would hope that there would be somebody, a decent human being, that would stop and help my kids,” she explained.In the end, the bus driver knew she was in the right place at the right time. In her head, it was fate, especially since she left five minutes earlier that morning and wouldn’t have seen the kids if she’d departed at her normal time.No charges were laid, and everyone went about their days. Still, the grandmother was thankful for Chamberlain’s quick thinking, and Chamberlain was thankful she had listened to her intuition.Following Your GutSo often in life, we don’t know what to do next. We’re unsure of how to proceed, where to go, or what we want to pursue. And while every situation is certainly different, this story reminds us that it’s always important to follow your gut.That’s exactly what Chamberlain did that day when she saw two kids roaming the streets alone, not dressed for the cold morning. By stopping the bus and ensuring everything was okay, she became a hero: those kids could have gotten lost, they could have wandered into the intersection, or something else bad could have happened had Chamberlain not stepped in.So, if you see something out of place or a situation that doesn’t quite look right, trust your gut. Ask questions, don’t be afraid to step in, and if you really think it’s necessary, call someone for help.Our gut instincts are a result of our collective experiences, and that makes it important to listen to them. Studies have shown that pairing those instinctual feelings with analytic thought leads to better, faster, and more accurate decisions. So trust that gut and do what you think is right — more often than not, it will be the right move.More from Goalcast:Alert Stranger’s Gut Instinct Helped Bring One Abducted 3-Year-Old Back HomeBus Driver Always Gives Extra Attention to 4-Year-Old – Then One Day, She Sees the Little Girl Waving From a Broken WindowBus Driver Yanks Boy’s Backpack as He Is Getting off the Bus – Now She’s Hailed as a Hero
According to celebrity adventurer Bear Grylls, "Your best chance of thwarting an abduction attempt is in the first few seconds." Fortunately, an Uber driver in Tennessee knew that in her gut and managed to escape a violent kidnapping.A split-second decisionLast May, Uber driver Carolina Vargus accepted a long-haul Uber trip from 51-year-old Christopher Miller to drive him from Nashville to Cleveland, Tennessee.Days later, she accepted another long-haul trip from the same customer to go the other direction – but during the ride back, Miller pulled out a knife and held it to Vargus' throat.“He asked me for my cell phone, then he put the knife on my throat. I grabbed the phone. I had to unplug it because I had it charging," Vargus told WDEF.Then, she made a split-second decision that saved her own life."That’s when I jumped out of the car at that second,” she said.No regretsVargus tumbled out of the car and was seriously injured.“I was in the middle of the highway. I broke three teeth, I hurt myself all over my body. A tire drove over my left leg. My legs are super swollen, I feel like a ball of fire on my leg,” Vargus said in a gut-wrenching video posted by the local news station.Despite her injuries, Vargus has no regrets.“It was so scary. It happened to me. Just listen to yourself, if you do not feel safe in a situation or place, take action," she said."Don’t wait, one second can really really save your life,”Carolina VargusAs for the attacker, he was arrested and charged with kidnapping an adult, possession of a weapon, and hijacking a motor vehicle.Take actionExperts confirm that Vargus is right. The first seconds of an abduction could really be the difference between life and death, because if the kidnapper takes you away authorities may not be able to track you down.Take this as a reminder to take action and follow your gut — even if a literal knife isn't at your throat it might be how you'll save your own life. More uplifting news:Father Adopts ‘Feral Child’ Who Was Locked In Tiny Room For The First 6 Years of Her LifePolice Officer Adopts Abused Toddler After Rescuing Her From Unsafe HomeCashier Trusts Her Instincts And Rescues Woman From Kidnappers Who Assaulted HerBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others.
A Walt Disney World employee deserves serious credit for sensing that a woman who was calling to book tickets was really in danger.Not a typical phone callWhen a Disney World call center received a call from Pennsylvania about booking a stay at the Florida resort, the operator realized the caller needed more than tickets.According to an affidavit from the York County Magisterial District court reported by CNN, the woman on the phone shouted "get off me" and "get away from me."The Disney employee then "became concerned and sensed something was off" and their fears only grew when the woman's responses started to become limited to "yes" and "no."When the operator asked the woman if she needed help from the police and if someone was hurting her, the woman responded "yes" to both questions.The operator proceeded to call the police who arrived at the scene to arrest the woman's partner, 38-year-old Wayne Shiflett for domestic abuse.The Disney employee's instincts were rightAccording to the affadavit, the couple had been arguing about the man's job and Shiflett proceeded to say: "you need to learn to keep your f**king mouth shut," and "I'll f**king kill you." He also called her a "spoiled f**king bitch." Then, he choked her three times to the point that she couldn't breathe and felt like she was going to die, CNN reports.Police reported visible signs of abuse on the woman, including scratches on her face and marks on her neck, Fox 43 reported.Shiflett was taken into custody and charged with simple assault, along with making terroristic threats, harassment and one count of strangulation.The power of helping othersThis Disney operator, whoever they are, certainly deserves credit for this act of heroism, joining a select group of recent heroes like the locksmith that helped a woman escape a violent kidnapper and the waitress that saved an abused boy. They all provide an excellent lesson that if you have your wits about you and react, you can save someone's life.More uplifting stories:4 Years Ago, He Was Homeless–Today, He Bought His First HousePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Take Mason Ochoa, for instance. He jumped to the rescue and saved his two-year-old brother Nicholas from drowning in the family pool – and he's only four. Ochoa earned himself a challenge coin from the local fire department and lifelong gratitude from his brother.Toddler to the rescueWhen Mason heard an alarm sound from the pool, he scurried his tiny feet into action. It was October 20 and his younger brother, Nicholas, had fallen into the family pool in Orange County, California.Mason grabbed his brother and kept his head above water. Then, he followed his instincts yet again and called for help. Mason's mother Stephanie managed to pull the boys to safety, but Nicholas wasn't breathing. So her husband Jose called 911."My wife told me right now that my son fell in the pool and he wasn’t breathing, that he’s crying right now, but that his face is purple and he’s -- she can’t talk right now I’m on my way to them," Jose said in the recording, according to NBC Los Angeles.Moments later, Nicholas became responsive again and didn't appear to be hurt. His brother had saved his life.Mason's grandfather, Raul Velez, said there's usually a fence around the pool, but it was taken down when the house sold.“It’s an example for people with little kids. We have to be very careful,” Velez told CBS Los Angeles.“He’s only 4 years old. He’s my hero.”Raul VelezHonored by the fire department Members of the Placentia Fire Department honored the young hero by giving him the run of the facility. Mason was able to try holding a hose line, check out rescue tools and got to play with a roll of bandages, all while dressed in a firefighter's uniform. "Individuals in this profession gravitate to this calling because they have a need to act," Placentia Fire Department Chief John Van Gieson said, according to NBC.Afterward, Gieson presented Mason and Nicholas with challenge coins and said the young hero has a job waiting for him in about 14 years when he turns 18.A hero in all of usYou don't learn how to be a hero at school. We are born with instincts and can either listen to them and take action to help others – whether it's our younger brother or a complete stranger – or ignore them.How will you follow your inner hero today?More uplifting stories:4 Years Ago, He Was Homeless–Today, He Bought His First HousePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others
Apple. Netflix. Google. They all started with an idea and a single step.The underwear brand, Spanx, founded by Sara Blakely, was born the same way. Today, it's a billion-dollar company and Blakely is worth $610 million, according to Forbes. How? Blakely just shared her secrets in a motivational Instagram post.She didn't take 'no' for an answerWhen Blakely started Spanx, it was 1998 and she had just $5,000 in her pocket thanks to a gig selling fax machines door-to-door (oh, how times have changed!), according to Forbes. She had no experience in design, business or manufacturing, and when she tried to pitch her product she had the door slammed in her face.She finally landed her first major retail buyer, Neiman Marcus. But during the pitch meeting, she was getting the impression that this would be another 'no.' So she decided to change course. “In the middle of my meeting with [the Neiman Marcus rep], I could tell I was losing her," Blakely recounted to Guy Raz during an episode of the podcast “How I Built This” in 2016. So she interrupted the meeting and asked the rep to join her in the restroom."And I just knew it was my one shot. So I said, ‘Will you come with me to the bathroom?’ And she just paused. She goes, ‘Excuse me?’ I go, ‘I know, I know, it’s little weird. Will you just please come with me to the bathroom? I want to show you my own product before and after.'"Blakely went into the stall, put Spanx on underneath her clothes and came out. The rep looked at her and said:"Wow, I get it. It’s brilliant.”Neiman Marcus rep told Blakely in a bathroom during Spanx pitch meetingThe buyer accepted the pitch and Spanx is now a billion-dollar brand.How to achieve your dreamsNowadays, Blakely is an inspirational example of how a simple idea – a revolutionary take on women's underwear – can balloon into something great. And she continues to take time out of her busy schedule to share what she's learned.In an Instagram post, she revealed her ultimate recipe for success.“The difference between people who achieve their dreams and those who don’t is simple... It’s about action."Sara Blakely “Two decades ago, I was just a girl with a crappy day job and a crazy idea," she continued. "I didn’t have a ton of money, experience or knowledge of the industry. But I decided to go for it.”Blakely could have sat and waited and wished that, eventually, someone would listen to her idea. But life doesn't work like that. "But instead, I started doing and one day became day one, 20 years ago. And that's what made all the difference."Sara BlakelyIt starts with that first stepGolden tickets might pop up in the world of Willy Wonka, but aside from winning the lottery or being born into wealth, fame and fortune don't just fall on you in real life. If you want to make your dream a reality you have to, as Blakely says, take action. But when do you take action? When you feel ready? When you're older? When [insert opportunity] happens? No, it happens as soon as you stop letting your fears get in the way and go for it. When that is exactly is totally up to you."So what’s it gonna be? Day one...or one day?"Sara Blakely More inspiring celebrities:Why We Need To Talk About Keanu Reeves’ Girlfriend Alexandra GrantWhat Finally Convinced Jennifer Lopez That She Needed A Divorce From Marc AnthonyWhy Shakira and Gerard Piqué Are Proud To Be An Unconventional CoupleHow Hailey Baldwin Dealt With Being In A Love Triangle Involving Selena Gomez
