Destigmatizing Homelessness and Doing Something About It:
Here is a short video I was able to help the San Diego Rescue Mission with on the topic of addressing homelessness, along with some local folks including Ken Blanchard, Mayor Sotelo-Solis of National City, Miles McPherson of The Rock Church, Steve Fisher former head basketball coach for SDSU, and others.
Thanks for caring about our most underestimated brothers and sisters…
8-year-old boy becomes youngest person to climb California’s El Capitan An 8-year-old boy became the youngest person to finish climbing El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park on Friday, according to his father, who has been by his side and cheering him on since the pair began their journey earlier this week.
Talking to strangers might make you happier, a study on ‘relational diversity’ finds A study finds that we are happier the more we talk with different categories of people — colleagues, family, strangers — and the more evenly our conversations are spread out among those groups.
“Lean out in your own way to make a difference in your community, so that others are inspired to stand up or go out on a limb for what matters” –Neville
Positive Self Talk: The Magic of Mindset by Devin C.
Affirmations are like magic words. The words you most often repeat in your mind affect your life and your future, for good or for bad.
You were probably taught as a child to not talk to yourself — well, throw all that out the window. Developing a strong inner dialogue that you can use to get in the groove is something I’d strongly recommend for anyone. When you stoke yourself up on positive self-talk, you’re able to foster stronger feelings of happiness and optimism.
Positive self-talk is a crucial, effective strategy they can use to combat any time of discomfort. This is why you will often see athletes mumbling to themselves before a game. They’ve been taught how to get in the right headspace for the challenges ahead of them. The beauty of self-talk is that it isn’t just great for sports. Parents, employees — anyone, really, can use self-talk to bring themselves into a more solid and positive frame of mind.
By definition, self-talk can be private thoughts or external speech, and whether it is positive or negative guides a person’s emotional and behavioral responses to discomfort.
If self-talk is negative, reflecting back the criticism you feel from others, you will automatically impose self-limitations that may take years to overcome. On the contrary, if the self-talk is positive, you can create a piece of armor to rely on for defense; whether it’s a work event or speaking in front of the room or seeking help from a co-worker, making new friends or defending oneself against a horrible person (sic), self-talk is extremely powerful.
When I was eight, I started to struggle with reading and writing. Before I was diagnosed with dyslexia, I was pulled into a group of five kids with serious learning disabilities.
A special aide came to work with us twice a day, calling us from our seats to the back of the room, where an accordion wall slid over to reveal a small side area. The walk felt like a slow death march. Everyone could read the scarlet letters tattooed across the slow learners’ foreheads.
“Devin’s with the short bus kids,” one of my classmates snickered. The laughter and comments made me feel exposed and hurt, because there was a part of me that almost believed them. After all, I was in the special education group, so the kids were peeling the scab off a very real vulnerability. That is why bullying is so damaging — it keys into deeply personal, truly embarrassing parts of a child’s psyche and seems to validate them. When a child utilizes self-talk as a response, he can shed the victim role and feel empowered instead.
In my case, rather than give in to the insecurity or tear my classmates down in return, I sat alone and breathed deeply. I could hear my father’s voice in my head: “People just don’t understand greatness,” he told me. “They don’t know what it looks like. You’ve just got to push through this.” I am, I can, I will, I thought fiercely. These people just don’t understand me. I will get through this. It was important to own that I was going through a difficult time, but believe I would get through it. Those positive affirmations helped deflect some of the bullets being fired at me.
Now, as an adult, I can see how they also demonstrate the power of a parent’s lessons in self-talk. In order for you to connect with others, you have to first be comfortable who you see in the mirror.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
● Develop “trigger words” — a positive mantra you connect with and can repeat anytime that you need to self-soothe. Trigger words will help you feel empowered and may come from a favorite song or movie, as well as what parents and teachers instill in them. My trigger words came from my father: “I am, I can, I will.” Even as an adult, I turn to this reassuring phrase anytime I feel self-doubt, fear, or insecurity.
● Learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. In other words, learn coping strategies for discomfort by placing yourself in situations (on purpose) where you must develop a skill you currently do not have. As a child, I thought the arts were unmanly — so my father made me play the bassoon. My confidence increased once I mastered the instrument, and I could refer to that experience in other times of discomfort.
There’s a Mental Health Crisis Among American Children. Why?
Sleep doctor’s trick to fall asleep faster – and it can help if you wake up at 3am A sleep doctor has shared her go-to trick to help relax your body and potentially fall asleep faster – and it could even come in handy if you’re prone to waking up in the middle of the night.
A horse ran away with wild mustangs. It just came home, 8 years later. Eight years ago, Shane Adams’s beloved horse, Mongo, became one of about 86,000 wild mustangs roaming the West. But last week, he finally came home.
Alaska snow crab season canceled after an estimated 1 billion crabs disappear An estimated 1 billion crabs have mysteriously disappeared from Alaskan waters in two years, officials said.
“It doesn’t matter who you love, where you love, why you love, when you love, or how you love, it only matters THAT you love!”- John Lennon
‘My teenage hormones were raging!’: stars salute the Beatles’ Love Me Do at 60 It confused Gene Simmons, inspired Judy Collins and changed one pop star’s mum’s haircut. Here, musicians recall the impact of the Beatles’ debut single
— Lila Watson, Australian Aboriginal woman, in response to
mission workers
An Indigenous tribe and a team of scientists help condors soar again Once pushed to the brink of extinction, condors are soaring in Northern California skies again with the help of an Indigenous tribe and a team of scientists.
Australia hands control of its newest national parks to Indigenous peoples The landmark move includes tourism efforts highlighting 60,000 years of Native culture and is part of a push to reckon with the country’s colonial legacy.
“Let us therefore decide both upon the Goal and upon the Way, and not fail to find some experienced Guide who has explored the region towards which we are advancing, for the conditions of this Journey are different from those of most travel.” — Seneca
Just 2 minutes of walking after eating can help blood sugar, study says Getting up and moving after you eat — even if it’s only for two minutes — can help control blood sugar levels, a new study says. If you can’t do that, try standing. It helps, too.
Antidotes for America’s Rich Death Trap, Moving Pictures, and The Paths to Peace
America Is a Rich Death Trap.
It’s not just the pandemic. For citizens of a wealthy country, Americans of every age, at every income level, are unusually likely to die, from guns, drugs, cars, and disease.
A Stanford Neuroscientist Says This Simple Breathing Exercise Is Like a Kill Switch for Stress A dead simple breathing exercise can help you short circuit stress, according to Stanford’s Andrew Huberman.
A Harvard Biologist Says This is the Worst Myth About Exercise He Most Wants to Debunk Believing this myth can drastically impact how many healthy and productive years you get to run your business.
Spectacular Images Revealed In Weather Photography Competition:
Dramatic lightning strikes, extreme climate events, icy spectacles and sublime sun scenes are among the stunning images shortlisted for the Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 competition.
The Joan Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice is hosting acclaimed expert and peace builder Chris Blattman to discuss his new book, Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace. Why We Fight shows that war is hard and peace is easier than most people think. The problem is that we only pay attention to the conflicts that happen. In these challenging times, both internationally and domestically, Blattman’s insights are of critical importance for all those who want to bridge divides and keep social and political peace.
The Event is Thursday, September 22 at 6:30pm in the Peace & Justice Theater at USD. Please Register for the event.
September is San Diego Hunger Awareness Month!
In support, Mission Fed is partnering with the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank for the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program. This program provides food packages to chronically hungry elementary school students for the weekend when free school meals are unavailable.
Did you know that when children participate in programs that provide them with food for a weekend, children experience increased self-esteem, improved behavior at school, better academic performance, and increased interest in their classes and other school activities? Currently, 67 San Diego County elementary schools are enrolled in the Food 4 Kids program which feeds 3,300 students each week at schools throughout San Diego County.
The ask is for a donation of $7 which provides a food-filled backpack to a local child for the weekend.
Anyone can donate: we encourage everyone to contribute.
If you are interested there are several options to donate:
On behalf of Mission Fed, thank you for helping raise awareness and donations for this important cause. Together we can make a difference in the fight against child hunger.
Thanks this week go to Louis L, Mary H, Chris B, Carl L and the Mission Fed Team for this week’s submissions!
After co-chairing this conference 3 of the last 5 years that it has been in person, and intentionally pivoting from a focus beyond nonprofits to attending to all purpose-driven enterprise regardless of tax status, it is great to see this year’s conference meeting the moment. Join us and become part of a moment that is aspiring to create America’s kindest and most purposeful region with the social sector doing mission-driven work, businesses as a force for good, philanthropy that is evolvings from generosity to justice- as we all model and mentor conscious civic leadership.
This year’s Cause Conference is Thursday Sept 15th at USD
Note: In the afternoon I will be facilitating a session along with Elly Brown from the San Diego Food System Alliance titled: Identifying Our Unique Roles in the Long Arc of System Change
To see the complete agenda and to register please visit:
Mission Fed-Cloudcast Media Launch “Spotlight on the Community” Partnership:
Listen to this podcast where I am joined by Courtney Pendleton, Mission Fed’s Public Relations and Community Manager to launch the inaugural broadcast at Mission Fed Studios of Drew Schlosberg’s long-running “Spotlight on the Community” Show. It is a cool chat about Mission Fed’s community engagement efforts and why social purpose matters to us and why it might matter to you.
Can you invest your Time, Treasure & Talent? I am honored to share that I have been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts San Diego, joining a committed group of volunteers dedicated to improving the lives of girls who work together to build a better world.
This is as my 14 years of service on the University of California San Diego Alumni Board of Directors comes to a close.
One door closes, and another door opens…
Power Her Promise- A fundraising campaign to empower Girl Scouts:
You have the power to ensure that thousands of girls in our community have opportunities to discover their passions, develop their talents and seek the future of their dreams.
Your donation is more than a charitable contribution—it’s an investment in society.
Plenty of sleep, healthy meals and exercise are part of your routine. What’s missing? Daily play activity is a key part of childhood development, but it’s also essential for adults, according to research. CNN spoke with play expert and psychiatrist Dr. Stuart Brown about why incorporating fun in your routine is as important as a good night’s sleep.
San Diego Humane Society have taken in all 100+ beagles and is giving them immediate care. We have foster volunteers at the ready to help care for many of the beagles. Approximately 50 of the beagles will stay with SDHS fosters until adoption. San Diego Humane Society is also working with local shelters and rescue partners, including Rancho Coastal Humane Society and PAWS of Coronado, to place the remainder of the beagles. This is the second airlift that Greater Good Charities has conducted to help safely rehome the beagles being removed from Envigo. The first flight took place on August 20 and transported 146 beagles to Portland, OR.
Thanks this week go to Teachers everywhere, Larry K and all the Cause Conference organizers, Drew S and the Mission Fed CR team, Girl Scouts San Diego and the San Diego Humane Society.
Mindful Musings on Mastery, Communion, and Enlightenment with Eric K
15 Learnings Totally Worth Your Attention
How To Do The Most Good With Effective Altruism
Lifesaving Mnemonics for You and Your Loved Ones
And If You Are Local– I am PlayingLive music this weekend with Driving the Bus
Mindful Musings on Mastery, Communion, and Enlightenment with Eric K:
There is an undercurrent felt-sense that flows below the surface, below the familiar transactional consensus experience of day-to-day busyness and productivity. This current is both enlightening and disturbing. Enlightening because it shows the way, and disturbing because it steers us away from the comfort zone. It tugs at the edges of our consciousness and beckons us to follow it. As far as I can tell, everybody gets tugged by this current, but not everyone is willing to abide by the pull.
It’s a current of Truth. It’s a force that illuminates a deep and multifaceted dimensionality to life, to our lives. And Truth is a vast container that holds all those dimensions. In various traditions it’s called by different names. In corporate speak it’s referred to as potential. In martial arts it’s referred to as mastery. In spiritual traditions it’s referred to as enlightenment. And in religious traditions it’s referred to as communion.
By whatever name, and in whatever guise, it has the same effect on people. It pulls those who pay attention to it to explore, to attend, and to connect with this vein of Truth. And as we attend and connect and embody this current, inevitably we are compelled to share, and we call that sharing spirit, teaching. Anyone who responds to the tug of the current of Truth can’t help but want to teach others to attune to the same current. The subjects are infinite, and the styles are varied, yet the impulse to teach can’t be denied.
This is the same current that pulls at those of us who are called to be conscious leaders. Of course there’s an element of stewardship, maturity, responsibility, service to humanity. But essentially, those of us who are inextricably drawn towards it, are seekers after the truth. And for those of us who seek the truth long enough, we realize that there are some consistent truths, and that the master truth is almost impossible to express. That’s why we have the word ineffable – that which can be experienced, but cannot be spoken.
Moreover, those of us who can’t help ourselves but be swept along on this current are called devotees; you are devoted when you cannot not do something. And devotees almost always feel like we’re slightly misfits in the consensus scheme of organized life. So when we find ourselves in the company of others who, like us, are devoted to the Truth but don’t want to leave the socialized construct, we get quite energized. This is our community.
And this is what I sense is our deep motivation – convening and gathering the truth-seeking misfits that rather than to drop out, want to lead and teach others to tune in. There are those who abide by the Truth and are craving to apply it in the day-to-day grind of business, family, politics, and play. These are conscious leaders, and our community of brotherhood.
Blessings!
Megaphone Hand, business concept with text Attention Please, vector illustration
15 Learnings Totally Worth Your Attention:
15 Learning that I found really excellent and would take a lifetime to develop without someone packaging them up for us like this:
I am playing two shows with Driving the Bus a classic jam band playing everything from the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers to Eric Clapton to the Stones, etc.
Friday Aug 25th we are at Coomber Craft Wines on Mission Ave in Oceanside from 5:30 to 9:30pm
Saturday Aug 27th we are at The Holding Company on Newport Ave, in Ocean Beach from 7:30 to 10:30p
Hope to see you there!
Thanks this week go to Eric K, Marlaine C & Driving the Bus
This week: Turn “I” to “We” and Illness becomes Wellness!
Heady-
It’s Not a Great Resignation- It’s a Great Rethink:
I urge you to explore your great re-think (opportunity to reboot) using an evidence-based model of me-search instead of research. If you are rebooting on purpose, do consider:
Micro-habits/micro-dosing healthy choices, doing “Small things often”
Picking an accountabuddy to keep you on course
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, we revert to our reptilian brain, and there is no room for the creative brain to emerge. Too much stress when we feel lack of safety, leads to burnout and that affects our mental health and that of our teams.
So… let’s all attend to a deep purpose practice, whatever that means to you, for long term sustainable performance and fulfillment.
Quiet Quitting: Why Doing the Bare Minimum at Work has Gone Global The meaninglessness of modern work – and the pandemic – has led many to question their approach to their jobs
The Democratization of Photography on History- The Bigger Picture with Vincent Brown:
To get beyond photographs as the mere transmission of transparent information, we need to step back and see the bigger picture
Can the spectacle of modern politics today be traced back to a photograph of Abraham Lincoln taken during the presidential election in 1860? Host Vincent Brown reveals the specific choices made by Lincoln and renowned portrait photographer Mathew Brady in hopes of casting the candidate as presidential in his iconic 1860 portrait.
No Arms, No Legs, No Excuses: Wickenburg (Arizona) football coach Carter Crosland sees no obstacles Wickenburg assistant football coach Carter Crosland, born without arms and legs, drives himself 30 minutes to practice on his motorized wheelchair.
Feline Becomes Dog Friend’s Guide Cat After Canine Loses His Vision: ‘Most Beautiful Thing’ Satin the cat started using her meows to direct Blaze after the dog lost his vision in 2020
From dealing with ambient stress through self-care, ingredients for getting things done, books to get unstuck at work, practices to enhance your leadership development, inspiration from an all women rowing team, the most beautiful sights in the US, and funny animal pictures, you should find something here this week to feed your soul!
Feeling Off? It Could Be ‘Ambient’ Stress It’s everywhere during the pandemic
See the 10 most ‘beautiful’ sights in the US, based on more than 450,000 travel reviews A study of more than 450,000 TripAdvisor reviews identified sights in the U.S. with the most mentions of one adjective: beautiful.
The 4-ingredient recipe for getting things done Most of us make to-do lists but often find it hard to check everything off. Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman interviews Ayelet Fishbach, author of “Get It Done,” about finding a framework that can help you get through your weekly to-do lists.
3 Practices To Add To Your Leadership Development Program Want to future-proof your team? Implementing a Leadership Development program may be your best bet.
Funny animal photos from 2022 Comedy Pet Photography Awards The Comedy Pet Photography Awards highlight 26 hilarious photos of pets. The contest shared its 2022 photo finalists, and winners will be announced September 15. Notable finalists include surprised-looking cats, playful dogs, and ticklish horses.
This 18,000-year-old shell is ‘oldest wind instrument of its kind’ – hear its haunting sound The seashell’s music probably hadn’t been heard by humans for more than 17,000 years…
Why chase perfection when your joy loves progress? Why seek to be liked by the mass when too many within it don’t like themselves? Why aim to fit in when the game is to be a standout? Why wish for easier times when it’s the hard ones that make you strong?
To turn trials into triumph. To make failure into fortune. To change wounds into wisdom. To reform walls into windows. Such are the things that make humans. Happier.
So as the hours of your life advance. As the months slip away. As the years become decades. As the clock ticks each day.
Walk the earth gently. Care for the planet carefully. Honor your values ferociously. Protect your ambitions enthusiastically. Celebrate your friends passionately. Hold your family closely. Guard great health excellently. And be helpful to many, daily.
Do this. And. You’ll. Become. Magic. And a whole lot. Happier.
Thanks this week go to Angelica GW, Bob C & Robin S.
Upskilling Ourselves to Meet the Moment and Meet Ourselves as well as Others Where We Are At:
Later this month, as part of sharpening my saw to keep growing & to meet the moment, I am going to embark on the Awakening Conscious Leadership journey with XChange.
This program is based in large part on the lifework of my dear departed soul brother Dr Danny Friedland, founding chair of the Academy of Integrated Health and Medicine, author of one of the first textbooks on Evidence-Based Medicine, Master Facilitator extraordinaire, Conscious Leadership Coach for the leaders of Conscious Capitalism among others, and an amazing human being.
As part of my prep work, this vid (below) was shared with me, and I felt compelled to share it with you.
Why?
Like Dr. Danny, at our deepest self, we are all trying to navigate and make meaning of suffering, identify our higher purpose, face our mortality, and leave a legacy. By understanding the choreography of asking the right questions, and assembling the glorious order of things, we can find our best and highest use in our short time on this earth.
There is nothing like the fierce urgency of now to reveal the answer to the deep and rich question, we often fail to ask and answer, namely, “What Matters Most NOW?” instead of the more common question, “What am I going to do now?”
If you are looking for mindless release from the ongoing madness, then binge watch your favorite show or use another escapist device to give you relief.
I get it. I do it all the time…
On the other hand, if you are willing to get vulnerable and real with your most authentic self and courageously navigate out of these uncharted waters, buckle up and enjoy the journey!
Here’s to Joy in Every One of the Four Seasons of Life:
Vivaldi on Marimba from Crazy Talented South African Schoolchildren
Thanks to DJ King for connecting me with the Awakening Conscious Leadership ecosystem, to Vince R for the Joy of 4 Seasons, and to all my kindred fellow travelers on this incredible and mysterious journey we call life.
Happy Soul Food Friday! 