Category: Leadership Development

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

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

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

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)

Thanks this week go to all of you.

Extending you and your loved ones much love, happiness, peace and purpose!

Please pay it forward and model that attitude of gratitude!

Love,

Neville

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder”- Gilbert K. Chesterton

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

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

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

Check it out here:

The PERMAH Wellbeing Survey | Wellbeing | Michelle McQuaid

Strength to Strength-

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:

Live from Klarman Hall – 6/17/2022 – From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life – Video – Harvard Business School (hbs.edu)

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:

True Triton—Neville Billimoria, ’82 – YouTube

Finally, to end on a joyous sonic note enjoy the Sultans of Swing in the prime of their lives!

(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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“A strong wind may destroy a sturdy tree, but the willow bends and the wind passes through.” – Sensei Gichin Funakoshi