Happy Soul Food Friday!

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

• 3 Things to Learn from 92-Year-Old Shen Yu
• The ‘7-1’ Sleep Method That Could Add Four Years to Your Life
• Enjoy Every Sandwich- Powerful Life Lessons from Warren Zevon
• + Winners of the 2026 Underwater Photographer of the Year Contest

3 Things from Shen Yu:

I am ninety-two years old .

If I could pass on just three things, it would be these:

1. Move your body every day. It does not need to be hard. A walk is enough. The day you stop moving is the day your body begins to forget how.

2. Feed your body with care. Not with perfection. Eat real food. Eat slowly. What you put in today becomes how you feel tomorrow.

3. Rest your body well. Sleep is not laziness. It is where your mind clears, your heart recovers, and your body repairs what the day has worn down.

And one more thing – never stop having something to look forward to.

A place to visit. A person to see. A small dream you have not given up on yet.

The moment you stop dreaming, you stop living. It does not matter if you are thirty or ninety-two.

Keep moving. Keep eating well. Keep resting. Keep dreaming. That is the whole secret.

Speaking of Sleep…

The ‘7-1’ Sleep Method Could Add Four Years to Your Life

“Even if one in four poor sleepers were to shift to this sleep pattern, the potential gains would be substantial.”

The ‘7-1’ Sleep Rule Could Add Four Years To Your Life | HuffPost UK Life

Enjoy Every Sandwich:

In August 2002, a doctor handed Warren Zevon a death sentence.

Inoperable mesothelioma. Maybe three months. Possibly a year if things went well. He was 55 years old.

For most people, that news ends everything — plans, ambitions, the ordinary forward motion of a life.

Warren Zevon made a phone call instead.

Not to a lawyer. Not to a therapist.

To his collaborator Jorge Calderón. And he said four words: “Let’s make a record.”

Here’s what made that remarkable. Warren had spent four decades as rock music’s brilliant cynic — the man who wrote about werewolves, mercenaries, and lawyers with guns because dark humor was easier than honesty. He was Hunter S. Thompson’s friend, Stephen King’s favorite songwriter, one of the most literate voices in rock history.

And he had never once made a truly vulnerable album.

Until now. Because when you have nothing left to lose, the armor comes off.

He reached out — not through a label or management, but simply as a friend — and one by one they showed up. Bruce Springsteen. Tom Petty. Don Henley. Ry Cooder. Jackson Browne. Emmylou Harris. Legends who had admired him for decades, coming to help him say goodbye.

The recording sessions were extraordinary. Warren was visibly weakening between takes, sometimes needing oxygen, sometimes barely able to stand. But when the microphone was in front of him, something shifted. His voice carried the weight of a man who finally understood what he wanted to say.

The song that became the album’s heart was called “Keep Me in Your Heart” — a simple, quietly devastating farewell with no clever wordplay, no ironic distance. Just a man telling the people he loved not to forget him.

“If I leave you it doesn’t mean I love you any less. Keep me in your heart for a while.”

Around that same time, David Letterman — a longtime admirer who had championed Zevon’s music for years — invited him back for one final television appearance. The conversation, watched by millions, eventually landed on the question everyone wanted to ask but no one knew how to phrase.

Did Warren have any wisdom to offer? Anything he’d learned?

He paused. Then smiled.

“Enjoy every sandwich.”

The audience laughed. Then went quiet. Because they understood it wasn’t a joke. It was the most honest philosophy imaginable — condensed into three words by a man who finally had the clarity that comes only when time runs out. Pay attention. Be present. The small things are the big things.

The Wind was released on August 26, 2003.

Warren Zevon died on September 7, 2003 — thirteen days later.

He had outlived his prognosis by nearly a year. Long enough to finish his work. Long enough to say everything he’d spent a lifetime avoiding. The album won two Grammy Awards, reached audiences who had never heard his name before, and produced a farewell song that has since been played at thousands of funerals around the world — for people who never knew who wrote it, but felt every single word.

The Wind now stands alongside Johnny Cash’s American IV, David Bowie’s Blackstar, and Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker — a small, extraordinary collection of albums made by artists who looked directly at death and responded with their finest work.

But here’s what stays with me.

Warren Zevon spent forty years hiding behind wit and cleverness. And then, given a deadline no one asks for, he finally let people see who he actually was. Not the cynic. Not the dark humorist. Just a man who loved his friends, feared being forgotten, and wanted desperately to matter.

He already did. He just needed to believe it.

We’re all on a timeline we can’t see. Warren’s just became visible.

And instead of spending those final months in fear or bitterness, he gathered the people he loved, walked into a studio, and told the truth for the very first time.

Three words for the rest of us, from a man who earned the right to say them:

Enjoy every sandwich.

Winners of the 2026 Underwater Photographer of the Year Contest

A collection of honored images from this year’s competition celebrating “photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools”

Winners of the 2026 Underwater Photographer of the Year Contest – The Atlantic

Keep Moving and Eat and Rest Well!

Love,

Neville

Subscribe to the Free Weekly Blog Here: Welcome to Soul Food Friday: A weekly blog to feed, grow and energize your soul – Happy Soul Food Friday!

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“Let us therefore decide both upon the Goal and upon the Way, and not fail to find some experienced Guide who has explored the region towards which we are advancing, for the conditions of this Journey are different from those of most travel.” — Seneca

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

Boy, do we still have a long way to go to achieve gender equality

“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist, nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”- Gloria Steinem

“I think it takes men being vulnerable to be part of the solution,” “It cannot be just women fighting for their own rights. I think men have to step up and fight for women’s rights, too. … I think we have to unlearn the patriarchy.”

                                                              Allyship, Advocacy, Agency. Allez Allez!

International Women’s Day (IWD) has a long and powerful history of collective action going back over 100 years!

Here is some history going back to Abigail Smith Adams, first lady to President John Adams in 1776, all the way to today with each generation building on the courage of those before them.

IWD: What’s the timeline of International Women’s Day?

Celebrating San Diego’s pioneering women on International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day has been celebrated for over a century, and this year marks 115 years of the movement, honoring San Diego’s own noteworthy women.

Honoring San Diego’s women on International Women’s Day 2026

But 115 years later, we still have a long way to go…

“I think it takes men being vulnerable to be part of the solution,” “It cannot be just women fighting for their own rights. I think men have to step up and fight for women’s rights, too. … I think we have to unlearn the patriarchy.”

Hundreds March On Trump Tower For International Women’s Day: ‘We Aren’t Just Fighting For Ourselves’

31% of Gen Z men believe wife should ‘obey her husband,’ study finds:

The study surveyed 23,268 adults in 29 different countries, including about 1,000 from the United States.

1 in 3 Gen Z men believe wife should ‘obey her husband,’ study finds

And here’s exactly what to do when someone is disrespectful to you:
Communication expert and CEO Michael Chad Hoeppner shares his best advice for how to handle disrespect with grace and composure

Expert: The No. 1 way to respond when someone is disrespectful to you

Allyship, Advocacy, Agency. Allez Allez!

Love,

Neville

Welcome to Soul Food Friday: A weekly blog to feed, grow and energize your soul – Happy Soul Food Friday!

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Do you know that 40% of San Diego households volunteer and understand the importance of this essential form of philanthropy (love of humanity)?

This week’s post speaks to the importance of volunteering both for our community and for ourselves!

As President of the NCPC I’m delighted to spread the word about NCPC’s Volunteer Awards Celebration (VAC) coming up on April 10^th from 2 to 5:30pm. Please spread the word and nominate your volunteer for 2026!

If you are not familiar with it, VAC is our annual event now in its 39^th year, dedicated to recognizing the outstanding volunteers who support nonprofit organizations across our region. We encourage every organization to nominate one volunteer for recognition. Submitting a nomination is free, though we do ask nominating organizations to cover their nominee’s ticket ($125 per seat; tables of 10 are $1,200) to attend the event. All nominated volunteers are recognized on stage by name and organization and will receive a trophy and a certificate from the County Board of Supervisors in appreciation of their service.

As you might recall, at the end of last year NCPC was honored with a Proclamation from the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for Exemplifying the Highest Ideals of Public Service.

You can see a short vid of Supervisor Jim Desmond awarding us the proclamation for Outstanding Service, Leadership and Commitment to the Citizens of San Diego County here:

As we prep for Global Volunteer Month, we welcome all of San Diego’s 13,000 nonprofits to take a moment to celebrate their incredible volunteers, without whom so much critical work simply would not get done. And in current challenging times we need them more than ever!

This year’s VAC celebration will take place April 10 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn and promises to be a joy filled experience. Guests will enjoy tray-passed appetizers, a cash bar, and live entertainment from our band Strange Crew. We are also honored to welcome Grant Oliphant, CEO of the Prebys Foundation, as our keynote speaker, Carlo Cecchetto of CBS8 will serve as our MC, and local media will be there to love up our amazing volunteers and the causes they care about.

We are actively seeking sponsors, nominees, and attendees with a March 20^th deadline. Nominations can be submitted HERE, and tickets can be purchased HERE.

Why Volunteer and Celebrate Volunteerism:
As with all nonprofits, a great deal of focus is placed on the “Treasurer’s Report”, but as we all know it takes talent as well as time to achieve sustainable success in any mission driven enterprise. We can tackle ties and testimony separately… Perhaps social purpose organizations should include a Talent Report– tracking and affirming those that share their talents back with its stakeholders, as well as a Time Report– tracking and affirming volunteerism in every flavor.

 What you Measure Gets Done, what you Reward STAYS done

Ideally, this will increase strategic volunteerism and talent engagement which in turn will INCREASE monetary contributions as it is empirically proven that those that commit time and talent get MORE anchored to the cause and are more likely to engage others in its collective success.

(First friend-raising then fund-raising)

Interestingly, consumer sentiment supports this notion as we are increasingly values driven! Volunteerism is in vogue and good for you!

Altruism improves happiness and well-being, research finds – The Washington Post

Over the years, several brand attributes have had large up ticks including high quality up 124%, friendly up 79%, socially responsible up 63%, and leader up 40%.

But the brand attribute with the highest lift at 341% is Kindness!

Practicing Conscious Acts of Kindness dignifies the very essence of our humanity and uplifts society.

Most organizations keep score with important metrics.

However, another key metric- from a social purpose standpoint- is our investment of discretionary energy-as expressed in our time

Isn’t it amazing that in our overscheduled, over-achieving, time starved lives we find the discretionary energy to volunteer for those things that really matter?

In the conceptual age, the currency of influence is attention.

Paying bills is one thing

Paying attention is quite another!

Time is more important than money

We can re-earn money, but we never get this time back.

The Japanese have an expression for this:

Ichi e Ichi go (this moment is unprecedented, this moment is unrepeatable)

Attention is the currency of time well spent, where you really get to keep the change

When we give our time with purpose, we give our most precious asset- our energy, applying the law of concentrated attention, “That which we focus on manifests!”

It is true when they say, we are judged by the company we keep!

Hanging out with volunteers is a predictive variable in the quality of YOUR life and those around you

• Intrinsically motivated people like you are compelled by different things than basic reward and punishment, or the proverbial carrot and stick
• We are powered by autonomy, mastery, and purpose

Volunteers see things differently and experience time differently. In other words, we have a different relationship to time.

Most people consume or spend time; volunteers produce or invest time.

I will prove that we see things differently. Look at the web address below and tell me what you see…

www.opportunityisnowhere.com

Some see nowhere

Some see now here

We don’t see what is; we see what we want to see, or what we are conditioned to see.

Let’s not allow ourselves to become victims of attentional blindness.

Be present, Be involved, Be the difference.

On behalf of our extended community, thank you for your active engagement in causes that matter!

Our world is a better place because of YOU…

Spread the Word about VAC, please nominate a volunteer and Pay it Forward!

Love,

Neville

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”- Cicero

Happy Soul Food Friday,

With the year of the Fire Horse, here’s to major changes that break old patterns and inspire new growth!

This week:

• Happy Lunar New Year, the Year of the Fire Horse! 11 things to know…
• A Poem for People in Pain from Robin Sharma
• Frontier Leadership: Maintaining Our Humanity, One Decision at a Time with Dr. Rick Morales
• You Can Double Your Deep Sleep in 4 Minutes thanks to Dr. Tim Patel

Happy Lunar New Year, year of the fire horse! 11 things to know:

Cultural Significance: In East Asia, Fire Horse years are seen as both auspicious and challenging — bringing transformative opportunities but also requiring careful guidance and wise leadership.

Symbol of Transformation: The Fire Horse is believed to bring about major changes that break old patterns and inspire new growth.

Chinese New Year begins Feb. 17, year of the fire horse

A Poem for People in Pain

From Robin Sharma:

Frontier Leadership: Maintaining Our Humanity, One Decision at a Time with Dr. Rick Morales

With the world moving at the speed of light I’ve wondered how best to describe our moment in time. Like many of you, I’ve too often been at a loss for words.

My mantra – what drives my work and life – is to help people find their power, their voice. This has led me to reconsider what leadership is; or what we assume it to be.

With this exploration I’ve developed a framework, available for anyone to practice, create community and generate momentum. I call it Frontier Leadership.

The basic tenet of this practice is that dignity is non-negotiable. 

Frontier Leadership: Maintaining Our Humanity, One Decision at a Time

You can double your deep sleep in 𝟰𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 thanks to Dr. Tim Patel:

Not with supplements.
Not with gadgets.
Not by going to bed earlier.

By telling your nervous system the day is over.

Most people don’t have a sleep problem.
They have a 𝘀𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

They go from: Slack → phone → bed
And wonder why they’re “tired but wired”.

That state kills deep sleep.

Here’s what actually fixes it.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦.𝗟.𝗘.𝗘.𝗣 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟 (𝟰 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗟)

This is a 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 from stress to recovery.

𝗦 — 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘, 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗟𝗬
↳ Start the ritual at the same time every evening
↳ Consistency trains your nervous system faster than duration

𝗟 — 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚
↳ Lower lights. Warm tones only
↳ No light control = no melatonin. Full stop

𝗘 — 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 (𝟮 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗦)
↳ 4-7-8 breathing. Inhale 4. Hold 7. Exhale 8
↳ This flips your nervous system into rest mode

𝗘 — 𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
↳ No work. No news. No scrolling
↳ Boring is a feature, not a bug

𝗣 — 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗫𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 (𝟵𝟬 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗦)
↳ Tense and release muscles from feet to head
↳ Your body can’t stay alert if it’s physically letting go

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗗𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗟𝗬
↳ Cortisol drops instead of lingering
↳ Core body temperature falls (required for deep sleep)
↳ Melatonin rises naturally
↳ Deep sleep expands instead of getting compressed

Sleep labs see this pattern consistently when pre-bed routines are applied.

Same bed. Same hours.
Different signal.

Deep sleep isn’t luck.
It’s what happens when your nervous system gets a clear off-ramp.

Four minutes is enough.
If you make it non-negotiable.

♻️ Most people try to sleep harder.
The ones who recover best shut down earlier

💾 Save this for the next night you’re lying awake, wired, and exhausted.

Happy Lunar New Year and please pay it forward with purpose.

Love,

Neville

Welcome to Soul Food Friday: A weekly blog to feed, grow and energize your soul – Happy Soul Food Friday!

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.

Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” -Rumi

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

“The champion wins first, then walks into the arena. Everybody else walks into the arena and then tries to figure out what to do.”— Jim Fannin

Our roles are not our identity.

The role I love, as much as being a student of life, is growing others.

With the Superbowl behind us and the Winter Olympics underway, we all inevitably focus on the athletes, often failing to recognize that behind every great athlete there is a great coach.

Those that launched us in the early innings of a practice, sport or passion are often forgotten, but this program (below) makes that important intellectual and emotional connection.

This will warm the heart of anyone that has pushed the limits of their potential and been in turn pushed by a committed and caring coach!

Launching Legends:

Olympians stand alone on the podium, but there are many others who helped them make the climb.

Athletes competing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics were asked to name someone from their childhood outside their family who first believed in them before the world knew their name. The Olympians and the heroes they named then had a surprise reunion in the NBC Local series “Launching Legends.”

“It definitely takes a village for anyone to make the Olympic team,” said Renee Hildebrand, a speed skating coach.

Launching Legends: Olympians get surprise visits from mentors – NBC Boston

The Superbowl Game was not that great, but the Half Time Show was an opportunity for National Self-Reflection:

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was many things: a time-traveling journey through the history of Puerto Rico, a statement of Pan-American unity, and a masterpiece of cultural expression. Co-hosts Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre are joined by Isabella Gomez Sarmiento — who brings on-the-ground reporting from San Juan — to unpack the symbolism embedded in Bad Bunny’s performance.

Puerto Rico takes the field at the Bad Bunny Super Bowl : Alt.Latino : NPR

A Counterpoint-

$8 million for a mere 30 seconds of airtime during Super Bowl LX!

What would the transformative real-world impact that same investment could achieve if placed in the hands of nonprofits?

Kicking Off for Good: What Nonprofits Could Do with the $8m Cost of a Super Bowl Ad

Here’s to the champion within and to the champions you are creating, both on and off the field!

Please pay it forward with purpose.

Love,

Neville

Welcome to Soul Food Friday: A weekly blog to feed, grow and energize your soul – Happy Soul Food Friday!

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

“Winners practice until they get it right,

while Champions practice until they can’t get it wrong!”

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

Martial Arts Begins and Ends with RESPECT!

As some of you know I am a student and practitioner of the wisdom traditions, (martial arts, yoga and meditation) inspired by being born in India to an Indian Dad and British Mum, and living there until I was 14 years old, when we transplanted to California with one suitcase apiece, inspired by the values and opportunities for a better life here in the United States.

At that time, America was the exemplary for meritocracy, opportunity, inclusiveness, and modeling values the whole world wanted to emulate.

Not sure that is the case today, but that is a separate matter…

I have been teaching traditional karate at UC San Diego for 43 years, rounding out an academic curriculum for bright minds with a whole-person embodied practice that fosters competence, confidence, and character.

We might think values like respect, honor, humility, benevolence, etc. are ethereal.

This video might invite you to revisit that belief in the context of a mind/body/emotions/energy system:

How to Transform Your Body Through Bowing [Naka Tatsuya’s BUDO KARATE ]

Take a minute to embody respect in your being and with others, and see what happens…

Driven to Distraction?

The 1-Minute Trick to Calming Down Your Nervous System
‘Active noticing’ is an easy way to reclaim your thoughts.

The 1-Minute Trick to Calming Down Your Nervous System | TIME

Empathy for All Sentient Beings:

Scientists Finally Understand How Animals Experience Joy
Scientists have known for a while now that animals feel pain. When it comes to other emotions, like joy and happiness, they weren’t so sure. Pain makes sense. Everything feels like it would wince when you pinch it. But to say an animal is experiencing joy felt a bit too close to anthropomorphism, as if we were projecting human qualities onto an inhuman creature. So, the scientific community largely ignored animal joy.

Scientists Finally Understand How Animals Experience Joy

To your wellbeing!

Love,

Neville

Welcome to Soul Food Friday: A weekly blog to feed, grow and energize your soul – Happy Soul Food Friday!

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

“LOVE is our Soul Purpose”