Happy Soul Food Friday!

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

New Jersey man spots Ocean Beach trash volunteers on web cam where Two homeless men have picked up litter every day for four years
“We are homeless, not moral-less. My dad taught me the first time I went fishing you always make a place look better than when you got there”…
“Thank you for being a good citizen. More people need to take a page out of their book. God bless them, that’s amazing.”
https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/zevely-zone/new-jersey-man-spots-ocean-beach-trash-volunteers-on-web-cam/509-e4c09d6a-a026-45d1-b16d-81e7a51aa2de

Robin Williams As the American Flag
Comedic Inspiration & Patriotism for the week after 9/11
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_L1vLv84vs

This Quick Morning Ritual is the Perfect Way to Start Your Day, Says This Former Monk
A former monk turned purpose coach and digital media producer is connecting business leaders to the power of thinking like a monk with 4 steps to mental mastery
“The ultimate form of mastery that hardly receives fanfare is being able to personally master your own mind”
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/this-quick-morning-ritual-is-perfect-way-to-start-your-day-says-this-former-monk.html

Where the Docs Go for the Real Scoop on the Covid Pandemic:
Harvard Medical Grand Rounds with Dr. Fauci
You can start at the 4 minute mark if you want to dispense with introductions and even play it at fast speed if you are in a New York State of mind
2020.09.10 Harvard Medical Grand Rounds

Growing Mindsets, Heartsets & Skillsets-
Whether Just Starting Your Career or Striving to Be CEO, Here are 3 Opportunities Next Week to Advance Your Purpose and Conscious Leadership Aspirations
Must Be Present To Win!

1. Do What You Love. Make a Difference. Live Your Dreams.
   An Interactive Webinar for Recent College Grads Navigating A Post Covid Era
   Tuesday Sept 22^nd from Noon to 1:30p Pacific

2. Leading Consciously in Times of Challenge
An Interactive and Appreciative Inquiry-based Experience
September 23rd 2020 from Noon to 1:30 PDT

We find ourselves in extraordinary times. The coronavirus pandemic has added a significant amount of stress and uncertainty to existing life and work demands.
For many, these challenges trigger a reactive mindset with fear-based thoughts and feelings that can lead to disconnection, which has been intensified with social distancing.

Since we are all fundamentally wired to connect—and leadership is an act of influence where everyone “leads from their seat”—mindset is emotionally and socially contagious.

Now more than ever, it’s vital for all of us to engage in a creative leadership mindset.
This includes ways to lead consciously and stay connected within ourselves and with what matters most, in order to elevate ourselves and others for the benefit of everyone we serve.
This is particularly important at this moment in time where it is vital that we double down on a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice and equality.

In this interactive session on “Leading Consciously in Times of Challenge,” I’ve invited my dear friend and beloved colleague, Dr. Daniel Friedland to share with us a neuroscience-based perspective to frame the leadership challenges we are facing, as well as facilitate a powerful appreciative-inquiry based experience to help us reflect on, share and find inspiration on how to advance our growth as conscious leaders in these challenging times.

“Dr. Danny,” as he is affectionately known by many is a leadership trainer and coach, CEO of SuperSmartHealth, and the author of Leading Well from Within: A Neuroscience and Mindfulness-Based Framework for Conscious Leadership. You can learn more about him and his work here.

Register here for the Sept 23^rd event as this will likely fill up:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuivqD4oHNIzpT8_veRNaTeA0HM5yiSK

Thanks this week go to Bob C, Larry H, Paul C, Marcy M, Danny F, Eric K and you for reading this far!
Pay it forward. You are the one this world has been waiting for…

Love all,
Neville

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

This week:

Heart Openers-

This Charming 7 Year Old Boy Hands Out Tickets (and Flowers) and Will Make Your Heart Sing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS4tUEpch7g

Black Single Mom with $7 to Her Name Donates Lottery Winnings to Police Officer Shot on Duty
There is still hope for humanity & how America heals, everyone.…
https://pjmedia.com/culture/jeff-reynolds/2020/07/21/black-single-mom-with-7-to-her-name-donates-lottery-winnings-to-police-officer-shot-on-duty-n669378

The ABCs of Conscious Capitalism for Kids
Kidpreneurs Spotlight

Growing Mindsets, Heartsets & Skillsets-
Do What You Love. Make a Difference. Live Your Dreams.
An Interactive Webinar for Recent College Grads Navigating A Post Covid Era Tuesday Sept 22^nd from Noon to 1:30p Pacific

Leading Consciously in Times of Challenge
An Interactive and Appreciative Inquiry-based Experience
September 23rd 2020 from Noon to 1:30 PDT

Here’s the registration link for our session:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuivqD4oHNIzpT8_veRNaTeA0HM5yiSK

We find ourselves in extraordinary times. The coronavirus pandemic has added a significant amount of stress and uncertainty to existing life and work demands.

For many, these challenges trigger a reactive mindset with fear-based thoughts and feelings that can lead to disconnection, which has been intensified with social distancing.

Since we are all fundamentally wired to connect—and leadership is an act of influence where everyone “leads from their seat”—mindset is emotionally and socially contagious.

Now more than ever, it’s vital for all of us to engage in a creative leadership mindset.
This includes ways to lead consciously and stay connected within ourselves and with what matters most, in order to elevate ourselves and others for the benefit of everyone we serve.
This is particularly important at this moment in time where it is vital that we double down on a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice and equality.

In this interactive session on “Leading Consciously in Times of Challenge,” I’ve invited my dear friend and beloved colleague, Dr. Daniel Friedland to share with us a neuroscience-based perspective to frame the leadership challenges we are facing, as well as facilitate a powerful appreciative-inquiry based experience to help us reflect on, share and find inspiration on how to advance our growth as conscious leaders in these challenging times.

“Dr. Danny,” as he is affectionately known by many is a leadership trainer and coach, CEO of SuperSmartHealth, and the author of Leading Well from Within: A Neuroscience and Mindfulness-Based Framework for Conscious Leadership. You can learn more about him and his work here.

Register here for the Sept 23^rd event as this will likely fill up:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuivqD4oHNIzpT8_veRNaTeA0HM5yiSK

Pictures that Color:
Enjoy the power of color with just the click of a mouse
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/cj2hkTMugQvaGFvw_MsAzg

Covid Confusion
What day is it, what room are we in?

Thanks this week go to Larry H, Marcy M, Danny F, Bob C & Kurt C

Please pay it forward, vote and help get out the vote- whatever your affiliations
Love,
Neville

“Closing down in the midst of pain is a denial of a man’s true nature.
A superior man is free in feeling and action, even amidst great pain and hurt.
If necessary, a man should live with a hurting heart rather than a closed one.” 
–Author David Deida

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

This week:

The Glory of Friendship, The Power of Volunteerism, Transforming Grief to Grace & Leading Consciously in Times of Challenge

“The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship;

it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him

and is willing to trust him with his friendship.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American Poet and Essayist

The Power of Volunteerism

Where do volunteers get their inspiration?
Inspiration from the Latin root is to literally “breathe life into ourselves”. Thankfully, volunteers are still finding inspiration in our post Covid lives and making a difference of consequence.
With respect to volunteerism, my biggest learning has come in both understanding and harnessing the “discretionary energy” we each have to make a difference.
What is discretionary energy? It is the energy we choose to give (that conscious leadership choice) above and beyond what we have to do.
If you can tap this discretionary energy- the penultimate social capital- in your teams, your family and your community, do you have any idea of the real value this represents for the greater good?
This is not a rhetorical question. Recent studies have actually monetized skills-based volunteering and the total value it would bring to bear to address social issues in the US.
It has been valued at $1.5B a year!
Please don’t ever undervalue a volunteer again.
To understand the magnitude of their contribution, all you have to do is have all the volunteers in this country take a day off at the same time, and watch the tremendous scaffolding their work represents for our social sector come crashing down.
Let’s seek out opportunities to celebrate EVERY volunteer in our community!
It is time to rightly understand the real value they bring to our world every day!
Thank you for your service and your sacrifice on the home front in the war against inequality and ignorance and in service of all our stakeholders!

Here is a great example of volunteering:
It is from Kenan Pala, a 16-year old volunteer from Interfaith Community Services who received a NCPC award two years ago.  He poignantly states how the award impacted him.

https://ardenpala.wetransfer.com/downloads/1982aa0a95d551c6db7a66f4c993039220200814215734/abeafaf631b4ab6034131ed09670118c20200814215734/359364?utm_campaign=WT_email_tracking&utm_content=general&utm_medium=download_button&utm_source=notify_recipient_email

Sponsor and Sign Up for This Great Event and Powerful Opportunity to Celebrate Your Volunteers!
The North County Philanthropy Council 2020 Volunteer Awards Celebration:
Please join us and celebrate all the amazing volunteers!
https://ncphilanthropy.org/programs/volunteer-awards-celebration/

Transforming Grief to Grace

Transforming Grief to Grace Recording:
Several of you have asked for recordings of webinars we are doing virtually in the community, that you might not have been able to make live.|
You can find the Grief to Grace session I did with Dr. Alan Daly with the help of Brenda Hall the SCPDF Director of the Southern California Professional Development Federation here. We recommend copying and pasting the password below to make it easier to login.  
May we all be reminded about the importance of coming together in order to really embrace the opportunity that this time provides as we work to discharge our loyal soldiers and consider what we might stop doing, as well as consider what to start leaning into- in service of our best selves.

Grief to Grace Recording
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/-MF0IZzLr2FOZ6_VzH_wAZwEFa7Oaaa8gSEXqPcMykx9LOm25eqZQ-lWqEYr04yl
Access Password: 5Qb*y0^N
As an added bonus, here is the video, #The New Humanity,  that Alan shared at the beginning of the session.
Lavazza took Charlie Chaplin’s speech and added the video and music: https://www.lavazza.us/en_US/landing/thenewhumanity.html.  

Thank you to each of you that you are doing to meet this moment.  I am very glad to join with you, like the Emperor Penguins, to put our backs against the storm, and thanks again Brenda!

Leading Consciously in Times of Challenge

Leading Consciously in Times of Challenge
An Interactive and Appreciative Inquiry-based Experience
September 23rd 2020 from Noon to 1:30 PDT

Here’s the registration link for our session:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuivqD4oHNIzpT8_veRNaTeA0HM5yiSK

We find ourselves in extraordinary times. The coronavirus pandemic has added a significant amount of stress and uncertainty to existing life and work demands.

For many, these challenges trigger a reactive mindset with fear-based thoughts and feelings that can lead to disconnection, which has been intensified with social distancing.

Since we are all fundamentally wired to connect—and leadership is an act of influence where everyone “leads from their seat”—mindset is emotionally and socially contagious.

Now more than ever, it’s vital for all of us to engage in a creative leadership mindset.

This includes ways to lead consciously and stay connected within ourselves and with what matters most, in order to elevate ourselves and others for the benefit of everyone we serve.

This is particularly important at this moment in time where it is vital that we double down on a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice and equality.

In this interactive session on “Leading Consciously in Times of Challenge,” I’ve invited my dear friend and beloved colleague, Dr. Daniel Friedland to share with us a neuroscience-based perspective

to frame the leadership challenges we are facing, as well as facilitate a powerful appreciative-inquiry based experience to help us reflect on, share and find inspiration on how to advance our growth as conscious leaders in these challenging times.

“Dr. Danny,” as he is affectionately known by many is a leadership trainer and coach, CEO of SuperSmartHealth, and the author of Leading Well from Within: A Neuroscience and Mindfulness-Based Framework for Conscious Leadership. You can learn more about him and his work here.

Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuivqD4oHNIzpT8_veRNaTeA0HM5yiSK

Leading Consciously is Brought to you by:

Some Sage Advice to Send You Out With a Chuckle:

Thanks this week go to Larry H, Mehrad N, Sandra A with the NCPC, Alan D, Brenda H and Danny F.
Please pay it forward
Love, Neville

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

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

Feel like you are buzzing about at one hundred miles an hour?

Slow down and enjoy another of nature’s miracles- the hummingbirds- that have the largest heart per body size of most creatures out there, and one of the fastest birds in the world!

Get to the halfway mark on this 5 minute vid and get your mind blown…

(link below)

Gratitude-

It’s Women’s Equality Day. Here’s how woman suffrage activists cleared the hurdles
Women’s political resources and organizational skills cemented the necessary partnerships
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/27/its-womens-equality-day-heres-how-female-suffrage-activists-cleared-hurdles/?ocid=uxbndlbing

Happy 104^th Birthday to the National Park Service!
Our family had the opportunity to spend a week in Yosemite earlier this month, and it was a wondrous experience, communing with nature and getting out from under Covid’s spell.

It reminded me of what a treasure the national parks are in our country, and how they can really make our soul’s sing!
https://www.parkchasers.com/2020/08/the-national-park-service-turns-104/

Celebrate Human’s Best Friend with National Dog Day!

“If only I could be the person my dog thinks I am”

Surviving Covid-
Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted — It’s Why You Feel Awful
Here’s how to pull yourself out of despair and live your life
https://elemental.medium.com/amp/p/de285d542f4c

Last Call for Sept 1 Webinar:
At last count, 97/100 slots are already filled, so if this is of interest, please register ASAP…

Register HERE

Dear Friends,

While most of us may not consider this hundred-year pandemic a “bequest,” Covid-19 is forcing many of us to pause, be introspective, and use this existential moment to re-examine every aspect of our lives. Effective interactions with others at home and at work as well as fostering conscious leadership remain critical to staying aligned with our most noble values.
Just like our digital devices, we need to reboot our PC (Post Covid) Interactions! 

Sadly, over 85% of the American workforce deals with conflict incessantly, costing American business an estimated $350 Billion a year. Add in personal conflict and the price tag to society grows to a Trillion dollars a year! Expertise in a field is important. However, human interactions are the cornerstone of any successful business – whether an individual be a plumber or a doctor, a programmer or a sales person. Did you know a significant number of medical malpractice lawsuits do not come from a lack of expertise, but a lack of bedside manner, listening, and communication? Compounding the problem, the UN Population Fund estimates that just three months of quarantine have resulted in a 20% increase in intimate partner violence (IPV) with tragic and long-term consequences for families and society.

Why is this happening? 
Because most people have simply not mastered the art and science of effective and healthy human interaction. As a society, we have defaulted to a Conflict Resolution model instead of being proactive and using Conflict Prevention. 

Let’s reboot! 
Now is the time to upgrade our operating systems, cultivate positive interactions, and do a far better job at supporting each other than we thought was possible.  Join Neville and Mehrad as they guide us through this reboot. In this virtual and experiential session, they will address some of the key pillars of healthy and effective interactions including Effective Communications, Building Trust, the Power of Intention, and the Magic of Mindfulness

About Mehrad and Neville:
Dr. Mehrad Nazari is a corporate trainer, executive advisor and the author of the multiple award-winning book,Enlightened Negotiation: 8 Universal Laws to Connect, Create, and Prosper. Recently he was selected as one of 20 Thought Leaders around the globe by the International Leadership Association to contribute a chapter to: Evolving Leadership for Collective Wellbeing: Lessons for Implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr. Nazari is a passionate practitioner of Applied Spirituality. He believes in preserving the authenticity of the ancient practices and applying them to our daily life in the 21st century.
Mehrad holds a PhD in Leadership and Human Behavior and an MBA. For three decades Mehrad distinguished himself as a business leader in San Diego with several accolades to his credit, and also served for a decade as an adjunct professor of Business Negotiation. Mehrad has studied with some of the spiritual masters including Walt Baptiste, Swami Veda Bharati of India, and Kyozan Joshu Roshi of Japan. He has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and yoga for over twenty-five years and served on the faculty of Esalen Institute and Kirpalu. He coaches individuals as well as corporations which includes Sony, Brookfield, eBay, YPO Gold and The Port of San Diego. Dr. Nazari has been a presenter at Conscious Capitalism and served on the Board of Conscious Capitalism San Diego.  You can contact him at DrNazari@EnlightenedNegotiation.com

Neville Billimoria is an effective communications and values leader, growing organizations through external marketing, media, and sales effectiveness, as well as internal organizational alignment, corporate communications and leadership development. He brings experience, energy and empowerment to his executive role as SVP Membership/Marketing and Chief Advocacy Officer at Mission Federal Credit Union, a $4B institution and the largest financial services organization exclusively serving San Diego, where he has accountability for a strategic array of crucial outward facing functions for over 18 years, including marketing, community relations, corporate giving as well as promoting Mission Fed’s public image and brand. Mission Fed received Consumer Reports highest rating for all national banks or credit unions in 2015 and 2018, the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics in 2015 and 2017, and Forbes rating as one of the best State Credit Unions and highest ranked local credit union in 2018, and best in the state in 2019. Neville has and currently serves on several boards including; Founder of the Chamber of Purpose San Diego, 2019 National Philanthropy Day Honorary Committee, AMA Cause Conference 2018 Co-Chair, Conscious Leaders Collective & Conscious Capitalism Advisory Board, Ed Corps/Real World Scholars Board, Alliance 4 Empowerment Board member & The Ackermann Foundation Board. After graduating from UC San Diego, Neville remains involved on the UCSD Alumni Board since 2008, as well as teaching martial arts, yoga and meditation on campus for over 38 years. He is a frequent speaker on topics including brand as culture, purpose-driven leadership, social capital optimization and civic engagement. NevilleB@MissionFed.com  Linked-In: www.linkedin.com/in/nevillebillimoria

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And finally, here is a virtual hit of Mother Nature that will soothe your soul…
HUMMINGBIRDS IN SLOW MOTION
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FPRswRWZ23

Thanks this week go to all the Women Vanguards, Nature’s Stewards, Ellie our Dog, the Mission Fed Marketing Team, Dan L, Larry H & Mehrad N.

Pay it forward please!
Love,
Neville

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

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:
Is American Culture & Our Ecosystem at Risk!
What can you do?

VOTE!
And Help Get Out the Vote
Whatever Your Political Beliefs…

Stay safe, Well, Positive and Resilient and Continue to Invest in Your Best Self!
Reboot Your PC (Post Covid-19) Interactions -Make the Shift from Conflict Resolution to Conflict Prevention and Keep the Change for Good.
An Invitation Only Virtual Experience and Training– September 1^st 2020 at Noon PDT

HTTPS://WWW.EVENTBRITE.COM/E/116060424855

The Unraveling of America

Anthropologist Wade Davis on how COVID-19 signals the end of the American era

A super well-written but also very sobering article…

Wade Davis holds the Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at the University of British Columbia.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/covid-19-end-of-american-era-wade-davis-1038206/

The 2020 Women’s Vote Centennial Initiative:
Together, we will ensure that the stories of the women who changed herstory are shared and celebrated throughout the US in 2020
The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote. This historic centennial offers an unparalleled opportunity to commemorate a milestone of democracy and to explore its relevance to the issues of equal rights today. The Women’s Vote Centennial Initiative, a collaboration of women-centered institutions, organizations, and scholars from across the US, works to ensure that this anniversary, and the 72-year fight to achieve it, are commemorated and celebrated throughout the United States.
https://www.2020centennial.org/

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“It Is What It Is” -Michelle Obama’s Full Speech at the Democratic National Convention 2020:
Wherever you might stand politically, this First Lady is an amazing and compelling communicator willing to put it all on the line for what she believes!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX9CONduxJs

Tired of Labels And Stereotyping?
This Is Where I Stand with David Brooks:
The power of conservative radicalism in an age of upheaval.
The philosopher Isaiah Berlin once said he occupied the “extreme right-wing edge of the left-wing movement.” If that’s good enough for Isaiah Berlin, it’s good enough for me.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/opinion/conservative-radicals.html?smid=em-share

Enough of the Madness? Bliss Out with Our Fellow Primates:
Monkey Meditations – Snow Monkeys in a Hot Spring, Japan
https://youtu.be/HOuil9N5miY

Stay Safe, Well, Positive and Resilient and Continue to Invest in Your Best Self!
Reboot Your PC (Post Covid-19) Interactions with Dr. Mehrad Nazari
Make the Shift from Conflict Resolution to Conflict Prevention and Keep the Change for Good.
An Invitation Only Virtual Experience and Training– September 1^st 2020 at Noon

To register for Reboot Your PC (Post Covid-19) Interactions

Make the Shift fromConflict Resolution to Conflict Prevention and Keep the Change for Good on Sept 1^st at noon PDT:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/116060424855

Thanks this week go to Kurt C, Michelle O, David B and Bob C.
We will get through this and be better together…
Please pay it forward!
Love all,
Neville

“Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.”

Dr. Jonas Salk

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

Happy Soul Food Friday!
This week:

How NOT To Go Extinct: (5 minute deeply thought provoking vid)

Ready for a new response to new conditions?
“Rivalrous dynamics multiplied by exponential tech self-terminate.
Exponential tech is inexorable. We cannot put it away.
So we either figure out anti-rivalry or we go extinct – the human experiment comes to a completion.”
~ Daniel Schmachtenberger

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=374450350211864&id=117609792908&sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=e

Did That Get Your Attention? Guess We Better Start Working on Ourselves and a New Framework! Recognizing that we will likely be in this, “next normal” for the long haul, with a little help from my dear friends that are conscious leaders, whose work I know and love and learn from every time I am with them, I intend to provide virtual learning and connection opportunities for self-care and helping us care for one another every few weeks. I am intentionally picking stellar humans that “walk the talk” and are “others-focused” in their work and life purpose with specializations from fostering authentic connection, to resilience, to bringing love into our workplaces and lives, to navigating the most trying of times and more… Here are two upcoming webinars that might help us stay grounded, in the positive, and as a result help us show up with our best selves at home, in our world of work, and in our extended communities. Note: As Zoom limits participation, please sign up if they resonate…   From Grief to Grace: Transforming Grief to Grace- Leading Consciously in a Disrupted Space with Dr. Alan Daly Join our Fee Live Zoom Learning Session on August 18, 8:30 to 10am PDT, but “Must Be Present To Win”

and

Reboot Your PC (Post Covid-19) Interactions with Dr. Mehrad Nazari Make the Shift from Conflict Resolution to Conflict Prevention and Keep the Change for Good.   An Invitation Only Virtual Experience and Training– September 1^st 2020 at Noon PDT

To register for Reboot Your PC: (click link below or copy/paste link into your browser )
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/116060424855  

<Click HERE to register for this free webinar, happening next week!>

“”But try,” you urge, “the trying shall suffice; The aim, if reached or not, makes great the life: Try to be Shakespeare, leave the rest to fate!””

– Robert Browning (1812 – 1889)
English poet and playwright

Thanks this week go to  Eric K, Alan D, Mehrad N & Larry H.
Stay in the positive and pay it forward.
Love,
Neville

“Challenging the meaning of life is the truest expression of the state of being human.” 
– Victor Frankl

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

• Is Race Even Real?
• Self-Care: From Grief to Grace – A Live Zoom Learning Session on August 18, 8:30 to 10am PDT
• Book Sculptures: Transforming books into genuine and remarkable art forms

RACE- Are We So Different?
A short but compelling video from the American Anthropological Association
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aaTAUAEyho

 

Is Race the Color of Your Skin? Is it the Texture of Your Hair? The Shape of Your Eyes? Is it in Your Genes?
Is Race even Real?
Race: Are We So Different? explains the origins of race and racism, and helps us understand how to deal with them in productive, enlightening ways.
https://museumofus.org/exhibits/race-are-we-so-different/

 

As it Moves Forward with Decolonizing, The Museum of Man in San Diego Gets a New Name- The Museum of US:
The shift is timely, given the nation’s unfolding social-justice reckoning, but it was years in the making.
It is both an admission that the old title had a gender problem, and a reflection of a broader effort by the cultural anthropology museum to redefine its role in the community, its stewardship of the items in its collection, and the stories it tells…
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/story/2020-08-02/museum-of-man-name-change

 

Lessons from the Bahá’í  Faith with Alex M:
For over a century, Bahá’í Writings have raised awareness of many injustices such as social and economic inequality throughout the world and in particular Racial Injustice in the United States.
A recent letter from The Universal House of Justice is now further encouraging members of the US Bahá’í Community to join hands with all members of society and exert herculean efforts to apply spiritual solutions to this mighty challenge.
As individuals we might feel the bounty of being called upon, yet overwhelmed by the task ahead…
Following are excerpts from this recent letter. The full two-page copy can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/30RDfUy

“Racism is a profound deviation from the standard of true morality. It deprives a portion of humanity of the opportunity to cultivate and express the full range of their capability and to live a meaningful and flourishing life, while blighting the progress of the rest of humankind. It cannot be rooted out by contest and conflict. It must be supplanted by the establishment of just relationships among individuals, communities, and institutions of society that will uplift all and will not designate anyone as “other”. The change required is not merely social and economic, but above all moral and spiritual.

Ultimately, the power to transform the world is effected by love, love originating from the relationship with the divine, love ablaze among members of a community, love extended without restriction to every human being. This divine love, ignited by the Word of God, is disseminated by enkindled souls through intimate conversations that create new susceptibilities in human hearts, open minds to moral persuasion, and loosen the hold of biased norms and social systems so that they can gradually take on a new form in keeping with the requirements of humanity’s age of maturity. You are channels for this divine love; let it flow through you to all who cross your path. Infuse it into every neighborhood and social space in which you move to build capacity to canalize the society-building power of  Baháʼu’lláh’s Revelation. There can be no rest until the destined outcome is achieved.”

Making Time for Self-Care

Transforming Grief to Grace- Leading Consciously in a Disrupted Space
Join our Fee Live Zoom Learning Session on August 18, 8:30 to 10am PDT, but “Must Be Present To Win”

 

Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker:
Researchers around the world are developing more than 165 vaccines against the coronavirus, and 27 vaccines are in human trials.
Vaccines typically require years of research and testing before reaching the clinic, but scientists are racing to produce a safe and effective vaccine by next year.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html

 

Stay Creative

Book Sculptures to Inspire Your Creativity:

The book serves as a tool to record historical events that transcend through the ages.
Passing  down the knowledge from generation to generation. Spanning scientific studies to artistic fields.
Today, it is more than just a recording tool, as creative artists start transforming them into genuine and remarkable art forms, generally named Book Sculptures.

 

Thanks this week go to Kurt C, Alex M, Rob M, Brenda H, Alan D, & Larry H for this week’s contributions!
Please pay it forward
Love All,
Neville

“Difference- The Only thing we have in Common”

 

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

 

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation:

Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe
John Lewis wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day of his funeral…

“Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.

Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/opinion/john-lewis-civil-rights-america.html

 

President Obama Calls for Voter Protections in Fiery John Lewis Eulogy:
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton gave speeches on Thursday at the funeral for Rep. John Lewis, revered civil rights leader and Democratic congressman from Georgia who died earlier this month…
https://news.yahoo.com/obama-calls-for-voter-protections-in-fiery-john-lewis-eulogy-191131999.html

 

And Now for Something Lighter:

(Back by popular demand)

Time to stop watching the “news” and enjoy Mother Nature.

Beautiful pictures help us balance against the bad things going

 

Thanks this week go to all conscious leaders like the great John Lewis, and that same conscious leader that lives within you!
Please help get out the VOTE!
Love,
Neville

 

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

                                                                       –Elie Wiesel

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

 

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week: Be An Upstander
Upstander– a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked or bullied.

Your Personal Invitation to: “Looking For LOVE in All the Right Places-Keeping the Good Changes This Pandemic Has Spread In Our Lives”- Zoom Webinar: Thurs July 30th 2020 @ Noon to 1:30pm (Limited Spaces So Registration Is Required)

 “When you are feeling blessed you can’t be stressed”

Last Call for: “Looking For LOVE in All the Right Places-Keeping the Good Changes This Pandemic Has Spread In Our Lives”

Let’s discern and keep the good changes that this pandemic has manifested, so we can regain our joy, re-energize our spirit, and grow our love in support of our loved ones, community and ourselves…

Why: Most of us- even the most stress-hardened- are emotionally and spiritually fatigued from months of adjusting to life in a Covid world.

Now: In lieu of a summer vacation to distant places, or even a spa day or retreat, can we give ourselves a mini-stay-cation, with a little help from our friends, to reframe our current circumstance and recharge our spirit (yes even on another zoom call!)?

In Spite of Everything, Can We Find the Gift in THIS Moment?.
What: Join Moshe and Neville as they create the space for us to get real, get clear, and get on, with how we would like to show up in the Covid world.
Together we will explore the current conditions we find ourselves in as well as our habituated responses to them.
In a brave, safe and even sacred space, we will gently challenge our beliefs, reactions and responses so we move into and stay in the growth zone together.
And yes, LOVE has everything to do with it!

We will:

• Shift from Life is happening TO ME to Life is happening THROUGH ME.
• Reclaim your Passion, Purpose, and Priorities as you release yourself from the grip of this Pandemic.
• Practice Straight “A” Gift Giving to someone in your life:  Acknowledgment / Attention / Appreciation and rise up by lifting others

Click HERE to Register for this Free Webinar!

Or, copy/paste the link into your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/113162796972
Note: Attendance is limited, so please sign up soon if you care to join, so we don’t cause any unintended disappointment.

Love All,
Moshe and Neville

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile.  
But sometimes your smile is the source of your joy.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh

---

 

Remembering Our Non-Violent Freedom Fighters:

John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80

Images of his beating at Sema shocked the nation and led to swift passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. He was later called the conscience of the Congress.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/john-lewis-dead.html

 

C.T. Vivian, Martin Luther King’s Field General, Dies at 95

A disciplined advocate of nonviolence, he was on the front lines in the 1960s movement for racial justice.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/ct-vivian-dead.html

 

Good Cops Changing the Culture and System with a “Duty to Intervene”

Duty To Intervene Policies Aim To Prevent Officers From Using Excessive Force:

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/07/20/duty-to-intervene-police-force

 

(HU)-Man UP!

The more I think about it, the antidote for much of the injustice we see in this world is fostering a cultural shift that eliminates bystanding from the norm, regardless of who is being marginalized, downtrodden, and especially those who are unable to stand up for themselves.
This goes far beyond race relations and includes gender disparity particularly violence against women.
Here is a presentation I created some time ago on how men could be allies with no more bystanding.
It has applications in many aspects of the equity, diversity and inclusion conversation and systemic changes that include personal responsibility for all.
Liberty and Justice for all will require accountability from more of us to make these positive changes stick!

 

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Standing Up for What You Value @ Work:

Mission Fed has always been committed to diversity, equity and inclusion for our members, employees, community partners and the communities we serve. This commitment is core to our Mission: Earning trust, investing in our membership’s success, and caring for our community.

Dedicated to the credit union foundational principle of ‘people helping people’ and ‘serving the underserved’, both financial performance and social purpose are priorities. We are committed to creating financial inclusion and financial autonomy for ALL San Diegans. We pledge to being part of the solution for our member-owners and extended community by providing financial literacy, education, and empowerment. We are committed to listening, learning and modeling actions that create positive change in our local communities.

With respect to our employee base, we are reflective and representative of the diversity within our local San Diego community. We purposefully seek out, support and partner with nonprofit organizations that share Mission Fed’s purpose-driven commitment in the community.

We recognize there is much more to be done, both internally as a not-for-profit organization, and externally within our community, to advance a more just and equitable society. We all have accountability and responsibility to end social and racial injustice. Together, we can co-create a better world that serves everyone equally.

Mission Fed is a firm believer that a kinder world is possible, and we’re here to make it happen.

By uplifting our community and sharing good to one another, we are spreading the much-needed positive message via our new television spots.

Spot #1: Lift Up San Diego

Over the past few months, we’ve learned a lot together, including the power of community. Let us continue to lift up each other up to lift up our San Diego community.

View spot here: https://youtu.be/OOe044P1NMI

Spot #2: Kindness Costs Nothing

Kindness costs nothing but means everything. Mission Fed is here for our members and the San Diego community. Let’s continue to work together to help our community.

View spot here: https://youtu.be/vNe_ZMNl8ns

I remain proud to work in an industry that focuses on people over profits and for an organization where “people helping people” is more than just a nice phrase, it is the mindset for everything we do.

 

Thanks this week go to Steve S, Moshe E, the Mission Fed Team and Upstanders Like You Everywhere!
Please pay it forward.
Love,
Neville

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.

The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference.

The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference.

And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

–Elie Wiesel

 

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

 

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

• 3 Reasons I Wear My Mask
• 10 Signs of a Highly Evolving Person
• Your Personal Invitation to “Looking For LOVE in All the Right Places-Keeping the Good Changes This Pandemic Has Spread In Our Lives”- Zoom Webinar Thurs July 30th 2020 @ Noon PST: How to Discern and Keep the Good Changes that this Pandemic has Spread in our Lives, so We can Regain our Joy, Re-energize our Spirit, and Grow the Love.
• Spotlight On the Community: What We Are Doing As An Organization to Serve Our San Diego Brethren

10 Signs of a Highly Evolved Person:
Can You Relate to Any of Them?
Being an evolved person in our society doesn’t mean you just live according to social expectations.
If you are committed to becoming an evolved person, here are some things that suggest you’re making substantial progress in this life-long process.
https://www.learning-mind.com/highly-evolved-person/

                                         

Your Personal Invitation to “Looking For LOVE in All the Right Places-Keeping the Good Changes This Pandemic Has Spread In Our Lives”
Zoom Webinar: Thurs July 30th 2020 @ Noon PST with Moshe and Moi:
How to discern and keep the good changes that this pandemic has spread in our lives, so we can regain our joy, re-energize our spirit, and grow the love.

Most of us, even the most stress-hardened are emotionally and spiritually fatigued from months of adjusting to life in a Covid world.

In lieu of a summer vacation to distant places, or even a spa day or retreat, can we give ourselves a mini-stay-cation, with a little help from our friends, to reframe our current circumstance and recharge our spirit (yes even on another zoom call!)?

Of course we can!
Let’s find the gift in this moment.

Join Moshe and Neville as they create the space for us to get real, get clear, and get on, with how we would like to show up in the Covid world.

Together we will explore the current conditions we find ourselves in and our habituated responses to them.
In a brave, safe and even sacred space we will gently challenge our beliefs, reactions and responses so we can grow together.
And yes, LOVE has everything to do with it!
We will:

• Shift from Life is happening TO ME to Life is happening THROUGH ME.
• Reclaim your Passion, Purpose, and Priorities as you release from the grip of this Pandemic.
• Practice Straight “A” Gift Giving to someone in your life:  Acknowledgment / Attention / Appreciation and rise up by lifting others                                                   

To Register: Click HERE
Or copy and paste this link to your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/113162796972

 

Your Mission Is Our Mission:

Here is an interview with “yours truly” about how we as an organization are supporting our hyperlocal San Diego community, including generating over $400,000 (the equivalent of 2 million meals) by and for our fellow San Diegans with the San Diego Food Bank

https://cloudcast.us/drew-schlosbergs-spotlight-on-the-community/mission-federal-ramps-up-community-outreach-during-covid-19/

Thanks this week go to Dan L, Peter D, Drew S and every one of you helping others in these challenging times…

Please stay safe, well and resilient!
Love,
Neville

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

“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” ~Buddha