Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

• Rather than lamenting those that did in the past, or those that might in the future, could YOU be the person this world has been waiting for right now?
  • 4 Truths to Unleash the Creative Genius Within You

• The Politics of Social Change:

• How can I create some measurable social value for the people that I’m trying to help?”
  • 4 Evidence-Based Principles for Creating Measurable Social Value:

• 10 Illustrations that show just how much the internet has changed our lives:

Could YOU be the Person this World has been Waiting for?
4 Truths to Unleash the Creative Genius Within You from the 4th Annual Artie Awards Presentation – 2017 Mission Fed ArtWalk & Featured Artist Reveal
This week I had the opportunity once again on behalf of Mission Fed to co-host the Artie Awards at the Westgate Hotel in San Diego along with Kristen Cusato, former KUSI anchor, now at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. Here are the remarks that seemed to resonate for the crowd and avid supporters of arts and culture in San Diego and might resonate for the “heartist” in you…

Happy New Year 2017 me (He)arties!
It’s another run around the sun & this one year finds us sandwiched between MLK Day and the Inauguration of a New President with significant implications for our country and the planet. Maybe closer to home and our own personal canvas, maybe we have new aspirations for ourselves?

“You can judge an artist by the size of the problem s/he tackles. While other people cope with the waves, it’s their job to watch the tide.” (Anthony Jay).

Along with this interesting sociological sandwich (MLK & Trump), San Diego has just experienced a unique alignment of sun, moon and earth to create a King Tide and today, I hope we can both understand and ride that King tide.

Don’t doubt that “One individual can begin a movement that turns the tide of history. Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement, Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi in India, & Nelson Mandela in South Africa are great examples of people standing up with courage, compassion and connection to bring about needed changes.” (Jack Canfield)

But could that individual also be you?

Could you be the person this world has been waiting for?

When we create distance between the Kings, the Gandhis, the Mandelas and Mother Theresas. Or the Da Vincis, Picassos, Rembrandts, and Van Goghs and when we put these great ones and others like them on a pedestal, do we preclude our own greatness and our own creative spirit from manifesting?

What world view and what view of ourselves do we hold near and dear? What are the implications of these beliefs for our own activation? And what do these mindsets mean for our future- personally, professionally, globally?

Artists are critical to our future, helping us see differently and they use creativity to shape the innovation economy. Their desire to improve the human condition and see beauty or wonder or possibility is universal.

Today, we walked around and asked people to self-report as risk takers then invited them up to create art with us in the first person.

Why? To give both you and them an embodied experience…

We all value creativity & innovation yet often fail to understand the sequencing of competencies that go into fostering innovation- which is both a process and an outcome (in other words both how you do something and what you get from that something) Innovation cannot occur without a culture that embraces Risk taking.

Fear of risk taking and fear of failure prohibit innovation, yet most of us are spit scared of expressing our creative selves!

Risk taking can only happen in a highly collaborative culture. Even the sole creator needs an ecosystem to ensure their success- those that taught them their craft, those that provide feedback along the way, those that help promote it, those that choose to buy it or otherwise support or sponsor the artist and those that emulate them to launch their own body of work.

And most important of all, a collaborative culture will NOT manifest without the core value of trust at its base.

Trust begets Collaboration. Collaboration begets Risk Taking. Risk Taking begets Innovation.

Today we proudly celebrate our featured artists and this year’s winners of the Artie Awards. As amazing as each and every one of them are in their own right, they are also symbolic and representative of all of us that; practice our craft, take risks, create climates and cultures of collaboration and embody trust -and as a result make our world better.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support of ArtWalk, arts and culture in San Diego, and “voting with your pocketbook” by frequenting organizations that align with your values and support your community.

Mission Fed has been a proud sponsor of Artwalk for nearly a decade, and Mission Federal ArtWalk has become a mainstay in our community thanks to your heartistry!

Over time we will all experience the ebb and flow of the tides, and even the strongest among us will doubt ourselves…

For those of you that are faint of (he)art and even for those of you that are not, here are some closing words of encouragement to unleash that creative genius within you:

1. You matter! You are incredibly capable, creative, worthy, powerful and valuable. If your life script to this point has suggested otherwise, rewrite the damned script.
2. Trust deeply in your self-efficacy! YOU got this! The two things that really matter are your belief in yourself, and the systems belief that it can positively impact and bring out the best in each of us. Let’s ensure these are non-negotiables in San Diego as we behave into America’s finest city and America’s kindest region
3. Identify your unique creative strengths and design a life that capitalizes on them!
4. You don’t have to go this alone! Surround yourself with kindred spirits and fellow travelers that share the same values, aspirations and have got your back on this incredible journey as you have theirs. No one of us is as wise as all of us. (Remember: smart people think they know everything, intelligent people know they don’t know everything, and wise people realize how little they know)

 

In a world of coders, (he)artists serve as the de-coders and sense makers, seekers and shamans, mystics and madmen that with courage, compassion and connection hold the creative space and design the compelling model to unleash our people’s & planet’s greatest potential and possibility.

So back to the tides…

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.” — Kristin Armstrong &

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

And the Artie goes to…
YOU!

The Politics of Social Change:
Involved with a Nonprofit? Here is something that might benefit you on Wednesday January 25^th…

Dear Friend and Ally,
As we welcome in 2017, I find myself thinking about what lies ahead for our sector and the people it serves. Many nonprofit organizations will face a new set of challenges with the incoming administration. There will be shifts in policy and philanthropy that will make the fundraising landscape more competitive, and attention will be focused on organizations that stay in the hearts and minds of stakeholders.

Nonprofits will need to create strategies that address the pressing needs of those who will be affected, within the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency and beyond. While doing so, they will also require a new framework that clearly emphasizes the stakes of the moment, in order to protect and sustain progress.

Over the past few weeks, I have had a number of conversations with nonprofit leaders who have wanted direction about how to best navigate this new climate. I have decided to host a conference call this coming Wednesday, January 25th, from 1:30pm-2pm EST/10:30am-11am PST, to candidly discuss the challenges and opportunities organizations may face within our rapidly changing landscape.

It is my hope that the 30-minute call will help organizations assess how they can participate in the national narrative to be heard, amidst an unsettled and frenzied news and philanthropy landscape.

Since 2003, I have served as a trusted advisor to organizations around the country that are focused on social change. While much uncertainty lies ahead, I believe that my deep knowledge about the politics of social change, and mastery at advancing the efforts of nonprofits, will add value as you ponder next steps.

The political shift we are experiencing will have far-reaching effects on underserved and marginalized communities, requiring a greater urgency for organizations to be seen and heard by key decision makers. While nonprofit organizations have always been on the front lines of social change, in this new day, they will need to represent their mission in ways that are consistent with the current state of affairs.

To register for the call, please RSVP to Jennifer Lynn at jlynn@thewakemanagency.com. You will receive the access credentials for the call upon registration. 

I look forward to speaking with you on the call.

In solidarity,

Vanessa Wakeman
Chief Executive Officer
The Wakeman Agency 212-500-5953 x110
http://thewakemanagency.com/
New York – Silicon Valley

 

How can I create some measurable social value for the people that I’m trying to help?”
Four Evidence-Based Principles for Creating Measurable Social Value:
http://rescueagency.com/four-evidence-based-principles-for-creating-measurable-social-value/

On a Lighter Note…
10 Illustrations that Show Just How Much the Internet has Changed Our Lives:
https://brightside.me/creativity-art/10-illustrations-that-show-just-how-much-the-internet-has-changed-our-lives-190355/

Thanks this week go to the Mission Fed ArtWalk and Artie team, Vanessa W and the Wakeman Agency, Jeff J and Rescue, and Vinny R and team Aoinagi

Pay it forward. The time is now. YOU are the one we have been waiting for…
Love,
Neville

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

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve…
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King

This week here is a little push to help us enjoy the wisdom of the old, & the wisdom of youth, reminding us that there is wisdom everywhere!

Here is a nice start to your day:

Huston Smith:  The Arc of Life:
Huston Cummings Smith (May 31, 1919 – December 30, 2016) was a religious studies scholar in the United States. His book The World’s Religions, originally titled The Religions of Man, sold over two million copies, was translated into 12 languages, and is still one of the most widely used college textbooks on comparative religion. Smith believes the role of what he calls the world’s “wisdom traditions” is a simple one: to help us behave decently toward one another.. He died on December 30, 2016
https://youtu.be/4Peq5Gd2KMg

For more, check out this article on the World of Religion according to Huston Smith:
Smith has devoted his life to the study of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism. He believes in them all…
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/1997/11/world-religion-according-huston-smith

NOW is the Time for Compassion:
Do you want to improve your life and the lives of those around you through compassion, self-compassion, and mindfulness? Do you want to join others in the quest to make our world a better place?

If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, we hope you’ll join our newest program and become a COMPASSION IT ADVOCATE.

We created the new COMPASSION IT ADVOCATE program to support you in creating a life filled with kindness and compassion.

How does it work? Once you sign up as a COMPASSION IT ADVOCATE, you’ll receive an email from me each month which contains a video lesson on compassion, a guided meditation, my favorite compassion-related resources, heart-warming stories about COMPASSION IT’s impact, special offers, and more.

Learn more and sign up today at http://compassionit.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=19b47ac39ed366b9316739186&id=0149e131a4&e=28d1ba074f.

With enthusiasm!
Sara Schairer
Founder & Exec. Dir.
COMPASSION IT
http://compassionit.com/

 

Thanks this week go to Peter D and the Conscious Leader Collective, Sean and John C, Sara S, & Larry H.

Please Pay it Forward!
Love,
Neville

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

“Love your enemies and you won’t have any…”

Happy First Soul Food Friday for 2017!

The Boarding on Flight 2017 has been announced……🎤

⛄Hope you have checked in only the best souvenirs from 2016 in your luggage…. 🎒💼👜📦

✂The bad and sad moments ⌛if carried, must be thrown away in the garbage on arrival …..✂

✈The flight will be 12 months long. ⛄↔
🔁So, loosen your seat belts, jingle and mingle. 💑
🚧The stop-overs will be :  ❤Health, 😍Love, 😃Joy,  😴 Harmony,  🙏Well-being and ✌🏻Peace….
⛽Refueling will be at 💓Giving, 💞Sharing and  💗Caring…..
👮🏻The Captain 💒(God or belief of your choosing) offers you the following menu which will be served during the flight…..✈
🍹A Cocktail of Friendship 👫👭
🌹A Supreme of Health 🌹
💰💴A Grating of Prosperity 💷 💶 💵
🍜A Bowl of Excellent News 📰🔛
🍎🍋🍒🍇🍉🍓🍌🍐A salad of Success🎰
🎂 🍰  A Cake of Happiness 💃🏻🎼🏆💝
👏🏻All accompanied by  bursts of laughter….😂
👉🏻But remember, you will enjoy these meals and the journey better if you talk 🌜🌛 share ⛄ smile 😊 and laugh😅 together….👯
🙊Sitting silent and sullen 😌 will make the flight seem longer⌚
💐Wishing you and your family 👪 an enjoyable trip on board of flight 2017…..

💥✨💫💃🏃👫💑👯❤💖💌💍☔⛄🌊🌈🌁🌴🌹🌷🍀

Before the Flight 2016 ends….
Allow me to Thank All  my Amazing  Friends Who Made 2016 Beautiful For me and my family
We Pray that you all be Blessed With an Awesome Year Ahead….
😘😍💝🎁🎊🎉🎈⛄

2016 Retrospective- The Year In Memes:

Memes are no longer slightly embarrassing internet in-jokes but essential and omnipresent expressions of culture. For every day in 2016, Select All has picked one meme that either originated, broke through, or reached its height on that date, and done its best to explain it. The result is a collection of the best memes of 2016 — the funniest, weirdest, most outrageous, and most viral objects. It’s also, for better or for worse, a portrait of our collective unconscious: the story of our attention, and the things that managed to hold it, even briefly, throughout the year.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1QGeoR/:1O02-f6wM:mSbL_q5X/nymag.com/selectall/2016/12/best-funny-memes-2016-harambe-arthur-dat-boi-joe-biden.html

20 Tips for a Positive New Year:

1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can trust that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.
2. Take a daily “Thank You Walk.” It will create a fertile mind ready for success.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and less foods manufactured in plants.
4. Talk to yourself instead of listen to yourself. Instead of listening to your complaints, fears and doubts, talk to yourself and feed your mind with words of truth and encouragement.
5. Post a sign that says “No Energy Vampires Allowed.” Gandhi said, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”
6. Be a great team member. When you help your team improve, you improve.
7. Don’t chase success. Decide to make a difference and build meaningful relationships and success will find you.
8. Get more sleep. You can’t replace sleep with a double latte.
9. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
10. You don’t have to be great to serve but you have to serve to be great. Look for opportunities to Love, Serve and Care.
11. Live your purpose. Remember why you do what you do. We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.
12. There’s no such thing as an overnight success.  Anything worthwhile takes time to build.
13. Trust that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.
14. Implement the No Complaining Rule.  If you are complaining, you’re not leading.
15. Read more books than you did in 2016.
16. Don’t seek happiness. Instead live with love, passion and purpose and happiness will find you.
17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.
18. The next time you “fail” remember that it’s not meant to define you. It’s meant to refine you.
19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.
20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

The Uncommon Decision That Will Make 2017 a Great Year:

Living your best life most likely requires you doing something extraordinary. Few of us maximize what’s possible by just doing what we’re already doing. The big breakthroughs; the big improvements come from making big decisions.

What is the big decision your life has been asking you to make? The clue to answer this question is to inquire of your deepest self “What have I settled for?”  Put another way, the question I most often asked my clients is “If nothing changes, what will your life be like a year from now, or two years from now, or five years from now?  Is that okay?”  If it is, nothing will change. If it isn’t okay then you’re in need of a big decision.

Big decisions are often risky. But safe decisions or no decisions at all will dull your mind and numb your heart. So how do you make big decisions without being reckless?

It’s simple. Every decision you make should be leading you toward the vision of the life you want to live. This isn’t as common as it sounds.  Many times we make decisions to avoid stress. Being clear on what you don’t want is much easier than being clear on what you do want.  But stress avoidance isn’t a vision.  And your personal vision is absolutely essential to your ultimate fulfillment and deep life satisfaction.

So what big decision would lead you to greater happiness, health, love, work and joy?  Do that.

Don’t be impulsive. Don’t be selfish. Be both brave and wise. Plan carefully. Prepare yourself and others who might be affected by your big decision for the worst that can happen . . . then act. Learn what’s working and what’s not.  Be flexible, but have the grit to sustain your direction. Unless you’re planning to skydive without lessons you can survive any setback . . . and you will have setbacks. All big decisions unleash some surprising consequences but nothing you can’t handle if you’re committed to your vision.

The best advice I ever received is to just start living the way you want to live.

That’s it . . . just start.

That’s what I am doing.

Gratitude- An Attitude AND A Practice- Why and How to be Thankful:

Gratitude is a foundational element of grit and of leadership. Gratitude means being thankful, showing appreciation and returning kindness. Gratitude counterbalances the urge to complain and blame and reinforces the reality of independence and accomplishment; when we feel grateful, we appreciate what’s already present in our lives, even as we strive for more. It strengthens engagement and empowerment. Be a leader whom people want to follow with the simple act of gratitude.  Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year… Enjoy the video and share your gratitude!

https://zc1.campaign-view.com/ua/viewinbrowser?od=11287eca4d432c&rd=1d1c09133dc5f7a&sd=1d1c09133dc005f&n=11699e4c37f4b4d&mrd=1d1c09133dc0053&m=1

 

Holiday Flashbacks:

8 of the Best British Christmas Video Ads of 2016:

You may not have seen these circulating on our side of the pond, but Christmas ads in the UK are a big deal. Top store brands pull out all the stops with major productions, heart-touching stories, and a pretty light touch on selling. Here are some of the top ones from 2016. What is your fav?
http://tubularinsights.com/best-british-christmas-video-ads/

If you want to keep that holiday cheer flowing, enjoy this rendition and keep sharing the love!
USAF Band WWII Holiday Throwback
<https://www.youtube.com/embed/khQN5ylb3H0?rel=0 > http://www.youtube.com/

 

How An Unexpected Friendship With A Wolf Transformed A Whole Town

Despite their incredible beauty and their obvious similarities with our considerably tamer canine companions, everyone knows not to play with wolves. So when wildlife photographer Nick Jans and his Labrador encountered a wild wolf behind their home, adrenaline started pumping through them both.

When the wolf approached the Labrador, Nick could only stand helplessly by and watch. But what he didn’t know then, on that cold winter day of 2003 was that that encounter was the beginning of a relationship that defied all logic – and fundamentally transformed an entire community. During the winter of 2003, a jet-black wolf showed up on the edge of suburban Juneau, Alaska. But this wolf didn’t bear his teeth and growl aggressively. Instead, it seemed to long for companionship. Wildlife photographer Nick Jans was on his back porch when he saw the wolf for the first time. Despite the danger, Nick’s Labrador went to meet the visitor.

Nick, who had photographed and tracked wolves for years, immediately knew that the wolf was wild. So he was shocked when his Labrador suddenly started to play with him. He hurriedly grabbed his camera, and began to capture the unexpected moment.

After a while, the wolf returned into the wilderness, but it wasn’t long before he returned. The wolf would come to Nick’s house to greet him often and sometimes it even followed Nick when the photographer went skiing. And the wolf was always gentle, says Nick.

“This wolf was downright relaxed and tolerant from the start, as if he had dropped out of the sky like a unicorn,” the photographer told National Geographic.

Years passed and Nick spent much time documenting the wolf. He eventually named the wolf Romeo. At first, many of the small town’s residents didn’t trust Romeo, but they soon realized that he was a wolf unlike any other.

Romeo soon became known by everyone in the area. People took their dogs to Mendenhall Glacier Park so their dogs could meet Romeo. There were never any serious incidents.

Not only did Romeo make plenty of dog friends in and around Juneau, he even sometimes interacted and played with humans.

“The wolf would bring out toys that he’d stashed. One was a Styrofoam float. Romeo would pick it up and bring it to [my friend] Harry to throw. He clearly understood the same sort of behaviors that we see in dogs,” Nick said.

“The amazing thing was Romeo’s understanding. It wasn’t just our understanding and tolerance. It was the combination of his and ours and the dogs. We were these three species working out how to get along harmoniously. And we did,” said Nick.

Romeo lived on the outskirts of Juneau for six years. He became an ambassador for nature and a powerful symbol for the entire community.

“He was a pure wild wolf. He was not a pet, as some suggested, that had been released, because then he would have been coming to us for food. He was his own gatekeeper and came and went as he pleased. Sometimes he disappeared for weeks. He clearly was catching and eating wild food with great skill,” explained Nick.

After six years, Romeo’s time in the community ended. He passed away in 2010, but residents will never forget how he transformed the village. “The average life span of a wolf in the wild is three years. Romeo was already full grown when he showed up, and then he lived among us for six-plus more years. So he was at least eight years old at the time of his death,” Nick says.

Shortly after Romeo passed away, the city of Juneau commemorated the wolf, creating a special plaque to honor him. The plaque is installed by the lake he used to frequent.  What a beautiful touch!

That three such different species were able to live alongside peacefully and in complete harmony is so inspiring. It really shows you how wonderful the world and nature can be!

If you are local…
Consider the Epic Mastermind Experience Jan 13^th and 14^th to kick off 2017 with some verve!
http://www.epicmastermindexperience.com/

Thanks this week go to Emily D, Larry H, Will M, Erik K, & Robin M
HNY 2017 and please pay it forward…

Love,
Neville

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

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve…
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King

Happy Final Soul Food Friday for 2016!

This week:

The World’s Countries Swapped According to Their Population:
This should trip you out…
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9IOoyk/:q+.usbTN:p3AU01CK/mentalfloss.com/article/88695/worlds-countries-swapped-according-their-population

15 Sayings from Around the World that are Sure to Refresh Your Vocabulary:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/4SSRdY/:1B88y$vVI:fjSIwZj5/www.upworthy.com/15-sayings-from-around-the-world-that-are-sure-to-refresh-your-vocabulary

 

THE MANY ROADS OF LIFE AND A FEW WORDS OF WISDOM..

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD:

 

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats..
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always Catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can’t trust dogs to watch your food..
6) Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair..
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandma’s lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing Jello to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don’t hurt.
3) Families are like fudge…mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4) Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing is good exercise. It’s like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD:
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you’re down there.
4) You’re getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It’s frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don’t believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.

SUCCESS:
At age   4 success is . . . . Not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . . Having friends.
At age 17 success is . . . . Having a driver’s license.
At age 35 success is . . . . Having money.
At age 50 success is . . . . Having money.
At age 70 success is . . . . Having a driver’s license.
At age 75 success is . . . . Having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . . Not piddling in your pants.

Thanks to all that contributed, benefited and practiced soul-filled living in 2016.
Happy New Year!

Love,
Neville

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

“LOVE is our Soul Purpose”

This week:

Are we entering the Post Truth Era?
The Post-Truth Era is Just What Nietzsche Predicted…
http://theconversation.com/the-post-truth-era-of-trump-is-just-what-nietzsche-predicted-69093

Some People are Born on Third Base, and Think They Hit a Triple!
Meet the Guy Corralling Billionaires to Fight Inequality:
This author discusses growing up in the 1 percent, and his unusual approach to fighting economic inequality…
http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/meet-the-guy-corralling-billionaires-to-fight-inequality-20161205?utm_source=YTW&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20161209

Reconciliation is the Reason for the Season
How do we transform conflict into cooperation?
Is it possible to bridge the gap between rich and poor?
After a horrible hate crime, how do you not hate back?
This radio hour will remind us of our humanity…
http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/

Returning Kindness Continues:
The giving continues with free food and drinks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-H1JGADRTs&feature=youtu.be

Mission Fed Community Moments
This new edition of Mission Possible is filled with the people and programs that are part of Mission Fed’s community engagement.

200,000 Member Milestone Means “Return Kindness.” The perfect way to spread our attitude of gratitude for reaching our 200,000 member milestone was through our Return Kindness program. In the spirit of giving, our Community Relations Team set good examples all over San Diego County by surprising people at coffee shops, stores, restaurants and other venues and paying for their purchases. Via TV, radio spots and social media, we shared these stories and encouraged all San Diegans to return kindness to someone else as part of our ongoing efforts to make San Diego not just America’s Finest City, but “America’s Kindest Region.” Thank you for your loyal membership and continued support throughout 2016.

Through their BBB Torch Awards, the Better Business Bureau^® of San Diego, Orange and Imperial Counties honors local businesses that demonstrate the highest ethical and customer service standards and community involvement. Mission Fed was proud to be not only a BBB accredited and A+ rated business, 2015 winner of the BBB Torch Award for Ethics, category 250-499 employees, but also served as a sponsor at the 2016 awards. We’re committed to providing ethical business practices for members and our community.

These Community Moments are just some of the ways that we give back to our membership and San Diego—and your continued loyalty makes that Mission Possible.

 

Photos that need no words or comment just reflection…

After reading this, please stop  for a moment and hold some space for those in harm’s way all  around the world…  

Thanks this week goes to Ron M,  Larry H, TED, Equity Designers, and Peaceful Warriors Everywhere!

Pay it forward
Love,
Neville

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

 

“Mission Bells Ring, Are You Listening?”

This week:
The Bystander Effect and its Opposite, The Helper Effect
If you think one person’s decisions and actions don’t matter, this will change your mind!

The first vid is instructive in understanding the Bystander effect, & the TED talk that follows discusses that and then goes beyond to the Helper Effect.
It’s uplifting to remember that there is good in human nature, and how personal leadership can prevail, releasing the good over the bad in people.

The Bystander Effect:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSsPfbup0ac
and The Helper Effect:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufs8cKyzLvg

What’s Your Social Purpose? Here is a KUSI TV clip featuring our social purpose work in this community
Mission Fed and yours truly start around the 7:30 mark, ending at around 14:30, so if you just have 7 minutes you might care to check it out…
http://www.kusi.com/story/33918285/san-diego-people-celebrating-philanthropy-by-giving-back-to-the-community

A stranger walks into a school and pays off all overdue lunch balances…
What a great idea!
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/health/iyw-secret-santa-school-lunch-trnd/index.html

Advertising Sells Peace Not Products:
A refreshing twist on the power of authentic communications to transform lives and shift fear and terror to prosocial behaviors
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-colombia-advertising-to-sell-peace-not-products/
The 60 minute story…
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/benjamin-netanyahu-the-new-colombia-lost/
starts at 14:50 into the video

If you are local…
Work for a Nonprofit?
Mind Answering this short 8 question survey to help move the needle on the social sector?
Small or large,  nonprofit directors and support staff/volunteers. This will further research for a master’s program!
Simply click this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CKHDMJ6,
Thx so much!!

Thanks this week go to Ruben H, Ron A, Cyrus B, & Shannon Mc!
Peace on earth, good will towards all, and please pay it forward…
Love,
Neville

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

“To live is the rarest thing in the world.
Most people exist, that is all.”– Oscar Wilde

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

A Cartoon that will Touch Your Heart:
An experience that reminds us that journeys are short, can change a life, and possibly did yours too…
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/plane

Returning Kindness Continues:
Let’s pay it forward 200,000 times…
https://youtu.be/KRoU7rT0x7o

Practicing Random Acts of Kindness for the month of  December Calendar:
This will make it easy and fun!

Happy Pictures to Brighten Your Week:

There’s so much bad stuff going on in our world today,
we need to periodically stop,
take a deep breath & consider what’s truly important & then

smile!!!

Thanks this week go to Elaine T, the Kindness team, Leora L, Larry H and You for reading and living a soul-filled life!

Pay it forward…
Love,
Neville

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

“Fear is a darkroom where negatives develop.”
— Usman B. Asif

Happy Soul Food Friday for the week of #GivingTuesday!

This week:
Our Most Powerful Force to Increase Optimism
Neuroscience Says Listening to This Song Reduces Anxiety by Up to 65 Percent
National Philanthropy Day Recap and the Dvorak 9^th Symphony -a tribute to the cultural mix that is America
Extending the Power of Thank You Post Thanksgiving
Mind Bending Photos of the Places that Time Forgot

Our Most Powerful Force to Increase Optimism (#427)

WHAT IF . . . gratitude is the most powerful force we have to increase positive feelings of optimism, creativity, and friendliness?

RESEARCH SAYS: If you can spend 90 seconds, 3 times a day on what you’re grateful for you will actually build more brain capacity to feel happiness and well-being.  That’s because gratitude exercises the part of your brain that processes feelings of well-being so more and faster brain cell synapses develop.  Now that’s something to be grateful for!

TRY THIS:  Keep a daily gratitude journal.  When I wake up each morning I write down one thing I am grateful for that day.  I try to never repeat.  I read my entries on Sunday morning.  I hope you try it.  It’s happiness training and it works.

Neuroscience Says Listening to This Song Reduces Anxiety by Up to 65 Percent:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1DUBii/:DPMbHVCM:jmRdTO!Z/www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/neuroscience-says-listening-to-this-one-song-reduces-anxiety-by-up-to-65-percent.html

National Philanthropy Day Recap and the Dvorak 9^th Symphony -a tribute to the cultural mix that is America
This was playing last week on NPR (Here and Now) and I found it most timely
The Dvorak 9^th was written as his tribute to America and is infused with Spirituals, Native American drumming and other music that he viewed as truly representative of the cultural mix that is our country.
http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2016/11/23/antonin-dvorak-new-world-symphony

NPD was an amazing gathering where we also did three Facebook Live Broadcasts from the event and Mission Fed generated over a reach of over 3,000 per video.

Broadcast 1

Broadcast 2

Broadcast 3

Extending the Power of Thank You:

The Power of Thank You

In extending the spirit of Thanksgiving, this week I’d love to share with you the benefits and power of two simple words. THANK YOU.

They are two words that have the power to transform our health, happiness, athletic performance and success. Research shows that grateful people are happier and more likely to maintain good friendships. A state of gratitude, according to research by the Institute of HeartMath, also improves the heart’s rhythmic functioning, which helps us to reduce stress, think more clearly under pressure and heal physically. It’s actually physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. When you are grateful you flood your body and brain with emotions and endorphins that uplift and energize you rather than the stress hormones that drain you.

Gratitude and appreciation are also essential for a healthy work environment. In fact, the number one reason why people leave their jobs is because they don’t feel appreciated. A simple thank you and a show of appreciation can make all the difference.

Gratitude is like muscle. The more we do with it the stronger it gets. In this spirit here are 5 ways to practice Thanksgiving every day of the year.

1. Take a Daily Thank You Walk – I started this practice 15 years ago and it changed my life. Take a simple 10-30 minute walk each day and say out loud what you are thankful for. This will set you up for a positive day. I wrote more about this in The Positive Dog.
2. Meal Time Thank You’s – On Thanksgiving, or just at dinner with your friends and family, go around the table and have each person, including the kids at the little table, say what they are thankful for.
3. Gratitude Visit – Martin Seligman, Ph.D., the father of positive psychology, suggests that we write a letter expressing our gratitude to someone. Then we visit this person and read them the letter. His research shows that people who do this are measurably happier and less depressed a month later.
4. Say Thank You at Work – When Doug Conant was the CEO of Campbell Soup he wrote approximately 30,000 thank you notes to his employees and energized the company in the process. Energize and engage your co-workers and team by letting them know you are grateful for them and their work. Organizations spend billions of dollars collectively on recognition programs but the best and cheapest recognition program of all consists of a sincere THANK YOU. And of course don’t forget to say thank you to your clients and customers too.
5. Say Thank you and Goodnight – At bedtime reflect on your day, identify and share all that you are thankful for. If you have children you can read Thank You and Goodnight with them and add to it.

PLACES THAT TIME FORGOT . . .

1  A tree growing through an abandoned piano

2  Overgrown palace, Poland

In 1910, this grand palace was built as a home for Polish Royalty. The rest of the century proved uncertain for the country And under communist rule the palace became an agricultural school, as well as a home for mentally handicapped adults and children.  The former palace was deserted following the fall of the USSR.

3  Jet Star Rollercoaster, Seaside Heights, New Jersey

The Jet Star Rollercoaster was left submerged in the Atlantic Ocean after Superstorm Sandy in 2013.  It stood rusting for six months, until it was plucked from the sea.

4  Abandoned House in the Woods

5  Church in St. Etienne, France

6  An abandoned church with a few lingering parishioners, Netherlands

7  Doll factory, Spain

8  Tree growing around an abandoned bicycle

9  Shipwrecks in a sandbar, Bermuda Triangle

10  Floating forest, Sydney, Australia

11  Movie theater in Detroit, Michigan

With Detroit’s decline, many of its historic buildings have fallen into disuse. This movie theater is both a fascinating and sad example.

12  Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California

The Mare Island Naval Shipyard acted as a submarine port during both of the World Wars. In the 1990s,  The building was abandoned and flooding has since created an amazing mirror effect.

13  Victorian-style tree house, Florida, USA

14  Forgotten Bugattis

15  The Titanic wreck

The titanic took its first and last voyage in April, 1912. It was not until 73 years later that the decaying wreck of what was once The greatest ship in the world was discovered. The 1,500 souls lost with the vessel had been devoured by sea life, leaving behind a ghost ship.

16  Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture, France


The “little belt railway” was a circular railway system built in 1852 to supply Paris’ fortifications. When the city outgrew its defenses in 1934, the railway system was also left to run wild.

17  Spreepark, Berlin, Germany

Spreepark, opened in 1969, was the only amusement park in East Berlin during Soviet rule.  When the Wall fell, bigger and better parks opened, leading to Spreeparks closure in 2001.

18  Library, Russia

19  Island Home, Finland

20  Chris McCandless’ magic bus, Stampede Trail, Alaska

Bus 142 was left behind by the workers who built the railway at Stampede Trail. Christopher McCandless, an American hitchhiker whose story was told through the movie “Into The Wild, lived and died in what he referred to as the “magic bus” during the summer of 1992.

21  Turquoise Canal, Venice, Italy

Just like any other city, areas of Venice are boarded up and abandoned.

22  Staircase to nowhere, Pismo Beach, California

Once giving access to the beach, the walkway that connected this staircase to the bluffs has long since Rotted away.

23  Nara Dreamland, Japan


Nara Dreamland was built in 1961 after Disneyland took the world by storm. The entrance to the park Was almost identical to Disneyland and included its own version of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.  The park closed in 2006 because of low visitor numbers.

24  Abandoned mining track, Taiwan

25  Abandoned Jetty

26  Bare footprints in an abandoned nuclear reactor

27  An abandoned waterpark

28  Boathouse, Obersee Lake, Germany

29  Abandoned hallway

30  Methodist church, Gary, Indiana

Gary, Indiana, was founded in 1905 during the boom of US steel. During the 1950s, more than 200,000 people worked in the bustling city. As the manufacturing sector declined, nearly half of the city fell into disuse.

31  Church in the snow, Canada

32  Blue spiral staircase in a European castle

33  Soviet naval testing station in Makhachkala, Russia

34  Church steeple peeking out of a frozen lake, Reschen, Italy

Lake Reschen is an artifical reservoir which submerged several villages and a 14th century church.

35  Glenwood power station, New York

The Glenwood Power Station, built in 1906, has long been obsolete. After closing in 1968, the sight was used as a backdrop for creepy thrillers and zombie movies.

Thanks this week go to Will M, the team at Mission Fed, Larry H, and those that make our lives better through the power of music!

Pay it forward…
Love,
Neville

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

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always
told me that happiness was the key to life.
When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted
to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’.
They told me I didn’t understand the assignment,
and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

–John Lennon

This week:

Practicing An Attitude of Gratitude with Our Returning Kindness Campaign:
By popular demand, here are round two of our pay it forward, back and sideways campaign that runs on 94.1 and 93.3 through December with a new spot sharing the love each week!

http://star941fm.iheart.com/features/mission-federal-credit-union-presents-return-kindness-2632/

http://channel933.iheart.com/features/mission-federal-credit-union-presents-return-kindness-2632/

Thanks to the 1,000+ people in San Diego that added their energy to National Philanthropy Day 2016
It was a Symphony of Philanthropy!

National Philanthropy Day only comes once a year, but your contribution of goods, time and donations are needed all year long to meet the needs of our community and nonprofit organizations. Help us extend the attitude of gratitude throughout San Diego County every day by making a contribution today.

 

A Powerful Antidote for the Workplace: Respect & Appreciation!

a powerful antidote for the modern workplace
Today’s workplace is asking employees to do more than ever. People are accessible via technology at all hours, at home, and even on vacation. Despite their efforts to keep up with ever-increasing demands, most workers aren’t feeling adequately appreciated. The result is lower productivity, lack of engagement, and high rates of turnover. In contrast, employees who do feel recognized and appreciated report 53% higher focus, 58% higher engagement, and 109% higher likelihood to stay with the organization.* A little appreciation goes a long way and has the power to change the entire milieu of an office. You may compensate employees in the form of flexible work hours, higher salaries, or even an on-site barista, but none of these can top the power of two simple words: “Thank you.”  Specific words of thanks and appreciation fill our reservoirs with positive emotions and prevent burnout. Appreciation is a win-win. When you sit down to write a note of thanks, not only will the recipient benefit from your expression of positive emotions, but so will you. Making others feel more valued makes us feel more valuable. Remember, emotions are contagious. Make the simple but profound act of appreciation an intentional part of your day.  For more tips and ideas for expressing appreciation, check out our album on Facebook where you can like, share, and comment on your favorites. *Read more findings from our Human Era @ Work white paper

from our blog

The Bad Behavior of Visionary Leaders Our research at The Energy Project has shown that the more employees feel their needs are being met at work – above all, for respect and appreciation – the better they perform.

top tips

1. Say thank you. In our digital world, it’s tempting to shoot off an email or even a text to thank someone, but taking the time to handwrite a note has more of an impact. Remember to be specific about why you’re thanking him or her. A face to face thank you or even an email sent to his/her boss are also good options.
2. Start a gratitude journal. Appreciation starts with the ability to take note of the positive things that are working and acknowledge your gratitude for them. The practice of keeping a gratitude journal will slowly alter the lens through which you view the world. And when you have a bad day, you can open up your journal to be reminded of what’s right in your life.
3. Listen. At the most basic level, listening makes other feel valued and appreciated. Give the people you’re conversing with today your full, focused attention.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” 

— John F. Kennedy

 

The Love Drug- Oxytocin, A BBC Podcast:
The hormone oxytocin is involved in mother and baby bonding and in creating trust. Much is known with respect to oxytocin effects on the perception of well-being, happiness, and importantly, interpersonal bonding and human social behavior…
Want to know what really happens at a wedding?
Want to improve your therapeutic session?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01cg20t

If you are local…
Catch us on KUSI TV this Thanksgiving Sunday at 11 am!
http://www.kusi.com/

Thanks this week go to Deepak C, Tony S, Anu T, Cathy S, and all of you resonating on the appreciation vibration as we launch the holiday season!

Pay that “attitude of gratitude” forward…
Love,
Neville

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

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that
gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder”
Gilbert K. Chesterton

Happy Soul Food Friday and Happy Birthday Arman!

 

Citizenship in the Republic

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

— Theodore Roosevelt

This week:
A Surprising Prescription for Heartbreak and Let Down:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/surprising-prescription-your-broken-heart-bea-boccalandro?trk=mp-author-card

The Power of Vulnerability with Brene’ Brown:
27 Million Views of one of the most popular Ted Talks out there- for darn good reason
https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?language=en

Your Last Call to Sign up for FutureFit LEAP for Education November 29^th and 30^th:
Note: We have limited space left and while the event is free, we are going to ask no shows to make a $50 dollar donation to the nonprofit of their choice if they don’t attend as they precluded someone else from being there:)
The reception on the 29^th will be at the Bella Vista Café with more details forthcoming for all those that RSVP…
FutureFit Invitation

National Philanthropy Day 2016 in San Diego: A Symphony of Philanthropy
Extreme gratitude to all of you in our community and beyond that make every day Philanthropy Day by your generous contributions of time, treasure and talent to create transformations for others!

If You Are Local:
Do watch us on KUSI TV this Sunday Nov 20^th at 11am (correction this will air on Sun Nov 27th same time)

Return Kindness:
Just buying someone else’s gasoline can make their day!
Are we at 200,000 acts yet?
Gas Station: https://youtu.be/9isQLeR33Fw

Thanks this week go to those mere mortals that through their authenticity and vulnerability dare greatly, and teach us what it is to be divine!
What would you attempt to do even if you failed magnificently?

Pay it forward…
Love,
Neville

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

“Give me the courage to show up and let myself be seen”
–Brene’ Brown’s Vulnerability Prayer