This week:

The Power of Music
Music IS Transformational. This story reminds of how powerful music can be and how it works…

Benjamin Zander: How Does Music Transform Us?
Years of conducting a world-famous orchestra have shown Benjamin Zander the power of classical music. He says music speaks to our emotions — and has the ability to reach everybody.
This is one of my favorite Ted Radio Hour episodes…
https://www.npr.org/2017/11/10/562884481/benjamin-zander-how-does-music-transform-us

 The Power of Meeting Kids Where They Are At, With Anonymity and Generosity

This StoryCorps classic will touch your heart!

How A Librarian Changed A Future Judge’s Life:
In 1950s Arkansas, Olly Neal didn’t care much for school. Then one day, he cut class, wandered into the library and stumbled onto a book by author Frank Yerby. The discovery changed the life of a teenager who was, in Neal’s memory, “a rather troubled high school senior.” Years later, he told his daughter, Karama, at StoryCorps in 2009, he learned that the librarian — his English teacher — had quietly and generously orchestrated the effort to transform him into a big reader. Neal went on to attend law school and later became a judge, retiring as an appellate judge of the Arkansas Court of Appeals.
https://www.npr.org/2019/09/27/764433235/encore-how-a-librarian-changed-a-future-judges-life

Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper: Whose Shoulders Do You Stand On?

“The moment a woman comes home to herself, the moment she knows that she has become a person of influence… who is respected and recognized, the resurrection of the world begins.” — Joan Chittister

I’ve Been Thinking…

The other day, my daughter Christina watched the documentary “RBG” about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and said she couldn’t believe how much this one woman has done in her lifetime on behalf of other women. She said it got her thinking about all the other women who have done so much, yet whose stories we know so little about.

“It’s crazy that so many women my age don’t know about all of the barriers they’ve broken for us,” Christina said. “We don’t know enough about what these women have accomplished, or about what they’re still doing to instigate change.”

Amen, I thought. Amen to acknowledging all that has been done before us, and all that’s still being done. Amen to taking a moment to acknowledge all the women whose shoulders we stand on.

Christina’s words came to mind this Tuesday when I learned that veteran journalist Cokie Roberts had passed away due to breast cancer complications. I gasped when I heard the news.

Like me, Cokie was a child of politics who found her calling in journalism. When I was starting out, Cokie, Barbara Walters, Linda Ellerbee, and Nancy Dickerson were among the women who were out there working hard so that women like myself could succeed.

I looked up to her. I admired how she combined her many roles with grace and class. Cokie’s death made me stop and think about all the other women who have inspired me over the years, and who paved the way for me and so many others.

When I look at the women running for president today, I am constantly reminded of all the pioneers who came before them. When I look at women fighting for social change today, I think about my mother and how she fought for the rights of the intellectually disabled up until her dying day. I also think about the hard work of Rosa Parks, Dorothy Day, Coretta Scott King, and others.

Like Christina, I am in awe of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I deeply admire her tenacity, her brilliance, her guts, her persistence, and her work ethic. I mean, I pray to God that I can still be out there pushing for change in my 80s, just like she is. I have the same respect for Sandra Day O’Connor, who I got to work alongside in pushing for the passage of the National Alzheimer’s Strategic Plan.

Every young woman today should know these elder women’s stories. They should know what they were up against, what they endured, and how they charted their own path. Thank God many of those I admire have written their stories down in books. Gloria Steinem’s “Revolution from Within” is a must-read. So, too, are Eleanor Roosevelt’s books. And Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s  “Gift From the Sea.” And Joan Chittister’s “Called to Question.”

I’ve always been intrigued by people’s stories—their struggles and their triumphs. I’ve loved learning about the lives of women like Betty Ford and Mother Teresa because their stories humanized them for me. These are women who admitted to struggling with issues of faith, purpose, addiction, and loneliness. Yet they pushed on, nonetheless.
My mother always made sure to talk to me about her own influences. Her No. 1 was Mother Mary, followed by her own mother. She was also influenced by Mother Teresa, as well as the mothers of children with special needs, who she met out on the frontlines of humanity.
She made sure I knew about all of these women and, when possible, she introduced me to them. She took me to soup kitchens, convents, and social justice rallies. My mother was adamant that I see myself as someone who could, and should, step into the arena. That’s why she spoke to me about those who did.

I share this so you know that whether you are a mother, a teacher, a business owner, or otherwise, you have the power to inspire and influence those who are younger than you.
It’s important for young women to learn the stories of those who came before them. It’s important for them to understand that life is filled with ups and downs. Joys and struggles. Purpose and self-doubt. Connection and loneliness. Knowing this to be true has been important to me as I’ve navigated my own life. It has inspired me to know there are many who have faced life and loss and still carried on. I stand on their shoulders, and so do you.

Tomorrow night, I will speak at a memorial service in honor of one of my real-life heroines, Mary Oliver. When she and I became friends, I told Mary that her poem “The Journey” changed my life.
Mary herself didn’t live a conventional life. She lived her “one wild and precious life.” That, to me, is humbling and captivating. I’m thrilled that so many women who stand on her shoulders will get to celebrate her life and work for generations to come.
That brings me back to the other women whose shoulders I stand on. I know I wouldn’t have the career I do, had it not been for so many women before me. I know I wouldn’t have the right to vote, had their not been women who fought for that right. I know I wouldn’t have been the kind of First Lady of California I was, had there not been others before me who paved the way.
When I speak tomorrow night at Mary’s memorial, I will thank her for paving the way for my own journey. This week when I’m working at the TODAY show in New York, I’ll also think about the legacy of Barbara Walters and what I owe to her. This fall as I continue fighting against Alzheimer’s, I’ll think of my mother and thank her for her hard work fighting for causes she believed in.

This week, I’m going to make a point of saying thank you—be it in person or in my heart—to all the women whose shoulders I stand on. After all, Cokie’s untimely death reminds me again that life is precious. It is fragile. That’s why there is no time like the present to thank those who have paved the way for us to do what we do, and be who we are.

Opportunities don’t just happen to us. They happen because someone pushed before us so that we could have that opportunity in the first place. They happen because someone else fought, persisted, and persevered.

This week, thank those whose shoulders you stand on. Honor those who came before you. Be grateful for those who paved the way for the life you have now. And, if you don’t know their stories, then ask them. Or look them up. Read about their lives or watch a documentary, like my daughter did. One of the best ways to honor someone’s legacy is to learn about it, and then carry their story forward in your life and in others.

Love,

 

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Dear God (and Dear Mary, since I often pray to you, too), thank you for all that you do for me. May you both help me remember to thank those who have paved the way for me and many others. Please help me persevere as I also work to pave the way for others. Help me stay the course. Amen.

Views Above the Noise

1. Why Ending Gun Violence for Actress Julianne Moore Is Personal

READ MORE

2. Sr. Helen Prejean on the Life-Altering Event that Helped Her Find Faith and Set Her Soul on Fire

READ MORE

3. Financial Housekeeping: Expert Jean Chatzky Shares What You Should Do to Plan for the Future

READ MORE

4. Style Guru Jill Martin on Finding Love in Her 40s… and Living Happily Ever After Her Own Way

READ MORE

5. Can Celery Juice Really Change Your Life? The Man Behind the Wellness Craze Explains 

READ MORE

6. How To Navigate Life as a Highly Sensitive Person
From Our Partners at 1440 Multiversity

What does it mean to be a highly sensitive person (HSP)? Clinical and research psychologist Elaine Aron, PhD, a pioneer in the field of high sensitivity talks with our friends at 1440 Multiversity about life for those of us with finely tuned nervous systems. READ MORE

Explore ways to enhance living as a highly sensitive person in a week-long immersion at 1440. Learn more here!

 

News Above the Noise

NEWS YOU SHOULDN’T MISS
Around the World, Young People Protest Climate Change

Millions of young people poured into the streets on every continent on Friday for a day of global climate protests. Organizers estimated the turnout to be around four million in thousands of cities and towns worldwide. READ MORE

NEWS TO MAKE YOU SMART
A New Wave of Caregivers: Men

When you hear the word “caregiver,” what image comes to mind? Most likely it’s a woman in her 40s. But did you know that of the 40 million family caregivers in America, nearly half of them are men? READ MORE

NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Reason You’re Still Tired Even After Sleeping

Experts say most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health and energy. So, why are you still sleepy the next day? The reason could be a number of different factors, from what you drink to how you move. READ MORE

NEWS FOR YOUR MENTAL & SPIRITUAL HEALTH
Feeling Anxious? You Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down

Have we been handling anxiety all wrong? Researchers at Harvard Business School say trying to bring our heart rates down in moments of stress is actually counter-productive and could backfire. READ MORE

NEWS TO BRING YOU JOY
Our Yippee! Moment of the Week

My daughter sent me Brad Pitt’s new GQ cover photo shoot and I have to say it was definitely a “yippee!” moment for me this week. You’re welcome. READ & SEE MORE

Join The Sunday Paper Dinner Club
Gather • Share • Find Common Ground

GET THIS WEEK’S “MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION” STARTER & JICAMA TACOS RECIPE

The Sunday Paper Reflection

Your Weekly Dose of Wisdom & Wonder

‘My Sunday To-Do List’ with Comedian Heather McMahan

Love Sundays as much as we do? Email us us your ‘Sunday To-Do List’ and look out for new featured lists every week in The Sunday Paper. (And be sure to check out Heather McMahan on Instagram. She’s hilarious!)

5 Days to a More Calm & Simple Life

If you’re ready to take the pressure out of life and find your calm, it’s time to enroll in Angie Johnston’s 5 Day Tidy Your Life Masterclass. Over the next 5 Days, this online course will help you mentally and emotionally declutter, destress, and set healthy boundaries. Use promo code “SUNDAYPAPER” and receive 30% off for being a loyal Sunday Paper reader. Click HERE to enroll today!

 

READ SUNDAY PAPER COLUMNIST ANGIE JOHNSTON’S LATEST ESSAY ON REWRITING YOUR NARRATIVE

Join Me at Move for Minds!

The countdown to Move for Minds is on! Sign up to join me and The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement for a half-day of fun fitness and information to transform your mind, body, and spirit! Bring your mom, your sister, your daughter — as we help raise money for critical women’s-based Alzheimer’s research on November 2 in Los Angeles. Hope to see you there!

Love, Maria

CAN’T MAKE IT TO LOS ANGELES? YOU CAN STILL HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE. CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

Love Our Newsletter?

If you love what we’re doing, we hope you’ll consider supporting The Sunday Paper – for just the cost of a cup of coffee. While we deliver the newsletter free to your inbox each week, we hope you’ll consider making a one-time gift of $3, or a monthly offering of that same amount, if you love our work and want to help us create more inspiring content that Moves Humanity Forward.

SUPPORT THE SUNDAY PAPER

And Finally…
The Sunday Paper Recommend

An Extraordinary New Film

Critics are raving about this heart-warming story of a young man with Down syndrome who finds adventure and wisdom in an unlikely friend. Check out the trailer HERE!

P.S. Have a book, movie, podcast, or person you’d like to recommend? Email us!

 

If you are local…
The Power of Investing in the Future
To build better, more caring and sustainable communities

Investing In The Future-Changemakers
4^th Global Empowerment Summit 2019

You are invited to attend The Fourth Annual Global Empowerment Summit 2019 “Investing in the Future- Change makers”. This free, public event at UC San Diego’s Beyster Auditorium in the Rady Business School will include several prominent local speakers (The mayor and the DA are each making an appearance!) and global presenters as well as survivors of trauma who have risen above their adversity. The speakers will share their knowledge of social issues with global impact, and explore topics such as the power of collaboration, mentorship, and transformational leadership to solve societal problems.

And register at:
www.eventbrite.com/e/4th-global-empowerment-summit-2019-investing-in-the-future-changemakers-tickets-69501184915

There will be a vendor fair and international food catered by refugees, immigrants and survivors from different countries who now call San Diego home.

The most significant impact of the three previous Global Empowerment Summits has been the large-scale mobilization of local and global change makers. We believe dedicated people working together on issues of common concern can find pathways to change and build better, more caring and sustainable communities. This creates a compassionate foundation from which we can build a better world. When we collaborate, we build bridges. The day’s events will encourage cross-cultural understanding, instill a strong sense of dignity and acceptance, promote problem solving, open doors to economic opportunity, and foster healthy growth within for all those involved.
Please join us! Together we can change the world!

Registration is free at:
Date: Saturday October 19th, 2019
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: UCSD,  Beyster  Auditorium, Rady School of Business

Warm Regards,
Feroza Ardeshir

alliance4empowerment.net

Naila Chowdhury
Director, Social Impact and Innovation
UCSD Extension
University of California, San Diego
mobile:+1 858 525 5609
website: socialimpact.ucsd.edu

The 2019 New Americans Museum & Immigrant Learning Center Soiree
Friday Oct 18^th 2019 @ Liberty Station

I would love and appreciate your support for our upcoming fundraiser at our beloved New Americans Museum & Immigrant Learning Center — help us grow our micro enterprise training program in creative sectors for immigrant,  refugees and asylees as they work towards increasing self-sufficiency and success in our country.  Our Museum and Learning center’s work is devoted to welcoming our newest Americans, telling their stories and another key way is by  investing in their success through skills building including as potential entrepreneurs through our MICRO-NAM initiative.

Please join me Friday Oct 18, and consider sponsoring or underwriting a table ($2,500 or $5,000 donation)and we can also help you fill it with fabulous new Americans; then come feast with the most amazing and unforgettable multi course dinner lovingly prepared  by local immigrant chefs! Happy to hear your voice. You all have my cell so please call or text me directly (619)602-7932 🙏
Un abrazo (a big hug) Adelante!
Linda

Above: last year’s Featured Soiree Chefs: Denise Roa, Flor Franco, Sindy Lazo, Evan Cruz, Jason Knibb and Michel Malecot.

2019 New Americans Museum Soiree

Discover America Through Food: Honoring the Journeys of New American Chefs

Get your tickets today

 

Thanks this week go to NPR/KPBS, Jill Mc, Maria S, Linda CS,  Feroza A and Naila C.
Please pay it forward!
Love,
Neville

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

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” ~ Steve Jobs

This week:

The Autumnal Equinox:
Greetings Bright Stars,
The Autumnal Equinox occurred on Monday,  though us martial artists celebrate the magic moment at dusk facing West with a minute of proscribed moving meditation (passive activity), and are often treated to rad sunsets on the West Coast! The Equinox and Solstice cycle reminds us about that longer annual marathon cycle (365 days) that might be overlooked or underappreciated in our day to day (24 hour) sprint cycle.
Pausing to reflect, connect and celebrate the natural order and flow of that larger passage of time, the motion of the Earth in relationship with the larger Plano sphere, and the dynamic yet constant changing of the seasons without and within.

This marks the start of Autumn for us in the Northern Hemisphere.
For our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, Spring has just begun.
On this day, the Sun rises directly in the East, and sets directly in the West.
It’s one of two times a year that the day and night are of the same length. (Equi-)

The Autumnal Equinox also marks the beginning of shorter days and longer nights. Tis the season to gather with friends and strengthen our spirits in preparation for the passage into Winter. And it’s also  a time of thanksgiving, for on the other side of that dark Winter is Spring. Right now the sun is entering the constellation Libra, the balanced scales. So the Equinox is the time of year to bring balance into our life, clean up clutter and remove the things that don’t bring us joy – clean with mindful intention of transformation. The Japanese have a term for this. Isagi Yoku or “pure, clean spirit”. Here’s to a rich harvest of your efforts, a full and flowing heart, easy love, and effortless kindness.

May you find yourself in natural balance with your life and with the environment, which right now really needs us to wake up!
Please stay in tune with our outer and your inner nature…

Note: Interested in the benefits of the wisdom traditions, specifically martial arts for you, your family or your kids? See flyer (below) for a class we teach at UC San Diego that is now in its 38^th year…

 

Having the guts to call the question…
HOW DARE YOU!
Speaking of waking up, on the same day as the equinox, teenager Greta Thunberg, referenced in previous Soul Food missives for taking a yacht from Europe to the US for the UN event to limit carbon emissions, opened the United Nations Climate Action Summit with this powerful speech.
“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words”…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYqtXR8iPlE

 

Confronting the facts…

An Island Imperiled: Climate Change Threatens Greenland — and its way of life:

As their home melts, Greenlanders confront the fallout of global warming.

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/island-imperiled-climate-change-threatens-greenland-its-way-life-ncna1055251

 

Earth’s Oceans Are Getting Hotter And Higher, And It’s Accelerating
The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released its latest report on the oceans, and it’s not good. The report also notes a relatively new phenomenon in the oceans: marine heat waves.

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/25/755859707/earths-oceans-are-getting-hotter-and-higher-and-it-s-accelerating

 

But Always Maintaining Hope…

“Don’t Stop Believin” Goes On And On, Because We Need It To:

Thirty-eight years after it debuted on the album Escape, “Don’t Stop Believin'” is the go-to anthem for perseverance that has itself persevered, successfully riding wave after new wave of media. Though born in the era of rock radio and cassette mixtapes, the song found its real glory at the dawn of binge TV and the smartphone, and it has woven its way into weddings, bar mitzvahs, graduations, the 2005 World Series, The Sopranos and Glee.

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/16/760315306/journey-dont-stop-believin-american-anthem

 

If you didn’t see this last week
By popular demand, this is pure joy…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqHlIRZnF38

 

If you are local…
Always Wanted to Unleash the Black Belt in You our Your Family?
Join our traditional martial arts classes for both adults or kids starting Oct 8^th at UC San Diego
newkarateflyer_2019_FALL_Myths_UCSD

 

Mentoring for the Ages: Applying the Sage Lessons of Maslow and Lao Tsu
North County Philanthropy Council Oct 2, 2019

Mentoring for the Ages: Applying the Sage Lessons of Maslow and Lao Tsu
It’s 2,500 Years Old. It’s the latest thing…

In this exclusive NCPC two hour interactive session join us as we explore, experience and embody the principles and practices of deepening the mentor/mentee relationship using information and insights from the greats both in Western psychology and Eastern philosophy.

While it would be ideal if both mentor/mentee partners are in attendance together, this is not mandatory but suggested, so try to have your mentor/mentee partner join you!

We will deepen our understanding of how to bring magic to the mentoring dynamic and leverage the collective wisdom of the group to enrich our practice and improve our results.

Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Time: 8:45 AM Check in and Re-Connecting – Continental breakfast to be served
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Program led by Neville Billimoria
Location: New Village Arts
2787 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

REGISTER HERE!

Questions? Please contact Sandra Alston at sandra@ncphilanthropy.org or 760-729-6711.

 

2019 Peace Hero Celebration September 28^th 2019 @ The Omni La Costa Resort with the First Woman President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf:
Let’s celebrate peaceful warriors!

We hope you can join us for 2019 Peace Hero Celebration! You may purchase your tickets foe this unforgettable evening here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-peace-hero-celebration-gala-hosted-by-kids-for-peace-tickets-69244192243 Thank you kindly, The Kids for Peace Team

Thanks this week go to Billy S, Eric K, Greta T, Larry H, Jill Mc. and Kids for Peace, our martial arts family and extended planetary family.
Please pay it forward. Our world needs you!
Love,
Neville

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

“It’s not that you aimed your sights too high and failed,
it’s that you aimed your sights too low and succeeded!”

This week:

“The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation,
we shall harness for God the energies of love.
And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world,
we shall have discovered fire!”
–Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Getting to the Heart of Business:
Shift Happened! Foresight is 20/20

Join us on Friday evening, September 27, for a truly remarkable celebration.

Why?

A seismic shift of positive proportions is already well underway in San Diego.
In stark counterpoint to silent killers like heart disease, or silent scourges like depression, or not so silent dividers like polarizing political party affiliations, a stronger silent typography has emerged in America’s finest, kindest and most purpose-filled region. Like lotus blossoms that thrive in the murkiest of waters, running equally silent and equally deep, there is a steady emergence of heart-centered individuals, organizations & communities committed to a living from a deeper place of being, where love not fear is the prime driver, and elevating humanity is the goal, aim and purpose.

Tired of the sordid spectacle of the 24 hour news cycle, and yearning for real substance and significance, with a ravenous hunger for better ways to define success in life and in business, as well as a deep thirst for authentic connection and belonging, we’re seeing more and more individuals and organizations saying enough is enough!

Instead of capitulating to the status quo, they are consciously choosing to put people whole-heartedly at the center of their organizations, and shifting mind sets, heart sets and skill sets toward a love-centered approach to work and life. These companies know empirically and intuitively that doing well by doing good is enlightened self-interest with significant positive implications for attracting today’s workforce, connecting more deeply with customers, and making a difference of consequence for our communities.

While pockets of innovation are found everywhere, San Diego is helping lead the way to encourage the heart, exemplified with the latest work of two local authors, Steve Farber and Moshe Engelberg, & convened by local organizations including the Chamber of Purpose San Diego.

Best-selling author Steve Farber’s newest book “Love Is Just Damn Good Business”, was just released this month.

Dr. Moshe Engelberg’s book “The Amare Wave: Uplifting Business by Putting Love to Work is due out in November.

These thought leaders are propelling San Diego to a sea change that builds the amare wave and creates damn good business for all of us.

Business is not akin to war, so we need to stop talking and acting like it is. Deficit thinking is as dated and destructive as bloodletting. Companies that have the courage to lead with love, do better—often much better. That’s the key idea of Dr. Moshe Engelberg’s upcoming book The Amare Wave: Uplifting Business by Putting Love to Work. In it, he shows how a mighty wave, growing in momentum and force every day is propelling good organizations away from the fear-based “business as war” fighting paradigm, and toward a fresh, love-centered approach that works better for business and society.

Love is not only appropriate in the context of business, it’s at the very heart of great leadership, and, therefore, the very foundation of a thriving, competitive, sustainable enterprise. When love is intentionally part of an organization’s framework and operationalized in its culture, that’s when something transformative and great happens. That’s when you foster loyalty. That’s when you cultivate raving fans. That’s when people love you in return.

That’s the core message of San Diego author Steve Farber’s latest book, Love Is Just Damn Good Business, and its creating a new paradigm in the business world with implications that spill into every aspect of our lives.

If you are tired of getting pounded in the white water and ready to get in the flow that you already know, you’re invited to the official San Diego book launch party for Love Is Just Damn Good Business and the building of this new turning tide!

No one of us is as powerful as all of us and there is no bystanding!

We’re inviting you to co-lead this EVOL-ution (love backward that needs to be reversed).
If we can change the expectation and experience of what it means to be in business, we change everything!

This is way more than just a launch party; this is a sea change to an entirely new future for all of us.

To know and not to do, is not to know…

Join us on Friday, September 27 from 7 – 10 PM at Corporate Alliance of San Diego. There’ll be food, mingling with kindred spirits and great collective energy. Marco’s Pizza, a company featured in Steve’s book, is generously providing pizza and salads. And we’ll have other nourishment and sustenance for your heart and soul too.

It time to co-lead this LoveBiz EVOL-ution.

Are you in?
Spread the love, mobilize your peeps, and sign up below so we can expect you and feed you.

It is time to do what we love in the service of people who love what we do:
http://evite.me/N9k9Yrw44n

Love,
Neville and Moshe and Steve

“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

 

Inspired?

May You have This Same Experience, Seeing the World Through a Fresh Pair of Eyes…

This will blow your mind!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqHlIRZnF38

 

Thanks this week to Moshe E, Steve F, Larry H, Steve S, Larry K, Cathy J and so many of you bringing love to the world!
Will YOU pay it forward?
Love,
Neville

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

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody  has seen and thinking what nobody else has thought.”
— Jonathan Swift:  English author and satirist

This week:

“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

Love Quotes?
10 Life Quotes That (If Applied) Will Change the Way You See The World Forever:
“Why do we love life quotes so much?
I think I have the answer. Life quotes have a way of piercing through the B.S. and noise surrounding us. Life quotes are the Gordian knots that cut through that noise and reveal the essence of life we know deep down but tend to forget.
I’m a writer, which means I love quotes. But I also understand how simultaneously insightful and useless they can be. You can do one of two things with a quote — use it as inspirational fluff to post on Instagram or use the insight to change your life. The wisdom of quotes is extremely powerful when applied”…
https://psiloveyou.xyz/10-life-quotes-that-if-applied-will-change-the-way-you-see-the-world-forever-d05338ae489b

Love Nature?
“If We Don’t Protect Nature We Can’t Protect Ourselves” Harrison Ford | Extinction Rebellion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdSmnlVC_yk&feature=share

Love Real World Education?
Launching New EdCorps + a Fundraising Campaign:
143 New Student-Run Businesses Changing the World

On Monday morning, 143 new student-run businesses launch, each with their own unique mission, goals, and universe of learning and possibility. It’s one reason this never gets old – because each class can use their business as a vehicle for creativity, experimentation, and connection to the world around them. And it looks different every time.

Before we push play on our fifth school year, I wanted to share the EdCorps ’18-’19 Yearbook from this past year. In it, you’ll find stories of a pre-k class using their business to support people with epilepsy and those of high school students building products that address local ecological issues. Compiling these stories is always my favorite time of year because the patterns are undeniable; students discovering what they’re capable of and finding ways to use their skills and passions for their communities. The entrepreneurial journey is different in each class, but the student transformation happens everywhere. I wanted to share those stories with you here.

I’ve got other big news – this is the beginning of our first public fundraising campaign. In the past, we’ve been so busy focusing on classrooms that we haven’t made it easy for passionate people to help us grow the movement. That’s changing. Today, everyday people can invest directly in student learning by becoming EdCorps Angels and giving monthly. And for those excited to help scale the impact of the EdCorps Community in more substantive ways, they can become an Impact Sponsor and invest in projects that help us improve outcomes for thousands more students. You can learn more by clicking here or below.

Over 450 student-run businesses to date – all because of the tenacity of educators, the persistence and brilliance of students, and the support of fellow dreamers, doers, and thought partners like you. We wouldn’t have made it this far – and wouldn’t make it too much further – without people like you. So whether it be a monetary gift, your mentorship and personal insights, or note of encouragement or support, we’re grateful you’re on our team.

 

 

Elyse Burden
Co-founder,  Real World Scholars

Love is Just Damn Good Business…

Love is Just Damn Good Business…

Save the Date: September 27^th 2019 at 7pm at Corporate Alliance- Love is Just Damn Good Business Book Launch Party Sponsored by the Chamber of Purpose as we stand up Love as a cornerstone in San Diego!

My friend Steve Farber, author of The Radical Leap, The Radical Edge, and Greater Than Yourself, has just released his latest and, I think, greatest book.

It’s called Love Is Just Damn Good Business, and I believe that it’s going to help create a new paradigm in the business world.

The book tosses aside the touchy-feely notions of love in business and recognizes the real power it holds. Love is not only appropriate in the context of business, it’s the foundation of great leadership, and, therefore, the very foundation of a thriving, competitive enterprise. When love is part of an organization’s framework and operationalized in its culture, employees and customers feel genuinely valued.

Employees who are passionate about their work are more loyal, innovative, creative, and inspired—and that translates to great customer experience. They don’t serve others out of obligation, but because of a genuine desire to improve people’s lives. And when customers reciprocate by loving your products, your services, and your people, that’s when something great happens. That’s when you get loyalty. That’s when you get raving fans. That’s when people love you in return.

And in that spirit, you’re invited to the official San Diego book launch party for Love Is Just Damn Good Business!

Join us on Friday, September 27 from 7 – 10 PM at Corporate Alliance of San Diego. There’ll be food and mingling and great company. And, of course, Steve will read selections from the book.

Let’s co-lead this fantastic LoveBiz revolution. If we can change the expectation and experience of what it means to be in business, we change everything.
Click this link to RSVP to the shindig, and let’s do what we love in the service of people who love what we do.  http://evite.me/N9k9Yrw44n

How Operationalizing Love In Your Business Will Boost Your Bottom Line- Forbes Interview
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2019/09/09/how-operationalizing-love-in-your-business-will-boost-your-bottom-line/#3c8e600d347c

Here is a link to the book Love is Just Damn Good Business on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Just-Damn-Good-Business/dp/1260441229/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UCVCK6VLJZ0W&keywords=love+is+just+damn+good+business&qid=1567052089&s=books&sprefix=Love+is+Just+%2Cfashion%2C197&sr=1-1

 

Thanks to all of you that lead, follow and live with love…
Pay to forward
Love,
Neville

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

“World peace must develop from inner peace.
Peace is not just the mere absence of violence.
Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”— HHDL

This week:
“The odds that you exist at all are basically zero.”
              YOU Are A Miracle So Act Like It:

A few days after accepting a scholarship offer to play basketball at the University of Michigan, Austin Hatch was involved in a plane crash that killed both his father and step mother. Austin suffered life-threatening injuries and brain trauma. He was in a coma for two months. It was a horrible tragedy made worse by the fact that Austin had lost his mother and two siblings in another crash that he and his father had survived eight years earlier.

Austin has the rare distinction of being someone who has survived two plane crashes. The odds of this happening are 11 quadrillion, 5 trillion to one. Yet as miraculous as this was, the doctors believe it was even more miraculous that Austin not only walked again but graduated high school, attended Michigan, and joined the basketball team to play for Coach Beilein who amazingly still honored his scholarship. Austin even played five games as a freshman before deciding to become a student manager for the team.

Austin couldn’t play like he used to, but his leadership was a huge asset to his coach and Michigan teammates. While talking to Austin on the phone recently, he told me about not letting circumstances define him. He said he made a decision in the hospital while trying to walk again that he would do whatever it took to walk out of that hospital. He wanted to be a miracle for others.

He said, “My life is only a miracle if I can be a miracle for others.”

Now as a graduate of Michigan, he is living with his wife in Ann Arbor and giving motivational talks about his experience and life. He is a walking, talking, living, breathing miracle. But Austin isn’t just content with being a miracle. He doesn’t just want to show what a miracle looks like. He is living to be a miracle for others through his words, inspiration and leadership.

In thinking about Austin, I realized that everyone is a miracle and has the opportunity to be a miracle for others.

Then I did a little research and found Tara Maclsaac’s article where she shared that Dr. Ali Binazir looked at the odds of your existence by calculating the odds of your parents meeting and your parent’s ancestors meeting, mating and all the right things coming together to eventually create you. He came to the conclusion that “The odds that you exist at all are basically zero.” He explains that “It is the probability of 2 million people getting together to play a game of dice with trillion-sided dice. They each roll the dice and they all come up with the exact same number – for example, 550, 343, 279, 001.”

Dr. Ali Binazir wrote, “A miracle is an event so unlikely as to be almost impossible. By that definition, I’ve just shown that you are a miracle. Now go forth and feel and act like the miracle that you are.”

I would add, AND BE A MIRACLE FOR OTHERS… like Austin.

 

“Bloom Where You Are Planted”

Being a Champion Means “Winning” Both On and Off the Court:
Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka’s emotional joint post match interview | 2019 US Open

In an age where winning at all costs seems to be everything and where civility, courtesy and benevolence sadly seem to be values from a bygone era, here is what a real champion and real leadership looks like from this last weekend at the US Open.

While the match itself is a rich lesson in body language, seasoning, and preparation, (mindset & skillset) it’s the encore interview after the match that evokes deep insight and inspiration into what makes a champion! (Not to mention millions of hits and accolades on social media)

These amazing young women, 21 year old –Naomi and 15 year old- Coco have more maturity and character (heartset) than many that are older than both their ages combined and their grace and kindness coupled with their fierce competitive spirit moved me to tears and gives me real hope for the future…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8mJLAkXZng

We are ALL Here for A Purpose!
Here is more about Austin and his story turning tragedy into triumph from the Positive University podcast:
https://positiveuniversity.com/episode/austin-hatch/

Waffles and Hemingway:
A real-life version of “Charlotte’s Web” is playing out in Pennsylvania, with two unlikely animals — a miniature horse and a goose — becoming the best of friends…
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/horse-goose-bffs-adopted-65360365

Thanks this week go to Larry H, and all of you that periodically send me content that speaks to your heart for Soul Food Friday.
Please pay it forward and be that miracle for others!

Love,
Neville

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

“Madness is rare in individuals, but in groups, states, and societies, it’s the norm” —Friedrich Neitzche 

This week marks the 400^th anniversary of the first enslaved Americans arriving in Virginia, and the 50^th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech delivered on the National Mall at the largest political demonstration to date in American history with more than 250,000 people converging in Washington.

What have we learned over the years and what can you and I do in 2019 to advance the democratic principles and ideals that put into practice define this country and ignored or denied defile this nation?

This week: Reframing and Celebrating 1619 and the 400^th Anniversary of the First Enslaved Americans
Yes enslaved Americans built some of our most iconic institutions like the White House.
Equally significantly, African Americans have served as the real testing ground for Democracy in America and continue to pay a huge price as we put these democratic values into practice.
Let’s celebrate the contributions of black America and reframe the narrative with respect to their critical role in our history as a nation…

Strange Fruit:
Billie Holiday helped shape American popular music with her voice and unique style. But, her legacy extends way beyond music with one song in particular — “Strange Fruit.”
The song paints an unflinching picture of racial violence, and it was an unexpected hit. But singing it brought serious consequences.
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/20/752909807/strange-fruit

“The 1619 Project”: Nikole Hannah-Jones on Confronting the Truth about Slavery:
The New York Times magazine is launching a series called “The 1619 Project.” It marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the colony of Virginia. The series examines the ways the legacy of slavery continues to shape America and “aims to reframe American history” to place “the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-1619-project-nikole-hannah-jones-on-confronting-the-truth-about-slavery/vi-AAGaCQ8

 

Four hundred years after enslaved Africans were first brought to Virginia, most Americans still don’t know the full story of slavery:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/19/magazine/history-slavery-smithsonian.html

Serena Vs. The Umpire:
A behind the scenes in-depth look as we unpack this big moment in sport and culture through this contextual lens.
There was far more to this story… including interactions between Ramos, the Chair Umpire and Williams that were concealed from the television audience, and that happened off the court.
BTW, the U.S. Open starts this weekend, and Ramos won’t be officiating any games with either Williams sister.
https://wamu.org/story/19/08/26/serena-vs-the-umpire/

One Man, One March, One Speech:
I Have a Dream, 50 years later…
http://content.time.com/time/onedream/

 

If you are local…
Care to Join Us for this Intimate Luncheon on September 6^th?

How UCSD is influencing a kinder, gentler, and smarter San Diego

UCSD is known as the “Science School” but alumni are out making a big impact in the non-STEM fields as well.  The SoCal social responsibility consciousness is certainly alive and well on campus and out in the community.

We continue our streak of great discussions with another great UCSD Connection Lunch on Friday September 6^th with Neville Billimoria, Senior VP of Marketing/Membership and Chief Advocacy Officer at Mission Federal Credit Union.

Neville has accountability for all outward facing functions at the largest credit union exclusively serving San Diego County with more than $3.5B in assets. His responsibilities include leadership administration of a strategic array of crucial member-focused functions including: leading and managing the Marketing and Community Relations departments. He also has shared responsibility with the CEO for promoting Mission Federal Credit Union’s public image and brand, with active engagement in the community as part of the Credit Union’s social purpose.

Seating is limited so sign up now!  http://ucsd-downtown.eventbrite.com

Hope to see you there!

Paul Bergman
Alumni Lunch Leader

San Diego Alumni Lunch
September 6th, 11:30 am
750 B Street, 34^th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101
Street parking is available

 

Thanks this week go to every American that remains committed to creating a country and culture that is caring and inclusive of everyone!
Please pay it forward
Love,
Neville

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

“An individual has not started living
until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns
to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This week:

What Happened When A Pack Of Wolves Were Released In Yellowstone National Park:
What happened is incredible…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8nyIyPZy68

 

How A Few ‘Renegade’ Thinkers Helped Usher In A New Era Of Anthropology:

Americans are talking a lot about race these days and whether immigrants from certain regions should be welcomed into the country. Charles King, writes about a time a little more than 100 years ago when he says educated people in the U.S. believed it was established science that there is a natural hierarchy of cultures, with Western civilization at the top, and that people’s abilities and potential were defined by their race and gender.

His new work chronicles the work of a group of trailblazing anthropologists who undermined those ideas in the first half of the 20th century. They were students of German American professor Franz Boas. And some, particularly Margaret Mead, became widely read authors. Their work studying cultures around the world challenged fixed ideas about race and nationality and changed the way many Americans saw themselves and others.

https://www.npr.org/2019/08/20/752630522/how-a-few-renegade-thinkers-helped-usher-in-a-new-era-of-anthropology

 

What Climate Change Means for Food Production:
Recently, the UN released a report warning of the long term effects of climate change on our food supply.
And there are growing concerns that climate change will make food insecurity an even bigger problem in parts of the world like Central America.
https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/climate-change-food-supply-insecurity

 

What Machine Learning Teaches Us about CEO Leadership Style:
CEOs are communicators. Studies show that CEOs spend 85 percent of their time in communication-related activities, including speeches, meetings, and phone calls with people both inside and outside the firm. Now, new research using machine learning is attempting a deep dive into the words and facial expressions of chief executives to see if leadership style can be correlated with a firm’s performance. The researchers believe their work could open new directions in big data analysis, combining image and textual analysis to create a more complete picture of how a chief executive influences firm performance.
https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/machine-learning-can-help-us-understand-ceo-behavior?cid=spmailing-28653279-WK%20Newsletter%2008-21-2019%20(1)-August%2021,%202019

 

A Little Girl Gives A Coin To A Street Musician And Gets The Best Surprise In Return:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceX5jJ5fggs

 

Thanks this week go to Larry H, NPR, HBR, and to Renegades and Social Justice Warriors Everywhere

Stay Soulful and Please Pay it Forward!
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: “LOVE is our Soul Purpose”

Get inspired by two remarkable soul-filled social justice women warriors!
In stark contrast to many purported leaders who seem more than willing to compromise their core values for expediency, power or self-interest, here is the real deal.
While from different eras; one is 80 and the other is 16, each with a different cause; abolition of the death penalty and the climate crisis, you can’t help but be inspired by how each of them in their own right embody passion, purpose, authenticity and integrity- rare qualities in today’s leaders of any stripe.
Don’t miss these incredible stories by inspiring women, daring to be themselves, daring to be different, and in turn daring us to unleash our full potential attending to the broader concerns of all humanity…

 

Sister Helen Prejean on Fresh Air with Terry Gross
“I read scripture to them. … All I knew was: I couldn’t let them die alone.”
Prejean is best known for her 1993 memoir, ‘Dead Man Walking,’ about her role as a spiritual adviser to a convicted killer on death row. The story was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Prejean has accompanied six prisoners to their executions and has been at the forefront of activism against the death penalty. Her new memoir, ‘River of Fire,’ details her spiritual journey up to that point.
This interview captures what real spirituality looks like when put into practice.

BTW, John Powers review of the documentary ‘Honeyland’ at the end is awesome too!

https://www.npr.org/2019/08/12/750553404/sister-helen-prejean

 

16 Year Old Greta Thunberg’s Zero Carbon Journey: ‘I might feel a bit sea sick’

“By Stopping flying you don’t only reduce your own carbon footprint, but that also sends a signal to other people around you that the climate crisis is a real thing”

Climate change activist Greta Thunberg will spend two weeks travelling across the North Atlantic on a boat with no toilets, kitchens or privacy.

Greta, 16, has stopped flying due to environmental reasons, but is due to attend a crucial climate change conference in New York.

She told the BBC that travelling by boat sends a signal that “the climate change crisis is a real thing”.

Electricity on the boat will solely come from wind turbines and solar panels, meaning the journey has a zero carbon footprint.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-49331885/greta-thunberg-s-zero-carbon-journey-i-might-feel-a-bit-sea-sick

 

Here is Greta’s short speech to French Members of Parliament urging them to unite behind the science of climate change:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-49092656/greta-thunberg-teen-tells-french-mps-to-listen-to-climate-scientists

 

Thanks this week go to NPR/KPBS and the BBC for keeping me informed and inspired, and to Cathy J for helping me get this blog out to the world every week rain or shine, work or vaca!

Thanks also to Dusty for this encouraging comment on our Soul Food Friday Blog:

“It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d definitely donate to this superb blog! I guess for now I’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to brand new updates and will share this site with my Facebook group. Chat soon!”

If this blog resonates, don’t pay me but do please pay it forward!

Love,
Neville

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

“An individual has not started living
until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns
to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This week:

Given the pain and unimaginable hurt many around the country are feeling and working to remedy, I hope we can all find solace in one another, in what we hold near and dear and in this set of pictures…

Who stops to smell the flowers?

??

Did you notice that some even closed their eyes?

 

If you are local and made the Purpose Party last week…

Thanks for joining our friends at Conscious Capitalism, San Diego Social Venture Partners and Mission Driven Finance along with visionaries of other organizations for the inaugural Chamber of Purpose – Corporate Alliance Purpose Party last week! It was a uplifting occasion of building community and authentic connections to advance San Diego’s reputation as America’s Kindest City. Stay tuned for details coming soon for our fall gathering where we’ll hear from San Diego’s newest purpose leaders and their bold visions for our collective future.

See you soon and thank you for all you do!

Steven & Neville & Larry

Thanks this week go to Bob C, and all the Purpose Champions in SD

Please Pay it forward with kindness!

Love,

Neville

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

“The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make
ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy.
The amount of work is the same.”– Carlos Castaneda

On Perspective…

“Expedients are for the hour, but principles are for the ages. Just because the rains descend, and the winds blow, we cannot afford to build on shifting sands.”

– Henry Ward Beecher (1813 – 1887)
American Presbyterian Minister 

 

On Belonging…

This American Life, Sunday July 28^th The Weight of Words Act Three: Where I Came From by Ben Calhoun

If this story doesn’t move you, I would be very surprised…

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/680/the-weight-of-words

Check out Act Three: Where I Came From

 

On Healing…

The garden helping to heal the pain of pregnancy loss:

A unique garden is helping Canadians to break a taboo that exists in many societies. It is allowing parents to talk openly about miscarriage…

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-47819487

 

A Bright Light…Could Universal Wellness catch on?

The Power Of Purpose: How Peter McGuinness And Chobani Fight For ‘Better Food For More People’:

Passionate, provocative and innovative, Peter McGuinness, the Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of Chobani is one of the leading voices championing the idea that business can be a force for good. Founded by the visionary Hamdi Ulukaya, the company starts with its employees: paying double the minimum wage in its factories, and creating a shared-equity platform which means employees own 10% of the $2 billion company…

https://www.forbes.com/sites/afdhelaziz/2019/07/10/the-power-of-purpose-how-peter-guinness-and-chobani-are-fighting-for-better-food-for-more-people/#b92c2f76c41e

 

If you are local…

Optics Outreach Games 2019

Sunday August 11, 2019 @ the San Diego Marriott Hotel, 333 West Harbor Drive

OOG flyer

 

Thanks this week go to Larry H, National Public Radio, Steve S, & Tom W.
Please pay it forward…
Love,
Neville

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

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