Education – Happy Soul Food Friday!

‘Ring the bells (ring the bells) that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything (there is a crack in everything)
That’s how the light gets in”—Leonard Cohen

Your Soul Food for January 20, 2023: Stay Resolved!

January 19, 2023 by soulfoodfriday, posted in Education, Leadership Development, Wellness/Energy Work

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

“Tears Do Not Fall in Space”:

Thoughts don’t come from “within”; neither do they come from “without.” They emerge “between.”

It’s the same with feelings. I like to think that the gentle dipping of a leaf under the weight of a dewdrop can set off a series of events that flow through us as (what we call) “depression”; and, that the molten formation of a rock, through the intra-activity of weather and technology and story, is experienced with “joy” in a specific moment.

I like to imagine that when a seed falls into the earth, it experiences grief, and its grief is met by the loamy femininity of the soil, and that is how trees sprout out with joy.

Perhaps those moments of unspeakable silence, when depths churn and sides groan, when words escape you, when a pill or a diagnosis doesn’t add up to much, when all you want to do is squeeze yourself into the tiniest place in the universe, it is because you – for all intents and purposes – are co-performing the disintegration of imaginal cells within a cocoon, and knowing the pain of becoming a moth.

-Bayo Akomolafe: “Tears Do Not Fall in Space” (from ‘These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home’)

Stay Resolved:

Resolutions are easy to make, even easier to break. But what if a story or idea can motivate us in a whole new way?

These TED speakers offer different perspectives on our most common resolutions.

My fav is the Fun is One Antidote for Stress but they are all excellent!

Catherine Price: Hey adults, fun is one antidote to stress. Try it more : NPR (6 minutes)

TED Radio Hour : NPR

Start the Year Grounded With 7 Self-Care Practices Designed To Help You Feel More Present:

Reconnect with your mind, body, and soul.

7 Tips for How To Feel More Present, Mentally and Physically | Well+Good (wellandgood.com)

11 Spectacular Night Sky Events to See in 2023:

In the coming year, planetary alignments, perfectly timed meteor showers, and a pair of solar eclipses will delight stargazers around the world.

11 spectacular night sky events to see in 2023 (nationalgeographic.com)

Men Don’t Listen:

Wanda’s dishwasher was broken, so she called in a repairman. Since she had to go to work the next day, she told the repairman, ‘I’ll leave the key under the mat.
Fix the dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter, and I’ll mail you a check.

Oh, by the way don’t worry about my dog Spike. He won’t bother you.
But, whatever you do, do NOT, under ANY circumstances, talk to my parrot!

I MUST STRESS TO YOU: DO NOT TALK TO MY PARROT!”

When the repairman arrived at Wanda’s apartment, he discovered the biggest, meanest looking dog he has ever seen. But, just as she had said, the dog just lay there on the carpet watching the repairman go about his work.
The parrot, however, drove him nuts the whole time with his incessant yelling, cursing and name calling.

Finally, the repairman couldn’t contain himself any longer and yelled, ‘Shut up, you stupid, frickin ugly bird!’
To which the parrot replied, ‘Get him Spike!’

See – Men just don’t listen!

Thanks this week go to Kurt C, Larry H, for the bookends.

Stay resolute and pay it forward this year! Love, Neville

Twitter: @NevilleB108

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

Persist no matter what
Endure discomfort
Request help
Steadfastly hold on to your beliefs and values
Envision triumph
Very consistently keep at it
Embrace adversity as your teacher
Refuse to give up
Enjoy and celebrate every tiny bit of progress!

— From the Best Way Out is Always Through by BJ Gallagher

Your Soul Food for Lucky Friday January 13, 2023: Keeping Perspective

January 13, 2023 by soulfoodfriday, posted in Education, Leadership Development, Wellness/Energy Work

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past.

If you are anxious, you are living in the future.

If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

-Lao Tsu

Mindful Musings from Pema Chödrön:

“We think that if we just meditated enough or jogged enough or ate perfect food, everything would be perfect.

But from the point of view of someone who is awake, that’s death. Seeking security or perfection, rejoicing in feeling confirmed and whole, self-contained and comfortable, is some kind of death.

It doesn’t have any fresh air. There’s no room for something to come in and interrupt all that. We are killing the moment by controlling our experience. Doing this is setting ourselves up for failure, because sooner or later, we’re going to have an experience we can’t control: our house is going to burn down, someone we love is going to die, we’re going to find out we have cancer, a brick is going to fall out of the sky and hit us on the head, somebody’s going to spill tomato juice all over our white suit, or we’re going to arrive at our favorite restaurant and discover that no one ordered produce and seven hundred people are coming for lunch.”

The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought.

That’s what we’re going to discover again and again and again. Nothing is what we thought.

Things are always in transition, if we could only realize it. Nothing ever sums itself up in the way that we like to dream about. The off-center, in-between state is an ideal situation, a situation in which we don’t get caught and we can open our hearts and minds beyond limit. It’s a very tender, nonaggressive, open-ended state of affairs. To stay with that shakiness—to stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feeling of hopelessness and wanting to get revenge—that is the path of true awakening.

Sticking with that uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path.

Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing.

We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that.

The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”

Looking Back –

10 Ways the World Got Better In 2022
2022 was full of challenges, but it was also a year of milestones toward a better future, scientific breakthroughs, human progress.

From Vaccines to Golden Rice: 10 Positive Stories From 2022 | Time

The year’s top health-related Google searches reveal people want to be healthier and happier
Every year, Google lets shares what everyone searched for the most. This year, among health topics, the biggest concerns were exercise and better mental health, according to the results. Here’s what to do if you’re still searching for answers.

Good news you missed in 2022
A lot of stuff happened this past year, not all of it bad! “Sunday Morning” brings you some of the headlines from 2022 that will gladden your heart.

Good news you missed in 2022 – CBS News

The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2022
From Omicron’s spread to a revelation made using ancient DNA, these were the biggest moments of the past year

The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2022 | Science| Smithsonian Magazine

Thanks this week go to Kurt C and the Conscious Leaders Collective.

Pay it forward.

Much love,

Neville

@NevilleB108

https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past.

If you are anxious, you are living in the future.

If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

-Lao Tsu

Your First Soul Food for 2023: All’s Well That Begins Well

January 6, 2023 by soulfoodfriday, posted in Community Outreach, Education, Leadership Development, Wellness/Energy Work

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week: All’s Well That Begins Well

Staying Safe-

Start the New Year by helping yourself and loved ones stay safe!

self-defense-flyer

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?

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!

Staying Positive-

The Story of a Chinese Farmer:

Alan Watts ~ The Story of the Chinese Farmer – YouTube

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!

Love,

Neville

https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

“An inconvenience is an adventure improperly understood.

An adventure is an inconvenience properly considered”

Your Last Soul Food for 2022: Winter Solstice & Holiday Edition

December 22, 2022 by soulfoodfriday, posted in Community Outreach, Education, Leadership Development, Wellness/Energy Work

Happy Soul Food Friday

This week:

Happy Holy Days with Eric K
Winter Solstice 2022 with Billy S
7 Reasons Why Santa is a Positive Leader
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.

Stay in tune with nature and wellness!

More on the Solstice:

First day of winter: Shortest day, longest night on December 21 solstice – The Washington Post

7 Reasons Why Santa is a Positive Leader

Caring for Employees Through Self Care- The Culture Crush Business Podcast:

Here is a podcast I was interviewed on about cultures and self-care that might be useful as we reflect on our world of work over the holiday season

What CEOs think employees want is not what employees say they want…

Culture Matters!

Caring for Employees Through Self Care E30 – Culture Crush (culturecrushbusiness.com)

Thanks this week go to Billy S, Eric K, Larry H, & Kindra M.

Pay it forward and be good to yourself over the holidays!

Love,

Neville

https://twitter.com/NevilleB108
https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

“Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth,

YOU OWE ME!

Look what happens with a love like that,

It lights the whole world.” – Hafiz

Your Soul Food for Friday Dec 16, 2022: Transmuting Smoldering Discontent Both Individually and Environmentally into Sustainable Purpose

December 15, 2022December 15, 2022 by soulfoodfriday, posted in Branding, Marketing & Communications, Community Outreach, Education, Leadership Development, Wellness/Energy Work

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

Your Relationship to Work-

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…

Anniversary Special – Flipping the Script with Jeff Blanton & Neville Billimoria – Jailbreak Leadership

Your Relationship to Play-

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.

Strange Crew – Clapton Tribute Night! – Duck Foot Brewing Co (duckfootbeer.com)

Here is a teaser to give you a flavor with a few special guests expected too:

For Your Love – End jam – YouTube

Hope to see you there!

For Your Love,

Neville

Your Relationship to Nature-

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.

Restoring Gorongosa National Park after decades of war – 60 Minutes – CBS News

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.

Is Patagonia the end game for profits in a world of climate change? (cnbc.com)

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

Make ecocide an international crime and other legal ideas to help save the planet | Steven Donziger | The Guardian

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.

See rare photos of chimpanzees treating their wounds with insects (nationalgeographic.com)

Over 50 Species Previously thought to be Mute Make Sounds
If you listen closely, your pet turtle might just have something to say to you…

Over 50 species previously thought to be mute make sounds, new study finds | CNN

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

The 2022 BirdLife Australia photography awards – in pictures | Environment | The Guardian

Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam:

Enjoy the visuals that go with this iconic song

Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens – YouTube

Thanks this week go to Strange Crew, Charles S, Larry H and all who have contributed to our wellbeing diet this year.

Stay joyous and pay it forward with purpose.

Love,

Neville

https://twitter.com/NevilleB108
https://www.facebook.com/nbillimoria

“The Greatest Threat to Our Planet is the Belief that Someone Else Will Save It”

Your Soul Food for Friday Dec 9 2022: Fight the Blues with Some Tunes!

December 9, 2022 by soulfoodfriday, posted in Community Outreach, Education, Leadership Development, Wellness/Energy Work

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week: The Amazing Power of Music

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.

Fight the blues with some tunes – study – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

Heartwarming Animation to Lighten Your Load and Get You Smiling:

Polar Bear & Squirrel Dancing On Ice, Funny Horse – YouTube

‘Totally Uninhibited’ Dancing Guest Conductor Goes Viral:
Conductor gone wild. Watch the guy who won a raffle get to conduct an orchestra.

Boy is he having fun and his joy is infectious…

Video: Watch Chelsea Symphony’s guest conductor dance his way to internet fame | CNN

Drivin the Bus on KUSI TV with Yours Truly Playing Shakedown Street

Grateful Dead Shakedown Street cover to juice you up!

Local band “Drivin’ The Bus” performs on KUSI patio – YouTube

Keep Smiling!

Thanks this week go to Larry H, Vince H, and all you lovers of music

Please play it forward and stay in tune with your highest nature!

Love,

Neville

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

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” – Rumi

Your Soul Food for Friday Dec 2, 2022: BeNevilleNce (Actually, Be Yourself!)

December 2, 2022 by soulfoodfriday, posted in Community Outreach, Education, Leadership Development, Wellness/Energy Work

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week: BeNevilleNce

Locals-Ready to Classic Jam Tonight?

Drivin The Bus is at The Kraken in Cardiff this Friday at 9pm

Here is a sampler from when we were featured on KUSI TV recently:

KUSI rocks out with local band Drivin’ The Bus – YouTube

Enjoy kicking it to Clapton?

Next Gig Saturday Dec 17^th with Strange Crew at Duck Foot Brewing Company, 8920 Kenamar Dr. from 7 to 10pm

Good vibrations coming your way and yes I will be sitting in on percussion for both…

Pure Fun and Frivolity-

Sharing is Caring!

Check these two lovey kitties out…

Cats sharing food – YouTube

Need to Get the Rage Out?

Check out this ambidextrous prize fighter with lightning paws and Bruce Lee speed!

Cat really hates this tiger – YouTube

And You Think You Go Nuts Watching Your Favorite Team:

Dog Watching Soccer Game | Dog Reaction | – YouTube

Elton Might Have Just Concluded His Tour

Here comes the next virtuoso

Dog Plays Piano and Sings – YouTube

A Bit More Heady Stuff-

At Work

5 WAYS TO STAY POSITIVE WHEN OTHERS AREN’T:

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.

Relationships 2.0: When Did Marriage Become So Hard? | Hidden Brain Media

Over Human History

Leaving A Mark

Only 32 signs across a 3,200-year timespan across an entire continent?

For millennia, humans have created artifacts of their lives — from art, to books, to music.

Explore ideas about capturing the ephemeral human experience for future generations to find.

Leaving A Mark : TED Radio Hour : NPR

Thanks this week go to Chris B and Larry H for your contributions!

Please pay it forward with purpose everyone

Love,

Neville

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

“Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Already Taken.”

– Oscar Wilde

Your Soul Food for Thanksgiving Week 2022: Feast on Gratitude & Snack on Joy!

November 24, 2022 by soulfoodfriday, posted in Education, Leadership Development, Wellness/Energy Work

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week: Feast on Gratitude, Snack on Joy, Reset Your Nervous System and Learn From Nature

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary, because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

~~Author Unknown.

Feast on gratitude this holiday season:

It could be good for you mentally, physically
“Physiologically, when people are experiencing gratitude, or when they tend to be more grateful overall, they have lower blood pressure,” one expert notes.

Expressing gratitude could be good for you, mentally and physically – Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com)

Want to feel happier?

Try snacking on joy.
Learning to find the joy in mundane experiences is a way to cultivate a more meaningful life.

Want to feel happier? Try savoring small moments and “snacking” on joy. – The Washington Post

Feeling stressed?

How to use the 5-senses method to reset your nervous system and achieve inner calm
Sure-fire ways to achieve inner calm when life gets hectic.

How to use the five senses method to achieve inner calm (stylist.co.uk)

A New Study Shows That Young Bumblebees Like to Play with Toys Mirroring the Behavior of Young Mammals:

New research finds bumblebees like to play with toys : NPR

And Enjoy This Amazing Video That Will Touch Your Soul!

The beauty of pollination – YouTube (youtube-nocookie.com)

Thankful this week for all soulful and kindred spirits making this world better for others!

Pay it forward with purpose…

Love,

Neville

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – JF Kennedy

Your Soul Food for Friday 11/17/22: The Spirit of Thanksgiving and Love Big!

November 18, 2022 by soulfoodfriday, posted in Community Outreach, Education, Leadership Development, Wellness/Energy Work

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

The Spirit of Thanksgiving and Love Big!

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.

Health benefits of a random act of kindness | CNN

Love, Happiness, Peace and Purpose are Perennials Not Seasonal-

The Happiness Formula for Any Age:

The happiness we seek can require investing earlier than we think—and may help us align our expectations and reality at the end of life.

A New Formula for Happiness – The Atlantic

Small Habits Can Make a Big Difference-

If You Spend Your Day Staring at a Screen, Doing Just a Minute of ‘Eye Yoga’ Can Ease Neck, Jaw and Forehead Tension:

Try These 5 Eye Exercises for Tension Relief | Well+Good (wellandgood.com)

Making Ethical Food Choices-

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.

Why giving up meat is so hard — and recipes to make going vegetarian easier | Here & Now (wbur.org)

Stay in Tune-

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.

Lady Gaga, Queen played for study rats. The animals bopped their heads (usatoday.com)