Your Soul Food for Friday Dec 6th, 2024: The Power of Now, Doing Good is Good for You and Hope is More Powerful Than Mindfulness

This week:

The Power of Now:

Doing Good is Good for You, Research Shows:
Altruism, such as volunteering and donating, has been shown to improve happiness and well-being, and may be fundamental to being human.

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

Hope Can Be More Powerful Than Mindfulness:
In difficult times, a forward-looking mindset may be especially helpful. In troubling times, how do we move forward? What mindsets help us bounce back from adversity?

Hope Can Be More Powerful Than Mindfulness | Scientific American

And some righteous humor-

These Babies are Hilarious Imitators!

(20) The Instigator on X: “Babies are shameless 😂😂 https://t.co/Jv9OvLEFqA” / X

Pay it forward with purpose!

Love,

Neville

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
X: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Your Soul Food Friday for the Week of Thanksgiving 2024: “Enoughness is a Radical Act in an Economy that is Always Urging us to Consume More”

This week:

“Enough-ness is a radical act in an economy that is always urging us to consume more”

 (8-minute listen on All Things Considered)

What humanity could learn from natural ecosystems, according to a botanist : NPR

(20) Restoring Your Faith in Humanity on X: “She knew the right thing to do for this little family was to let them say their last goodbyes, too, and know why their little sister wasn’t around anymore. These pets deserve closure too. 😭❤️ https://t.co/mWlxHdpc90” / X

14 Signs Your Dog Loves You: How Do Dogs Show You Love? – PureWow Publisher

If you are local-

Reminder: Free Event

We need your voice and viewpoint to create a better future!

Gig Alert!

Drivin the Bus will be at the Loma Club on Sunday Dec 1 from 1 to 4pm outdoors at our second to last gig of 2024.

Kid and Pet friendly venue and no cover charge.

Loma Club – Drivin’ The Bus

Love,

Neville

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
X: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Your Soul Food for Friday 11/22/24: “What if economics didn’t start with money but with human wellbeing”?

This week:

“What if economics didn’t start with money but with human wellbeing”?

Did you know that even the creators of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) felt it was an inadequate measure as it does not count intangible upsides like Taylor Swift’s IP or the value of Childcare, or on the other side of the ledger, the adverse consequences and downsides like climate change, deforestation, ocean apocalypse, extreme heat, etc.

We are putting together a San Diego Doughnut Portrait with CalDEC (California Doughnut Economics Coalition) to solve for this important but complex question- in partnership with academia, business, government, and the social sector (nonprofits and philanthropy)

If you are not familiar with the body of work here is a 15-minute primer: Kate Raworth’s TED Talks: Why it’s time for Doughnut Economics

If you are local, please join us for this San Diego Doughnut Portrait Session on December 5th from 4-5:30pm

RSVP at the Link below and we can send you more deets and see you there:

Do these 3 things to feel happier today—they take less than 10 minutes

Pharrell – Happy (Puppy & Doggy Version) – YouTube

If you are local-

Gig Alert

Strange Crew – Clapton Tribute Night! | Duck Foot Brewing Co

Come join us for Strange Crew’s last show of 2024…

Thanks to Chris B for the Happy Puppy Vid!

Please pay if forward.

Love,

Neville

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
X: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Your Soul Food for Veteran’s Day Week 20024: Love Big and How to Bounce Back

Happy Soul Food Friday

This week:

Thank you for your service!

45 Veterans Day Quotes to Say Thank You For Your Service

The No. 1 type of person we need in life: They ‘help us feel our best’

Arthur Brooks Shares What Habits Are Barriers To Happiness

(18) 𝕐o̴g̴ on X: “He’s a professional..🐕🐾🛹😍 https://t.co/0pRW6KNTyS” / X

Please pay if forward with purpose.

Love,

Neville

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
X: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Your Soul Food for the first week of November 2024: Sage Advice from Legends

Happy Soul Food!

Getting this missive in this week before election madness.

In Memoriam- One of the most influential forces in music:

Quincy Jones, music legend who shaped Michael Jackson’s career, dies – Los Angeles Times

Enjoy some sage advice from a legend, who demonstrated that if you want to be a master of your craft, you have to be a consummate student!

Put your soul into your art!

A whole series of mistakes, one day becomes experience…

The Best Advice: (3 minutes)

The Best Advice Quincy Jones Ever Got

Quincy Jones’s 10 Rules for Success: (12 minutes)

You’re (Probably) Killing Your Creative Potential! | Quincy Jones

Plus-

The Legacy of Ratan Tata: Leading on Purpose and Uplifting a Country

The Great Business Leader You May Never Have Heard Of

Here is to fully loving yourself and manifesting your greatness!

Please pay if forward.

Love,

Neville

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
X: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Your Soul Food for Halloween Week 2024: Fear Nothing!

This week:

I may die today

I may die today

And as I go on with my life, it’s clear that with every moment, the uncertainty of this statement diminishes while its certainty grows.

Yes, I may die today

And when that moment comes, the only thing that will matter is how I made everyone feel in each of my interactions.

Yes, I may die today

The core of my character defines how I live and what motivates my every action.

Beyond what I say, my character speaks volumes about who I am.

Ethics, character, principles, consciousness, and morality define who I am.

This election could be the last one I vote in. Yes, policies are important—but only if they arise from a consciousness grounded in ethical and moral values. My vote reflects who I am and what truly matters to me in my life and in my relationship with you.

“I may die today” is a Tibetan mantra that reminds us of our priorities in life.

(20) B-jay on X: “”Happy Halloween” Check out this dog dressed as a giant spider. Good fun! https://t.co/4zW69lpQh6″ / X

(20) NewYorkCityKopp on X: “🎃🎃🎃🎃 New Yorkers are practicing the “Thriller” dance today, which is the favorite part of the West Village Halloween Parade in New York City every year 🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟 New York City’s 51st Annual VILLAGE HALLOWEEN PARADE is Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 7 pm. Presented LIVE on https://t.co/4j1PEHaAzM” / X

If you are up for some live music and the classic jams, Drivin the Bus has gigs all around San Diego, on Oct 31st (Halloween) and Nov 3.

Drivin’ The Bus | California’s Premiere All-Star Jam Band

Hearty thanks this week go to Mehrad N, Eric K, & Drivin the Bus.

Please pay if forward with purpose and play it like you mean it!

Love,

Neville

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
X: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Your Soul Food for Friday Oct 25, 2024: Enjoy the Sounds Around Us, Breathwork for Beginners, Tchaikowsky’s Cure for Worry and the NCPC Volunteer Awards Celebration

This week:

  • How to enjoy the music and sounds of the world that surrounds us
    Breathwork for Beginners: What to Know and How to Get Started
  • The Tchaikovsky Cure for Worry
  • NCPC Volunteer Awards Celebration where ticket sales close Oct 25th

Join us at this annual celebration of philanthropists that invest their time not necessarily their money…

‘Ear-marvellous’: how to enjoy the music and sounds of the world that surrounds us | Music | The Guardian

Breathwork: Techniques, Benefits & Who Should Avoid It

The Tchaikovsky Cure for Worry – The Atlantic

If you are local-

Join us at this annual celebration of philanthropists that invest their time not necessarily their money and change lives and communities in San Diego…

North County Philanthropy Council

Please pay if forward with purpose, passion, and punditry.

Love,

Neville

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
X: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Your Soul Food for the Week of Columbus/Indigenous/Explorer’s Week 2024: Prepare to be Moved!

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

  • The Case for Explorers’ Day
  • The Pleasure Principle
  • A New Model for Assessing Mental Health
  • An Updated Reframing of Stress and Addressing It
  • 5 science-backed habits that will actually make you happier
  • Brunch with a View Gala to Support Mental Health, Oct 19th at Viewpoint Brewing in Del Mar
  • The Zen Den Experience at Cause SD Oct 23, 2024: From Purpose to Action

The Case for Explorers’ Day:
This year, I won’t be celebrating Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day. More than 530 years after Christopher Columbus led an expedition across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World, many Americans still see the navigator as a symbol of their country’s origins. Others see him as a progenitor of colonialism, enslavement, and genocide. So, the day that honors him, the second Monday of October, is unusually polarizing among federal holidays.

Here is an alternative consideration…

The Case for Explorers’ Day – The Atlantic

While Astronauts Probe Outer Space, Psycho-Nauts Probe Inner Space

What we can do to help ourselves and others navigate the journey towards joy and happiness…

The Pleasure Principle:

Moons ago, Dr. Paul Pearsall, elegantly blending neuropsychology and the kahuna traditions, inviting us to go beyond the conventional questions to determine our health and wellbeing we hear in our average of “7 minute annual doctor visits” – from gleaning familial history, to our diet and what we ate, to exercise and how much and how often, to our stress level and how stressed we felt, to asking if we were happy!

Many with genetic predispositions, lousy diets, limited exercise, and high levels of stress, seemed to offset these “preconditions” because they loved what they were doing and self-reported as happy.

The Pleasure Principal matters!

BTW, this is not an excuse to eat poorly or be coach potatoes, but speaks to the power of pleasure in our lives…

You deserve Joy!

A New Model for Assessing Mental Health:

Recent frameworks, rather that simply focus on symptomology and severity of symptoms, adds an additional dimension to the consideration set on the “WHY” axis; namely flourishing or languishing.

Some of us have tons of symptoms but are seemingly flourishing. Others are asymptomatic but seem to be languishing.

DSM-5 “labeling” is less about helping us, and more about managing cost (not managing care) in a system that cares more about money management than real people issues, so explore both symptoms and the languishing/flourishing continuum for your own wellbeing!

An Updated Reframing of Stress and Addressing It:

Our old model for dealing with stress, asked limiting questions such as “how do I cope”?
The new model posits higher order questions and reframing like when demands exceed resources, we are stressed, so it is up to us to resource ourselves, rather than hunker down, bite the bullet and pretend nothing is happening…

If you just need some modest tweaks to your current state, the next link will help you resituate.

If things are a bit more severe than that, for you or loved ones, please consider professional support like Fundamental Health with “Brunch with a View” happening locally on October 19th (read on)

5 science-backed habits that will actually make you happier:
They’re all easy, don’t worry.

stylist.co.uk/health/mental-health/how-to-be-happy-habits-backed-by-science/892848

If You Are Local-

The Brunch with a View Gala to Support Mental Health, Oct 19th at Viewpoint Brewing in Del Mar:

Wyatt Hinshaw, Founder & CEO of Fundamental Health, is joined by the mother (Cate) of Fundamental Health’s first client, to chat about the mission of the organization and how Fundamental Health connected Cate’s son with a health provider that changed the son’s life. Hinshaw and Cate discuss Fundamental Health’s impact since its December 2022 inception, along with the October 19, 2024 “Brunch with a View Gala” that will be held at the Viewpoint Brewing Company, with me co-hosting this podcast interview.

“Brunch With A View Gala” to B – Spotlight on the Community – Apple Podcasts

If this resonated, you can register here:

Brunch with a View (givebutter.com)

Cause SD Oct 23, 2024: From Purpose to Action

Join us Oct 23, 2024, from 8am to 5pm at the Sharp Prebys Innovation and Education Center

Cause San Diego 2024 Cause Conference – From Purpose to Action

Use the Code:   Causeconf30off and get 30% off the ticket price and connect with kindred spirits to do purposeful work both for yourself and at the systems level.

You can Tune up and Tune in at the Mission Fed Zen Den with massage stations, yoga, singing bowls, breath breaks and 13 practitioners offering you personalized self-care all day!

See you there.

Pay if forward with purpose.

Love,

Neville

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
X: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Your Soul Food for Friday Oct 11, 2024: Happiness in Living, True Purpose in Life and Creating a New Economic Model for Our Society

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

“What if economics didn’t start with money but with human wellbeing”?

Finding True Purpose in Life and Introducing Doughnut Economics- a New Economic Model for San Diego at Cause SD 2024

Let’s Get Personal-

Happiness in Living:

Why do YOU get up in the morning?

Ikigai: A Japanese Concept to Improve Work and Life (getpocket.com)

4 Questions to Launch Your Self-Assessment:

  • Do you spend most of your time doing what you love?
  • Are you good at what you do?
  • Do you have the feeling that what you do contributes to the communities of which you are a part?
  • Do you feel rewarded for what you do?

Finding your IKIGAI: the need for a new economic model | Eddy Van Hemelrijck | TEDxAntwerp (youtube.com)

The 10 Rules of Ikigai:

10 rules of ikigai, from authors of the Japanese secret for longevity (ampproject.org)

A Little More History and Context:

‘Ikigai’ – The Japanese concept of finding purpose in life – Japan Today

Working at the Systems Level & Introducing Doughnut Economics-

Doughnut Economics a New Economic Model:

Find Your BeCause

If you are local, here is a unique opportunity for the Soul Food Friday community

Cause San Diego 2024 Cause Conference – From Purpose to Action

Oct 23, 2024, from 8am to 5pm at the Sharp Prebys Innovation and Education Center

Use the Code:   Causeconf30off and get 30% off the ticket price and connect with kindred spirits to do purposeful work both for yourself and at the systems level.

We will be sharing a San Diego Doughnut Economics Portrait, and Mission Fed is sponsoring a Zen Den where you can get complimentary wellness and self-care sessions all day in multi-modalities from massage to relaxation to acupuncture and more…

More on the Doughnut-

How Do We Measure Success?

“What if economics didn’t start with money but with human wellbeing”?

Even the creators of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) felt it was an inadequate measure as it does not count intangible upsides like Taylor Swift’s IP or the value of Childcare, or on the other side of the ledger, the adverse consequences and downsides like climate change, deforestation, ocean apocalypse, extreme heat, etc.

We are putting together a San Diego Doughnut Portrait with CalDEC (California Doughnut Economics Coalition) to solve for this important but complex question- in partnership with academia, business, government, and the social sector (nonprofits and philanthropy)

If you are not familiar with the work here is a 15-minute primer: Kate Raworth’s TED Talks: Why it’s time for Doughnut Economics

The best way to predict the future is to create it!

Please pay it forward and share your positivity with others.

Love,

Neville

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
X: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Your Soul Food for Oct 4 2024: A Human Problem

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

Confront the Brutal Facts-


Earth just sweltered through the hottest summer in recorded history:
Amid an onslaught of lethal heat, surging disease and record-breaking storms, global temperatures this summer climbed to the highest levels on record.

Earth had its hottest August in 175-year record | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov)

A critical system of Atlantic Ocean currents could collapse as early as the 2030s, new research suggests
It uses state-of-the-art models to estimate the shutdown could happen between 2037 and 2064, and that it’s more likely than not to collapse by 2050.

Atlantic Ocean currents could collapse as early as the 2030s, new research suggests | CNN

The Coming Population Collapse:

The coming population collapse. A generation ago, magazines and… | by Subhash Kak | Medium

But Always Retain Hope-

Teens invent remarkable device while searching for way to save community: ‘Can be implemented anywhere in the world’
The team intentionally designed its product for use in even the poorest areas of the world. Beyza and Diyar are two members of the Turkish Team Ceres, runners-up in the Earth Prize who created a new crop-boosting technology called Plantzma. Euronews reported that the idea came from Beyza’s reading on exoplanets, faraway planets orbiting stars other than the sun. “I was reading NASA’s articles so much, and NASA has so much work about plasma and its wide range of uses,” she told the publication.

Teens invent remarkable device while searching for way to save community: ‘Can be implemented anywhere in the world’ (thecooldown.com)

These reviled birds of prey literally save people’s lives
As a young man in the 1990s, walking to school in New Delhi, Anant Sudarshan would watch the vultures perched along telephone wires, waiting for the discards of nearby leather tanning factories. So, when the birds started to disappear, he couldn’t help but notice…

When India’s vultures nearly went extinct in, human deaths followed | Vox

UC San Diego Launches New Graduation Requirement, Bolstering Climate Change Education

Rolling out this fall, the Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement honors the memory of beloved professor, climate champion

UC San Diego Launches New Graduation Requirement, Bolstering Climate Change Education (ucsd.edu)

Please do your part and pay it forward!
Love,
Neville
 
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria
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