Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame, and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought but what you built; not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage,
or sacrifice that enriched, empowered, or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom, and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.
Are You Committed to Fostering a High Engagement Workplace Culture?
Join me and the California School of Management and Leadership team at Alliant International University for a virtual event on March 8th from noon to 1 Pacific time:
Burt Bacharach, prolific composer of pop hits, dies at 94 “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” were among dozens of his chart-summiting songs.
How To Become More Empathetic—Because, Yes, Empathy Is a Quality You Can Grow Empaths aren’t the only ones with the capacity to see the world from others’ perspectives.
An 85-year Harvard study found the No. 1 thing that makes us happy in life: It helps us ‘live longer’ In 1938, Harvard researchers embarked on a decades-long study to find out: What is the secret to a happy life? Contrary to what think, it’s not career achievement, money, exercise, or a healthy diet.
Woodpeckers went nuts, stashing 700 pounds of acorns in the wall of a California home Exterminator Nick Castro found the massive stash of acorns after being called to a home with a worm problem. “Bird was a bit of a hoarder,” he joked on social media.
This week: My Visit to San Quentin- Justice AND Mercy
My Visit to San Quentin
Last Thursday I spent an extraordinary day up at San Quentin prison in the Bay Area.
Thanks to a dear friend Matt, who has visited and volunteered at San Quentin several times over the years- as well as, donated uniforms for their sports teams so in those moments of suiting up the inmates can feel human- four of us friends and tennis buddies were afforded the opportunity to get a 4.5 hour tour of the facility and then played tennis with the inmates for 2 hours.
We happened to be on the tour with the Mayor of Hercules California, Mayor Alexander Walker-Griffin a dynamic 25-year-old African American man whose civil service is squarely focused on social justice and equity, and whose presence really added to the experience as most of the men incarcerated were Black or Hispanic, and the mayor represented a level of leadership and hope that spoke to them and also really resonated for me!
If you don’t believe systematic racism exists, then a proximal visit to any institution of incarceration will reset your ill-informed belief system.
Judges need to visit, and some do, but often anonymously.
Politicians writing regs need to visit and see the impact of their decisions.
Anyone who believes equity is bottom-up healing could really benefit from a visit- it will cure your “othering” and open your head and heart to the 2 million people in America that are incarcerated.
At San Quentin two people are restricted to a room that you can reach across end to end with your fingertips. The SPCA guidelines for dogs requires larger more humane facilities!
A tour of the dungeon gives you a flavor for what pre 1943 solitary confinement looked like with up to men in a tiny room with no light or heat or toilet. Just 3 buckets. One with water in it.
Basic human dignity were by the wayside in the name of justice.
This is not just about incarceration. This is big business… (read the article on women prisoners moved to a labor camp below)
Hurt People Hurt People-
The proportion of incarcerated in no way resembles the demography of our country.
In many cases, the backstory of their lived experience created disadvantaged conditions, whether access to opportunity, poverty, pay equality, education, emotional intelligence etc. that lead to bad choices and decisions that ended them up in prison.
Growing up in abusive families, locked away in rooms for days with only a bucket and if the bucket overflows you get beaten harder…
Robbing to get food for your teenage family and the armed robbery going south.
Story after story of hardship where demography IS determining your destiny were shared, heard and felt…
Once arrested, the experience is not equitable either.
Many only meet their public defender for the first time in court, and often have no clue about how the legal system operates, what their rights are, and end up pleading out so as not to make bad even worse. Take 6 years rather than get sentenced to 25.
Many public defenders, that often make less than half the pay of their counterparts in the private sector, are quitting in droves so they won’t be guilty of malpractice due to untenable case load volumes, and the inability to represent their clients’ best interests.
I am not saying many of the men in San Quentin did not deserve to be there.
Some humans simply can’t be out in the real world and need to remain incarcerated to protect society.
Many however, deserve a second chance, particularly if they are actively working a program of reform and have demonstrated years of model citizenship, accountability, and sincere remorse for their crimes.
Healing people heal people-
Unfortunately, many prison systems don’t offer the programs and services like San Quentin to help facilitate reform, unlike the Scandinavian model with is all about restitution and reform, so we should not be surprised when reoffenders after being released repeat old patterns of behavior, having been given no tools or resources to reform their ways.
As one man we met said, “if you take a wild animal out of the wild and put it in a cage for years, then let it out years later, what do you think it is going to do?”
Ironically, San Quentin has both the only death row in CA and one of the most progressive reform programs as well.
I witnessed the best and worst of humanity all in one day.
Some people suck. Some systems suck.
Some people suck because of sucky systems.
It is a way more complex issue than “you do the crime, you do the time” or “lock ‘em up and throw away the key”
Don’t get me wrong. I am not soft on crime. But after this experience I am also hard on shitty and pervasive systems of inequality and injustice, where if you have enough money, you can buy ice cream in hell, and if you have no resources you are relegated to the bottom of the social heap and left to rot.
For the individual, the light bulb has to go off and they need to genuinely want to reform and change
At the same time the system has to evolve and create the conditions for change
Some can’t or won’t change
Some can’t change because of the system
We can do something about the latter…
Want a solution to gun violence in this country? Has anyone actually asked those doing the violence what they think the solutions are? Their responses will enlighten you.
Anyone studying the positive deviants that in spite of horrific circumstances, are doing the reform work and understand the relationship between healing and forgiveness, between self-awareness and accountability? Who is telling this story?
Who is the redeemer?
What is redemption?
What really needs to be reformed?
Some of the guys including Doc and Earl we played tennis with last week
The tennis court is right in the middle of the yard, with different groups engaged in different activities all around you, including playing basketball, lifting weights (including literally pressing a bench, sometimes with another inmate on it), jogging, etc.
You can see the baseball field in the background…
More on the subject-
California’s only death row for men is at San Quentin. The prison was constructed by incarcerated men on the Waban, a ship anchored in San Francisco Bay and is California’s first prison. It houses around 3,776 people and is at 122.5% of capacity.
Mass Incarceration Systems in the US hold almost 2 million people in 1,566 state prisons, 102 federal prisons, 2,850 local jails, 1,510 juvenile correctional facilities, 186 immigration detention facilities, and 82 Indian country jails, as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories.
Mass Incarceration- The Whole Pie:
Can it really be true that most people in jail are legally innocent? How much of mass incarceration is a result of the war on drugs, or the profit motives of private prisons? How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed decisions about how people are punished when they break the law? These essential questions are harder to answer than you might expect. The various government agencies involved in the criminal legal system collect a lot of data, but very little is designed to help policymakers or the public understand what’s going on. As public support for criminal justice reform continues to build — and as the pandemic raises the stakes higher — it’s more important than ever that we get the facts straight and understand the big picture.
Further complicating matters is the fact that the U.S. doesn’t have one “criminal justice system;” instead, we have thousands of federal, state, local, and tribal systems. Together, these systems hold almost 2 million people in 1,566 state prisons, 102 federal prisons, 2,850 local jails, 1,510 juvenile correctional facilities, 186 immigration detention facilities, and 82 Indian country jails, as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories.
This report offers some much-needed clarity by piecing together the data about this country’s disparate systems of confinement. It provides a detailed look at where and why people are locked up in the U.S., and dispels some modern myths to focus attention on the real drivers of mass incarceration and overlooked issues that call for reform.
Listen to the episode called Looking Out -a man incarcerated at San Quentin who has figured out how to “look out” for dozens of critters around the place.
The System Preying on Women-
The dangerous experiment that moved women prisoners to a farm labor camp News reports in recent years have exposed a litany of horrors endured by women sentenced to U.S. prisons. Now, in a special investigation, Cosmopolitan reports on another bombshell: During the pandemic, in an unheard-of experiment, incarcerated women were moved to a prison camp on a multimillion-dollar private farm, where dirty, dangerous, meagerly paid work changed their lives forever.
Climate change, political unrest, random violence – Western society can often feel like what the filmmaker Warner Herzog calls, “a thin layer of ice on top of an ocean of chaos and darkness.” In the United States, polls indicate that many people believe that law and order is the only thing protecting us from the savagery of our neighbors, that the fundamental nature of humanity is competition and struggle. This idea is often called “veneer theory.” But is this idea rooted in historical reality? Is this actually what happens when societies face disasters? Are we always on the cusp of brutality?
World’s biggest prison built in murder capital of the world claims to be ‘inescapable’ El Salvador has a problem with gang violence and the prison population is on the rise, so they’ve built a ‘terrorist confinement centre’
Both the book and movie tell the powerful story of the Equal Justice Initiative and the importance for all of us of confronting injustice. You can learn more here:
Thanks this week go to Matt L, Peter D and Greg C for being my fellow travelers on this heart-wrenching, eye-opening, soul-searching experience and to all the staff and inmates at San Quinn that shared their stories with us!
Please pay it forward with justice AND mercy for all.
This week, I was afforded the once in a lifetime opportunity to invest a day of my life, visiting San Quentin prison, getting a 4.5-hour tour of the facility including “Death Row’s” exercise area, the yard, the infirmary, the dungeon and so much more, and then having the opportunity to play tennis with the inmates for several hours.
Hurt people hurt people
Healing people heal people
More on this life-changing visit next week, once I have had a chance to digest, process, and synthesize the totality of this experience…
Meanwhile here is a bit on me, as what follows next week is informed by what life experience preceded this, over more than 60 years of living multi-culturally in this crazy world.
Why Invest in Learning a Wisdom Tradition Like the Martial Arts or Make Sure Your Kids Do?
A Whole-Person education means getting you Career, College (if that is in the cards) and Citizen Ready
That requires competence– academic achievement and character– Ethics “adherence to the unenforceable” or “what you do when no one is watching”.
The wisdom traditions can equip us with the discipline, life skills, mindset, heart set and skill sets to be successful – however YOU ultimately define success.
Academics can give you smarts but not wisdom.
We all know people who are so smart they are stupid.
Wisdom is applied knowledge, intuition, and experience combined to guide us in our thoughts, words and deeds…
Whether you want to apply a modern western psychological construct and actualizing your highest self as expressed by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, where it all starts with our personal and psychological safety (student safety and campus climate in an education construct) then moves to our feelings of love and belonging, & ultimately elevates to big existential questions like “who am I?, why am I here? & what is my purpose?
OR
If you prefer an Eastern philosophical construct the likes of:
Lao Tsu- chapter 38 of the Tao Te Ching later realized to actually be chapter 1 which guides us on the ascendency from; Ritual to Justice to Kindness to Goodness to Virtue
Or Kung Fu Tsu (Confucius) and his model of the scholar warrior with “Pen and sword in accord”
Or the Samurai philosophy “ichi e, ichi go”, translated as this moment is unprecedented, this moment is unrepeatable,
or various other traditions, martial arts has something for everyone’s development on the journey from self-protection to self-perfection.
Think of these as ancient skills for modern times.
They are 2,500 years old. They are the latest thing.
Whether is it grit and resilience= growth mindset which is why our system is named after the willow- you can burn it down, you can cut it out, and it keeps on growing, fostering:
Flexibility in daily life
The courage to stand up to your own truths and beliefs
Promoting lifelong learning (in communities of practice)
These are skills that will serve you well, + it is great exercise and good fun!
While different martial arts styles fit on the continuum from hard styles to soft, exoteric to esoteric, practical to philosophical, or modern to traditional they all tend to cultivate courage and self-sacrifice with values such as honor and humility, a service orientation and a respect for collective wisdom– standing on the shoulders of and learning from those that come before (sen-sei or sifu).
Whether you are pursuing the arts or sciences, (40% of UC San Diego students are in the social sciences btw) a whole person education is “what you have left once you have forgotten all the facts and figures”.
The shelf life of knowledge is 12 to 18 months, meaning what you learn as a freshman could well be outdated by the time you graduate from an institution of higher education, yet in that same time you might invest in a college experience you can complement your academics with lifelong skills and habits that will serve you for life!
If you are past the college years it is not too late to start and over the years we’ve had students from 5 to 80 years young.
I started teaching martial arts on campus when I was 19. I have been teaching martial arts, yoga and meditation on the UCSD campus for 40 years and I keep doing it because of what it has done for me, my family, my community, and for the thousands of students I have had the privilege of both teaching and learning from…
But this is not about me, this is about you!
You might be wondering…
So what is the best group to join?
Which is the best martial art?
When kung fu meets karate, or mixed martial arts meets ju-jitsu who wins?
Good question!
This reminds me of the story of the Zen master who goes to the butcher and says to the butcher, “Give me your best cut of meat”.
The best cut. The best cut? “Every cut is the best cut!”
There is no best university. Only the best university for you. (if higher ed is or was part of your journey)
There is no best major. Only the best major for you.
Similarly, there is no best style of martial arts. Only the best style for you.
That said, here are some tips to help you on the martial path or the yogic path or any of the wisdom traditions that might be in your future.
Commit to starting and maintaining a practice. This “I have no time, have you seen my schedule”, excuse is just that- an excuse. Excuses are like belly buttons. Everybody has one. Champions consistently do what others are unwilling to do. If you want to be a champion or achieve success in your life, you have to decide to do what needs to be done and do it. Period. No Excuses.
Visit prospective groups that interest you, watch the classes, and pay close attention to the interactions between the student and teacher as well as the students with each other. Ask yourself what kind of learning environment supports your growth? Do you do better in a collaborative, relaxed space or do you need a good kick in the pants to bring out your best self? Pay attention and put yourself in their gi, jhing mo, hakama, or shorts, and see what fits…
Experience it for yourself! Try it before you decide you think you know what it is and what is right. Don’t believe everything you think. Leadership is a decision, not a position. Take the decision today to become the leader you are meant to be. You are the architect of your fortune. You are the architect of your misfortune. A fool blames others. A peaceful warrior takes accountability for themselves…
A new year is a special time to connect with nature and your own inner nature. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
The world needs you and your highest self to show up and make our world a better, stronger, kinder, more compassionate place where everyone, especially you, can succeed, be valued and be loved.
Martial arts can bring out your best self and has been doing this with its timeless, universal principles for 2,500 years in both the East and the West.
Strive not to be the Master but the Master Student and Artist of Life!
The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step
Take that step today
God speed and much love to you on your incredible journey in the way.
Remember:The difference between a black belt and a white belt is that a black belt is a white belt that never quit!
Thanks this week go to Barb S-B and all the Students and Sensei of Aoinagi (Green Willow) karate, as well as Angela W and the Cause SD group for the Alan Watts link.
Stay safe, positive and put your best foot forward this year!
Caring for Employees Through Self Care -The Culture Crush Business Podcast with Me
Happy Holy Days with Eric K:
This time of year, for those of us living in the wintery hemisphere, calls forth our implicit spirituality.
Ordinarily gentle and niggling, spiritual presence comes collectively alive during Hanukkah, winter solstice, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Samhain celebrations.
Winter traditions emphasize gratitude, compassion, benevolence, and caregiving – our gentler nature that gets subsumed by the business and activity of day-to-day hustle and drive.
Still, we are culturally called to pause amidst the cold and dark, appreciate being alive, connect with community, and extend our attention to the Cosmos and God.
My fondest wish for you, as one spiritual being to another, is that you bask in this moment, be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and soak in as much of that Gentle Spirit as you can lovingly and courageously absorb.
Happy Holy Days and New Year.
Winter Solstice 2022 with Billy S:
Aloha Friends,
The winter solstice was on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 1:48 pm PST
This begins the winter season.
It is a pivot point from which the light will grow stronger and brighter.
The longest night and shortest day of the year are followed by a renewal of the sun as days get longer.
On this day the sun takes its lowest arc across the sky.
On this day the sun sets farthest south on the horizon.
Creating a meaningful winter solstice celebration can help us cultivate a deeper connection with nature, family, friends and community.
The winter solstice can be a beautiful reminder that our lives are part of a larger order that’s always changing and renewing.
A way to bring warmth, light and cheerfulness into the dark time of the year.
For many millenniums humans have marked this sacred time in the yearly cycle of life.
The winter solstice can serve as a touchstone to help us cultivate an attitude of receptiveness and appreciation that will carry us through the holiday season.
Reflect on the stillness of the day by cultivating stillness in yourself.
Spend more time listening, watching and honoring the slower, quieter rhythm of the season.
Darkness and night are times of rest, dreaming, healing and growth.
Seeds must be put into the dark earth in order to send out roots and push up new shoots.
Native plants bloom now so that their seeds will be formed and fall to the ground early enough in spring to take advantage of the rains.
Plant a seed for a more intuitive, simpler and natural holiday season.
If you want to change something in your life or something about yourself the winter solstice is a good time to work on it.
This longest night can be a time of journeying deep into our inner dreamtime to bring forth a dream that can help us in the new year.
A new year with fresh possibilities reborn in us all.
The Winter Solstice is: A chance to clean house, both inner and outer.
A time for reflection, rest and renewal.
A time for feeding the spirit and nurturing the soul.
Transmuting Smoldering Discontent into Finding Your Purpose and Leaving a Legacy:
Enjoy this podcast with my friend and colleague Jeff Blanton as I turn the tables and interview him on his Conscious Curiosity show. Jeff shares some compelling ideas about our relationship to the world of work, and what we can do to find more meaning and fulfillment in this time of great resignations, great migrations, quiet quitting, and soul-searching. These are some great nuggets, as we all reflect on our various roles at the end of this year…
If you are local, join us for an evening of righteous live music with Strange Crew– this Saturday evening from 7 to 10pm at the conveniently located Duck Foot Brewing Company.
This venue is cool, dog and kid Friendly, and Strange Crew has put together a set list to die for.
From Cream, to the Yardbirds, to Derek and the Dominos, to Blind Faith to rock and blues legends Eric Clapton has collaborated with over the years, this is a tour de force evening covering one of the most successful and influential guitarists and bands in rock music!
Get off the couch and be sure to eat your Wheaties, because this promises to be a super fun high energy experience for you music lovers, and might be the last live show I get the privilege of playing for and with you in 2022.
Restoring Gorongosa National Park After Decades of War:
Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park was the envy of Africa. Wildlife drew tourists from around the world. But, beginning in the 1960’s, a manmade catastrophe slaughtered the animals until, it was said, there was nothing left but mosquitos and landmines. In 2008, we followed an American entrepreneur who dreamed of returning a wasteland to greatness. Now, 14 years later, Greg Carr has something to show the world. And we couldn’t resist a return to Gorongosa when Carr sends invitations like this!
Greg has done the impossible: brought it back to life with the full complement of African megafauna. And, he’s ingrained the eight surrounding villages with the common purpose of maintaining Gorongosa. It’s astonishing work at epic scale.
Is Patagonia the End Game for Profits in a World of Climate Change? Patagonia’s decision to donate profits to climate change is an evidentiary example of why private and family businesses often do more for the planet than the stock market.
Make Ecocide an International Crime and Other Legal Ideas to Help Save the Planet Here is a list of the five most promising legal steps we can take to help fight climate change
See Rare Photos of Chimpanzees Treating their Wounds with Insects A photographer captured images of the great apes in Gabon applying an unknown species of insect to both themselves and their family members.
The 2022 Bird Life Australia Photography awards A shy albatross, a skydiving kestrel and a curious galah are among the shortlisted and winning photos in this year’s bird photography prize
Fight the Blues with Some Tunes: These researchers found that within just a few weeks of starting lessons, subjects’ ability to process multisensory information – sight and sound – was enhanced.
What do I do when others around me, like my boss or coworkers, aren’t positive?”
No matter how positive we may choose to be, we’re always going to encounter others who aren’t. Thankfully there are things that we can do to help overcome their negativity or redirect it in a way that helps them become more positive as well. Here are few suggestions…
1. Make Your Bus Great – You may not be the leader of your organization. You may not be driving the “big bus,” but you can decide to make YOUR bus great. Every day just focus on being the best you can be and bring out the best in others while tuning out everything else. Tune out the negativity. Tune out the damaging comments. Tune out anything you can’t control. You can’t drive anyone else’s bus. Just drive your bus and make it a great ride.
2. Your Positive Energy Must Be Greater than All of the Negativity – In the book Power vs Force, author David Hawkins, MD shares research that 80 percent of the population vibrates to a negative frequency. The fact is negativity is all around us. It’s not just your coworker or boss. It’s everywhere. You must remember that your positive energy must be greater than all the negativity. As country wisdom suggests, “Never wrestle with a pig because you’ll both get dirty, and the pig likes it.” Instead, stay above the fray. Positive energy is much more powerful than negative energy. If you stay positive, the negativity can’t touch you.
3. Be The Seed – When you plant yourself where you are, with a desire to serve and make a difference, you will create very positive conditions for your growth. You’ll be amazed at how others start treating you more positively when you approach your work with a service mindset. They will sense something different in you and they will change the way they behave towards you. I encourage you to read The Seed and let the growing process begin.
4. Invite Your Boss or Co-Workers on Your Bus – Give your boss or coworkers a book on positive leadership. It could be one of my books or a book from another author. There are many great books out there. I’ve received countless emails from leaders who received The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership and The Carpenter from their employees and it changed the way they lead. Best of all, this change in leadership spreads throughout the organization. So don’t think you can’t change your situation or organization. You can. I’m convinced that very few people want to be negative. Most people are negative because of stress, busyness, and fear. Most people just need a wake-up call to break out of their rut. This is your opportunity to help someone else break free. Decide to be a beacon of light that shines on others. You’ll be amazed at what happens as a result.
5. If They Don’t Change, You Can – If all else fails you have a choice. You can decide to stay positive and outlast your boss or coworkers knowing that truth shines through and eventually a negative boss or coworkers won’t last, or you can decide to change your job. I’m not advocating simply giving up but if all else fails, you always have a choice. Remember, the best cultures that focus on positive leadership attract the best employees. Whatever you do, however, don’t allow a negative boss or coworker to get you down. With 80 percent of the population being negative, we need positive powerful people like you to offset the negativity.
So keep staying positive!
In Relationships
The Growth Mindset Applied to Marriage:
No one will deny that marriage is hard. In fact, there’s evidence it’s getting even harder. Revisit a favorite episode from 2018 about the history of marriage and how it has evolved over time. Historian Stephanie Coontz and psychologist Eli Finkel explore ways we can improve our love lives — including by asking less of our partners.
It is Hard to be Hateful and Grateful at the Same Time-
The Health Benefits of a Random Act of Kindness: A simple act of kindness does much more than help the receiver, studies show, and any kindness you give to others is also a gift to yourself.
Why Giving Up Meat Is So Hard? Try “Reduce- atarian-ism”:
Now more than ever, people are attempting to reduce their meat consumption for ethical and environmental reasons. But in 2020, the U.S. ate more beef than the rest of the world, consuming a whopping 27 billion pounds.
Researchers played Lady Gaga for rats. They bopped their heads like humans. The rats in the study listened to an array of music from Mozart, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Queen and Maroon 5.
Celebrating 40 Years of Teaching the Wisdom Traditions at UC San Diego
Where Did the Time Go? 40 Years of Teaching the Wisdom Traditions at UC San Diego:
If as a student at UC San Diego in the 80’s, you said that 40 years later I would still be teaching on campus, I would say you were nuckin’ futs!
Yet, this weekend, we find ourselves hosting a mini-camp, banquet and roast, celebrating 40 years of my teaching the wisdom traditions (martial arts, yoga and meditation) for the campus ecosystem and with the generations of students over the years, touching thousands of lives- now all over the world.
What started as a recreation club while a Muir college student in the dorms is the longest running contiguous program on campus, thanks to the help, support and loyalty of so many students, friends, and colleagues- many who are Sensei in their own right that have grown their own black belts and contributed to our community wellbeing.
Part of the prep work for camp includes some self-reflection, which is always in order as we tend to venerate action and vilify reflection in our human doing v. human being roles.
Here are a couple of examples I thought the Soul Food community would find beneficial so they are in this week’s missive for your wellbeing.
The first is the PERMAH Survey-
The PERMAH Survey is all about self-assessing your wellbeing, exploring the presence in our lives of Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning Accomplishment and Health.
This free, confidential, and fast survey can help you to gauge your current baseline with respect to your wellbeing, your functioning effectively, and your ability to flourish even in challenging times, particularly with the enhanced focused on self-care and mental health we are all experiencing nowadays
Strength to Strength is a powerful presentation by Arthur C Brooks at Harvard, based on a book of the same name (that some of us read as part of a book club) and serves as a practical roadmap to finding success, happiness and deep purpose in the second half of life.
If you are seeking more love, happiness, peace and purpose it is worth a listen:
You can play this like a podcast in the background while driving, cooking or cleaning if time is limited, but I do strongly encourage you to check it out.
A Blast from the Past:
Here is a short vid of the Inaugural True Triton Award I was honored to receive many moons ago
It speaks to the importance of volunteering and community engagement beyond writing fat checks and how we can all make a difference of consequence:
Finally, to end on a joyous sonic note enjoy the Sultans of Swing in the prime of their lives!
Thanks Ron!
(Or go crank your favorite tunes)
Thanks this week go to Dr. Dan D and Awakening Conscious Leadership, Dr. Alan D professor extraordinaire at UC San Diego, Matt L and the men in the Conscious Leader Collective, and all the amazing members of our Aoinagi Karate community near and far that have stuck by me through thick and thin, especially my wife Barb!
Please pay it forward with purpose, bare it all, and stay in tune with your inner and outer nature!
Love,
Neville
Baring it all!
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Happy Soul Food Friday! 