This week:

Wanted: Optimists. Must enjoy challenges, appreciate possibilities and possess a deep belief in your ability to master a situation.
Hope for the future a must, and confidence in that hope a strong plus.
If your motto is “try, try again” and your glass is always half-full, you’re perfectly set to make the most of this — or any — opportunity.

How to Raise Optimistic Kids in Pessimistic Times:

• Pay More Attention to the Positive and Help Your Kids do the Same
• Change the Language You Use to Describe Current Events
• Moderate Your News Intake
• Involve Yourself in the Community
  http://time.com/5370788/raising-optimistic-kids-pessimistic-times/

How Sleep Affects Your Relationships, According to Science:
Three ways sleep impacts relationships—and how to gain the energy to fight back…
http://time.com/5348694/how-sleep-affects-relationships/

“Find Your Passion” is Bad Advice, Say Yale-NUS and Stanford Psychologists:
Your passion isn’t out there, waiting to be discovered. It’s not a mysterious force that will—when found—remove all obstacles from your path.
In fact, psychologists argue in a new study that the pithy mantra “find your passion” may be a dangerous distraction.
https://qz.com/1314088/find-your-passion-is-bad-advice-say-yale-and-stanford-psychologists/

 

Speaking of Involving Yourself in the Community, If You Are Local…

Purpose-Driven Philanthropy Friday Sept 14, 2018

NCPC presents 

Purpose-Driven Philanthropy with
Keynote Speaker Neville Billimoria

Join keynote speaker Neville Billimoria to explore ways we can think and act differently in our work together. Neville will lead an engaging luncheon discussion on purpose-driven philanthropy to complement our morning workshop.

Neville is an effective communications and values leader, growing organizations through external marketing, media, and sales effectiveness, as well as internal organizational alignment, corporate communications and leadership development.

He brings experience, energy and empowerment to his leadership role as SVP Membership/Marketing and Chief Advocacy Officer at Mission Federal Credit Union where he has accountability for a strategic array of crucial outward facing functions including marketing, community relations, corporate giving as well as promoting Mission Fed’s public image and brand.

Neville serves on several boards including; 2018 National Philanthropy Day Honorary Committee Chair, AMA Cause Conference 2018 Co-Chair, Conscious Leaders Collective & Conscious Capitalism Roundtable member, Real World Scholars Board member, Alliance 4 Empowerment Board member, Ackermann Foundation Board member as well as Oceanside Promise and Leadership Board/Advisor.

After graduating from UC San Diego, Neville remains involved on the UCSD Alumni Board Executive Committee, and teaching martial arts, yoga and meditation on campus for over 36 years. He is a frequent speaker on topics including brand as culture, purpose-driven leadership, social capital optimization and civic engagement.

Join Neville and NCPC to experience ways we can
keep purpose at the heart of our work!

Friday, September 14, 2018
Morning Registration: 9:30 a.m.
Workshop: 10:00 -11:30 a.m.
Luncheon Registration: 11:30 a.m.
Luncheon: 12:00 Noon – 1:30 p.m.

CLICK HERE TO PAY ONLINE

Morning Workshop: $25 for members | $35 non-members
Luncheon: $35 for members | $45 for non-members

Attend both sessions at a discounted rate!
$55 for members | $75 for non-members

Please note space is limited for Workshop – REGISTER EARLY!

Contact: Sandra@ncphilanthropy.org or 760-729-6711 with any questions.

Location: Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa
(formerly Sheraton)
5480 Grand Pacific Dr., Carlsbad 92008

 

The Third Global Empowerment Summit 2018 “Time to Rise!” Saturday October 6, 2018:

Time: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location: UCSD – Atkinson Hall (Voigt Drive & Engineer Lane)
This free, public event at UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute will include several prominent local speakers, global presenters from the United Nations and the World Bank, and survivors of abuse and trafficking who have risen above their adversity. The speakers will share their knowledge of social issues with global impact, such as human trafficking, and explore topics such as the power of collaboration, human triumph, and transformational leadership to solve societal problems.

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 two 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:
www.eventbrite.com/e/annual-global-empowerment-summit-time-to-rise-tickets-48455209837

Note: I am also conducting a workshop on Friday Oct 5^th

It’s Time to “Man UP!” No more by-standing, it’s time for trans-formation…Redefining the role of men in eliminating violence against women.

Presenter: Neville Billimoria

Location: Atkinson Hall, Room TBA

Date/Time: October 5th, 1PM to 3PM

If you are ready to model a new level of what it means to be a real man, build efficacy and agency around this new role, and be a part of the solution to eliminating the pervasive social ills of sexual assault, sex trafficking and other forms of violence and exploitation, this workshop is designed to help you honor, envision, and embody a new mindset, heart set, and skillset.

This workshop is dedicated to the approximately 1.7MM homeless youth who are forced to leave their homes each year due to violence, abuse or neglect, where it is estimated that 38,600 are sexually assaulted, in the company of someone known to be sexually abusive or are engaged in sexual activity in exchange for money, food or shelter, and to the 425,000 youth who are victims of trafficking or feel the need to trade sex for food, money or a place to stay every year..

Registration is free at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pre-summit-global-empowerment-time-to-rise-workshops-october-5th-2018-tickets-49351014212

Please register if you plan to attend, and help us by spreading the word among your friends, your network and community. Thanks!

Warm Regards,
Naila Chowdhury & Feroza Ardeshir

alliance4empowerment.net

Thanks this week go to Peter D, Marlaine C, & A4E!

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.”

“Have Death at All Times Before Your Eyes”
— From the 1,500-year-old Rule of Saint Benedict

Fare Thee Well Senator John McCain A True American Hero, and Playwright Neil Simon A True American Treasure:

Powerful Farewell Statement from Senator John McCain

Phoenix, Arizona – Rick Davis, Senator John McCain’s former presidential campaign manager and a family spokesman, read the following farewell statement from Senator McCain at a press conference at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona this week:

“My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for sixty years, and especially my fellow Arizonans,

“Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them.

“I have often observed that I am the luckiest person on earth. I feel that way even now as I prepare for the end of my life. I have loved my life, all of it. I have had experiences, adventures and friendships enough for ten satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life, in good or bad times, for the best day of anyone else’s.

“I owe that satisfaction to the love of my family. No man ever had a more loving wife or children he was prouder of than I am of mine. And I owe it to America. To be connected to America’s causes – liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people – brings happiness more sublime than life’s fleeting pleasures. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed but enlarged by serving good causes bigger than ourselves.

“‘Fellow Americans’ – that association has meant more to me than any other. I lived and died a proud American. We are citizens of the world’s greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We have helped liberate more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history. We have acquired great wealth and power in the process.

“We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been.”

“We are three-hundred-and-twenty-five million opinionated, vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do.

“Ten years ago, I had the privilege to concede defeat in the election for president. I want to end my farewell to you with the heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt so powerfully that evening.

I feel it powerfully still.”

“Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.”

“Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you, and God bless America.”

 

“I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they’ve come up with so far.”—Neil Simon

To the Editor:

Re “Neil Simon, 1927-2018: A Broadway Master Who Paved the Way for a Sitcom Explosion” (front page, Aug. 27):

In the midst of my unhappy childhood, Neil Simon’s work beckoned me into another world. The little summer theater near where I grew up would present various works each year, and Mr. Simon’s plays featured prominently.

His characters were serious, struggling and, above all to me — so desperate for another experience — so very funny. Mr. Simon once stated: “I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they’ve come up with so far.”

Thank you, Neil Simon. You will always have a place in my heart.

Catherine Grey
Langley, British Columbia

 

What We Can Learn From History When Two Continents and Three Religions Could Operate Harmoniously in a Spirit of Tolerance and Acceptance:
Some moons ago on a trip to Spain and visiting the city of Cordoba, I was moved to tears in a tiny museum at Torre de la Calahorra by an exhibit called The Meaning of Life in Al-Andalus, when Cordoba was the leading cultural and economic center and the major educational center of Europe.
Here was a time when two continents- Europe and Africa, three major religious/cultural groups- Judaism, Islam and Catholicism operated harmoniously and collaboratively in a spirit of tolerance and acceptance of each other’s beliefs and faiths while arduously practicing their own.
This little booklet captures this spirit from the great leaders of the time; Maimonides Averroes, Alfonso X. & Ibn Arabi and takes about 10 minutes or less to digest

May we learn from history and manifest our own destiny with a weighted scale for equity, a rich tapestry of diversity, all creating a pride of place and belonging for all who are part of the UC San Diego experience where all are presented but none are under-represented.

Torre De La Calahorra

 

If you are local…
Several Opportunities to grow your Conscious Leadership, Purpose Practice and Civic Engagement
Must be present to win!

Conscious Leadership Workshop with my friend and colleague Dr. Danny Friedland on Sept 11^th in the Golden Triangle
Purpose-Driven Philanthropy at the North County Philanthropic Council with me on Sept 14^th in North County
Power in Purpose: 20^th Anniversary Cause Conference Early Bird Tickets Close Today- for October 11^th (Pre-Conference) and 12^th (All Day Event) Sign Up and Bring a Partner!

Join us on Tuesday, September 11th from 5:30 – 8:00p.m. for a Conscious Leadership Workshop.

Hosted by Conscious Capitalism San Diego and Purpose San Diego at Corporate Alliance

Catalyzing Conscious Leadership By Leading Well from Within With Daniel Friedland, MD CEO of SuperSmartHealth

Leadership is an act of influence. Conscious Leadership elevates your influence to lead from your highest self—where you are more self-aware, present, compassionate, confident, decisive and effective—so you can more fully connect with all stakeholders and cultivate conscious actively engaged cultures that thrive in achieving purpose driven results.

Join us for a dynamic and interactive event in which Dr. Daniel Friedland will share a neuroscience and mindfulness-based framework outlining the new science, skills and practices to better navigate stress and optimize your conscious leadership mindset— as well as coach others to do the same—so you can be most influential and fulfilled in creating a meaningful difference for the benefit of all.

REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT

Dr. Daniel Friedland, is an expert on the science and practice of Conscious Leadership and author or Leading Well from Within: A Neuroscience and Mindfulness-Based Framework for Conscious Leadership.

“Dr. Danny” helps leaders and their organizations leverage neuroscience and mindfulness-based skills and practices to better navigate stress, clarify vision and purpose, and create high performing teams and thriving cultures to multiply their positive impact in the world. His expertise from publishing one of the early textbooks on Evidence-Based Medicine has enabled him to apply science-based solutions to do so.
WATCH A SAMPLE OF THE TALK HERE

Tuesday, September 11th
5:30-6:00pm Networking, Light Appetizers & Drinks
6:00-8:00pm Presentation & Workshop

Pricing:

• CCSD Members – $15
• Friends of CCSD – $25 (promo code required)
• Purpose San Diego Members – $15 (PURPOSESD)
• Non-Members – $30

New Members – $100 (Become a new member today and get this event for FREE!)

REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT

Address/Parking Info:
Corporate Alliance
9540 Towne Centre Dr, Ste 150, San Diego, CA 92121

Parking is free in the main parking lot by the building.

 

 

NCPC presents
Keynote Speaker Neville Billimoria

 Join keynote speaker Neville Billimoria to explore ways we can think and act differently in our work together. Neville will lead an engaging luncheon discussion on purpose-driven philanthropy to complement our morning workshop.

Neville is an effective communications and values leader, growing organizations through external marketing, media, and sales effectiveness, as well as internal organizational alignment, corporate communications and leadership development.

Mission Federal Credit Union where he has accountability for a strategic array of crucial outward facing functions including marketing, community relations, corporate giving as well as promoting Mission Fed’s public image and brand.

Neville serves on several boards including; 2018 National Philanthropy Day Honorary Committee Chair, AMA Cause Conference 2018 Co-Chair, Conscious Leaders Collective & Conscious Capitalism Roundtable member, Real World Scholars Board member, Alliance 4 Empowerment Board member, Ackermann Foundation Board member as well as Oceanside Promise and Leadership Board/Advisor.

After graduating from UC San Diego, Neville remains involved on the UCSD Alumni Board Executive Committee, and teaching martial arts, yoga and meditation on campus for over 36 years. He is a frequent speaker on topics including brand as culture, purpose-driven leadership, social capital optimization and civic engagement.

Join Neville and NCPC to experience ways we can
keep purpose at the heart of our work!

Friday,
September 14, 2018 

Morning Registration: 9:30 a.m.
Workshop: 10:00 -11:30 a.m.
Luncheon Registration: 11:30 a.m.
Luncheon: 12:00 Noon – 1:30 p.m.

CLICK HERE TO PAY ONLINE

Morning Workshop:
$25 for members
$35 non-members

Luncheon:
$35 for members
$45 for non-members

Attend both sessions at a discounted rate!
$55 for members
$75 for non-members

Please note space is limited for Workshop – REGISTER EARLY!

Contact
Sandra@ncphilanthropy.org or 760-729-6711 with any questions.

Location
Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa
(formerly Sheraton)
5480 Grand Pacific Dr., Carlsbad 92008

 

Join Chamber of Purpose and other Purpose Leaders at the 20th Annual Cause Conference

$50 OFF EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT EXPIRES AUGUST 31.
USE PROMO CODE “CoPFriends” AT CHECKOUT!

REGISTER TODAY!

Dear Chamber of Purpose Community,

I’m energized to journey with you on this quest to bring more purpose practices to the people and organizations in San Diego and the region! This summer has flown by, but we’ve been working diligently behind the scenes on a host of set-up efforts.

I’m most pleased to announce that the Chamber of Purpose is co-sponsoring the 20th San Diego Cause Conference along with AMA San Diego. I am honored and excited to co-chair the CauseCon with my friend and colleague, Neville Billimoria. This is the largest conference of its kind on the West Coast and offers remarkable opportunities to connect with purpose-minded leaders in a setting of inspired learning.

Our theme is Power in Purpose: Advancing the New World of Cause + Commerce. We need your continued involvement and engagement in this work to define a new metric for what it means to be HUMAN-KIND in San Diego and beyond! I hope to see you there!

Please register today to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount* and join us to meet and collaborate with leaders from across the for-profit, nonprofit, civic and education business sectors. During CauseCon, we will hold a special Chamber of Purpose update session for you and other colleagues that have been involved over the past year.

And stay tuned for a video update email from Neville and me regarding the latest exciting developments with San Diego Chamber of Purpose.

With much appreciation,

Eric Kaufmann
Executive Director
Chamber of Purpose San Diego

 

Thanks this week go to those that model the way; past, present and future…
Pay It Forward!
Love,
Neville

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

“Have Death at All Times Before Your Eyes”
— From the 1,500-year-old Rule of Saint Benedict

Maya Angelou would have turned 90 years old last week, but the wisdom of her words will live on forever:
Here are some profound quotes to remember Maya by…
https://www.facebook.com/georgehtakei/videos/207601989854934/

What do 90 year olds regret most?
Their responses contradict popular research on aging and happiness
…Put simply, when I asked one person, “Do you wish you accomplished more?” He responded, “No, I wished I loved more.”
https://medium.com/s/story/what-its-like-to-be-90-something-368780082573

Words of Wisdom from Ken Ravissa:

The Passing of Dr. Harry Weinberg Educator Extraordinaire:

 Dr. Harry Weinberg  also passed away in the last week.

Harry, as he preferred to be called, is a bright light in the education community and in our region and will continue to be that through his impact on so many individuals.

While he was the Valley Center Superintendent, he worked with Steve Lilly, the Dean of the College of Education at CSUSM.  Together they created the Distinguished Teacher in Residence Program at CSUSM.  This provided great teachers an opportunity to work and learn with college faculty and to provide excellent instruction to pre-service teachers at the university.  In addition, Harry worked with Steve to create the North County Professional Development Federation (NCPDF) 27 years ago.  The group started with CSUSM, SDCOE and five districts and has grown to include 28 districts, 5 charters, Palomar and MiraCosta Colleges, UCSD and CSUSM.  These collaborations between K12 schools and districts and CSUSM proved to be very beneficial to our area and are a testament to some of the great work that Harry and Steve led.

Harry went on to become the Superintendent at the San Diego County Office of Education.  He was known for his leadership by walking around.  He talked with all employees on a regular basis and really knew the people in the organization.  He retired and began teaching at CSUSM, supported districts in their recruitment of superintendents and was a frequent guest speaker for a wide range of groups.

Harry was also known for his quick wit, thoughtful reflections and genuine passion for students, teachers and administrators.  He has long been viewed as a legend in the education community and is very deserving of that title.  He touched many lives, and he will be greatly missed.

There really are no words that I can put together that are up to the task of recognizing Harry and the impact that he has had, so I will just say that he had high expectations for educators, and I feel fortunate to work with a group of individuals who would make Harry proud.

(from Brenda Hall)

Please see the message that Valley Center Superintendent Ron McCowan shared about Harry below:

Dr. Harry Weinberg’s Legacy to Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District

So many who worked closely with “Harry” as they referred to him, recall how his management style, integrity and work ethic turned around Valley Center Union when he took the helm during difficult financial times.  Harry was not only successful in making the district fiscally sound, but he also was instrumental in developing an awarding winning academic, music, agricultural and dual language program that was revered by his San Diego County counterparts.  Dr. Weinberg was one of the longest standing superintendents with a 14 year tenure when the average superintendent lasts only 3 years. Dr. Weinberg’s ability to gain the trust of teachers, staff and board members was how he kept moral high and when asked about his management style he indicated, “is such that I try to persuade people rather than order them.  If you persuade, they’re with you for the whole war.  If you order they’re just with you for the battle.”

Dr. Harry Weinberg’s legacy will always be how much he was respected, admired and loved by teachers, board trustees, and superintendents.  Dr. Weinberg was instrumental in making a tremendous difference in the lives of so many in his role as the Superintendent of Valley Center Union School District for 14 years (1977-1991) and as the San Diego County Superintendent for 3 years (1991-1994). Board members had only accolades when describing Dr. Weinberg with his reputation that was known county-wide.  This stellar reputation was why Dr. Weinberg did not have to apply for the San County Superintendent job, but was offered the position after the San Diego County Board had interviewed 10 finalists from 100 applicants.

Dr. Weinberg continued to strive for excellence in schools after his post from the San Diego County Office by assisting Districts in the recruitment of superintendents.  He later continued grooming the next generation of administrators during his tenure in the Department of Education at California State University at San Marcos.  During his multiple careers he never deviated from his pursuit to develop excellent schools, teachers and administrators.

Dr. Weinberg began his position as superintendent of Valley Center Union in 1977 when it was a K-8th grade school district with 2300 students. Before that he was an assistant superintendent in the Sanger Unified School District near Fresno and taught at the elementary, junior, and high school level. He received his bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara in 1957 where he also played varsity basketball. In 1961 he received his master’s from San Francisco State College and in 1973 he received his doctorate from the University of the Pacific.

His work is still reflected in the day to day operations of many school districts who continue to follow his sage mentoring and guidance to strive for excellence. Hats off to Dr. Weinberg and may he always stay with us.

Harry’s Homilies:

It’s what you learn after you think you know it all that counts in life – John Wooden

• No one ever learned anything when they were talking
• You can learn a lot from people who disagree with you
• Slower is faster
• Persuade – Don’t order
• Don’t tell – Ask
• Don’t major in minors
• Exit interviews = Continuous improvement
• If it’s not monitored, it’s optional
• Remember to say, “Thank you.”
• Don’t teach a drowning person how to swim
• Listen, then speak
• Don’t get your honey where you get your money
• Never do anything you wouldn’t want to read about in the morning papers
• Tell me and you have a friend, let me find out and you have a judge
• Make the right things easy, the wrong things difficult
• Do not command what you cannot enforce
• Tell the truth, it’s easier to remember
• Leaders listen, learn, and affirm
• Show up
• Leaders don’t take other people’s monkeys
• Bad news is additional information
• Letting a mistake bother you is a mistake – correct it and move on
• It takes three cups of tea to build a relationship
• Knowledge is power
• Leaders are the thermostat, not the thermometer
• Leaders ask, “What do you think?”

Unfortunately, we have to live most of our life before we learn to get the most out of our life.

© Dr. Harry Weinberg

 

If you are local…

20^th Anniversary of the Cause Conference Early Bird Tickets Are On Sale and I am Proud to Serve as a Co-Chair Again This Year:

Get ready to collaborate with San Diego’s purpose-driven community representing leaders across the business, nonprofit, investors, government, and education sectors. The 20^th annual Cause Conference^™ is set for Friday, October 12^th at the beautifully renovated Town & Country Convention Center in Mission Valley. Get ready to collaborate with San Diego’s purpose-driven community representing leaders across the business, nonprofit, investors, government, and education sectors. The 20^th annual Cause Conference^™ is set for Friday, October 12^th at the beautifully renovated Town & Country Convention Center in Mission Valley, with a pre-reception event the night before at National University.
http://sdama.org/events/2018-cause-conference/

Take Advantage of This Hometown Offer:

Refer a Friend—now with more options!

Now your friends and family can earn $40 when they open any one of these services and meet the promotion criteria:

• Checking Account
• Credit Card
• Auto Loan
• Personal Loan
• Mortgage Loan
• Home Equity Loan

And, you’ll earn $40 for referring them to Mission Fed!

Refer a Friend

Tell your friends to open an account by September 30, 2018!

Make sure your friends and family take advantage of this great offer and have them bring the coupon from our website with them when they visit the branch. There’s no limit to how many people you can refer!

Plus, all year long we are rewarding members with our $1 Million Mission Fed Money Match. Are you next?

Cash in on the details. The new primary member must be 18 years of age, open Mission Fed eligible accounts and meet the minimum transaction requirements for the accounts they choose by 9/30/18. To be eligible, the new member may not be a signer on a Mission Fed account within the last twelve (12) months. The new member must be eligible for membership and all accounts and loans are subject to approval. The new Checking Account must have a minimum of five (5) eligible member-initiated transactions completed and posted to the account prior to the 91st day of initial account opening. A Mission Fed Credit Card must be opened with a minimum of five (5) purchase transactions or one (1) balance transfer posted within 90 days of initial account opening. New Auto Loans, Personal Loans, Mortgage Loans and Home Equity Loans must be funded within 90 days of initial account opening. Indirect auto loans, share secured loans and auto leases are not eligible for this promotion. A Savings, Checking or Money Market Account must be opened in addition to the new loan or credit card. Upon satisfaction of the above requirements, the $40 will be automatically deposited to the new member and referring member accounts on the 91st day of the new member’s initial account opening. $500 minimum balance required to earn .05% Annual Percentage Yield on Smart Checking as of 8/1/18. Visit MissionFed.com/Refer-A-Friend for Official Rules, a list of eligible member-initiated transactions and other details. No other promotional offer may be used in conjunction with this special offer. Programs, rates, terms, conditions and services are subject to change without notice. For Mission Fed Money Match, certain restrictions apply; visit MissionFed.com/MoneyMatch for Official Rules.

Thanks this week go to Hitendra M, Mehrad N, Brenda H, Glenda O as well as the Cause Conference and Mission Fed teams!

Please pay it forward…
Love,
Neville

With That Moon Language
Admit something:
Everyone you see, you say to them, “Love me.”
Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise someone would call the cops.
Still, though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.
Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye
that is always saying,
with that sweet moon language,
what every other eye in this world is dying to hear?
-Hafiz

This week:

“Despite what the achievement culture teaches, dignity does not depend on what you do, how successful you are or whether your school calls you gifted.
Infinite worth is inherent in being human.
Every human encounter is a meeting of equals.
Doing community service isn’t about saving the poor; it’s a meeting of absolute equals as both seek to change and grow…”

 

Our Culture Does a Pretty Good Job of Ignoring the Uniqueness and Depth of Each Person
David Brooks on Personalism: The Philosophy We Need. Is it time for a revival of personalism?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/opinion/personalism-philosophy-collectivism-fragmentation.html

 

“With the exception of the French, all respondents overestimated the share of Muslim immigrants and underestimated the share of Christians.
They also estimated that immigrants were more numerous than they really are.
In US, the country where disparity between perceptions and actual numbers was the most striking, respondents put immigrants’ share of the country’s population at 36%. It’s only 10%.”

A Harvard Study Shows that Just Thinking of “Immigrants” Makes People Less Generous:
Harvard University researchers looked at the common threads between the backlash against immigrants in this and other developed countries.
Their findings, circulated by the National Bureau of Economic Research, point to misinformation and prejudice…
https://qz.com/1319538/harvard-research-shows-people-in-france-germany-italy-sweden-the-uk-and-the-us-are-less-generous-after-thinking-about-immigrants/

 

Rare Photos: The Passage of Time Gives Us Perspective
Some of these will make you pause and reflect…
Kids for Sale? WTF?
rarephotos

“Things Are Way to Urgent to Rush”

An Antidote…

The First Thing You Learn At Monk School with Jay Shetty:
Wisdom traditions focus on the root of things. Why have we moved away from them?
https://www.facebook.com/JayShettyIW/videos/2073749546272833/

 

Thanks this week go to Elizabeth D, Chris B, Marlaine C and all of ye.
Breathe…

Love,
nb

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

“Unfortunately, we have to live most of our life before we learn to get the most out of life…”

This week:

Sports Psychology Loses One of Its Greats- Ken Ravizza!
“Forget the last game, forget the last play and forget the excuses.”
We could all benefit from a mental conditioning coach…
Once he said what he teaches is all yoga!
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/sports/ken-ravizza-sports-psychologist.html

Watch It!
The Bleeding Edge: New Documentary Film is Scathing Indictment of FDA’s Regulation of Medical Devices-A new Netflix documentary – The Bleeding Edge  – highlights a wide range of systemic flaws in the FDA’s regulation of medical devices. As always, the patient stories are truly heartbreaking (and often clinically gruesome), but what makes this documentary different is the sheer volume of clinical and legal testimony aimed so directly and forcefully at the FDA – the one organization purpose-built to protect patients from a wide range of clinical risks – including those from medical device manufacturers.
Saw it on Netflix this week and it was mind blowing! We all need to be aware and informed
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danmunro/2018/07/29/new-documentary-film-is-scathing-indictment-of-fdas-regulation-of-medical-devices/#3703b79a26b8

Speaking of Accountability…
Move Over Sustainability Accounting, Here Comes Purpose Accounting:
Introducing Purpose Performance, a new measure of organizational performance that assesses impacts relative to the voluntary commitments organizations make to provide public benefits or to generally pursue beneficial purposes of one kind or another…
https://bit.ly/2OGZKoe

If you are local and committed to creating community, advancing your purpose practice, bringing these purpose principles into your enterprise, as well as addressing some of San Diego’s most pressing issues.…

Summer Purpose Party/Conscious Culture Convening @ Culture Brewing, Next Week August 8, 5:30 to 7:30p, 629 Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas CA 92024- Discount Code Included

Conscious organizations have trusting, authentic, innovative and caring cultures that make working there a source of both personal growth and professional fulfillment.

This month join this celebration of conscious culture at Culture Brewing Company, Encinitas and join us to grow your network, get inspired and have some fun!!

Join us for the Purpose San Diego & Conscious Capitalism joint Summer Social Event!

Join us for this fun joint event with our friends at Conscious Capitalism.  Our shared ideals and overlapping communities will make this a great event for connecting with like-minded purpose-driven members of our San Diego Community!

Tickets are $15 with the code PURPOSESD

BUY YOUR TICKET NOW!

 

Thank You to Our Sponsor:

 

Thanks this week go to Mehrad N, Barbara S-B, and the rapidly emerging Purpose Ecosystem in San Diego

Play with Purpose!
Love,
Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108
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“We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery.”—H. G. Wells

Happy Soul Food Monday!
After nearly a decade of Soul Food Fridays, I missed last Friday’s deadline (no excuses) so here it is on a Monday instead… 

Are You Taking Yourself For Granted? 

“Things are Way to Urgent to Rush”…
If we are intellectually honest with ourselves, reconciling the urgency of now, with a focus on long-term fundamental and systemic issues is both a challenge and an opportunity that is brutally tough to reconcile.
This piece from the Hopi Elders captures this inherent tension with timeless wisdom and a call for action:

The Dynamic Tension Between Your Fears and Your Dreams is Your Life!

Our fear and sorrow, left untreated pull us down toward entropy and negative energy, changing the set point for how we experience life.
Our dreams, on the other hand pull us up towards our highest potentiality and greatest gift, changing the frame and by extension shift our capacity to foster generative change.
We live on this pendulum, swinging between these two states and ways of being.
But what is moving the pendulum?

If you created a continuum of ones baseline state, do you find your default setting closer to the Fear-based side, or is top dead center more towards your Dreams/Aspirations/Vision?

Fear/Sorrow
______________________+______________________Dreams/Aspirations/Vision

If all we do is react to problems.
And if we react well to problems.
The best we have is no problems.
But is that the best you deserve out of life?

If emotional management Is a predictive variable (there are others) and your ability to recruit your emotional energy to shift from a fear-based model to a vision-inspired model is a key factor, are you able to harness those emotions to serve your greatest and highest need and that of those around you?

Orienting to what we want to create in life, rather than what problems we are trying to address or eliminate is a fundamental shift in attention, intention and attitude.
Hacking your own life success might well be as much about this internal condition -which we do control- and less about the external conditions over which we don’t have nearly as much control or influence.

Shift happens.
With this systems shift it might even be possible to transmute our deepest wound into our greatest gift?

Spending several days this week with Peter Senge,  http://infed.org/mobi/peter-senge-and-the-learning-organization/ and his talented group including Mette and Roger, as part of a collective impact effort we are doing on the Oceanside Promise has been illuminating as we explored systems thinking models and archetypes, and challenged our implicit beliefs and biases about our world in general and education in particular.

Challenging orthodoxy after all is counter-conventional as Parker Palmer reminds us.

Going deep might be difficult and not the norm.
But perhaps that is where our deepest learning opportunities reside…

The Indo-European root of “to lead” leith, literally means to step across a threshold- and to let go of whatever might limit stepping forward.
Are you ready to take that step?

Here are two pieces to help us navigate this continuum, and yes by popular demand the second link is a repeat from last week, as so many reacted favorably to it and not everyone digests every Soul Food missive.

The first link is a powerful example of transmuting deepest wounds into meaningful gifts for ourselves and others:
The 10 commandments of grief are a powerful counter-cultural antidote to getting bogged down in a problem orientation
https://www.kpbs.org/news/2018/jul/26/san-diego-rabbi-explores-blessing-sorrow-new-book/

The second link reminds us of the power of our Dreams/Aspirations/Vision:
https://www.facemp4.com/video/1732996373400094

Both examples confront reality but elevate humanity!

Thanks this week go to Duane C, Nicole M, and the entire team at the Oceanside Promise as well as Peter S, Mette B and Roger B for their gifted shepherding of the process.

We ARE the ones we have been waiting for
Pay it forward with purpose!
Love,
Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108
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“If you want to change how a person thinks, give up. You cannot change how another thinks.

Give them a tool, the use of which will gradually cause them over time to think differently.” – Buckminster Fuller

This week:

Happy 100^th Birthday Nelson Mandela!

Hope You Took a Moment to Celebrate Mandela Day

“He was just a particularly fine example of humanity. The principles by which he lived his life are universal principles of love, fairness and respect for others.”
—Bishop Tutu

From Convocation to Commencement, from Back to School to Back to Work, Everyone Can Use a Little inspiration:
A lot of school district leaders are calling on me to help set the tone for the start of the school year with everything from keynotes for entire teams to small group sessions.
If I can serve you locally, just reach out to be at: nevilleb@missionfed.com

This is One Great and Inspiring 9 Minute Speech:
Courtesy of Dr. DeRoche at USD
https://www.facemp4.com/video/1732996373400094

Working with the Leadership team of the Oceanside Promise…
We were exposed to a video about Targeted Universalism produced by the Haas Institute at UC Berkeley and then discussed how it fit into what we are trying to accomplish through the Oceanside Promise.
I thought you might find it thought provoking:
https://haasinstitute.berkeley.edu/targeteduniversalism.

Breaking the Myth of the “Model Minority”
Pew Center Study shows Asians Surpass African-American and Latinos in Income Inequality:
Dis-aggregating equity shows the gap between rich and poor in Asian communities & might surprise you…
https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/asians-surpass-african-americans-and-latinos-income-inequality

Thanks this week go to Dr. DeRoche, Nicole M and all the change leaders with the Oceanside Promise & The Takeaway

Set the intention and then create your own future on purpose!
Be the Legacy…

Love,
Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108
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“Difference- The Only thing we have in Common”

We just got back from a family holiday in Greece, the birthplace of democracy and mathematics, medicine and literature, theatre and astronomy, mythology and philosophy:

• walking in the steps of Socrates at the Acropolis and Agora in Athens
• visiting the oldest western archeological sites & civilization of the Minoans in Knossos on Crete (at least 1,300 years and some believe civilizations flourished there 7,000 years BEFORE Christ)
• sailing around Santorini
• chasing Rhodes scholars
• exploring Hydra and Mykonos
• and marveling in natural wonder
• with a bonus of running into my best friend from college Ricky and his family who live in Missouri and happened to be in Mykonos at the same time we were!

There are no accidents
Awe is indeed the beginning of wisdom, especially when you walk on the earth and explore civilizations that are literally thousands of years old!

A newbie by comparison, Abraham Lincoln’s famous speech in 1863 builds on similar democratic principles as ancient Greece developed; “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. …”

One of the best known sentences in the English language, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” girths this nation’s foundation and moral compass yet…

Fast forward to 2018 and we are still engaged in a great and not so civil war, testing whether this nation or any nation can long endure, challenging what it means to be human, and to what degree we feel responsible for preserving and protecting the dignity of all human life, and all life on our tiny blue planet.

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

Whether you stay home and open your mind and heart, travel just a few kilometers away from home base, or are blessed to be able to explore life and societies much further away, travel is great to provide perspective and open your mind to a big, wide world out there. It can help us adjust our ethnocentric sense of terminal uniqueness and bring fresh eyes to old challenges.

We are Rick Steves fans and I love his travel philosophy that follows, which you can apply in your own back yard too by the way…

Rick’s Travel Philosophy:

Travel is freedom… one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is intensified living, with maximum thrills per minute. It’s recess, and we need it. Experiencing the real Europe requires catching it by surprise, going casual…

Affording travel is a matter of priorities. (Make do with the old sofa.) You can travel simply, safely, and comfortably anywhere in Europe for $100 a day plus transportation costs. In many ways, spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you came to see. Europe is a cultural carnival, and time after time, you’ll find that its best acts are free and the best seats are the cheap ones.

A tight budget forces you to travel close to the ground, meeting and communicating with the people. Never sacrifice sleep, nutrition, safety, or cleanliness in the name of budget. Simply enjoy the local-style alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants.

Extroverts have more fun. If your trip is low on magic moments, kick yourself and make things happen. If you don’t enjoy a place, maybe you don’t know enough about it. Seek the truth. Recognize tourist traps. Give a culture the benefit of your open mind. See things as different but not better or worse. Any culture has much to share.

Of course, travel, like the world, is a series of hills and valleys. Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something’s not to your liking, change your liking. Travel is addicting. It can make you a happier American, as well as a citizen of the world. Our Earth is home to 7.4 billion equally important people. It’s humbling to travel and find that people don’t envy Americans. Europeans like us, but with all due respect, they wouldn’t trade passports.

Globetrotting destroys ethnocentricity. It helps you understand and appreciate different cultures. Travel changes people. It broadens perspectives and teaches new ways to measure quality of life. Many travelers toss aside their hometown blinders. Their prized souvenirs are the strands of different cultures they decide to knit into their own character. The world is a cultural yarn shop. Back Door Travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry.

Join in!

–Rick Steves

Earth is home to 8.7 million species (plus or minus 1.3 million) with approximately 1 million species living in the world’s oceans and 91% of ocean species are yet to be classified!
Don’t poop where you eat
Our interdependency with our ecosystem should not be underestimated and here is one story that underscores that reality…

Human Health and the Health of Oceans- The Science and Environmental Hazards Behind Fish Oil Supplements:
Paul Greenberg examines the effects supplements are having on fish populations and the ecosystems of our oceans while we try to boost cardiovascular and brain health…
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/09/627229213/the-science-and-environmental-hazards-behind-fish-oil-supplements

Stay adventurous and enjoy your summer wherever you find yourself and keep up the work on finding yourself!
Thanks to my wife Barbara for investing countless hours in curating an incredible family trip. 

Happy 27^th Anniversary Barb!

Love,
Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108
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“Difference- The Only thing we have in Common”

This week:
Working on Purpose
Many of you know I have been working, with a little help from my friends, on blending the art and science of purpose for well over a year; standing up a Chamber of Purpose, co-chairing a Purpose conference, establishing Purpose awards for our community and finding my purpose while helping others find theirs.

This week enjoy some great links to advance your purpose agenda, both personally and professionally…

Purpose is the Ladder between Matter and Spirit:
https://medium.com/@brandonpeele/purpose-is-the-ladder-between-matter-and-spirit-75866bfb0035

BlackRock CEOs Annual Letter -from the Largest Hedge Fund on the Planet!
https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/larry-fink-ceo-letter

If we were to be a Purpose Sentinel City…
http://www.ensouled.life/sentinel-city-project.html

The Power of Purpose Driven Companies
https://bit.ly/2z5k6na

Purpose Metrics Matter
https://bit.ly/2EGLR3d

Threads of a New American Identity:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/threads-new-american-identity-brandon-peele/?published=t

Why Doing Good Is Good for Your Design Business https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-doing-good-your-design-business-justin-ahrens

And for our kids
5 Reasons NOT to Find Your Purpose in Your 20’s:
https://medium.com/@brandonpeele/five-reasons-not-to-find-your-purpose-in-your-20s-7d42d33eaa4

Stay purpose-filled and pay it forward!

Love,
Neville

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

“There comes a time when the mind
takes a higher plane of knowledge
but can never prove how it got there”
— Albert Einstein

This week: Vuja De’!
The BEST Way to Improve the World Around Us

You ARE an original.
How do you master the creative process and separate self-doubt from idea-doubt?
How do you navigate bureaucracy and solve problems others can’t?
How do you take incredible hardship and transmute the pain and suffering? How do you manifest originality in your world of work?
Does your choice of browser tell us something about your creative prowess?
The only thing worse than fear of failure is failing to try…

The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers:
How do creative people come up with great ideas? Organizational psychologist Adam Grant studies “originals”: thinkers who dream up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. In this talk, learn three unexpected habits of originals — including embracing failure. “The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they’re the ones who try the most,” Grant says. “You need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a few good ones.”
https://www.ted.com/talks/adam_grant_the_surprising_habits_of_original_thinkers

Here are a couple of powerful examples…

Feeding Puerto Rico:
While bureaucracies fumble, original thinkers solve complex problems.
Jose’ Andre’s has some 30 popular restaurants across the US, but he barely stepped foot in them after Hurricane Maria.
He and an army of chefs and volunteers were serving the people in Puerto Rico and their story is mesmerizing…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/feeding-puerto-rico-60-minutes/

The Art and Craft of StoryTelling:
Deah, Yusor and Razan- Suzanne Barakat explains how her brother, his wife and sister were murdered by their neighbor (Trigger warning: This story contains descriptions of racial violence)
https://themoth.org/stories/deah-yusor-and-razan

Being Original in Your Work:
At Mission Fed, we try to be original in our work right here in our community; blending financial performance with social purpose
Here is creative video of our annual report:
https://www.missionfed.com/report

Thanks to all you original thinkers that don’t let reality get in the way of possibility, and don’t accept the default option handed to you.
If you have a dream, bring it to reality, spread the love and pay it forward

No regrets…
The world needs YOU!
Love,
Neville

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NevilleB108
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“Challenging the meaning of life is the truest expression of the state of being human.” – Victor Frankl