This week: Autocracy v. Democracy & Staying Sane Even As The World Seems Mad
Different Perspectives on the World-
The Bad Guys Are Winning If the 20th century was the story of slow, uneven progress toward the victory of liberal democracy over other ideologies—communism, fascism, virulent nationalism—the 21st century is, so far, a story of the reverse.
Opinion | Why Should Americans Care About Ukraine? It’s Not Complicated. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is geographically distant, but the consequences of Putin’s aggression could have ripple effects beyond Eastern Europe.
Putin Accidentally Revitalized the West’s Liberal Order The Russian president thought he sensed an opportunity to take advantage of a disunited West. He has been proved wrong.
3 Science-Backed Ways to Better Deal With Stress and Be More Focused, Productive, and Successful Totally avoid stress? Impossible. Better deal with stress? Surprisingly simple.
The Secret to Happiness, According to This Harvard Professor: A Reverse Bucket List If you want to be truly happy, don’t just think about what to add to your life, but about what to take away.
Study Finds Having Pets May Have Positive Impact on Brain Power “Prior studies have suggested that the human-animal bond may have health benefits like decreasing blood pressure and stress,” Dr. Tiffany Braley of the University of Michigan Medical Center shared, adding that the “results suggest pet ownership may also be protective against cognitive decline.”
These Adorable Animal Pictures Will Bring a Smile to Your Face Bored Panda has collected pictures from around the world to create this adorable gallery, featuring sweet animals who will bring a smile to your face.
Wow did I have a BBBAAADDDD Monday. Another cloudy day, my weight went up, some calls didn’t go well, I spent the day telling myself what a terrible leader I am, got slammed by an e-mail where I felt someone was questioning my ability to do my job, and that ended with a friend of mine letting me know that she got COVID and is very afraid. What a day! Ever had one like that?
I woke up this morning thinking – how the heck am I going to be positive for others when I didn’t sleep, I don’t feel like anyone cares or sees how hard I am trying, I can’t do anything to help my friends, and the world is in such a bad place (in other words – pity party in full swing – really more than full swing, kind of like – took over Disneyland, had Beyoncé sing in person, and had a cocktail named after me, kind of over the top pity party).
Then this showed up in my feed…
When I saw this, I remembered the story of the Farmer and the Donkey. Thought that maybe some of you may be going through a rough patch as well. If you are, you may benefit from this as well. If you’ve heard it before, well, I know it helped me to read it again. Maybe keep it handy for a time when you feel like you are heading out to your own pity party, or we can have a party together (socially distanced with masks on) and read it to each other. 😊
The Farmer and the Donkey
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway-it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all of his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
A MacDonald’s Employee Jumped Through a Window and Saved a Customer. Here’s What Every Leader Can Learn: Sydney Raley, a 15-year-old with autism, likely saved the woman’s life.
5 Lessons on Spirituality, Activism and Humility I Learned From George Harrison George Harrison stood as an example of modesty and humility, and his legacy is one that I think we can all learn from.
“An unhealed person can find offense in pretty much anything someone does.
A healed person understands that the actions of others have nothing to do with them.
Each day you get to decide which one you will be.” – Unknown
18th Annual Nonprofit Governance Symposium Jan 27th 2022 (Virtual):
Please join me at the 18th Annual Nonprofit Governance Symposium on January 27th!
I will be presenting on Leading Consciously with Purpose- Especially During a Pandemic, alongside over 30 local and nationally recognized experts in nonprofit leadership, governance, and more!
Happy Soul Food Friday for the last Friday in 2021!
We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness.
We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders.
All are welcome: black, white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated, not educated, male, female, gay, straight, all, all, all.
We all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family.
― Archbishop Desmond Tutu
This week: “Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to All (Hu)Men”
Making Peace with Nature
Christmas Joy and Holiday Cheer Extended
How to Best Prepare for this Next Round of Covid
Making Peace with Nature-
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor”
– Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Mobile Film Festival Awards: 1001 Ways to ‘Make Peace with Nature’: The Jury for the 2021 Mobile Film Festival has announced the 12 winners of this year’s edition within the challenging theme “Making Peace with Nature”. Three of the winners were from Iran and two from France.
From the high snowy peaks of Bhutan, to parched, rocky terrain in Iran or the inside of a cow’s stomach, the entries in competition are eye-opening to say the least. Although some take a humorous or satirical angle, most act as wake-up calls, showing a glimpse of a dark future which awaits future generations if humanity doesn’t act to save the planet now.
The Mobile Film Festival concept, now in its 17th year, is based on making a 1 minute film using a mobile phone, adhering to a chosen theme. Organizers say this allows for maximum creativity without expensive equipment. Obviously organizers had their hands full combing through nearly 700 entries from 92 countries received this year, whittling the choice down to just 50 films from 34 countries in the final selection, with only 12 winners.
The African Wildlife Foundation is Using Photography to Inspire the Next Generation of Conservationists with the African Wildlife Foundation’s Inaugural Benjamin Mkapa African Wildlife Photography Awards:
The competition, named after the late Tanzanian president and longtime AWF board member, hopes to encourage African people to take a more active role in conservation. After all, as CEO Kaddu Sebunya said, all of this beauty and life is part of their heritage.
A man strung Christmas lights from his home to his neighbor’s to support her. The whole community followed. “Little by little, the whole neighborhood started doing it,” said Kim Morton.
You might get a breakthrough case of Covid-19 this winter.
Here’s how to prepare:
If you’re hoping for the best but still want to plan for the worst, there are things you can do now.
As case numbers increase in the US and a new variant of concern circulates, it’s hard to feel optimistic about our upcoming Covid-19 season. Among people who are vaccinated and who have been fairly cautious thus far, a dark feeling of inevitability may be beginning to settle in — a sense that even if you’ve avoided the coronavirus until now, that might not hold through the winter.
While it can be anxiety-inducing to see a cluster of storm clouds gathering and know there’s a very good chance you’re in their direct path, there is still time to do a bit of weatherproofing, so to speak — or at least put on a raincoat and grab an umbrella, so that you’re not caught totally off guard when it starts to pour.
Being prepared for a Covid-19 infection in your household is just plain practical. Even if omicron turns out to be less dangerous than previous variants, the US is also still looking at its first winter with delta, which we know is highly transmissible compared to last winter’s dominant Covid-19 variant. This means people who have tested positive or are symptomatic and waiting for PCR test results need to be especially prepared to tend to their illness without leaving the house, reducing the likelihood of infecting others. Keep in mind that underserved groups are likely to bear the burden of this and future phases of the pandemic; even if you have a case that feels truly mild, it’s still crucial to do your part to mitigate exposure and keep the pandemic from worsening.
It’s also wise to get physically and mentally ready on a personal level. During uncertain times, it can be helpful to gain some small semblance of control. While we wait to learn more about omicron, doing something lightly productive — even just restocking your now-expired cold meds — can offset feelings of powerlessness or anxiety you may be experiencing.
Lastly, getting a positive diagnosis can be unmooring, even if you’re vaccinated and not afraid of a scary outcome. You might feel mostly okay physically, but it’s unlikely you’ll want to do a ton of research or make a lot of decisions in that moment. The more time you can spend resting and healing — versus, say, trying to find the most up-to-date info on testing and treatments — the better.
If you’re hoping for the best but still want to plan for the worst, here’s advice from one health expert on what you can do right now.
Make a plan for how and where you’ll get tested if you have symptoms or an exposure
“It’s really important for people to get tested, because it’s really hard to differentiate between seasonal flu, Covid, or just a regular cold,” says Syra Madad, the senior director of system-wide special pathogens for NYC Health + Hospitals. “There are a lot of overlapping signs and symptoms, and they’re nonspecific. You can have a fever, cough, or runny nose with any of those three.”
Depending on how you’ve been utilizing testing thus far, you may not have put much thought into how or where you’ll get tested if you start showing symptoms or if you need results ASAP. (According to the CDC, vaccinated people should get tested five to seven days after an exposure or as soon as symptoms develop. Be aware, however, that omicron may have a quicker onset than other variants.)
It’s wise to figure out a testing plan now, including at-home and lab tests, when you’re presumably healthy. Determine the closest testing site(s) to you and how you’ll get there if you need a lab test; ideally, you’d avoid public transportation and ride-sharing services, but if that’s not possible, think about what you might do to minimize the risk to other people. Also make note of the testing site’s hours, whether it’s open on weekends, and whether it’s walk-in only or if you can make an appointment.
Know that getting tested when you know there’s a fairly high probability that you have Covid-19 — versus getting tested as a formality or prophylactically — can be a stressful experience. In those moments, you’re likely going to want your results quickly. So you may also want to figure out where you’ll be able to get a rapid PCR test near you, if available, and add that to the “Covid dossier” (a.k.a. Google Doc) you’re building out. As Vox has previously reported, it’s also a good idea to stock up on rapid at-home antigen tests.
It can be difficult to think of yourself as contagious, especially when you feel great or just “not that sick.” But it’s important to internalize the reality that, at any point, you could unwittingly pose a much bigger threat to others than you realize. That means taking extra precautions to protect your community, especially if you’ve gotten a little lax about this since getting vaccinated.
“No one wants to experience a breakthrough infection,” Madad says. “We know that even fully vaccinated people can transmit the virus, obviously at a lower extent, to fully vaccinated individuals. I think that’s really important for people to understand. It’s not just about you. I know here in America, it’s a lot about me, me, me, but we need to make sure we’re also looking at we, collectively.”
The best mask is one that fits, so make sure yours does, and think about replacing your cloth masks with N95, KN95, or surgical masks. If you want to stick with cloth, consider whether it’s time to replace your current supply. (Vox reported in September 2020 that a cloth mask likely needs to be replaced after 100 rounds in the washer or 50 in the dryer because the fabric will start to break down and become more porous.)
Determine who will be your main source of medical care if you get sick
A lot of people in the US simply don’t have a primary care provider they see regularly — even people who are insured. That’s a tough spot to be in when you’re sick and everything you’re reading is telling you to “talk to your doctor” about symptoms, and treatments.
“I would definitely encourage people to make sure that they have a primary care physician,” Madad says. Of course, many people don’t, and can’t, for a slew of structural and systemic reasons. Madad says she’d like to see more centralized hotlines that people can call about symptoms, for guidance on what types of treatments (like monoclonal antibodies) they might qualify for, and to know whether or not to go to the hospital. Until that happens, the best thing for you personally to do is to spend some time on your public health department’s website and the nearest public hospital’s website to find additional resources and information about free or low-cost telehealth options.
If you do have the resources to get a primary health care provider and have simply been procrastinating doing the research to find one, make that a priority in the next couple of weeks. The good news is that the advent of telehealth means this might be considerably easier, since you won’t need to worry as much about the doctor being a long car or bus ride away.
Have a plan for how you’ll isolate if you test positive
The Covid-19 vaccines are so effective at reducing hospitalization and death that it’s possible to start to feel like we’re post-pandemic or that getting Covid-19 is no big deal. It might not be a death sentence if you’re young, vaccinated, and generally healthy, but it’s still not the same as, say, getting a cold (even if it literally feels like you just have a cold). Plus, plenty of people are simply not young or generally healthy and very much want to avoid getting Covid-19 entirely. Which is all to say: It’s important to take isolation seriously.
With that in mind, take some time to familiarize yourself with the current CDC recommendations for the Covid-positive. Plan that, per current recommendations, you’ll likely need to be at home for 10 days — and not just mostly at home, but literally not leaving your home, except to get medical care, for 10 days. (Also keep in mind the current guidance could change with omicron.) Here are some other things to think about:
Are there any steps you could take to mitigate spread to family members or housemates? For example, can you confine yourself to one room or even one floor? If you live in an apartment, does it make sense to buy an air purifier and a couple of fans to help with ventilation? Madad also pointed to New York City’s free hotel program for people and/or families who need to isolate. Not all cities will have options like this, of course, but it’s absolutely worth knowing that ahead of time.
If you have young kids, what might you do in terms of child care if you have to self-isolate and can’t send your kid to day care or school?
How might you get food and medicine if you can’t leave the house? Do any drug stores or grocery stores near your home offer delivery? Are there any local mutual aid groups you can join now, in case you need a supply drop-off from a neighbor later?
What is your workplace’s sick leave or PTO policy and how will that affect you, especially if you’re employed outside the house? Even companies with generous leave policies might require you to take short-term disability if you need to use more than five days of sick leave in a row, which is not something you want to learn for the first time mere hours after a Covid-19 diagnosis.
If you live in an apartment and have a dog you need to take outside, who could pick up your pet and watch it while you isolate?
The answer to some of these questions might be, “Well, I guess I’m screwed!” which absolutely does not represent a moral failing on your part. But facing the bleak reality that things like sick leave and child care in the US are not built for a pandemic (or for a non-pandemic, to be frank) is a tiny bit easier and less overwhelming when you’re feeling relatively healthy.
Stock up on essentials
One thing that will make it massively easier to isolate and to focus on getting better is a well-stocked medicine chest and pantry.
To tend to your symptoms, you’ll likely want to have a variety of cold and cough medicines, pain relievers and fever reducers (like acetaminophen and ibuprofen), cough drops, a thermometer, and a few boxes of tissues. Madad says a pulse oximeter to monitor changes in your oxygen levels also isn’t a bad idea, though the reliability of this tool varies somewhat, especially for those with dark skin. Think about what you like to eat when you’re sick and/or don’t have much appetite (jello, popsicles, instant ramen, soup, etc.) and consider bulking up your grocery list for a few weeks with pantry staples and freezer meals for the benefit of Future You.
For extra credit, here are two items that unexpectedly made my own bout of Covid-19 much easier: a big water bottle with a straw (like this), which made it much easier to stay hydrated, and a small trash receptacle to put next to the bed or couch, because having a runny nose and taking lots of individually wrapped cold meds generates a ton of trash, which quickly takes over your nightstand and adds to the generally rotten vibe of having a respiratory illness.
Mentally prepare for how much rest you’ll need when you’re sick
One of the big benefits of planning ahead like this is that it’ll make it easier to do nothing after you’ve tested positive — something that is critical to the healing process.
During the mild case of Covid-19 I had last January, I immediately took time off work, but I didn’t totally understand what it means to truly rest, in the doctor-prescribed sense. I thought I could do light chores if I felt mostly up to them, for example, or read a book. I even, somewhat inexplicably, set my alarm for a normal wake-up time every morning, like it was an average weekend instead of … time off to deal with the respiratory illness I’d spent a year avoiding. It took me a few days to accept that doing anything but lying down and watching TV was draining, and even if I felt okay in the moment, I’d pay for it by feeling awful in the hours that followed. If you’ve been healthy your whole life, it can be difficult to comprehend how physically wiped you might feel after doing your typical version of “doing nothing.”
“We want to give our bodies time to recover,” Madad says. “You’re not going to get that healing time or recovery time if you’re going to constantly be active and on your feet and doing things that we do on a daily basis. I know so many of us live active lives, and to just stay in bed is something that’s really hard for many of us. But it’s really important.” And know that if you can’t take it easy — because, say, your boss expects you to get back to work or you have to take care of your kids, or both — it might take you longer to feel like yourself again. “If you are not giving that time to your body, then it probably will take longer for you to deal with Covid,” Madad says.
Pick up the phone if/when the health department calls you
If you’re not one to answer phone calls from unknown numbers, consider making an exception in the days following your positive test — it could very well be the local health department getting in touch. Depending on where you live, they could be calling to get your help with contact tracing, or they might want to ask you some questions about your symptoms, answer any questions you have, and provide you with important info and resources. (On the other hand, Madad says a lot of states are currently overwhelmed, so you may not get a call at all.)
Madad says that people might feel hesitant to share their friends’ or coworkers’ personal information with the health department, but stresses that contact tracing is still a critical piece of preventing future outbreaks. “Oftentimes, I hear, ‘I’m not going to give out my personal information,’ or ‘I’m not going to give information of who I have been in contact with because it’s none of their business,’” she says. “But, again, I would look at it as a form of community service. If you get that call, give that information, because their goal is to end this pandemic. By giving that information, you’re contributing to helping reduce the spread of this virus, which ultimately will help end this pandemic eventually.”
Be ready to feel a wave of emotions
Even if you’ve told yourself you’ll likely get Covid-19 eventually and it’s probably not a big deal, it’s still totally reasonable to feel overwhelmed and upset by a positive test. (It’s also completely reasonable to think it is a very big deal, and to feel afraid.) “It’s okay to be concerned, it’s okay to have those types of feelings,” Madad says. “No one wants to experience illness of any kind, whether we’re talking about Covid-19 or any type of a virus — no one wants to get sick. That’s not a condition that anybody wants to experience, especially when you talk about a variant that we’re still learning more about.”
It’s also very normal to feel a sense of shame or guilt, but Madad says it’s important to not let those feelings stop you from taking necessary steps to protect others. “Regardless of how you got infected, you want to do the right thing in terms of preventing other people from getting sick and contributing to that community transmission that is happening,” she says. That means telling close contacts they need to get tested and taking isolation seriously. “I think there should be no shame, no embarrassment,” Madad says. “You’re doing community service — you’re letting people know to protect themselves, because you’re infected, and you want to make sure that you’re staying away from them.”
Wishing you and yours a safe New Year and a much better 2022!
Thanks for this week’s submissions go to Chris B, Eric K & Kurt C.
Thanks for sustenance all year go to The Conscious leaders group, Bright Lights, the Mission Fed team, Aoinagi Karate @UCSD, The Future Design Society, All our educational partners, NCPC and All our nonprofit & philanthropic partners, the UC San Diego gang, our extended family-biological or otherwise- All that contributed to Soul Food Friday this year, as well as to each and every one of you for reading, caring, and paying it forward!
We are better together!
Love All,
Neville
PS. Ideas for Soul Food next year or interested in submitting your own inspirational or heart-opening content? Ping me!
I am with full and unqualified FAITH intending these things to come true this year and sending them by special envoy to be seeded, nurtured, energized and released into the Universe:
Health, Healing and lots of Pure Loving Energy for my whole family and myself and for your whole family and yourself
Positive Self Esteem, Acceptance of Unconditional Love, and a year of Rich Educational Success for my children and all children
Genuine Encounter Moments and a Rich Satisfying Intimacy for my wife and I, and for you and your partner/significant other
Career Stability and Advancement leading to Abundant Wealth and Prosperity for all the breadwinners in our family and yours
Deep Meaning, Value and Fulfillment in ALL our a-vocational passions
Continued Success in Living, Loving, Life-long Learning and Leaving a Legacy for my loved ones, for myself, and for YOU.
We are grateful for making this come true.
We are grateful for making this come true.
We are grateful for making this come true!
And it is done…
Today marks my 53rd trip “trucking’” around the Sun.
Looking back, “What a long, strange trip it’s been”
Looking forward, “Here comes the sun”
Reflecting now, “Crossroads”…
Sometimes it has felt like life on the edge as I try to reach escape velocity
Other times it has been in the wilderness of human values where I have found my center of gravity
It’s always been interesting and mostly filled with love, spirit and energy. These are the soul fuel have sparked ignition on both inner and outer journeys
Enjoy some samplers of these themes and tribulations but be forewarned…
“We appreciate frankness from those who like us. Frankness from others is called insolence.” –Andre Maurois
THE ROYAL PIGEON
Nasruddin became prime minister to the king. Once while he wandered through the palace, he saw a royal falcon. Now Nasruddin had never seen this kind of a pigeon before. So he got out a pair of scissors and trimmed the claws, the wings and the beak of the falcon. “Now you look like a decent bird,” he said. “Your keeper had evidently been neglecting you.
Moral: Don’t buy into the notion that, “You’re different so there’s something wrong with you!”
Be Yourself. There is only ONE You!
The Journey Continues…
Love,
Neville
Taking ‘bout my Generation:
They say you either pass it forward, or pass it back
Experience this extreme Father/Son communication
Watch the non-verbal handoff at the 2 minute mark and the final note as the world says goodbye to Maestro Bebo Valdes one of the greats
Great musicians are Great listeners!
A little Yang Spirit…
It can be tough out there “Business is a combination of war and sport”, said Andre Maurois, and as a martial artist, I have appreciated this notion…
Expect to battle heatedly but fight fairly.
Focus on excellence not success because success is about how you measure up to others whereas, excellence is how you compare to yourself!
Be your own yardstick
Look your friends in the eye and know you didn’t let them down.
Can you live in that moment?
How Great Can You Be? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6xLYt265ZM
Life on the Edge
Aggravated or Acrophobic-
It is lonely at the top but it is scary as hell on the edge!
You better hang on to something before you look at these pics… Click here!
On Perspective:
Sometimes you need a Long View
On the one hand, from 30,000 feet, all water looks drinkable
On the other hand, without perspective you wouldn’t have this incredible viewpoint! Click here!
Speaking of perspective…
A little Yin Spirit
The Earth’s Prayer is something I wrote in 2009 after an inspirational trip to Europe.
It is scary to share it, but here goes… Click here!
Up Close and Personal:
That which is most personal is most universal
This deck captures a world view and the diversity of human spirit Click here!
It takes Energy to Grow!
This deck inspired by the Happy Planet Index is dedicated to mobilizing a global movement towards Your health, happiness and well being Click here!
Crackpot Friends:
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her shoulders.
One of the pots had a crack in it: the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled, ‘Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?’ ‘That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.’
‘For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.’
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding… Just accept each person as they are and look for the good in them.
SO, to all of my cracked-pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!
Thanks to ALL of you that have contributed to the quality of my life!
Love,
Neville
“There are two educations: the one that teaches how to make a living
This week’s submissions include a Thought Piece on Life, a European commercial that rewards Bravery and models Creativity, an opportunity to extend your thanks and invites others to do the same and some insights from the Dalai Lama to round out the week. Click the links below to view the content.
The 4th Annual Thank a Teacher campaign has launched, and this year we’ve gone green—thank you notes can now be submitted online. Click the link below to view the email that Mission Fed members received as a reminder to show appreciation to the teachers that do so much in their mission to educate.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”– Albert Einstein
Happy Soul Food Friday! 