Art is never finished, only abandoned. – Leonardo da Vinci
Greetings!
Feeling a bit dysregulated?
Neuroscience Says Music Is an Emotion Regulation Machine. Here’s What to Play for Happiness, Productivity, or Deep Thinking: Neuroscience shows music has big effects on our productivity, performance, and state of mind. Use that to your advantage.
What kind of headspace do you want to be in today?
Focused and productive as you tick through routine to-do list items?
Dreamy and creative? Happy and social? Contemplative? Analytical?
Whatever mood you’re aiming for, neuroscience says music can help.
The purpose of life is to give it away.”- Pablo Picasso
Want some live music, in an arts and culture context, with 250 featured artists, 4 live music stages, interactive art and free trolly tickets for the first 3,000 that use their phones to sign up?
Yes, Kids and Dogs will have a blast too…
Its Mission Fed ArtWalk 2025!
17 years of us serving as title sponsors for the largest arts and longest running (41 years) arts experience on the West Coast, this coming weekend Sat April 26 and Sun April 27th in Little Italy. Come enjoy a day immersed in art, and if you are yearning for some live music, join us on Saturday April 26th from 3:30 to 4:30p as Strange Crew plays on the Main Stage in the Piazza della Famiglia followed by my son Arman’s band Tone Deaf from 5-6p, with me sitting in on percussion on both sets.
And here is a CloudCast media podcast with Jacob from ArtWalk and me talking about the Mission Fed ArtWalk experience and its importance for San Diego:
The ArtWalk San Diego interview “Spotlight on the Community” Show:
Why it’s time to rethink what happiness really means: Explaining exactly what’s going on in our brains when we experience joy or pleasure remains frustratingly out of reach this year once again saw the publication of the annual World Happiness Report. The latest international rankings put Finland at number one and several other Nordic countries dominating the top 10.
It doesn’t mean you should turn off the news — which I have a tendency to do. We should also stay informed.
Know what’s going; on but don’t let politics, the news or the current stock market sink your psyche.
This doesn’t mean to be tone deaf or to turn the other cheek. It means stay even, stay civil, and shoot your shots if it’s aligned with your values.
Want to protest? Do it. Want to use this teaching opportunity for your kids? Do it. Want to reach out to someone on the other side to understand their POV? Do it.
We all lose when we lose ourselves in the chaos. We all lose when we’re humanrude, humanharsh or humancruel.
How will you show up? Why will you show up? Where will you show up?
If and when you do… stay humankind.
Jason Mraz- My Kind:
This song will lift you up and bolster your spirits!
Confucius had it right when he advised “before you go off to seek revenge it’s best to dig two graves.” Getting brilliant at forgiving those who have wronged and hurt you delivers these benefits to you as a leader, producer, and person:
—you avoid becoming a resentment collector, full of negativity and cynicism.
—you protect the energy needed to get big things done.
—you live in the present and pursue a richer future rather than staying stuck in the past.
—you free up a ton of creativity that would be consumed grumbling about what someone did to you.
—you remain peaceful and helpful instead of obsessing about being mistreated.
A few of the forgiveness rules that have been super useful to the clients I mentor:
1.Forgiveness isn’t condoning the behavior. No. It’s more about understanding that everyone does the best we can based on how we think. And, as Maya Angelou observed: “If they knew better, they would have done better.” How they behaved made sense to them at the time (read that twice), even if their actions were foolish and hurtful. So, practice the master skill of letting go.
2. Let success be your confident reply. Staying bitter and stagnant is a violent defeat. What I suggest is to try and use what someone did to you as soil for your growth and fuel for your winning. Let any pain you suffer actually purify you by processing through it so that you become emotionally richer, internally stronger, and personally wiser. And, as best as you can, exploit this newfound clarity, creativity, and maturity to build glorious fortunes of success, beauty, and inner freedom. Let an even more beautiful life be your elegant response.
3. What’s yours can’t be taken from you. Mom taught me this one and I wrote about the lesson in-depth in my latest book The Wealth Money Can’t Buy. What she taught me is that what’s meant for me can’t be taken from me and if something didn’t work out the way I wished it would have, it just wasn’t meant to be. Allow people to be on their own path and know that what unfolds for them is none of your business. Do your best and trust—with deep faith—that life has your back. And that what appears is always for your fortune, never for your failure.
4. Keep Death Close [KDC]. Reflecting on how short life really is and the fact that in 100 years, everyone alive today will be dust will give you perspective. A mistreatment that seems so big will begin to look small. You’ll see the value of moving on and letting the hurter deal with their karma. And you’ll be energized to “stick to your knitting” by doing what you know to be right, making excellent daily progress and remembering that good things inevitably happen to people who do great things.
Pets increase life satisfaction as much as marriage or close friendships: In a world where happiness often feels like a moving target, we constantly seek what brings true contentment.
People turn to careers, families, friendships, pets, and even meditation or travel in the hope of feeling joy and fulfillment in life.
A crow’s math skills include geometry: Crows in a lab were able to distinguish shapes that exhibited right angles, parallel lines, and symmetry, suggesting that, like humans, they have a special ability to perceive geometric regularity.
Missing toddler who walked 7 miles through Arizona wilderness led to safety by a dog: The rancher traced the boy’s steps and discovered that Buford, an Anatolian Pyrenees who normally patrols his land and wards off coyotes, had escorted the 2-year-old for at least a mile.
Be happy, laugh more, go to the empathy gym, work on your own mental health, remember age is just a number, and visit the most beautiful places on earth and in your mind!
To Be Happier, Stop Resisting Change: The Zen of archery is all about learning how to let go.
“There’s a fair amount of evidence now that the more fiction that people read, the more empathetic that they become,” says Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki. “Because fiction is one of the most powerful ways to connect with people who are different from us who we might not have a chance to meet otherwise.”
Zaki argues that empathy is like a muscle — it can be strengthened with exercise and it can atrophy when idle. On this episode of Hidden Brain, we talk about calibrating our empathy so we can interact with others more mindfully.
How parents can help their kids’ mental health by working on their own:
The rate of kids dealing with serious mental health issues has been on the rise since the pandemic. But if parents want to help their kids, research suggests they should look at themselves and their own mental health issues.
Medicine is Not Always Found in Bottles, Make America Kind Again
Why Leadership is Essential to Your Career
The 4th Estate and the Importance of Free Speech
Precluding Attacks on Education
Managing Stress and Practicing Self-Compassion
A couple of pranksters broke into the lavatory in the executive branch and stole all the lavatory equipment. White house spokesman was quoted as saying, “We have absolutely nothing to go on!”
Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead
and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.”
Leadership Matters!
With the disruption of the historical coexistence between Govt and the Nonprofits, many are cutting budgets, laying off staff, lying low, and taking a look-and-see response to the dynamic situation we find ourselves in. Let’s not lose the forest for the trees. Here is an opportunity to listen in and leverage our collective spirit in service of the greater good, regardless of your political preferences.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind.
Join Grant Oliphant, CEO of the Prebys Foundation, as we explore why leadership matters more than ever and investing in future leaders is critical.
The Fourth Estate and the Importance of Free Speech-
The Role of Journalism in a Democracy:
One of the most sacred principles of The Atlantic, as laid out in its 1857 founding statement, is that the magazine deals with politics as they are. We will report the truth, no matter who is in power. The Atlantic, our founders wrote, “will deal frankly with persons and with parties, endeavoring always to keep in view that moral element which transcends all persons and parties, and which alone makes the basis of a true and lasting national prosperity.” This principle of course came into play when our editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, realized that he had accidentally been included in the “Houthi PC small group” Signal chat about an imminent attack on Yemen. Goldberg at first worried that it was a hoax. When he realized it was real, he left the group, called the officials involved, and then published a story. After they falsely accused him, and The Atlantic, of having made things up, we published a second story with a direct transcript of the chat. Some of the exchanges that occurred last week might have bewildered our magazine’s founders. I suspect that if you had texted Ralph Waldo Emerson “👊🇺🇸🔥” after a strike in Yemen, he might have tossed his phone into Walden Pond. But the general principle was one that everyone involved in The Atlantic for the past 168 years has understood: Our job is to report on the most important issues of the day—fairly, accurately, and patiently—no matter what anyone in power says. We take these responsibilities, and our legacy, very seriously at The Atlantic, and we are very grateful for the support that you, our readers, have given us in the past week. In that spirit, I’d like to invite you to a subscriber-only conversation with Goldberg this Thursday, April 3. You can find more details on the virtual event below. I hope you’ll join us. Nicholas Thompson CEO of The Atlantic
There is no reason, Republicans say, for the government to fund NPR and PBS.
Last week, G.O.P. members of Congress, led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, flayed the leaders of both organizations for what they said was partisan programming. “You all can hate us on your own dime,” Greene said. The next day, a Republican introduced a bill to end all government support.
What would happen to public broadcasting if Republicans succeeded? In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain.
NPR
The specter of government abandonment has haunted public radio for so long that executives drafted a secret plan for the worst.
In February 2011, NPR assembled a 36-page document that detailed exactly what would happen if the Treasury stopped cutting checks to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the government-backed company that supports NPR and PBS. The document, which has not previously been reported, is bleak. It describes a precarious radio system that will bear the blow poorly, with consequences for listeners across the nation.
“Most NPR member stations operate at, or barely above, break-even,” it begins. A cutoff would cause up to $240 million to vanish and up to 18 percent of roughly 1,000 member stations to close. The Midwest, the South and the West would be affected the most. Nationwide, up to 30 percent of listeners would lose access to NPR programming.
NPR provides national coverage, but the independent member stations across the country get most of the money devoted to public radio. That makes them more vulnerable than the national headquarters, which says it gets only 1 percent of its budget from Congress. (It gets a bit more from local stations that pay for its programming).
NPR’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Eric Lee/The New York Times
What are these local stations doing? Take WEKU, a constellation of 10 FM stations with headquarters in Richmond, Ky., that broadcast to nearly 1.5 million residents. For people who don’t have access to broadband internet, WEKU is one of the few reliable sources of information when emergencies happen.
Floods swept through the state earlier this year. “Our transmitters stayed on the air, and we were broadcasting information to residents in Pikeville on where they could get fresh water, how they could deal with FEMA,” said Mike Savage, the station’s director and general manager. NPR’s audience has fallen by about 28 percent since 2020. But many of the residents who still tune in really need the information.
After the floods, someone from Hazard, Ky., emailed Savage to say that public radio was her only source of vital information. “We were her lifeline because they had no power, they had no cell service, they had nothing except for listening to our public radio station and getting information every day,” Savage said.
NPR can weather the funding cut, its document predicts, thanks in part to aggrieved listeners: Executives predict a sudden boom in donations if Congress defunds it, as listeners rush to defend their favorite programs. But they will likely give more in big-city markets.
PBS
A taping of “PBS NewsHour.” Jared Soares for The New York Times
Public television in the United States would likely be in worse shape because PBS receives much more of its budget — about 15 percent of $373 million — from the federal government.
There’s something quirky about PBS: Many of the shows operate their own businesses. So marquee programs like “PBS NewsHour” and “Nature” would need to find money elsewhere, such as from donations or syndication.
But again, the member stations, which rely more on public funding than the national organization does, would bear the brunt. Those stations use the money to cover local affairs, often in a news desert. Alaska Public Media, for instance, is a PBS and NPR member station with several local affiliates in rural areas. Those team up with newspapers, including The Daily News-Miner in Fairbanks and The Juneau Empire, to cover state and local governments.
That’s crucial, in part, because reliable sources of information are disappearing from smaller towns across America, said Paula Kerger, the chief executive of PBS. “There isn’t an economic model that would compel commercial broadcasters to have outlets strewn across the state where the population is so sparse,” she said.
Public and broadcasting
It’s not an issue that moves large voting majorities. About a quarter of American adults believe that public media should be defunded, and 43 disagree, according to the Pew Research Center.
In the past, members of Congress have been persuadable. In 1969, as Congress contemplated reducing funding for public media, members invited Fred Rogers, the creator of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” to testify. Lawmakers sat rapt as he quoted a song he’d written about keeping anger under control.
One legislator said that Mister Rogers had given him “goose bumps” and acknowledged that the testimony had saved the day. “Looks like you just earned the $20 million.”
A half-century later, the party that controls Congress is tuning those arguments out. When Mister Rogers’s testimony came up at the hearing last week, one witness said that Congress shouldn’t have listened to him.
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”— Dr Martin Luther King Jr
Opinion | This op-ed could lead to me being deported from the US: I could never have imagined that writing a critical piece about the government could put me at risk of deportation.
America Must Not Remain Silent. A Time Comes When Silence is Betrayal:
The song remains the same…
For 3 days starting June 6, 2020, paddle outs were held by Paddle for Peace take a stand against racism and honor the lives of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The largest paddle out San Diego has ever seen was held at Tourmaline Surfer’s beach followed by 2 additional paddle outs in Ocean Beach and Windansea beach. Community members from all different backgrounds came out to stand on the beach in solidarity or to paddle out alongside other surfers. This day changed the lives of many people and sparked a movement that still holds strong.
Attacks on education are any intentional threat or use of force—carried out for political, military, ideological, sectarian, ethnic, or religious reasons—against students, educators, and education institutions.
Tufts PhD student taken into custody and visa ‘terminated,’ school says Rumeysa Ozturk is a Turkish national, according to her lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai.
Yale professor who studies fascism fleeing US to work in Canada Jason Stanley, who says grandmother fled Berlin with his father in 1939, says US may become ‘fascist dictatorship’
Sue or hold back? The University of California does both as it faces Trump’s wrath Stay informed, effortlessly. Get a sharp, nonpartisan digest of the state’s most important issues, once a week.
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” –Viktor Frankl
Managing Stress and Practicing Self-Compassion-
Harvard doctor: How to reduce stress and silence your inner critic While the source of Americans’ stress varies the effects are the same. We become unproductive, unmotivated, and our own worst critic.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Says Your Overall Happiness and Mental Health May Come Down to 7 Words One simple habit that’s like rocket fuel for your impact and well-being. Mar 29, 2025, Vivek Murthy, US surgeon general. What’s the real meaning of happiness? And how do we actually experience it—not just in fleeting moments, but in a lasting, sustainable way? Too often, happiness is mistaken for an emotion we chase: joy, excitement, pleasure. But those are just the symptoms of happiness, not the root of it.
Harvard-trained expert: 3 quick habits for a happier life—in less than 20 mins/day Most people are wrong about what makes them happy, says Yale psychology professor and Harvard-trained happiness expert Laurie Santos. Here’s what to do about it.
Thanks, this week go to Staci R, Laura H, Grant O, and all of you choosing facts and faith over fear and freezing while fostering advocacy, allyship and agency when it matters most!
Love,
Neville
“The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation,we shall harness for God the energies of love.
And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire!”–Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
All I want for my birthday is a little more kindness and good trouble!
No Bystanding. Now is the Moment for Allyship, Advocacy and Agency!
Historically, 80% of San Diegans have reported strong confidence in the social sector with 81% of residents having benefited from the services of a nonprofit in the last year. Yet 80% of organizations reporting an increased demand for services, with 38% or residents seriously thinking about leaving our county- the least affordable city in the US. And this was all pre-January 2025.
Fast forward the tape to March 2025 and the confluence of the sudden, disruptive current administration’s ending of the historic coexistence between the social sector and the government, while targeting:
DEI (65%)
Immigration & Citizenship (56%)
Arts and Culture (43%)
Gender and Sexual Identity (40%) &
Science & Research (34%)
And this represents a clear and present danger mandating a call to (open) arms if we intend to meet the moment both for the near-term survival of many nonprofits, as well as, with an eye toward the long-term impacts and implications for societal wellbeing.
We must concurrently attend to the fierce urgency of now and play the long game so the at-risk nonprofits and people they serve can thrive, sustain themselves, and retain their sense of psychological safety and dignity!
This burden of proof does not just fall on nonprofits.
Funders, corporations, and foundations must meet this moment with Allyship, FiscalSupport, Advocacy, stand up and be counted on to serve as a Voice for those who can’t, or are afraid to stand up for themselves.
This is as fundamental to the American ethos as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and today might better be “framed” as the Declaration of Inter-dependence!
Let’s neither miss the opportunity nor waste this crisis.
No bystanding, we need upstanding.
We are here for you and your mission is our mission.
Love,
Neville
Why Is the U.S. Falling in the World Happiness Rankings? Blame a Kindness Recession This year, the U.S. sank to No. 24 in the World Happiness rankings. What do the likes of Finland and Denmark have that we don’t? More kindness. Mar 22, 2025 Another year, another occasion for Finns to celebrate. For the eighth year in a row, the Nordic country took the top slot in the World Happiness Report rankings, followed by its neighbors Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden. Where did the U.S. land? One slot down from last year in a decidedly mediocre No. 24.
International Day of Forests arrives amid concerns over Trump’s sweeping logging agenda The world celebrates International Day of Forests on Friday, but President Trump aims to expand American logging and roll back reforestation efforts.
Can you look at these 9 photos and not smile on International Day of Happiness? March 20 was International Happiness Day — a day that the United Nations had dedicated to the celebration of joy. We asked photographers around the world to share a picture that can bring bliss.
A partial solar eclipse will reconnect us with something far greater than ourselves and remind us that “only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars!”
I am not sure what this energy will bring to the birthday fest, but I promise we will be “all in”!
Come commune, connect, and celebrate with us as I celebrate another journey around the sun!
“No Winter Lasts Forever; No Spring Skips Its Turn”
Spring is here!
This week:
What Actions Can Local Nonprofits and Others in the Social Sector Take in Our Current Environment?
‘We are facing an epidemic of demoralization,’ says happiness expert—how to fight it ‘Boreout’ is the new burnout—how to combat it, according to Wharton psychologist
Altruism is actually a fantastic survival strategy
Neuroscience Discovered a Clever Trick for Squeezing More Joy Out of Everyday Pleasures
The Spring Equinox is on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 2:01 am PDT This moment begins the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere.
Translated literally, equinox means “equal night”. On the equinox, the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world. Twelve hours of each, because the sun is positioned above the equator. It is also known as the vernal equinox, “vernal” means fresh or new, and is from the Latin word for spring, which is “ver.” On this day, the sun rises precisely due east and sets due west. The Spring Equinox signifies a rebirth. The duration of light is about to overtake the darkness. After the Spring Equinox, the days become longer and the air warmer.
The soil becomes fertile, and all hibernating life is re-animated. It is a time to plant seeds of growth. The Spring Equinox is a time of renewal – in nature, the home, and in us. More than just physical activity, “spring cleaning” removes any negative energy accumulated over the dark winter months and resonates with the positive growing energy of spring and summer.
The Spring Equinox is a time where there is a special quality of energy – to plant, grow and renew our lives. Energy is emerging from the ground where it has been dormant in the earth since the Winter Solstice.
Wishing you a special day, symbolic of balance in our life and with the environment. Stay in tune with nature and wellness, Billy
What Actions Can Local Nonprofits and Others in the Social Sector Take in Our Current Environment? Here is a 30-minute chat with Megan Thomas, President of Catalyst, Dr. Novian Yarber from the Prebys Foundation and Moi that hopefully you will find useful as you navigate these uncharted waters.
‘We are facing an epidemic of demoralization,’ says happiness expert—how to fight it: We often mistake demoralization for depression, but it’s distinct. “It often appears first, as a warning sign,” says Stephanie Harrison, author of “The New Happy.”
‘Boreout’ is the new burnout—how to combat it, according to Wharton psychologist: Burnout may not be the source of your unhappiness at work. It’s fraternal twin, bore out, could be the problem. Here’s how to manage it, says Adam Grant.
Altruism is actually a fantastic survival strategy: Primate and neuroscience studies tell us a lot about how evolution rewards kindness and cooperation.
Social support is thought to be an adaptive response to extreme stressors.
Stress kills brain cells in the hippocampus.
Strong social connections can act as a buffer in the brain against stress responses!
Neuroscience Discovered a Clever Trick for Squeezing More Joy Out of Everyday Pleasures: Entrepreneurs can’t make the world less crazy, but they can squeeze more joy out of everyday things with this simple trick.
In difficult and uncertain times, it is often impossible to make the larger world less crazy. But you can learn to squeeze more joy out of your everyday life. This is a lesson author Sasha Chapin learned young. “My childhood was unpleasant, and as a coping mechanism, I tried to love, hard, the passably pleasant moments,”
Confront the Brutal Facts but Always Maintain Hope!
Heads Up!
The first part of this week’s missive is political and personal so if you don’t have the stomach for it, I completely understand, just skip to the second part which is a reminder to celebrate the women in our lives.
No bystanding!
Love,
Neville
In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. And then… they came for me… And by that time there was no one left to speak up. –Rev Martin Niemoller, January 1946
As a peaceful warrior, I generally try to model discretion over valor, but this week I am done sitting on the sidelines, and if that means I am “offsides” and “offend” then so be it.
Divisiveness is not my aim, but unless you are a member of the 1st world nations you like me are an immigrant, and we are stronger because of our diversity not because of white supremacy or other narratives that are not reflective of this nation’s history and vibrancy.
Systemic racism, white colonialism and revisionist history will not save this country or planet, no matter how hard to try to hide in its cloaks and daggers.
The greater the hiding, the greater the self-revelation…
If you are torqued by this week’s Soul Food Friday missive, apologies as for more than 15 years, my goal, purpose and aim was to bring some positivity to what seemed like a environment that privileged sensationalism, negativity and polarization, but if I freak you out today, I think it is best that you simply skip, so I don’t trigger you further.
You deserve statis and peace.
Regardless, at least you will know where I stand at this generational crisis which will inevitably have long term implications for those that follow including your kids and grandkids.
More likes are definitely not my metric of success.
While tough to swallow, I am totally cool with being unliked if I am doing the right thing in support and service of others that can’t always be at the table for themselves. Being liked is a social crutch I would prefer to set aside and walk or hobble on my own two feet.
Likes and FOMO have completely messed up the entire “anxious generation” as we post all our bull$#!+ pics of our best selves, living our fabricated and often phony best lives -sometimes with the help of a professional photographer capturing the best shots of an idealized experience that simply does not exist- once we step into your living room and watch you interact with your friends and family.
Alternatively, if you are pumped, jacked, mobilized, emboldened, want to act but don’t know what to do, care deeply but are concerned about downstream consequences and threats, please don’t waste this crisis and let’s make sure your voice is heard.
Do hold space and grace by serving as an ally- no bystanding- human up!- for those who can’t raise their voices for fear of retaliation, targeting, or suffering indignities on top of immense suffering on an unlevel playing field, where social mobility is no longer available to all, and where purported “leaders” would rather kiss Nero’s ring than fess up to the reality that the US is burning and good people stand idly by while the rule of law is threatened, separation of powers is sidelined, the rich get richer on the backs of the poor and middle class, and power corrupts, while absolute power corrupts absolutely!.
Enough is enough…
Can you feel it?
My soul is stirred and meeting the moment this week means speaking truth to power, justice and mercy to cruelty, sanity to inanity, and being present with what is bereft due to social hypnosis, perseverating on risk of loss, or other rationalizations that keep us on the sideline while democracy devolves in front of our eyes.
But that is being nice…
It is time for ME to take a stand. (how about you?)
I know that some of my relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers, associates, and fellow Americans may unfriend me and that would be unfortunate, but I can’t stay quiet!
It is too important.
This is where I stand.
The 47th President, his power-hungry cronies taking positions of authority in his Cabinet and administration, and the majority of Republicans in Congress are a real and active threat to me, my way of life, and all or most of the people I love.
Some people are saying that we should give Trump a chance, that we should “work together” with him because he won the election, and he is “everyone’s president.”
This is my response:
•I will not forget how badly he and so many others treated former President Barack Obama for 8 years…Lies about his legitimacy and hatred for his principles and his attempts to work within the system.
•I will not “work together” to privatize Medicare, cut Social Security and Medicaid.
•I will not “work together” to subvert the Constitution by illegitimately pushing unfit Cabinet nominees through on recess appointments without the advice and consent of the Senate.
•I will not “work together” to build a wall.
•I will not “work together” to persecute Muslims.
•I will not “work together” to shut out refugees from other countries.
•I will not “work together” to lower taxes on the 1% and increase taxes on the middle class and poor.
•I will not “work together” to help Trump use the Presidency to line his pockets and those of his family and cronies.
•I will not “work together” to weaken and demolish environmental protection.
•I will not “work together” to sell American lands, especially National Parks, to companies which then despoil those lands.
•I will not “work together” to enable the killing of whole species of animals just because they are predators, or inconvenient for a few, or because some people want to get their thrills killing them.
•I will not “work together” to remove civil rights from anyone.
•I will not “work together” to alienate countries that have been our allies for as long as I have been alive.
•I will not “work together” to slash funding for education.
•I will not “work together” to take basic assistance from people who are at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.
•I will not “work together” to get rid of common-sense regulations on guns.
•I will not “work together” to eliminate the minimum wage.
•I will not “work together” to support so-called “Right To Work” laws, or undermine, weaken or destroy Unions in any way.
•I will not “work together” to suppress scientific research, be it on climate change, fracking, or any other issue where a majority of scientists agree that Trump and his supporters are wrong on the facts.
•I will not “work together” to criminalize abortion or restrict health care for women.
•I will not “work together” to increase the number of nations that have nuclear weapons.
•I will not “work together” to put even more “big money” into politics.
•I will not “work together” to violate the Geneva Convention.
•I will not “work together” to give the Ku Klux Klan, the Nazi Party and white supremacists a seat at the table, or to normalize their hatred.
•I will not “work together” to deny health care to people who need it.
•I will not “work together” to deny medical coverage to people on the basis of a “pre-existing condition.”
•I will not “work together” to increase voter suppression.
•I will not “work together” to normalize tyranny.
•I will not “work together” to eliminate or reduce ethical oversight at any level of government.
•I will not “work together” with anyone who is, or admires, tyrants and dictators.
•I will not support anyone that thinks it’s OK to put a pipeline to transport oil on Sacred Ground for Native Americans. And, it would run under the Missouri River, which provides drinking water for millions of people. An accident waiting to happen.
•I will not “work together” to legitimize racism, sexism, and authoritarianism.
This is my line, and I am drawing it.
•I WILL stand for honesty, love, respect for all living beings, and for the beating heart that is the center of Life itself.
•I WILL use my voice and my hands, to reach out to the uninformed, and to anyone who will LISTEN:
That “winning”, “being great again”, “rich” or even “beautiful” is nothing… When others are sacrificed to glorify its existence.
I am joining my fellow Americans in this noble and honorable expression of conscience, conviction, justice, morality, faith, commitment, democracy, and informed patriotism.
Zero pressure, but if you agree, it is your turn.
Copy, paste into your email and/or preferred social media platform, add your name to the top and launch a chain.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow.
The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
The Entire World Is Pissed at Trump-and It May Cost the U.S. Big Time Donald Trump’s tariffs aren’t the only thing that will wreck the U.S. economy.
Trump’s regime is fated to collapse: Despite its chest-beating rhetoric, the Trump regime is actually brittle and fated to ineffectiveness, collapse or both.
It’s Time to Ditch the Term DEI We can’t debate its merits when we don’t agree on what it means. On President Donald Trump’s first day back in the White House, he issued an executive order ending diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal government. Its sweeping language forbids DEI “mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities,” and orders the termination of all DEI positions—hundreds if not thousands of roles.
Trump’s FBI Moves to Criminally Charge Major Climate Groups The Trump administration is targeting climate organizations that received a Biden-era grant.
Trump cuts to NOAA already felt in San Diego Cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration affect research and sea monitoring partnerships between NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Banned Articles? Did you know that NOAA recently released a new Climate Literacy Guide? This incredible resource aims to help communicators and decision-makers develop their understanding of climate change—but it was recently scrubbed from their website, severely minimizing its impact and reach. You can at least learn about it here.
Trump’s Assault on Universities Is a Wake-Up Call American higher education would be in a much stronger position today if it had made a proactive case to the public for its own importance—and taken steps to address its very real shortcomings.
Chaos on campuses as schools warn Trump cuts could harm US ‘for decades’ President’s slashes to higher education institutions and research funding threaten US public health
Education Department to slash half its workforce “Employees will not be permitted in any ED facility on Wednesday, March 12th, for any reason,” a message to agency staff Tuesday stated.
“Science is under attack”: Hundreds rally at UC San Diego to protest DOGE cuts From Social Security to the IRS, federal budget cuts under the Trump administration are being felt everywhere. On Friday, the focus turned to science—nationwide and at UC San Diego.
Want to Help Fight ICE Raids? There’s a Map for That. This group has developed a new app to help keep everyone one step ahead of Donald Trump’s deportation schemes
Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Lose Especially when you’re running a country Paul Krugman Mar 12 A note to subscribers: I’ve taken my weekend primer on Social Security out from behind the paywall, partly in response to popular demand but also because it’s relevant to today’s post. This will, I hope, be a fairly short post. That’s partly because my schedule is really tight at the moment and I don’t have time for detailed analysis. But it’s also because I don’t want too much analysis to clutter up a very simple point: The two most powerful men in America have gone stark raving mad. I don’t say this because I disagree with their ideologies or believe that they have very bad policy ideas. That’s been true for quite a few politicians over the years. But while I’ve always considered, say, Mitch McConnell a malign influence on America, while I described Paul Ryan as a flimflam man, I never questioned their sanity. And yes, I’m well aware of the dangers involved in questioning people’s mental stability from afar, especially in a political context. I personally have been the target of that sort of thing, back when people accused me of being unhinged for suggesting that the Bush administration was taking us to war on false pretenses. But I don’t see how you can look at recent statements by Donald Trump and Elon Musk without concluding that both men have lost their grip on reality. News reports still tend to sanewash what our leaders have been saying, and even selected quotations often make them sound more rational than they are. Fortunately, both are addicted to posting on social media, and you really have to read some of their posts to get a full sense of the madness. So here’s Trump, ranting against Canada: Leave aside the nonsensical claims that Canada is a high-tariff nation subsidized by the United States. When Trump first began talking about turning Canada into the 51st state, many people treated it as a joke. But Trump doesn’t appear to be in on the joke. He just keeps doubling down, even as the people of Canada grow ever more outraged. No sane leader would imagine that it’s a good idea to threaten a heretofore friendly but proudly patriotic neighbor and ally with annexation. But a sane leader is exactly what we don’t have. Then there’s Elon Musk. Surely almost everyone except Trump realizes that DOGE has been a bust; despite unprecedented and often illegal access to government agencies, it has yet to come up with any credible major examples of waste or fraud. Even Musk, I suspect, knows at some level that he’s failing. But like Trump on Canada, he just keeps doubling down. Consider Musk’s quickly and easily refuted claim that tens of millions of dead people are receiving Social Security checks. This was a deeply embarrassing error, one that would have killed most people’s political careers. Still, Musk might have been able to ride it out by admitting that his minions had failed to understand the Social Security Administration’s databases. But no. Musk has reiterated his claim that we’re making huge payments to dead people, and is now insisting that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, showing that he hasn’t made any effort to understand how the bedrock of American retirement works. Musk’s obsession with supposed fraud in Social Security is looking a lot like Trump’s obsession with annexing Canada; apparently he simply can’t admit error, even to himself, and change course. And then there’s this: Of course, illegal immigrants don’t receive Social Security benefits, because they don’t have valid Social Security numbers. But that’s almost trivial compared with Musk’s open endorsement of the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, according to which liberals are deliberately luring nonwhite immigrants to America to tilt the electorate in their favor. This is the conspiracy theory that inspired torch-carrying marchers in Charlottesville to chant “Jews will not replace us.” And look beyond what Trump and Musk have said to the actions of the people they’ve chosen to oversee key public agencies. Robert F. Kennedy, the secretary of health and human services, refuses to respond to a measles outbreak with a clear call for vaccinations, instead suggesting that people take cod liver oil. The secretary of agriculture has suggested that Americans respond to high egg prices by raising their own chickens. How did the highest levels of U.S. government become infected by madness? Well, this is what you get when you give flawed people — people prone to grandiosity, vindictiveness and paranoia — so much power that nobody dares tell them when they’re going too far. Cowed Republicans and timid Democrats have effectively given Trump and Musk the freedom to become the worst versions of themselves. And the whole world will pay the price.
Happy International Women’s Day. Here are the best female composers of all time Our guide to the best female composers from history, many of whom have historically been wrongly excluded from the canon. Let’s put that right – get to know their music now!
Let’s meet the moment, to our own selves be true, and be active agents of democracy and uplifting humanity, not passive victims of a system that serves the few on the backs of many.
It is time to show up. NOW!
Thanks this week to Ken D for the spark, Chris B for some links, Charles B for reminding me its ok to be disliked and you for speaking truth to power!
Love,
Neville
“Remember that all through history, there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they seem invincible.
Meet Hugo, the dog who loves to duet with Pavarotti Hugo, aka Opera Dog, is an adorable Golden Retriever with a passion for opera. And for the voice of one operatic superstar in particular… Especially cats and dogs – can have the most brilliant reactions to music. The sound of a rousing symphony or a heartfelt aria can seem to touch them deeply, in ways that we will probably never fully understand but are just totally adorable.
“Trials, temptations, disappointments — all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly.
They not only test the fiber of a character, but strengthen it.
Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy.
Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before”
— James Buckham
Even the Heart Pumps Blood to Itself First, So Keep Self Care and Self Compassion an Integral Part of Your Practice-
Neuroscience Says 2 Minutes a Day Can Make You Less Stressed, More Focused, and Even Increase the Size of Your Brain Entrepreneurs are typically torn in a lot of different directions. This type of (in)activity provides clear cognitive benefits.
“If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees.
if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”
– Chinese proverb
Wonder is the Beginning of Wisdom-
Simply jaw-dropping: The best 31 wildlife photos of 2025 (so far) From playful polar bears to a kingfisher with a very cold bottom. February 24, 2025, The prestigious World Nature Photography Awards have revealed this year’s winners, with the top prize going to – drum roll, please – a breathtaking aerial photo of two deer running through a snow-covered vineyard. The photo below, taken by Slovenian photographer Maruša Puhek, won the top prize out of hundreds of entries from around the world.
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.“— Confucius
Given my penchant to say “yes” to the universe at my own peril, I get many queries about topics of import from all walks of life including from conscious business leaders, non-profit organizations, educators, influencers, wisdom traditionalists, students, neighbors and more…
In the last week, I got a real interesting set of questions with respect to communications specifically:
When working with leaders I talk about recognizing the difference between our assets and weapons.
As I see it, our two greatest assets as leaders are our (a) people and (b) self-reflection.
Our greatest weapon, however, is communication.
So,
1. How would you create a culture of communication in your brand, businesses, or leadership?
2. What would be significant communication hurdles you’d look to solve for by doing this?
Here is my response for the good or the order and, if appropriate, to disrupt the freakin’ disorder:
Note: Communications is my passion, discipline, and superpower so as Lynyrd Skynyrd would say, “I know a little ‘bout it, and baby I guess the rest” so please use what’s useful and discard the rest!
Welcome your thoughts too, Soul Food Community of several thousand strong, and got it going on…
Context (for me in the spirit of full transparency):
“Communication is the real work of leadership.”– Nitin Nohria
Even as a practicing lifetime peaceful warrior, steeped in the martial arts traditions for nearly 50 years, I am working hard to take the war language out of communications, as I don’t find it reflective of our current needs as individuals and as a culture, and unintentionally reinforces a command-and-control leadership/adversarial framework v. a collaborative/collective wisdom orientation.
There is a whole body of work around this that is way above my pay grade:
Western Science and Eastern Wisdom Traditions, they work together
Strengths-Based Frameworks not a Deficit Model, we are not motivated by our deficits
Leadership is Inside Out not Outside In, its not performative, its authentic- own it!
We > Me Collective Wisdom not just Individual Achievement, no one of us is as smart as ALL of us
Cultural Competencies not just Success Strategies: “Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast” as Peter Drucker famously reminds us
Moving From Problem Solving to the “other” AI- Appreciative Inquiry:
Informed by Positive Organizational Scholarship:
Imagine a world in which almost all organizations are typified by greed, selfishness, manipulation, secrecy, and a single-minded focus on winning. Wealth creation is the key indicator of success. Imagine that members of such organizations are characterized by distrust, anxiety, self-absorption, fear, burnout, and feelings of abuse. Conflict, lawsuits, contract breaking, retribution, and disrespect characterize many interactions and social relationships. Imagine also that scholarly researchers investigating these organizations emphasize theories of problem solving, reciprocity and justice, managing uncertainty, overcoming resistance, achieving profitability, and competing successfully against others.
For the sake of contrast, now imagine another world in which almost all organizations are typified by appreciation, collaboration, virtuousness, vitality, and meaningfulness. Creating abundance and human well-being are key indicators of success. Imagine that members of such organizations are characterized by trustworthiness, resilience, wisdom, humility, high levels of positive energy. Social relationships and interactions are characterized by compassion, loyalty, honesty, respect, and forgiveness. Significant attention is given to what makes life worth living. Imagine that scholarly researchers emphasize theories of excellence, transcendence, positive deviance, extraordinary performance, and positive spirals of flourishing.
Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) does not reject the value and significance of the phenomena of the first world view. Rather, it emphasizes the phenomena represented in the second world view. A focus on competition and profitability in the first world view, for example, is crucial for understanding organizational survival and success. The second world view merely calls attention to phenomena that represent positive deviance—phenomena that have received limited scholarly attention in organizational studies. Most organizational theories and empirical research have, heretofore, adopted assumptions and variables that are more typical of the first world view than the second.
—
That said, I love assets and consider communications a meta competency that transcends and informs other skills that are critical to conscious and authentic leadership.
I consider the trifecta of skill sets, mindset, and heart set to be the building blocks for leadership from within (intrapersonal) and communication a meta competency for connecting, engaging, and influencing others (interpersonal)
This might be all semantics to you, but language matters to me!
With that said here goes…
How would you create a culture of communication in your brand, businesses, or leadership?
Assess present state
What is the climate/culture now?
What are the positive deviants already modeling and behaving into the future state?
Is the future state a compelling vision that everyone knows, owns, and is energized by?
Are those modeling the heart/mind/skill sets being affirmed and recognized?
“Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to
struggle for shared aspirations.”
—Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner: The Leadership Challenge
Define future state in the language of your tribe
Having values like trust and integrity or competencies like communications and a service orientation are great but define them in the context of what these actually look like in your enterprise with actual examples.
Make these values a critical component of evaluative and developmental opportunities such as annual reviews, organizational goals, brand stories, etc.
For example, your annual review could have 3 parts; goals, values, and discretionary effort (weighted differently) but all assessed with periodicity. (That’s what we do at Mission Fed…)
Use the Positive Org Scholarship criteria above to continue to help the individuals and org behave into the future state.
If Leadership is a skill, then by definition it can be taught!
Lead each gathering, meeting, training, with a “mission story” that incorporates these elements and integral to your brand experience and differentiation
What would be significant communication hurdles you’d look to solve for by doing this?
Tone at the Top- are senior leaders modeling these behaviors or just asking others to do it? Am I doing it?
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” -Rumi
Tolerance for Misalignment- tolerating poor communicators (typically a function of ego-myopia and self-interest v. collective interest) suggesting these are flexible criteria not sacrosanct
Map against the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team (see below)
For example, a low trust environment breeds negative conditions that preclude moving up the ladder to commitment, accountability, and results.
“Preach the Gospel at all times.
And if you must, use words if necessary.” – St. Francis of Assisi
Hope this provides some wind in your sails as YOU navigate turbulent seas, with your leadership chops at the helm, communication skills as your rudder, and trust at your keel…
Thaks this week go to Kai H and Jeff H for the prompt, thought leaders Dr. Danny F, Eric K, and Dr. Alan D, as well as Dr. Herb S and Dr. Dan H. at UC San Diego’s Comm Dept. for the foundational principles and practices in Communications.
Happy Soul Food Friday! 