Deep gratitude to all of you on the frontlines taking care of vital services and taking care of all of us!

This week:

• Reactive brain or Creative brain- Can we leverage an infinite mindset and come out of this better together- Simon Sinek
• Giving Ourselves Permission to Not Know What to Do- Dr. Ken Druck
• Coping with Coronavirus Stress- Resources from UC San Diego
• Everyone Can Play A Valuable Role In This Crisis. Everyone Can Be A Responder- Mission Fed wants all of us to Step Up and is making it Easy
• Pandemic Sees Brand Leaders Putting Purpose Before Profit
• Creatives Helping Us Elevate Humanity through Empathy
• Beatles to the Rescue!

 

These Are Not Unprecedented Times with Simon Sinek:
Leveraging an Infinite Mindset NOW Because Together is Better!
This is the kind of leadership we need to see more of both locally and globally…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6spNnsD-XOY

 

Giving Ourselves Permission . . . to Not Know What to Do with Ken D:
How could we possibly know what to do? Pioneers crossing the deserts, plains, mountains, and rivers of totally uncharted territory with no map would understand. And they’d probably have more compassion for us than we’re giving ourselves.
https://medium.com/@info_85283/giving-ourselves-permission-to-not-know-what-to-do-2179e58404b8

 

Coping with Coronavirus Stress
Tips and resources from UC San Diego for (campus) community members to protect our mental health during the pandemic
https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/feature/coping-with-coronavirus-stress

 

Everyone Can Play A Valuable Role In This Crisis. Everyone Can Be A Responder:
Mission Fed launches $50K Matching Grant to Address Food Insufficiency in San Diego due to COVID-19. The San Diego Food Bank is committed to providing food assistance and resources to the 350,000 people they serve every month and those affected by the COVID-19 crisis. In support of the Food Bank, during the month of April (1-30), Mission Fed will match all donations dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000. For every $1 donated the Food Bank can provide 5 meals.
If you would like to contribute please help us and double your impact here:
www.missionfed.com/GivingBank

 

Conscious Leadership-
Pandemic Sees Brand Leaders Putting Purpose Before Profit:
While the government stalls under pressure to provide necessary aid to the millions affected by COVID-19, a silver lining to this pandemic is being revealed as more and more businesses exemplify efforts to put people before profit.
https://sustainablebrands.com/read/walking-the-talk/pandemic-sees-brand-leaders-putting-purpose-before-profit?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_200330

 

Creatives Helping Us Elevate Humanity-
Stefon Harris — Vibraphonist, Educator, Thinker — Teaches Empathy From The Bandstand:
Stefon Harris is about a lot more than creating music. “The vibraphone, in my opinion, is just a bunch of metal and wood,” he says. “It’s not that important. Instruments are just tools. What’s important is the mission behind the individual who’s utilizing the tool. My ultimate passion is about the proliferation of empathy.”
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/30/822024071/stefon-harris-vibraphonist-educator-thinker-teaches-empathy-from-the-bandstand

 

On a lighter note…
Beatles to the Rescue:
I Gotta Wash My Hands!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxOJ7hh3H-I

 

Thanks this week go to Jojo S, Ross G,  Ken D, Paula T, the Mission Fed Team, Malcolm A and Larry H.
Please Pay it Forward!
Love,
Neville

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

“The most important aspect of the practice of grateful living is trust in life.
Every human being every day has to make a practical choice between trusting life or not trusting life.
Again and again in life, one is tempted to distrust and fear.
Fear and distrust—this is the same.”
–Brother David

Hope you and yours are staying safe, well and resilient in these challenging times.

This week:

• Reframing COVID-19
• An Imagined Letter from Covid-19 to Humans
• A Real Message from Bill Gates
• This is the Exercise Your Body Needs During this Outbreak
• Mental Comfort Food: 4 Ways Nutritional Psychiatry Can Help Alleviate Anxiety
• Magnify the Positives – Shrink the Negatives!
• The Power of Music- Neil Diamond’s Coronavirus-era Remake of ‘Sweet Caroline’ is What We Need Right Now
• The Power of Humor- Watch the Italian Politicians Dealing with Self Quarantining

 

While it might be harder than ever to remain positive right now, here a few ways to do just that.
Adversity doesn’t breed character, it reveals it and we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to show up in the best way possible, especially in high stress times.
To a large degree, we can’t control external events, but we do have some semblance of control about how we respond to what happens out there, in here.

Can we use this as a wakeup call and turn this existential threat into an opportunity to recalibrate what is most meaningful and purposeful in our lives in this moment?Suspend your disbelief for a few minutes and give it a go…

 

An Imagined Letter from Covid-19 to Humans
This is making the rounds and it is pretty powerful!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-SyZiwXKs0

 

A Real Message from Bill Gates
What is the Corona/ Covid-19 Virus Really Teaching us?

I’m a strong believer that there is a spiritual purpose behind everything that happens, whether that is what we perceive as being good or being bad.

As I meditate upon this, I want to share with you what I feel the Corona/ Covid-19 virus is really doing to us:

1) It is reminding us that we are all equal, regardless of our culture, religion, occupation, financial situation or how famous we are. This disease treats us all equally, perhaps we should to. If you don’t believe me,
just ask Tom Hanks.

2) It is reminding us that we are all connected and something that affects one person has an effect on another. It is reminding us that the false borders that we have put up have little value as this virus does not need a passport. It is reminding us, by oppressing us for a short time, of those in this world whose whole life is spent in oppression.

3) It is reminding us of how precious our health is and how we have moved to neglect it through eating nutrient poor manufactured food and drinking water that is contaminated with chemicals upon chemicals. If we don’t look after our health, we will, of course, get sick.

4) It is reminding us of the shortness of life and of what is most important for us to do, which is to help each other, especially those who are old or sick. Our purpose is not to buy toilet roll.

5) It is reminding us of how materialistic our society has become and how, when in times of difficulty, we remember that it’s the essentials that we need (food, water, medicine) as opposed to the luxuries that we sometimes unnecessarily give value to.

6) It is reminding us of how important our family and home life is and how much we have neglected this. It is forcing us back into our houses so we can rebuild them into our home and to strengthen our family unit.

7) It is reminding us that our true work is not our job, that is what we do, not what we were created to do. Our true work is to look after each other, to protect each other and to be of benefit to one another.

8) It is reminding us to keep our egos in check. It is reminding us that no matter how great we think we are or how great others think we are, a virus can bring our world to a standstill.

9) It is reminding us that the power of freewill is in our hands. We can choose to cooperate and help each other, to share, to give, to help and to support each other or we can choose to be selfish, to hoard, to look after only our self. Indeed, it is difficulties that bring out our true colors.

10) It is reminding us that we can be patient, or we can panic. We can either understand that this type of situation has happened many times before in history and will pass, or we can panic and see it as the end of the world and, consequently, cause ourselves more harm than good.

11) It is reminding us that this can either be an end or a new beginning. This can be a time of reflection and understanding, where we learn from our mistakes, or it can be the start of a cycle which will continue until we finally learn the lesson we are meant to.

12) It is reminding us that this Earth is sick. It is reminding us that we need to look at the rate of deforestation just as urgently as we look at the speed at which toilet rolls are disappearing off of shelves. We are sick because our home is sick.

13) It is reminding us that after every difficulty, there is always ease. Life is cyclical, and this is just a phase in this great cycle. We do not need to panic; this too shall pass.

14) Whereas many see the Corona/ Covid-19 virus as a great disaster, I prefer to see it as a *great corrector*

It is sent to remind us of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten and it is up to us if we will learn them or not.

 

The Importance of Exercise- This Is the Exercise Your Body Needs During the Coronavirus Outbreak:

How to stay safe and ensure that your workout boosts, rather than suppresses, your immune system. Even for elite athletes, now is a time to think more about your health than your fitness.

“Our data show that physically active people have a 40-50% reduction in the number of days they’re ill with acute respiratory infections.”
https://elemental.medium.com/this-is-the-exercise-your-body-needs-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak-8b924c92e861

 

 Mental Comfort Food: 4 Ways Nutritional Psychiatry Can Help Alleviate Anxiety:
Here are four ways to eat the nutritional psychiatry way, in order to help alleviate anxiety—because even after COVID-19 is behind us, optimizing our mental health still matters
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/4-ways-nutritional-psychiatry-can-help-alleviate-anxiety?mbg_mcid=777:5e7917d4102e510b037ba5d6:ot:5e5449265b099ce02fbdd88d:1&mbg_hash=ec91f68b02f1af9e815059343f09654d&utm_source=mbg&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_v2_20200324

 

Magnify the Positives – Shrink the Negatives! With JSJ

 Every day we are all likely to experience positive things and people, as well as negative things and people. What we focus on, is a choice we all get to make.

You can choose to magnify the negatives and allow yourself to get stressed out by your problems and challenges. When you choose this route, you will attract more negatives.

It seems as if you have a black cloud over your head if you choose to focus on the negatives.

Whenever you magnify the negatives in your life, you also shrink the positives. Or as motivational speaker Les Brown once said, “If you argue for your limitations you get to keep them.”

Don’t become blind to the good stuff, simply because you are focusing on all the crap! Remember, you can choose to magnify the positives and feed your spirit with great optimism and an energy force that will attract more of the good stuff into your life. It’s a choice we all get to make every moment of everyday.

Have you ever noticed how lucky some people seem to be? ”The harder you work, the luckier you will become!”

Experience tells me there is a lot of truth to this statement.

People that work hard at achieving pre-determined worthwhile goals and objectives, tend to focus on what they want in their lives. And are generally happier because of their excitement toward their goals. They soon begin to attract the people, situations and opportunities that bring the luck they need to become successful achievers. By focusing on positive personal growth, we tend to knock down our life goals accidentally as if by magic. The truth is however is there are no coincidences when it comes to becoming a world class achiever.

A good exercise for you to improve on in this area for the next seven days is to focus only on the positives in your life. Positive people, events, activities, language and positive actions. This may seem impossible during the Covid-19 situation but anything is possible to the willing mind.

OQP stands for Only Quality People. You will notice that quality people tend to focus on the positives. Negative people focus on the negative.

Like everything…Perfect Practice makes perfect!

---

I was doing some good reading the other day and the message the author was sharing was “Anger is your Enemy“. This message appears to be one that many on Facebook need to learn!

I am very observant with a few years-experience under my belt…and I do see many people, especially on what little time I spend on Facebook (almost none actually) that are letting their negative emotions get the best of them.

Between the Federation, the Foundation, the Healing Warrior Society, and my coaching business, I have a pretty good eye for what’s going on. Whether it is amongst our highest ranking members, in the training hall, and or in our communities…I am concerned for the amount of negativity that is shared via Facebook and via email. I am also amazed at the amount of “look at me” that is going on. I am not sure what happened to humility but it appears it has gone the way of the Edsel.

I am encouraged however that not all have chosen to focus on negativity or what I call the “dark side”. I am also encouraged that sometimes just a bit of awareness is all people need to realize they may be letting the negatives sink deep into their subconscious where it can do the most damage for the long haul. Guard the temples of your mind my dear friends as the peddlers of doom and gloom are never far away!

Here’s some more food for thought. EVERYTHING IS ENERGY. Anger is hate actually turned inwards. Our martial way symbol or Moo Do represents stopping the sword.

The sword cuts both ways. We stop the sword to stop inner and outer conflict.

The root of anger includes self-pride and the root of self-pride is EGO.

Did you ever hear the best way to win an argument? Don’t get in one!

Choose not to participate…walk away come back another day.

Would you rather be right or be happy? Remember, there are three roads you can walk. The low road, the middle road, or the high road. I choose to walk the high road!

I’d rather be happy, which is why I usually concede to those who argue and must be right no matter what. I see the EGO for what it is which is Eternally Guaranteed Obsolescence! There is a great Chinese proverb that goes, “If there is no enemy within there is no enemy without.” The EGO is the enemy within and it prevents us from experiencing peace of mind. If you want more peace of mind and to reduce inner and outer conflict, let go of your ego. It is that easy and that hard.

I think you would agree that’s it’s so much more fun to smile, laugh and live life in a happy way.:-) Which is why I remind everyone that listens…

“Every day we train is a great day…which is why we train every day and please understand that training starts with the heart and goes through the mind before it gets to the body!” Lead from the heart first as that is where you center truly is. Then use your leadership or peak performance lessons to guide you to a higher level and then train the brain to make it automatic. If you are just training your body you become just another earthen vessel or “crack pot” who misses the bigger picture in my humble opinion. As we are all cracked as part of our human condition, it is our mind and spirit that helps keep it all together. For this reason alone, I encourage you to consider the mind, body, and spirit when you train and especially now during the Covid-19 pandemic.

There is no better workout for the mind, body, and spirit than emptying your cup, stilling your mind, and doing some serious hyung or kata practice. That is why I train hard and train often.  

Want to feel better, look better, and become better than you were yesterday? Train your brain, your body, and your spirit every day and do remember to magnify the positives and shrink the negatives.

 

The Power of Music- Neil Diamond’s coronavirus-era remake of ‘Sweet Caroline’ is what we need right now:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/23/entertainment/neil-diamond-sweet-caroline-coronavirus-trnd/?iid=ob_lockedrail_topeditorial

 

The Power of Humor-

 Hotheaded Italian Mayors and Regional Presidents Losing It at People Violating Quarantine:
Here’s an English subtitled compilation. “I hear you wanna throw graduation parties. I’m gonna send the police over. With flamethrowers.”
https://twitter.com/protectheflames/status/1241403715036291072

 

Thanks this week go to Mikel B, Bill G, JSJ, Neil D, Dan L, and especially to Cathy J for helping me get this missive out every week come hell or high water!

Pay it forward please. The world needs you now more than ever.
Love,
Neville

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

“LOVE is our Soul Purpose”

In an effort to proactively be of service to all stakeholders in my life, recognizing the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the range and severity of current external factors and conditions that extend beyond the current health crisis (environmental, economic, political, etc.) and the variety of responses internally, we as individuals, organizations and communities are exhibiting (fight, flight, flee) from denial on one end of the spectrum to panic or paralysis on the other end- both of which are equally ineffective- we owe it to ourselves to take control of our mindset, heart set and skillsets to pull ourselves together and find that place, somewhere in between those two extremes, that is beneficial, solutions-oriented and can help us make the best decisions and take the best actions in these times of stress and uncertainty.

In the wisdom traditions we understand the difference between jitsu (calm concentration) and kyo (disrupted mental equilibrium) and much of our mental training/conditioning is to be able to practice calm concentration regardless of the external circumstances and especially when everyone around you is a disrupted or disbalanced state.

I am reminded of two poems:

Desiderata By Max Ehrmann © 1927

GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

And If… by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a (hu)man my son!

 

Right now, so many of us are currently experiencing cognitive threshold; where one’s capacity to process and sense-make exceeds our ability to adjust.

This is compounded by saturation where our psyches are no longer able to absorb any more and things just start to overflow out of control.

Our mindset; Calm concentration or mental disruption- i.e. how we show up- has a material effect on our ability to respond effectively to threats of this magnitude and exceptionality.

One theory to help us understand this is the Threat Rigid Response

When people, organizations or systems are under threat, they tend to close down, and restrict the cognitive novelty that is available to them in their own world.

Threat–rigid responses tend to limit options and information flow, constrain decision making, and increase stress. The question then becomes, what can mitigate this?

Trust and leadership dimensions that support empowerment and involvement will predict an organization’s ability to minimize a threat–rigid response, and flexibly negotiate new demands as Dr. Alan Daly has identified in his research in 2009.
Under threat we tend to:
Circle the wagons and cut off your boundary to the outside. We see this now with flights from Europe being cancelled or the Canadian border being closed as examples.
Make reactive decisions that are made by just a few people. This is also evidenced right now with a few people making the same very stereotyped repetitive decisions that may or may not be in the collective’s best interest.

With a big threat looming, we unfortunately tend to respond in very rigid ways that don’t open up the space, rather we tend to close down.

Mitigants to the Threat Rigid response supported by trust and leadership dimensions are conditions such as a sense of belonging (think Maslow) , a sense of caring (Empathy and Compassion), and feeling like you are part of something bigger that others also care about (a sense of Purpose).

What is paradoxical about the threat rigid response is that in a time of urgency and crisis like we are in right now, when we need to be at our very best, our blinders are on and some could argue we end up behaving at our worst…

We need to recognize, reflect, reframe and respond in better ways to ensure better outcomes!
In one word- resilience…

Stay informed. Be proactive and prosocial. Hope for the best but prep for the worst…

The condition-

The U.S. Isn’t Ready for What’s About to Happen

Even with a robust government response to the novel coronavirus, many people will be in peril. And the United States is anything but prepared.
https://medium.com/the-atlantic/the-u-s-isnt-ready-for-what-s-about-to-happen-f9023687fc37

7 potentially deadly errors the US is making in its coronavirus response

Public health professionals at the CDC and elsewhere need to speak with the public every single day.
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/16/21181025/coronavirus-covid-19-us-testing-pandemic

The response-
Resources to Staying Informed and Remaining Resilient:

John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/
It includes an interactive map
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

The Latest on the Spread of Coronavirus Around the World:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-latest-factbox-idUSKBN2140K1
For interactive graphic tracking global spread: tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7

Harvard Health Publishing Coping with Coronavirus Anxiety:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/coping-with-coronavirus-anxiety-2020031219183?utm_content=buffer2508e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=tw

Social distancing prevents infections, but it can have unintended consequences.
Social distancing does not have to mean social isolation
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/we-are-social-species-how-will-social-distancing-affect-us

Get out in nature in your neck of the woods while you still can:
Download the All Trails app from your favorite location and get in the great outdoors
https://www.alltrails.com/

Finally-
Exercise your sense of humor-
For some relief rely on our Aussie friends with this little ditty…
The Ballad of Dunny Roll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia0bfWbOLjY

No worries in Kona apparently…

Thanks this week go to Alan D, John I, Paul S, Ron A, Bob C, Larry H, and all of you taking care of one another.
Pay it forward.

Rightly considered, this could be a chance to change how we connect with and behave toward one another. Can we forge a new sense of global and social unity built on facing serous adversity together?
Love,
Neville

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

“Out of all-inclusive, unconditional compassion comes the healing of all mankind.”— Dr. David Hawkins

“Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” –Unknown

This week:

• Celebrating Women While Recognizing We Still Have a Long Way to Go to Create Gender Equality
  • Generation Equality, International Women’s Day 2020 Campaign, 100 Quotes to Inspire Us, and a Century of Women and Their Influence
• Getting Real- Strong Women Facing Indescribable Struggles All Around the World
  • Six years ago, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls. Where are they now?
  • The struggles of a young woman, who’s was a Principal and is a mother in Idlib
• The Coronavirus Pandemic
  • What We Can or Should Do Now
  • The ‘One Planet, One People’ Coronavirus Corrective with Dr. Ken D
  • Coronavirus Scams to Watch Out For
• Gun Violence Prevention Through a Racial Equity Framework
  • Join this Webinar next week

I Am Generation Equality:
Realizing Women’s Rights
Twenty-five years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—a progressive roadmap for gender equality—it’s time to take stock of progress and bridge the gaps that remain through bold, decisive actions.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day

International Women’s Day 2020 campaign theme is #EachforEqual

An equal world is an enabled world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.

We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.

Let’s all be #EachforEqual.  https://internationalwomensday.com/2020Theme

Share These 100 International Women’s Day Quotes to Support Women’s Rights:

If you’re not familiar with it, International Women’s Day began in the early 1900s and is a “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.” To help you spread the word and capture the spirit of IWD all year long please read—and share (using their hashtags, #IWD2020 and #EachforEqual)—this list of 100 International Women’s Day quotes. https://parade.com/975103/marynliles/international-womens-day-quotes/

Why TIME Decided to Revisit a Century of Women and Influence:

Throughout its history, editors of TIME aimed their curiosity at those who broke free of gravity. Week after week, year after year, the magazine featured an individual on the cover, often from Washington but also from Wall Street or Hollywood, from foreign palaces and humming factories, all outstanding and almost always men. The “great man theory of history,” so aligned with the American gospel of bootstraps and bravado, meant that power boiled down to biography, and to be on the cover of TIME meant that you had, literally, made big news.

I wonder how different those weekly assessments would have been had there been any women in the room where they were made. It would be many decades before TIME’s leadership included many women, 90 years before a woman ran the whole thing. Likewise in Congress and courtrooms and corner offices and ivory towers, it was largely men who were writing the first draft of history, deciding what mattered, and who mattered, and why. So now that we are marking anniversaries, it was an irresistible exercise to go back and look again, at different ways of wielding power, and the different results derived. Women were wielding soft power long before the concept was defined. On the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, TIME’s editors and collaborators revisited each year since 1920, looking for women whose reach transcended their time. Their influence in public and private life was not always positive; part of this exercise is acknowledging failures and blind spots as well as genius and vision. https://time.com/5793734/time-100-women-of-the-year-issue/

 

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Socrates

 

Strong Women Facing Indescribable Struggles All Around the World-

Six years ago, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls. Where are they now?
The ‘Chibok girls’ kidnapping sparked international outrage. More than a hundred are still missing. Today the survivors are trying to rebuild their lives.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2020/03/six-years-ago-boko-haram-kidnapped-276-schoolgirls-where-are-they-now/

 

Despite Syria-Turkey Cease-Fire, Life is Difficult for Civilians in Idlib
The struggles of a young woman, who’s was a Principal and is a mother in Idlib, reflect the hardships faced by millions of Syrians as their city came under a new round of attacks.
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/10/813941954/despite-syria-turkey-cease-fire-life-is-difficult-for-civilians-in-idlib

 

What We Can Do About Coronavirus-
Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now: Tomas Pueyo – Medium
While a long read with a high level of urgency call for immediate action, this is a thorough assessment from one point of view.
I will leave it to you quant-masters to poke holes in the data, methodology, or recommendations.
https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca

Scam of the Week: Exploiting the Coronavirus: Watch out for These Scams!

Look out! The bad guys are preying on your fear and sending all sorts of scams related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Below are some examples of the types of scams you should be on the lookout for:

1. Emails that appear to be from organizations such as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), or the WHO (World Health Organization). The scammers have crafted emails that appear to come from these sources, but they actually contain malicious phishing links or dangerous attachments.
2. Emails that ask for charity donations for studies, doctors, or victims that have been affected by the COVD-19 Coronavirus. Scammers often create fake charity emails after global phenomenons occur, like natural disasters, or health scares like the COVID-19.
3. Emails that claim to have a “new” or “updated” list of cases of Coronavirus in your area. These emails could contain dangerous links and information designed to scare you into clicking on the link.

Remain cautious! And always remember the following to protect yourself from scams like this:

• Never click on links or download attachments from an email that you weren’t expecting.
• If you receive a suspicious email that appears to come from an official organization such as the WHO or CDC, report the email to the official organization through their website.
• If you want to make a charity donation, go to the charity website of your choice to submit your payment. Type the charity’s web address in your browser instead of clicking on any links in emails, or other messages.

Stop, Look, and Think. Don’t be fooled.
The KnowBe4 Security Team
KnowBe4.com

 

“Out of all-inclusive, unconditional compassion comes the healing of all mankind.”— Dr. David Hawkins

 

One Planet, One People
The ‘One Planet, One People’ Coronavirus Corrective with Dr. Ken D:
From the moment Seals and Crofts sang “One Planet, One People, Please” in perfect harmony, I was enamored by the Bahai Faith’s declaration that we’re members of the same family. The survival of Earth’s inhabitants is, in large part, based on our ability and willingness to realize that we’re living on the same anthill, so showing one another kindness and compassion, we make the most of being interconnected, and our better angels prevail.
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/486429-the-one-planet-one-people-coronavirus-corrective

One Planet, One People, Please by Seals and Crofts
A musical interlude…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYSpChQPkro

 

If You Are Local-

SDG Webinar: “Gun Violence in California: Intervention and Interruption Strategies”
On March 17 (9 AM – 10:30 AM), SDG is partnering with the Hope and Heal Fund to host an informative webinar for California funders, on how to address the public health crisis of gun violence, through a racial equity framework.

Learn how we can make our communities safer. Webinar speakers will be subject-matter experts on gun violence and the many drivers of this issue, including intimate partner violence, community violence, and suicide.

Speakers include:

• April Zeoli, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor in the School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University. Dr. Zeoli conducts research in the prevention of intimate partner violence and is currently studying the implementation of firearm relinquishment procedures for those intimate partner violence offenders who can no longer legally possess them.
• Bishop Cornelius Bowser, Co-Founder of Community Assistance Support Team (C.A.S.T.). Bishop Bowser is a former gang member and gang expert. He is a volunteer for the San Diego Compassion Project, which ministers to homicide victims’ families, and one of the founding members of C.A.S.T., which helps to reduce gang violence in the City of San Diego.
• Stan Collins, a suicide prevention specialist with more than two decades of experience. Stan currently works as a consultant, focusing on technical assistance in the creation and implementation of suicide prevention curricula and strategies. He participated in the development and roll-out of the “Stop Firearm Suicide San Diego” campaign.
• (event moderator) Brian Malte, Executive Director at Hope and Heal Fund: The Fund to Stop Gun Violence in California. Created in 2016 by philanthropic leaders, Hope and Heal Fund is the only collaborative fund solely dedicated to preventing gun violence in California.

CLICK HERE to register for this webinar.

Thanks this week go to all the strong, compassionate and amazing women in my life who inspire me every day, and who count on me to be a strong ally in creating a gender equal world.
Thanks also to Ken D for the One Planet, One People reminder.

Would you pay it forward this week? Our world needs You.
Love,
Neville

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

“There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.” –W.E.B. Dubois

This week:

5 Quotes from Major Philosophers Guaranteed to Make You Think

“Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not.

It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can’t control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible.”

Centuries old wisdom still speaks to us today … if we listen…

https://medium.com/@stevenyates/5-quotes-from-major-philosophers-guaranteed-to-make-you-think-d04002f09b85

 

5 WAYS TO MAKE TODAY GREAT:

How you see the world determines the world you see.
That’s why it’s especially important to start each day with a positive perspective.
Remember… positivity is like a muscle, the more we exercise it the stronger it gets.

Today let’s:

1) Attack Today with Enthusiasm – If you want an exciting life, get excited about life. Many of us wake up and just go through the motions. Our lives become routine. It doesn’t have to be like that. Remember your WHY today. We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.

2) Stay Positive – Instead of focusing on your problems, focus on your purpose. Instead of seeing yourself as a victim, see yourself as a hero. Heroes and victims both get knocked down but heroes get back up, and armed with optimism and a greater purpose they create a positive future.

3) Be Thankful – When you are grateful for the things in your life, big and small, you always seem to find more things to be grateful about.

4) Replace “Have to” with “Get To” – Live life as a gift, not an obligation. We GET TO, we don’t HAVE TO. This simple shift can have a dramatic impact.

5) Be a Blessing to Others – We are blessed to be a blessing. This doesn’t have anything to do with material things (although it can). It’s about loving, serving and caring. It’s about choosing to make a difference in the lives of others each and every day.

 

Valedictorian Shares Important Life Lesson:
In this valedictorian speech, Kyle Martin gets struck by the wisdom of the 16th second.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJNh_A-LlvA&fbclid=IwAR3KcY-NAkPRqQQY5j6VnIGkkOHPRNGdyAkp_0BsHxj7NNJDbAcZHRlZ1jI

 

Habit of Giving your Best Effort…Reaching for Your Full Capacity!    

This week’s focus is the Habit of Giving your Best Effort and Reaching for Your Full Potential.

Whether we are talking about martial arts classes, study habits or work…you will always succeed at a higher level if you develop the habit of giving your best effort and treating others as you yourself would like to be treated.

Nobody achieves greatness by being lazy or giving a half-hearted effort. Equally, nobody ever succeeds with a negative attitude toward others.

If you study the training of champions in any sport, you will see them putting in hours of dedicated practice and giving their best effort daily.

When you give your best effort and consistently push to exceed your previous best, you will get better and you will improve.

Never allow Minimums to become your Maximums & Always Maintain High Character!

 In the martial arts, we live The Martial Way. We call this “Living the Art”.

“Warriors are special people. Since they understand the concept of honor, they set their ethical standards above most of the rest of society.”   Forrest E. Morgan, Maj USAF                                                                                                      

When you push yourself to your current maximum, and then strive for 10% improvement or better, you will constantly raise the bar on your personal best.

The difference between ordinary and extra-ordinary is one word…”extra”!

You will take yourself to new levels of excellence if you will decide in advance to give extra effort and especially extra service.  This is especially true if you maintain a high level of character in the process.

“A man of character will make himself worthy of any position given.” Mahatma Gandhi

On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you get in the habit of giving a minimal effort and accept less than your best, this can also become habit.

If you’re not careful, before you know it, your minimum will become your maximum. Ultimately, your life will become ordinary or even less. To some this is normal, to peak performers, warriors, and champions this a place they avoid like the plague.

Look at everything you do, on and off the mat, think about how you can give your best effort and do it better. What could you do different today to take it to a whole new level?

In the training hall (Dojo or Dojang)…what can you do to pick up the pace to improve your skills and conditioning? At work or school, what could you do to exceed expected and provide extra-ordinary service? What could you do in your relationships to make a profound and positive impact on those around you? What could you do at your school to ensure to ensure students are fully plugged in!

At work…can you arrive a little earlier, stay later, improve your effort and increase your overall contribution?

Habits we Train…are Habits we Gain!

With Gratitude Always!!!

JSJ

 

Thanks this week go to Larry H, Marlaine C, JSJ, and men and women of character everywhere!
Please pay it forward
Love,
Neville

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

“A man of character will make himself worthy of any position given.” Mahatma Gandhi

“Wonder is the beginning of Wisdom”– Socrates

This week:
Take a Nanosecond to Stop and Experience This Moment:
NANOSECOND  PHOTOS

SO – Are You Going To Share these awesome nanosecond photos with your friends…

 

OR…

AM I GONNA HAVE TO COME LOOKING FOR YA?

Hope you are feeling a bit more centered…

 

15 Psychological Facts That Will Blow Your Mind!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pDxQPWD3L4

 

A Musician Played her Violin while Surgeons Removed her Brain Tumor
She has played to countless audiences in the 43 years since first picking up a violin aged ten, but nothing could prepare Dagmar Turner for the most intimate performance of her life. The musician has become the first person in Britain to have a brain tumour removed while she was awake, sitting up and playing the violin. As she played George Gershwin’s Summertime to the operating theatre surgeons monitored the quality of her performance to make sure they were not damaging the parts of her brain
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/musician-performs-while-surgeons-remove-brain-tumour-0698n0qc9

 

5 WAYS POSITIVE LEADERS CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE with Jon G

I received a call about a year and a half ago from Evan Spiegel, the CEO and Co-founder of Snapchat (Snap). Evan had read The Power of Positive Leadership and invited me to speak at an offsite meeting for his leadership team.

I researched Snap and discovered there was a lot of negativity surrounding the company. Experts said Instagram was coming after their business and they were getting bombarded with negativity and criticism from the media, financial investors, Wall Street, and much of the marketplace.

As I prepared for my talk, I asked Evan what he wanted me to talk about. I knew the people in the room would be many of the most brilliant minds in the industry and I expected to hear words like “research, analytics, case studies, cost-benefit analysis.” But instead he simply said, “Help us stay positive. We need to stay positive in the face of all this negativity. We can’t let it get to us.”

In my talk I did share research, case studies, the cost of negativity, and the benefits of positivity. I find it’s helpful when dealing with smart people to make a logical case for positivity. But most importantly I shared how Positive Leaders stay positive to create positive change… and today I want to share a few of these principles/practices with you and your team.

1) Control What You Can Control – It’s simple but it’s true. You can’t control what people are saying and thinking about you. You can’t control the competition that is coming after your business. You can’t control most things in life but you can control your attitude, your effort and your actions.

2) Create Inside-Out – As I wrote in The Coffee Bean, the world can be like a pot of boiling hot water. You can be like a carrot that gets weakened when placed in the pot or you can be like an egg that gets hardened (bitter, angry, uncaring) in a tough environment. Or you can be like the coffee bean that transforms the water into coffee. Instead of being impacted by the heat and difficult conditions, it instead transforms the environment it’s in. The noise, media, negativity, and criticism only have power over you if you let it. If you know the truth that you create from the inside-out, not outside in, then you won’t your circumstances define you. Instead you will be like the coffee bean and work to define your circumstances. When you know the power is on the inside and you create the world with your beliefs, passion, positivity, purpose, work ethic, soul and spirit you become a powerful force in the world.

3) Focus on Solutions instead of Complaints – When things are not going well and you are being bombarded with negativity it’s easy to complain. But great leaders don’t complain. They focus on solutions. If you are complaining, you are not leading. If you are leading you aren’t complaining. Instead of focusing on where you are, think about where you want to go and what you want to create. Instead of complaining about what’s holding you back, think about solutions that will propel you forward.

4) Embrace Change – There’s a myth that people don’t like change. We actually like what change produces. We just don’t like the messy transition required to create the change. Individuals and organizations that thrive embrace the entire process of transition and change knowing it leads to improvement and growth. Throughout history we see that individuals and organizations that embrace the waves of change ride it to a successful future. Those who resist the wave get crushed by it. Leadership is a transfer of belief so it’s essential that a leadership team shares their positive belief about change with everyone in the organization.

5) Stay Positive and Do the Work – It may sound cliché but it’s a huge key to success. Through challenges, adversity and negativity you must simply stay positive and continue to do the work. You control what you control. Tune out the noise. Focus on solutions. Work hard every day. Embrace change, work together as a team, and create positive change from the inside out. Over time performance improves, the numbers rise, confidence grows, people feel and see the change and then everyone starts talking about why you are succeeding instead of failing.

Do These Ideas Work? 

Well, I recently interviewed Evan Spiegel on my Positive University Podcast and asked him about the importance of positivity. He said it had a big impact. If you followed Snap over the last few years you can tell from their growth that they stayed positive, worked together as a leadership team and improved their business. They were no longer letting negativity affect them. They were affecting their company with positivity and Evan said it had the added benefit of recruiting great people to come work for the company. Turns out positive leadership doesn’t just help you improve and grow your business. It also attracts great people to it.

-Jon

 

How to prepare for coronavirus in the U.S. (Spoiler: Not sick? No need to wear a mask.)
The Washington Post spoke to epidemiology experts and they said the most important aspect of preparedness costs nothing at all: calm.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/26/how-to-prepare-for-coronavirus/?arc404=true

 

Remembering Our Heroines…
Katherine Johnson of “Hidden Figures” Fame Dies at 101
The pioneering NASA mathematician overcame racial barriers to help humans reach the moon
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/katherine-johnson-of-hidden-figures-fame-dies-at-101/

Thanks this week go to Cathy J, Larry H, Sanya D,  & all you modern day Socrates out there making our world better!
Please pay it forward
Love,
Neville

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

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Socrates

This week:

Extending Valentine’s Day attention, affirmation and action beyond just one day per year
Couples Who Stay Together Do This Small Thing for Each Other 86 Percent of the Time
What makes a marriage or long-term relationship work? You may think it’s all about romance such as giving great gifts or planning wonderful celebrations on birthdays and anniversaries. Or you may think it’s about great sex and keeping the passion alive. Not so much…
https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/marriage-relationships-attention-turn-toward-gottman.html

 

Fostering Inclusiveness
You Can’t Say You Can’t Play with Seth Godin:
Lenny Levine was a great kindergarten teacher. And he ran his class by this one rule.
It’s a bit like giving every kid in the class a valentine’s day card…
https://seths.blog/2020/02/you-cant-say-you-cant-play/

 

Getting Real On The Climate Emergency
Where are We Metaphorically On the Scoville Scale?

 

Nature Doesn’t Lie
Satellite images show iceberg bigger than Seattle break away from Antarctic glacier:
Satellite images from the European Space Agency show when a massive iceberg split from a glacier in Antarctica on Tuesday.
Combined, the images demonstrate how icebergs — the size of major cities and small countries — are breaking off into the ocean at a faster rate due to the earth’s changing climate.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/satellite-images-show-iceberg-bigger-than-seattle-break-away-from-antarctic-glacier/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a

 

The Man Who Called the Financial Crisis Has Another Warning for Investors
The Financial Implications Of the Climate Emergency Are Dire…
An interview with GMO founder Jeremy Grantham
https://www.barrons.com/articles/jeremy-grantham-called-the-financial-crisis-he-has-another-warning-for-investors-51581532462

 

Meet The Man Who Thinks Humans Should Go Extinct
It’s not new information that global warming is slowly but surely destroying our planet. However, as most of us frantically start recycling everything in sight, one person thinks he knows the best way to potentially fix the problem.
That person is American substitute teacher, Les Knight.
https://www.unilad.co.uk/featured/meet-the-man-who-thinks-humans-should-go-extinct/

 

Stay informed and stay active.
Thanks this week go to Cathy J, Moshe E, and all you lovers of humanity that are willing to confront the brutal facts while always maintaining hope!

Please Pay It Forward and Happy Birthday AYSHA!
Love,
Neville

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

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”

This week:
“This World Does Not Want To Be Saved. It Wants To Be LOVED. That’s How You Save IT.”
So, Get Real, Counterprogram Your Reality with Delight, Build Trust and Enjoy the Process Palooza!

Let’s Get Real!
We are only as sick as our secrets and sometimes victims of our own ignorance.
Minimizing trauma of any kind doesn’t allow us to authentically understand and effectively address challenges that so many individuals, families and communities face in our world today.
This story is both deeply person-centered and data-driven and will open your heart.
Kate Kemplin studied military resilience for years – long before her husband experienced a traumatic brain injury in Iraq, and later killed himself. Now, Kemplin is using her expertise to dispel the “myth” that TBIs are “just headaches.”

https://www.pri.org/file/2020-02-11/traumatic-brain-injury-expert-describes-her-personal-loss

 

In these dark, combative times, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day and expressing love, enjoy the most radical counterprogramming you could imagine: a show made up entirely of stories about delight.

Choose Delight in This American Life!

• Understanding delight through American pop culture
• The discipline and rigor of seeking and holding onto delight
• Doing something delightful for the very first time- getting to ride the school bus
• Discovering delight late in life
• Follow the night zookeeper at the Denver Zoo as she doles out snacks and tucks the animals in

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/692/the-show-of-delights

 

11 WAYS TO BUILD TRUST:

Here are some thoughts about how we can build the trust that is essential for great relationships. Many of the suggestions you are already know. Many ideas I share are common sense. However, I’ve found that so often amidst the chaos of life and work we forget the simple and powerful truths that matter most. So here are 11 thoughts about trust. Feel free to share these simple reminders with your leaders, colleagues and team.

1. Say what you are going to do and then do what you say!

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Frequent, honest communication builds trust. Poor communication is one of the key reasons marriages and work relationships fall apart.

3. Trust is built one day, one interaction at a time, and yet it can be lost in a moment because of one poor decision. Make the right decision.

4. Value long term relationships more than short term success.

5. Sell without selling out. Focus more on your core principles and customer loyalty than short term commissions and profits.

6. Trust generates commitment; commitment fosters teamwork; and teamwork delivers results. When people trust their team members they not only work harder, but they work harder for the good of the team.

7. Be honest! My mother always told me to tell the truth. She would say, “If you lie to me then we can’t be a strong family. So don’t ever lie to me even if the news isn’t good.”

8. Become a coach. Coach your customers. Coach your team at work. Guide people, help them be better and you will earn their trust.

9. Show people you care about them. When people know you care about their interests as much as your own they will trust you. If they know you are out for yourself, their internal alarm sounds and they will say to themselves “watch out for that person.”

10. Always do the right thing. We trust those who live, walk and work with integrity.

11. When you don’t do the right thing, admit it. Be transparent, authentic and willing to share your mistakes and faults. When you are vulnerable and have nothing to hide you radiate trust.

 

If you are local…

Complimentary Passes for the 3^rd Annual Process Palooza at UC San Diego where I am Keynoting on March 25^th 2020:
The Process Palooza returns to UC San Diego!
Join us on March 25 for a high-energy, day-long conference that celebrates a commitment to business excellence, operational efficiency and continuous improvement.
Process Palooza features engaging keynotes and workshops, an expo area with awesome prizes and the opportunity to network with change leaders from UC San Diego, other universities and the local business community. UCSD executives and our keynote speaker, Neville Billimoria, will kick off the day.
Workshops topics cover Lean Six Sigma basics; continuous improvement success stories from campus, health and local industry; the student experience and more…

Interested?
You’re invited!
Visit processpalooza.ucsd.edu to learn more, and contact angelamiller@ucsd.edu to request a complimentary pass for local non-profits. Space is Limited.

 

Thanks Mission Fed!
This week I celebrated my 18^th year at Mission Fed.
Thanks for the opportunity to serve and transform lives both in our community and through the power of education!

Thanks this week go to Larry H, Rex H, Team UC San Diego and Team Mission Fed!
Please pay it forward…
Love,
Neville

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

“Love is misunderstood to be an emotion;
actually, it is a state of awareness,
a way of being in the world,
a way of seeing oneself and others.”
–Dr. David Hawkins

This week:

• Remember Who YOU Are
• An Open Letter To The Comfortable CEO
• Women Now Outnumber Men On U.S. Payrolls
• Where Do Good Ideas Come From?
• Can Slowing Down Help You Be More Creative?

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE with Jon G:

I live in the Jacksonville, FL area, which has the distinction of being the largest city in terms of geographic area in the United States. We are also home to the St. Johns River, one of the few rivers in the world that flows north. While much of the world’s rivers flow south the St. Johns River flows north.

I believe our identity works the same way.

Most people live from the outside in.

They allow their circumstances, job, role, money, and uniform to define them. They believe they are who society says they are. They believe their identity comes from what they do, not who they are.

They believe that what people on social media say about them defines them.

Unfortunately, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Your identity doesn’t flow outside in. It flows in a different direction. It flows from the inside out.

Your identity comes from who you truly are, not what society says you are. The world shares one message but your true identity doesn’t come from the world. It comes from the truth that you know in your heart and soul. It comes from who you are on the inside. It comes from God who put greatness and love and purpose inside you.

While much of the world will continue to flow one way, my hope is that you will flow in the opposite direction. Never let the opinion of others define you. Critics write words but they don’t write the future. You do with your optimism, belief and actions.

Gandhi said, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet” and when it comes to social media don’t let anyone walk through your mind with their dirty Tweet.

When Superman took off his superman outfit who was he? Many say he was Clark Kent but the truth is he was still Superman. It wasn’t his uniform or cape that defined him and made him powerful. It was the power that existed inside him.

It was his identity that no one could take away.

Remember who you are and remind yourself that no one was the power to take away your identity and define you unless you let them.

When you remember who you are, you will be your most powerful and positive you.

And who are you?

You are a child of God and you are loved.

It’s not politically correct to say it. But I’m saying it because it’s true and I care about you. I know that when you know this you will flow north and flow more powerfully in the direction of your dreams to create the life you were meant to live.

-Jon

 

An Open Letter To The Comfortable CEO with Shannon McCrary:

Dear CEO, as we head toward the middle of the 21st century, I write this letter to shed some light on some blind spots within your company, that may ultimately prevent a successful transition towards a brighter future. While the foundation of your company may appear in safe standing, the reality is that you could be slow dancing in a burning room with your employees and the wider community severely affected. This letter is intended to inform, and hopefully disrupt, the status quo of your organization with a few key points:
https://real-leaders.com/an-open-letter-to-the-comfortable-ceo/

 

Where Do Good Ideas Come From?
Earlier this year, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk decided to give away his company’s patents for free. It might seem like a strange business move, but Musk said he wanted to inspire creativity and accelerate innovation.
Writer Steven Johnson says this is the way great ideas have been born throughout history.
https://www.npr.org/2014/06/27/322920914/where-do-good-ideas-come-from

 

Women Now Outnumber Men On U.S. Payrolls:

“It reminds us to take a moment and think about the kind of strides women have made in the labor market,” Stevenson says.
“But also, the future of the labor force is going to involve greater women’s equality.”
https://www.npr.org/2020/01/10/795293539/women-now-outnumber-men-on-u-s-payrolls

 

Can Slowing Down Help You Be More Creative with Adam Grant:
Despite being a self-described ‘pre-crastinator, psychologist Adam Grant says those who slow down — even procrastinate — tend to be more creative, original thinkers.
https://www.npr.org/2016/08/26/490625260/can-slowing-down-help-you-be-more-creative

 

 

If you are local…

Mission Fed Members…

We are showing our appreciation by rewarding lucky winners weekly. All year, we will choose winners each week at random and award $1 Million by year end.

You could win in 2020!

Thank you for choosing Mission Fed! We are showing our appreciation by rewarding lucky winners weekly. All year, we will choose winners each week at random and award $1 Million by year end.

Weekly Drawings:

First Prize
$2,500 1 winner

Second Prize
$1,000 1 winner

Third Prize
$100 160 winners

We make it easy

No need to enter—you automatically get one entry each time you make a purchase with your Mission Fed Debit or Credit card and each time you make a qualifying direct deposit or loan payment. We will choose weekly winners at random. This could be one of your Mission Fed moments!

Please visit MissionFed.com/MoneyMatchPlus for Official Rules. No purchase necessary. See Official Rules for eligibility and alternative method of entry.

 

Thanks this week go to Larry H, Shannon Mc and all of you challenging orthodoxies and making our world better!
Love,
Neville

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

“Communication is the real work of leadership.”– Nitin Nohria

This week:

“Blessings for a New Position,” To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings

May your new work excite your heart,
Kindle in your mind creativity
To journey beyond the old limits
Of all that has become wearisome.

May this work challenge you toward
New frontiers that will emerge
As you begin to approach them,
Calling forth from you the full force
And depth of your undiscovered gifts.

May the work fit the rhythms of your soul,
Enabling you to draw from the invisible
New ideas and a vision that will inspire.

Remember to be kind
To those who work for you,
Endeavor to remain aware
Of the quiet world
That lives behind each face.

Be fair in your expectations,
Compassionate in your criticism.
May you have the grace of encouragement
To awaken the gift in the other’s heart,
Building in them the confidence
To follow the call of the gift.

May you come to know that work
Which emerges from the mind of love
Will have beauty and form.

May this new work be worthy
Of the energy of your heart
And the light of your thought.

May your work assume
A proper space in your life;
Instead of owning or using you,
May it challenge and refine you,
Bringing you every day further
Into the wonder of your heart.

– John O’Donohue, “Blessings for a New Position,” To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings (2008)

 

TOMORROW ISN’T GUARANTEED:

My mom answered the phone and all you could hear was a woman’s voice yelling “Get up here. Get up here!” After the woman calmed down my Mom found out my Grandfather had a heart attack while sitting on the porch of their country cottage in upstate NY.

I watched as my Mom and Dad raced upstairs to get some things and ran to the car and took off in a panic for upstate NY from Long Island. My Dad was a former NYC cop so he turned a usually 2-3 hour trip into 90 minutes by driving 100mph.

When my Dad called that night I asked how Grandpa was doing and he just said in a soft scratchy voice, I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. I was in 8th grade at the time and went to school the next day thinking everything was going to be fine.

Just after lunch I got called to the Principal’s office and was told my Dad was waiting for me in his car outside. When I got in the car I saw tears in my Dad’s eyes. I don’t think I ever saw him cry before so I knew the news wasn’t good. “How’s Grandpa,” I asked?

“Grandpa didn’t make it,” he said choking on his words. “He died last night.” Those words still bring me to tears even now as I write this 36 years later. I just broke down and cried and cried and cried.

When I walked in the front door my Mom was there waiting for me. We hugged and just cried together.

I never had anyone close to me die before. It didn’t seem real. My mind couldn’t accept it. Each day I woke up thinking it was just a bad dream… but it wasn’t. He had a massive heart attack while my Grandmother was cooking in the kitchen and he died instantly.

I learned that day about the fragility of life. One minute you are here and the next you are gone. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.

Yet over time you forget. You forget about the temporary nature of life. You forget about your own mortality. You forget that life can be lost and your world can change in a moment… until a day like yesterday when the world learned that Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash along with his daughter and several of their friends.

When I heard the news I felt once again like that 8th grade kid… shocked, sad, heartbroken and hoping and praying it wasn’t true. I hate when we’re reminded of the fragility of life. I always think people are going to live forever until they don’t. Even after my Grandparents passed away I never thought my parents would die until I saw them go. I hate it even more when it’s so sudden. I never got to say goodbye to my Grandfather and my heart breaks for Kobe’s family and friends that didn’t get to say goodbye to him and his daughter.

Life is fragile. We don’t know when our time is up. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed for any of us. So let’s not go through the motions. Let’s care more and put our heart and soul into our life and our relationships today.

NOW is the time to create our masterpiece.

-Jon

 

Letting Music Speak, When We Have No Words…

Here is a set list that might allow you to feel what words cannot say.

Filled with both rebellion and surrender, emotional honesty and spiritual release, heartbreak and loss as well as hope for a better tomorrow and a better self and from a variety of genres to appeal to many palettes, I hope something speaks to your heart, mood and deepest of feelings…

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/739DCRruBbOCj7bQVrMdvE?si=53Z2PxpmScuOmuzozJBGOg

Don’t have/use Spotify?
Here are direct links to the set list:

• We are not gonna take this – The Who https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqmC1T9rukk
• Why Me? – Kris Kristofferson and others  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f38gW5Jm-Hs
• If I needed you – John Williams and Emmylou Harris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHoAg-LlVVM
• If this is goodbye – Mark Knofler and Emmylou Harris   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK_9ppta_M0
• Wildflowers by Tom Petty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AldoDm2bV04
• Wild Montana Skies – John Denver  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wztUGHnSmAM
• Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q
• My Sweet Lord – George Harrison   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qJTJNfzvr8
• Give me Love, give me Peace on Earth – George Harrison https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-KAvPbO8JY

 

Why in this Modern Age do we Venerate Action and Vilify Reflection?
We can learn a thing or two from the animal kingdom…

 

Stay Healthy!

CORONA VIRUS UPDATE (2019-nCoV)

Risk Assessment
Outbreaks of virus infections among people are always of public health concern. The risk from these outbreaks depends on characteristics of the virus, including whether and how well it spreads between people, the severity of resulting illness, and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, vaccine or treatment meds). Investigations are ongoing to learn more, but person-to-person spread of 2019-nCoV is occurring. Chinese officials report that sustained person-to-person spread in the community is occurring in China. Person-to-person spread in the United States has not yet been detected, but it’s likely to occur to some extent. While CDC considers this is a very serious public health threat, based on current information, the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time. CDC is taking proactive preparedness precautions.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent 2019-nCoV infection. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Right now, 2019-nCoV has not been found to be spreading in the United States, so there are no additional precautions recommended for the general public to take. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• All maintenance and cleaning staff should wear appropriate PPEs while cleaning or servicing public areas.

CDC Recommends

While the immediate risk of this new virus to the American public is believed to be low at this time, everyone can do their part to help us respond to this emerging public health threat:

• For everyone: It’s currently flu and respiratory disease season and CDC recommends getting vaccinated, taking everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, and taking flu antivirals if prescribed.

Safety and HR are monitoring bulletins and information from CDC and the World Health Organization. We will update the situation and advise as appropriate.

 

Thanks this week go to John O c/o Danny F, Jon G c/o Larry H, Eric K, & Bob C
What can you do today to pay it forward?
Love,
Neville

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“If you have to ask what Jazz is you will never know” –Louis Armstrong