Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on May 1^st , halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.

May is also Mental Health Awareness Month

So, are you languishing or flourishing?

The need for mental health support is not new, but access to resources has become increasingly important for many in our community as we have collectively navigated stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and many other consequential world events.

 To that end, here is access to relevant resources and some stories of flourishing humans in all walks of life.

Keep flourishing!

Where could you turn up the volume on your Self-Care?

Above All Connect!

As humans, we are designed for connection and relationship. We thrive together. We grow together. We learn together.

And while time alone to reflect, meditate, or take a solo adventure is nice and much needed, we also feel the negative impact of isolation and disconnection.

Throw in the rapid rate of innovation and technological developments, and we find ourselves in a rather interesting time. On paper, we are more connected than ever before, yet so many of us feel completely disconnected, lonely, and depressed.

To our detriment, we have adopted the relationship-building model of a mile wide and an inch deep, prioritizing followers as a sort of credibility builder or badge as an influencer. But with all the energy we put into our phones, we can’t forget what connection looked like and felt like before we had these computers in our hands.

I am not saying that having lots of followers or “friends” in the social media world is a bad thing, or saying that having access to a world of information at our fingertips is a bad thing.

However, we still need to slow down, untether ourselves from our gadgets once in a while, and connect in a different, dare we say, more human way. Call it the inch wide and a mile deep approach to connection building.

This month, why not invest your time in connection that doesn’t depend on technology. Get ready to open your hearts and feel part of something very special. Being connected matters!

Americans Need to Feel More Wonder in Their Lives:

Wonder Can Help Our Mental Health and Sense of Wellbeing…

Weekly Dose of Wonder : NPR

“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”
Greek Proverb

We asked, you answered: What’s your secret to staying optimistic in gloomy times?
From watching the sun rise — yeah, it’s a cliche but it works! — to dancing to techno music, to doing good for others to just plain smiling, readers share what gives them optimism in times of trouble.

What’s your secret to staying optimistic? Readers weigh in : Goats and Soda : NPR

This Is How Long You Need To Go Outside To Improve Your Sleep
You can completely reset your body clock just by walking out your front door.

This Is How Long You Need To Go Outside To Improve Your Sleep | HuffPost UK Life (huffingtonpost.co.uk)

Preventing Burnout Is Now Job One for Bosses
Protecting the bottom line means putting people first. These 7 strategies can protect your teams.

Preventing burnout is now the number one job for bosses. These 7 strategies can protect your teams | Fortune Well

Pay isn’t a substitute for treating people well.
if leaders are kind, incentives are rewards to appreciate. But if leaders are jerks, incentives become threats to avoid.
Selfish bosses turn carrots into controlling sticks. In the long run, the best way to win is to care.

-Adam Grant

Speaking of Great Leadership if you are local:

Join my good friend Eric K at his book launch at Warwick’s in La Jolla on May 31^st at 7:30pm

“Eric crashed the Gateless Gate of Zen wisdom and applied it to leadership, so you don’t have to.”  

I’m stoked to share my new book, Leadership Breakdown, and to invite you to my book launch at Warwick’s, on May 31st at 7:30pm.
I promise that our hour together will be one of connection, delight, and illumination, and I can’t wait to introduce you to my leadership ideas and tools. Jamie Wheal, New York Times best selling author said that “Eric crashed the Gateless Gate of Zen wisdom and applied it to leadership, so you don’t have to.”  

Please reserve a seat and a book at Warwick’s. And be sure to stay for the book signing that will immediately follow the presentation. 

Looking forward to sharing, and to chatting about wisdom, love, and power. 

Eric Kaufmann, Executive Guide 

Author: Four Virtues of a Leader l Leadership Breakdown

Thought Leader: Institute of Coaching @ Harvard

TEDx Speaker: Courage is NOT what you think

O: (619) 668-8500 l M: (619) 944-2090 l W: sagatica.com

Other Inspirational Stories about Service Before Self-

A pilot takes a big risk to save a skydiver’s life:
In 1970, Alan Ayers was preparing himself for a skydiving competition in Gainesville, Florida. It wasn’t the first time he’d jumped out of a plane, but it was almost his last.

A pilot takes a big risk to save a skydiver’s life : NPR

Shrimp Boat Captain from Texas Wins International Goldman Environmental Prize:

Wilson noticed problems in the water and started a nearly four-decade fight to get a local chemical company, Formosa, to stop dumping harmful plastics in the water. She won a $50 million court case against the company. Now, she is the winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize, which honors grassroots environmental activists around the world.

Shrimp boat captain from Texas wins international Goldman Environmental Prize | Here & Now (wbur.org)

Feeling a bit more centered?

Keep flourishing and pay it forward!

Love,

Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria 

Happy Soul Food Friday

This week:

A Tribute to the Inimitable Harry Belafonte:

This spontaneous breakout into song at USA for Africa is worth the watch and listen!

Want to know who all the talent in that room were?

You can scroll through the comments at the bottom of the vid, or click here:

USA for Africa – Wikipedia

USA for Africa also held a benefit event, Hands Across America, in which approximately seven million people held hands in a human chain for fifteen minutes along a path across the continental United States. Participants paid ten dollars to stand in line and the money raised was used to fight hunger and homelessness in Africa. The combined revenues raised from the sales of “We Are the World” and Hands Across America was almost $100 million in 1985.

Celebrating Sensei Fumio Demura:

The traditional martial arts world lost a legend this week.

Sensei Demura, the legit stunt double as Sensei Miyagi in the Karate Kid movies, and a martial artist par excellence passed away this week.

Competing at his tournaments was a treat.

Training under him was a gift.

Teaching with him was an inspiration.

Remembering him and keeping the practice alive is an honor!

You can get a flavor for his technical virtuosity here:

 BEST of Fumio Demura 出村 文男 • Action Montage – YouTube

And here is something Demura Sensei wrote about the role of a karate Sensei:

 “The person you refer to as ‘Sensei’ is in that position for a valid reason. It seems today I hear a lot of former students or ex-black belts disrespecting their Sensei for a myriad of reasons. To better help you understand why a Sensei deserves, or let me put it a better way, demands your respect let me lay it out for you.

The Sensei is the one who has dedicated their life to the art they teach you. You will never have as many years of dedication in because you came after them.

The Sensei is the one who spent many days and nights opening their dojo, cleaning it, making it better…for YOU.

The Sensei is the one who has made sacrifices you will never understand just so you have a place to train, to learn and gain in your art.

The Sensei is the one who, often at great costs, has given up their free time, their family time…time they could be out doing many other things just so you can learn and train.

The Sensei is the one who has invested thousands of dollars in their own training just to learn how to teach you properly.

The Sensei is the one who has often broken bones, but still showed up to teach class. Torqued muscles, tendons and had strains but still showed up to teach class. Had a migraine, was sick, had a bad day…but still showed up to teach class. All these things are excuses why you miss class.

The Sensei often goes without so that the dojo and students will be taken care of. This means they give up having nice things at times, vacations, going out to dinner, hanging out with friends and family…all so you can learn Karate.

The Sensei has spent more time in a dojo than most of you that train with them have been alive.

The Sensei is the one who is always there for your training.

The Sensei quite often sees a need and fills a need for their students. They see that poor kid who has little of anything and needs sparring gear and they just go ahead and get it for them. They see the student who is struggling to come up with funds to buy their own weapons for Kobudo and just buys extras so they can participate. They see their adult students losing their jobs and says, “Don’t worry about paying til you’re caught up”. This is the role the Sensei plays, and it demands respect.

I can sit here and think of a thousand more reasons why you should never, ever disrespect your Sensei too…but, in all honesty, I shouldn’t have to. I shouldn’t have had to even write this blog…but, then again, people live in a shallow world these days. Perhaps we should step out of it, be bigger and better, and then the world will change.

Respect your Sensei, take care of your Sensei, honor your Sensei…because, one day, your Sensei will no longer be around.”

– Fumio Demura

I was the sole survivor of a plane crash. This is what I learned in eight days alone in the jungle:
Annette Herfkens was on holiday with her fiancé when their plane went down, killing everyone but her.

Three decades later, she reflects on how the trauma changed her.

I was the sole survivor of a plane crash. This is what I learned in eight days alone in the jungle | Plane crashes | The Guardian

I jumped out of a plane to learn the benefits of stress:
It turns out that within moderation, stress can even be good for you.

I jumped out of a plane to learn the benefts of stress | Anxiety | The Guardian

Mums Are Tying Ribbons To Their Bags For A Really Wonderful Reason:
“This is an antidote to loneliness, comparison, division, fear of being rebuffed when supporting others,” says therapist Anna Mathur, who came up with the idea.

Mums Are Tying Ribbons To Their Bags For A Really Wonderful Reason | HuffPost UK Parents (huffingtonpost.co.uk)

Carpe Diem!

Thanks this week go to Arman S-B for the Harry Belafonte link, to Sensei Demura for a lifetime of service, and to musicians, martial artists, and mothers everywhere.

Love,

Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

“Language is surely too small a vessel to contain these emotions of mind and body that have somehow awakened a response in the spirit.” — Radclyffe Hall

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

Changes in Attitudes, Inter-Species Relationships, Plant Intelligence, Animals’ ‘sixth sense’, Lessons Dogs Can Teach Us, and Crises Make Us Kinder

Murphy, a furniture dealer from Dublin, decided toexpand the line of furniture in his store, so he decided to go to Paris to see what he could find.

After arriving in Paris, he visited with some manufacturers and selected a line that he thought would sell well back home.  To celebrate the new acquisition, he decided to visit a small bistro  and have a glass of wine.

As he sat enjoying his wine, he noticed that the small place was quite crowded, and that the other chair at his table was the only vacant seat in the house.  Before long, a very beautiful young Parisian girl came to his table, asked him something in French (which Murphy could not understand), so he motioned to the vacant chair and invited her to sit down.

He tried to speak to her in English, but she did not speak his language. After a couple of minutes of trying to communicate with her, he took a napkin and drew a picture of a wine glass and showed it to her.  She nodded, so he ordered a glass of wine for her.

After sitting together at the table for a while, he took another napkin, and drew a picture of a plate with food on it, and she nodded.  They left the bistro and found a quiet cafe that featured a small group playing romantic music.

They ordered dinner, after which he took another napkin and drew a picture of a couple dancing.  She nodded, and they got up to dance. They danced until the cafe closed and the band was packing up.

Back at their table, the young lady took a napkin and drew a picture of a four-poster bed.

To this day, Murphy has no idea how she figured out he was in the furniture business.

Changing Our Attitudes to Climate Change-

Ten photographs that made the world wake up to climate change:
Award-winning photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier choose 10 powerful photos that have changed our attitudes to climate change.

Ten photographs that made the world wake up to climate change | CNN

Inter-Species Relationships-

Indian Villager Lives with Crane He Rescued from Death: ‘I Can’t Imagine Life Without Him’
Arif Gurjar nursed a sarus crane back to health last year, and the animal has not left his side since

Wounded Crane Saved by Indian Villager Now Refuses to Leave His Side (people.com)

Plant Intelligence-

What Is It Like to Be a Plant?

In a provocative new book, Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence, philosopher Paco Calvo, with writer Natalie Lawrence, explores these questions, urging us not to fall into the “zoocentric trap” of believing that intelligence, agency and even consciousness are found only in animals.

What Is It Like to Be a Plant? – Scientific American

Plants unleash ultrasonic cries for help when stressed, study finds
And if you listen closely, the type of sound the plant is making could tell you what’s wrong.

Plants emit a “rather noisy” cry for help when under stress, scientists find – CBS News

Magnetoreception in Fruit Flies-

Animals’ ‘sixth sense’ is more widespread than previously thought
A study using fruit flies, led by researchers at the Universities of Manchester and Leicester, supported by the National Physical Laboratory, has suggested that the animal world’s ability to sense a magnetic field may be more widespread than previously thought.

Scientists already know that species such as the monarch butterfly, pigeon, turtle and other animals use the earth’s magnetic field to navigate over long distances. But the discovery could mean the biological molecules required to sense magnetic fields are present—to a greater or lesser extent—in all living things.

Animals’ ‘sixth sense’ is more widespread than previously thought (phys.org)

5 Important Lessons Dogs Can Teach Us, According to a Veterinarian
A board-certified veterinary medical oncologist, Dr. Renee Alsaraff created four medical oncology practices and three radiation centers for animals. She has been in private practice for 30 years. Currently, Renee works as a consultant for PetCure Oncology. She has brought her therapy dogs to nursing homes, helped special needs children ride horseback, competed in obedience trials with her boxers and created MSU’s Pet Loss Support Group.

5 Important Lessons Dogs Can Teach Us, According to a Veterinarian | Apartment Therapy

World Happiness Report Finds That Crises Make Us Kinder
Since the pandemic began, people around the world have been helping, donating, and volunteering more—especially in Ukraine.

World Happiness Report Finds That Crises Make Us Kinder (berkeley.edu)

If You Are Local:

Drivin the Bus will be at Coomber’s in Oceanside (611 Mission Ave.) this Saturday with 2 sets- 5:30 to 7pm and 7:30 to 9pm- playing all the favorite classic jams.

Come join the fun and let your hair down at this covered outdoor patio venue.

You can book tables in advance if you like.

Thanks this week go to Larry H for the funnies.

Pay it forward!

Love,

Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria 

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

What ever happened to Peace, Love and Understanding?
What ever happened to Hope, Agency and Dignity?

This Element is Critical to Human Flourishing- Yet Missing from the News:

If you want to be informed about the world, but not bludgeoned into fatalism, looking for alternative resources that curate stories on human cooperation and ingenuity and want to strip bias from your newsfeed, read on…

Opinion | Most news stories are grim. Here’s the first step toward fixing that. – The Washington Post

Let’s Create the Future of Our Dreams Instead of Our Fears!

Some great resources at The Progress Network

Homepage – The Progress Network

5 WAYS TO MAKE TODAY GREAT:

How you see the world determines the world you see. That’s why it’s especially important to start each day with a positive perspective. Remember… positivity is like a muscle, the more we exercise it the stronger it gets. Today let’s: 1) Attack Today with Enthusiasm – If you want an exciting life, get excited about life. Many of us wake up and just go through the motions. Our lives become routine. It doesn’t have to be like that. Remember your WHY today. We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.   2) Stay Positive – Instead of focusing on your problems, focus on your purpose. Instead of seeing yourself as a victim, see yourself as a hero. Heroes and victims both get knocked down but heroes get back up, and armed with optimism and a greater purpose they create a positive future. 3) Be Thankful – When you are grateful for the things in your life, big and small, you always seem to find more things to be grateful about.  4) Replace “Have to” with “Get To” – Live life as a gift, not an obligation. We GET TO, we don’t HAVE TO. This simple shift can have a dramatic impact.  5) Be a Blessing to Others – We are blessed to be a blessing. This doesn’t have anything to do with material things (although it can). It’s about loving, serving and caring. It’s about choosing to make a difference in the lives of others each and every day.

8 Ways to Live Longer You’ve Probably Never Linked to Health:
And no, it’s got nothing to do with drinking more water.

8 Ways To Live Longer You’ve Probably Never Linked To Health | HuffPost UK Life (huffingtonpost.co.uk)

For a Small French Town, this 15,000-egg Omelet is a 50-year Tradition:
In Bessières, and in sister cities around the world, the spirit of generosity and community comes in the form of a giant omelet.

France’s giant omelet festival celebrates 50 years of generosity – The Washington Post

Infographic: Why Pets make us Happy!

Infographic: Why Pets make us Happy! – Katzenworld

Ricochet the Surf Dog:

We lost Ricochet but many found meaning and joy thanks to this amazing creature!

Thanks this week go to Mehrad N, Larry H, and all of you building a better future.

Please pay it forward.

Love,

Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria 

“Out of all-inclusive, unconditional compassion comes the healing of all mankind.”— Dr. David Hawkins

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

A musical intervention across the ages and genres to help us stay in the positive, curated just for you.

My Kind by Jason Mraz

Love is the way,
Love is the light,
We light up today,
And today is all right.
Love is the way,
Love will take us higher,
We are aligned,
And we are united.

Jason Mraz – My Kind (Audio) – YouTube

Give Me Love, Give Me Peace On Earth with George Harrison

George captures the essence of his desire to be free of karma and the constant cycle of rebirth; he later described the song as “a prayer and personal statement between me, the Lord, and whoever likes it”.

George Harrison – Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (Live) – YouTube

Shambala by Three Dog Night

Shambala- a situation where kindness and cooperation are universal, joy and good fortune abound, and psychological burdens are lifted.

How does your light shine in the halls of Shambala?

Shambala (1975) – Three Dog Night – YouTube

Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold,
All that you need is in your soul.
And you can do this, oh, baby, if you try,
All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied…

Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Lyrics HD – YouTube

What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Sung Majestically by Dionne Warwick

What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some, but for everyone!

Dionne Warwick – What The World Needs Now (1966) – YouTube

Thanks this week go to all the musicians and lovers of music, that transform our experience and uplift humanity!

Stay in tune and play it forward with purpose.

Love All,

Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria 

“Do not move the way fear makes you move.

Move the way love makes you move.”- Osho

Happy Soul Food Friday for the Vernal Equinox and Persian New Year Nowruz,

Celebrated by Over 300 Million People on the Planet!

Reconnect to Your place in the universe!

And if you are local, read all the way to the bottom…

“Do not move the way fear makes you move.

Move the way LOVE makes you move.”

– Osho

This week:

It is time to rebirth ourselves, and redefine 21^st century leadership as winning both on and off the field!

Mega Trends:

With diseases of despair, the loneliness and mental health epidemics, economic uncertainty, bank failures, war in Ukraine, the hangover from the pandemic, and other VUCA factors (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) leaders have an opportunity to lead or get out of the way…

With the great resignation, quiet quitting, etc. we are all questioning the future of work:

What the 5 ‘Great Rs’ mean for the future of work (fastcompany.com)

Of all the great Rs, I prefer the Great Rethink as espoused by Ranjay Gulati at Harvard Business School:

The Great Resignation or the Great Rethink? (hbr.org)

Macro Competencies:

Ranjay has a new book and practice Deep Purpose which is powerful and aligns with this work and orientation.

Deep Purpose 2022 – Deep Purpose

As do some of my dear friends and colleagues doing work in this head/heart space including Steve Farber, Moshe Engelberg and Helice “Grandma Sparky” Bridges:

Love is Just Damn Good Business and is needed now more than ever!

Love is just damn good business (stevefarber.com)

We need The Amare Wave to Uplift Your Business by Putting Love to Work:

Moshe Engelberg, PhD, MPH | The Amare Wave

Let the Young People in Your Life, Know How They Make a Difference with the Blue Ribbon Acknowledgement Ceremony:

BlueRibbons – Blue-Ribbons – 10-Free-Ribbons

Today’s conscious leaders must lead with:

• Courage to do the right thing, even when no one is watching (the gut)
• Compassion and Empathy, proved by research as the #1 leadership skill for current times (the heart)
• Wisdom not just smarts that include discernment and authentic, embodied experience born of lived knowing not just book knowledge (the head)

Or they face the reality that as leaders they have no followers, and as a result are irrelevant, and maybe even obsolete, they just don’t know it yet…

I urge all of us to coach our stakeholders to explore our great re-think (opportunity to reboot) asking “what would our most impactful intervention look like, and what matters most now?”, using an evidence-based model of me-search instead of just research.

These include:

Micro Habits:

Micro-habits/micro-dosing “Small things often”

Picking an accountabuddy to keep you on course and in the positive vibration.

Recognize that self-care is not selfish. Your wellbeing is important.

Attend to Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, with physical and psychological safety at the base, love and belonging in the middle, and significance and purpose at the apex. When we are in reactive brain our operating system is hijacked, and there is no room for the creative brain to emerge. Too much stress leads to burnout and that affects our mental health and that of our teams.

Let’s all attend to deep personalization and a deep purpose practice, whatever that means to you, all for long term sustainable performance and fulfillment.

Let’s counter the age of distraction for young people with micro- doses of love and affirmation and make this the new social contagion.

You are not a great business leader if your business is thriving, but your family and those who work for you are languishing.

It is time to win both on and off the field!

Why the equinox Ushers in the Arrival of Spring:

Every six months, the equinox splits Earth’s Day almost in half. Here’s how it happens—and why people have celebrated it since ancient times.

Why the equinox ushers in the arrival of spring (nationalgeographic.com)

Celebrating the Vernal Equinox with Billy S:

The spring equinox was on Monday, March 20, 2023 at 2:24 pm 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.

Nowruz, The Persian New Year with Roots in Zoroastrianism

The Oldest Monotheistic Religions on the Planet, and What I Was Born Into on My Father’s Side From a Long Line of Priests:

Celebrated by over 300 million people around the world.

One People. One Sky.

Overheard at National Geographic: Nowruz and the Night Sky on Apple Podcasts

More on Nowruz for those with a global view and perspective transcending person, religion, or belief.

Nowruz – Wikipedia

If You Are Local:

Come join Drivin the Bus this Saturday March 25^th from 6 to 9pm, as we usher in a new season of love and joy for celebrating this moment!

Every day is unprecedented. Every day is unrepeatable.

If you need an extra nudge to mash that couch potato, it happens to be just 4 days from my birthday, mid next week, so come celebrate with me/us too… 😊

Carlsbad Landings – Drivin’ The Bus (dtbband.com)

There is no cover, it is a gorgeous outdoor venue, the food is great, you can book a table in advance, and see what The Landings looks like at:

The Landings in Carlsbad | Gastropub and Live Music (carlsbadlandings.com)

Chill out and enjoy the classic jams, or jump in and dance the winter pounds away, as the spirit moves you.

You be you.

Hope to see you there and regardless, here’s to the new seeds of growth you are sprouting this week to ensure you live life to the fullest and help others to do the same.

Stay well, foster your connected to your inner and outer nature, and thanks again for all you do to make our world better…

Can you pay it forward with a micro affirmation to one person today?

Love,

Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria 

“Each morning we are born again.

What we do today is what matters most.”

– Buddha

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

How To Foster a High Engagement Workplace Culture:

I was privileged to share some thoughts, and sentiments on fostering high engagement workplace culture that is in dire need of an intervention, with Alliant International University in the last week.

This webinar content begins at the 11-minute mark if you want to jump straight into guts of the topic.

What are you doing to make your place of work relevant, resonant and remarkable?

CSML Speaker Series: How to Foster a High Engagement Workplace Culture – Zoom

From The Great Resignation to The Great Refusal—here’s what the 5 ‘Great Rs’ mean for the future of the work:
We are no longer centered on where we work, but rather where work fits in our lives.

How is your work life going?

What the 5 ‘Great Rs’ mean for the future of work (fastcompany.com)

Leadership Breakdown:

I just finished reading a great new book that I wanted to share with you. It’s called Leadership Breakdown: How Conscious Leaders Generate Breakthroughs that Enhance Business and the World, and it’s definitely worth checking out. See my review below.

My beloved friend and colleague, Eric Kaufmann has a unique perspective on leadership and life, and I have always found his insights to be spot on, practical, and really helpful. While having been exposed to it, I had never heard of what Eric calls “ego-myopia,” and never thought about it in this way, and how it holds leaders back from next level achievements. But after giving it some thought, it really does makes sense. This book is conversational, and full of fresh ideas and strategies that I’m confident will help any student of leadership, and particularly those of us exploring conscious leadership.

I know we’re all busy, but I think this is a book that’s worth making time for. Get your copy today.

Here are my two cents:

“Eric’s lived experience on the razor’s edge of driving business results, while elevating the spirit and potential of the people in the system is steeped in wisdom and authentic embodied experience not just academic knowledge. If you want to grow the next generation of leaders and take them from breakdown to breakthrough to breakout, Eric is one of the best in the world!”

–Neville Billimoria, SVP Marketing & Community Relations, Mission Fed

Do You Know Naatu?

This is Uber, Bad A$$ and will launch you into whatever you need next!

Naatu killed it at the Golden Globes and the Oscars this year and will take you to new heights…

Naatu Naatu Full Video Song (Telugu) [4K] | RRR | NTR,Ram Charan | MM Keeravaani | SS Rajamouli – YouTube

Thanks, this week go to the CSML team at Alliant International University, Eric K, Chris B, and all you culture vultures, conscious leaders and artist of life!

Love,

Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108 
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria 

“If you turn it over to the universe, you will be
surprised and dazzled by what is delivered to you.
This is where magic and miracles happen.”– Joe Vitale

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week: Celebrating International Women’s Day

Personalized Women’s Self-Defense Workshop:

As part of her lifetime commitment to empowering women with competence and confidence, my wife Barbara is starting another 8-week session of personalized women’s self-defense, 10 people max, on Saturdays- starting March 18 thru May 6^th from 3:15 to 4:45pm in Encinitas.

Here are a couple of testimonials from women that just finished the most recent session, along with an article from last week in the news, about the importance of being informed, equipped, and fighting back.

The stats are informative and, in some cases, surprising, and the techniques (mindset and skill sets) work.

Seeing the change in the participants with respect to confidence and agency by the end of the session is both humbling and inspiring!

Do share this with the women you love in your life!

I have thought about taking a class like this for years and am so happy that I signed up!  

At the beginning of the course, Barbara Sedgwick-Billimoria discusses the statistics and misinformation on the topic, which were very surprising.  

This class will give you knowledge, power and help your build confidence for your own safety in this crazy world we live in.

The lessons you will learn will help protect yourself in the event of an attempted sexual assault. 

The moves are simple and easy for any age group, if I can do it at 56, anyone can do it.

If I had a daughter, I would insist she go through this program!

I highly recommend this class and am grateful to Barbara and the extraordinary women I met thought the process!

-Andrea L

This class was so empowering!

 I do a lot of solo hiking and I’ve been afraid of being attacked on the trail.

In this class, I learned how to defend myself against an attack by striking the vital points on the body to incapacitate the attacker.

Each week builds on the last, with plenty of hands-on practice.

Barb is a gifted teacher, weaving compassion, humor, and strength into all the lessons.

I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to feel more prepared to defend themselves when facing the threat of a physical assault.

-Sharon S

Women aren’t always safe, even in gyms. But fear is a good way of reining them in:

A lone female fights off her attacker. Is it inspiring or proof of inherent danger? Well, maybe it’s both.

“I was confident I had the strength and mentality to fight back,” Alma later said, for all the world like a victorious footballer at a press conference. “I would tell every woman always to keep fighting, never give up.”

Women aren’t always safe, even in gyms. But fear is a good way of reining them in | Martha Gill | The Guardian

Personalized Women’s Self-Defense

When: Saturday Afternoons- starting March 18 thru May 6^th from 3:15 to 4:45pm

Where: North County Dance, North Coast Business Park 535 Encinitas Blvd, Suite 103, Encinitas CA 92024

Whom: 16 years and older as mature content is covered

Topics Covered: Local and National Statistics, Myths of Sexual Assault, Awareness and Assertiveness Training, Understanding Physical and Psychological Boundaries, Self Defense Blocks, Strikes and Releases, Ground Fighting, Safety in the Car and in the Home

Cost: $175 with the class limited to 10 people. Payment due at registration. Venmo or Credit Cards accepted.

About the Instructor: Barb is a 5^th degree black belt and traditional karate Sensei with more than 40 years of experience, with a master’s degree in counseling and is sensitive to the emotional responses of participants. She is dedicated to mitigating violence against women and sexual assault through education and awareness.

To Register: Please call (760) 815-6363

Barbara Sedgwick-Billimoria can be reached at launchpadcc@gmail.com, should you have any questions.

Stay safe everyone!

Better to know it and not need it, than to need it and not know it…

Love,

Neville

How to Find ‘Microjoys’ When Everything Is Bad and You’re Not OK:

The simplest things might get you through.

How to Find ‘Microjoys’ When Everything Is Bad and You’re Not OK | SELF

This 7-Minute Daily Hack Can Train Your Brain To Experience More Joy:

We’ll take all the help we can get.

This 7-Minute Daily Hack Can Train Your Brain To Experience More Joy | HuffPost UK Life (huffingtonpost.co.uk)

Fish loves to greet his favorite diver and bring her gifts:

This friendly fish developed a unique bond with a diver over several years. Watch their adorable interaction.

Fish Loves To Greet His Favorite Diver And Bring Her Gifts | The Dodo Soulmates – YouTube

Thanks this week go to Barb S-B, Chris B, and all the nurturing and empowering women in our lives.

Please pay it forward with presence.

Love,

Neville

“Fear is a darkroom where negatives develop.”

— Usman B. Asif