This week:

Compassion can save a life-
Jock Saved Helpless “Nerd” From Being Bullied. 4 Years Later He Learned the Heart-wrenching Truth:
http://www.inspiremore.com/jock-saves-kid-from-bullying-and-learns-truth-4-yrs-later/

What’s Success?
The Books Every New Graduate Should Read According to a Dozen Business Leaders:
https://qz.com/984924/the-best-books-about-leading-a-successful-life-for-new-graduates-according-to-a-dozen-business-leaders/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits

Where Enduring Happiness Comes From:

There is a low correlation between success at work and happiness:  

Enduring happiness arises from aligning your actions with your values. Success on the other hand is the result of goal achievements. If your goals don’t reflect your values you will be disappointed in their achievement. Work will be exhausting. Life will be frustrating. But it’s not life that is disappointing. Rather, it’s that we have gotten confused as to its purpose.

Know what makes life meaningful to you. That’s your calling. Pursue that. 

Your life may not be easy, but it will be worth it.

Teachers: Inspiration, Recognition and Compensation:

Last week, I had the good fortune to attend an event, “Inspiration for Teachers,” during National Teacher Appreciation Week. It was both a celebration of teachers, and launch of a new Chicken Soup for the Soul book, Inspiration for Teachers. It was a wonderful evening, with presentations from some of the authors of the 101 stories in the book, highlighting how teachers make a difference. Like everyone else in the packed auditorium, I was moved by the many ways educators impact the lives of their students and how students impact the lives of their teachers. I became particularly tearful when one of the presenters, a young woman, recounted how her relationship with a teacher, through dealing with a serious physical disability, changed her life. She spoke about how he had inspired her, and that she wondered what inspires teachers? For me, and I believe most other teachers, inspiration comes largely from that relationship with students and the opportunity to facilitate them actualizing their potential. And the biggest boost comes when a student expresses gratitude publicly for the love and support they experienced in achieving their success. Next after that is the appreciation from parents for the growth and happiness they see developing in their children. This book launch is still affecting me, stirring up memories of these very significant, emotional moments in my career.

On the next Sunday, a colleague directed my attention to a TED talk being broadcast on KPBS, also I’m sure, to honor Teacher Appreciation Week. I only caught the second half of the show, but I was particularly struck by a woman who took on being principal of a school in a community with a high rate of poverty, high crime, and a low rate of high school graduation. Gang activity and violent crime in the community left students feeling uncertain about even surviving to adulthood. Her story was one of courage, creativity, and commitment to provide a quality education where no books or other resources existed, and students were unmotivated to learn. She found resources wherever she could, spent her own money for supplies, worked endless hours, and hired teachers who were similarly courageous, creative and committed; together they turned that school around. I think she shared that they graduate over 80% of their students now—a huge improvement. As I was beginning to feel tears welling up in my eyes and emotion filling my throat, I wondered why these stories get to me so much. I’ve heard them before, many times. Heck, I have my own stories. As I pondered, the emotion in my throat and the tears in my eyes dissipated, and I started feeling somewhat angry, and then hurt.

I realized that I chose to invest a great deal of my time, energy and money to make things work for my students. I did it gladly and would do it again. The hurt comes when I feel there is an expectation that I will work long hours and spend my own money to provide needed school supplies, food, and personal hygiene items, in support of optimizing the learning environment for my students; I will do what the government/society does not do. Teachers can be counted on for that. Teaching is a tough job. Those who do it will say they feel called to do it. When I see that I have been inspirational to students and colleagues, when my students, their parents, and my boss recognize my contribution, then financial compensation becomes less important to me and I accept less. I fear this is an expectation that we who teach have created for ourselves, by the fact that we will do whatever it takes to make sure our students get what they need. We let government/society off the hook for proper funding of public education.

As I pondered this more and more, I felt the outrage welling inside of me! Lack of funding has become normal, because teachers, being the empathic and caring folk most of us are, will fill in the gaps when we see no other solution available for our children. There must be other options for teachers besides putting up with scarce resources or spending our own money. What do you think?

Warm wishes, Jackie

If you are local:

As one of the co-leads of Future Fit for Education, I welcome your participation and hope you can add your voice and energy to this important dialogue next week:

Please join our LinkedIn group, Future Fit: Our Next LEAP for Education

Help Us Shape Future Fit Education We are continuing the conversation about how we can shape what Future Fit education will look like in our region. We will have an opportunity to hear student input. Please plan to join us on Wednesday, May 31 from 5:00–8:00pm and feel free to bring others who have an interest in joining the conversation. Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2017 Time: 5:00–8:00pm Location: The Dove Library, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad, CA 92011 Intended Audience: Anyone interested in the future of education Fee: There is no fee if you attend, but if you don’t show and as a result prevent someone else from attending, a $50 contribution to an educational charity of your choice will be requested and you will be outed on CNN Register Here Online for the Event! We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, May 31! You can also download the PDF invitation.  Please join our LinkedIn group, too, Future Fit: Our Next LEAP for Education. With LOL (Love of Learning), The Future Fit team – Alan Daly, Neville Billimoria, Glen Warren and Brenda Hall

As Chair of the National Philanthropy Day 2017 Honorary Committee, please help us amplify all the great work happening right here in San Diego by submitting nominations!

National Philanthropy Day Call for Nominations  Nomination Submission Extended to June 16, 5:00 p.m. Joining a Legacy of Philanthropists, Fundraising Professionals and Volunteers who have made an outstanding impact in our community. For Questions: Contact Georgia Ringler, Chapter Manager at Georgia.Ringler@AFPSD.org

Nominate an Individual, Organization, or Company that is Making a Great Difference

Do you know of a philanthropic story, or story of giving that needs to be told? Is there someone who is doing good work for your community? Submitting a nomination for National Philanthropy Day San Diego is a great way to show your admiration and appreciation. And the nominations process has been streamlined! The AFP San Diego Chapter annually recognizes individuals and organizations whose philanthropic achievements have made an impact in the San Diego region, Imperial County and Tijuana.  We look forward to building on the success of our predecessors and celebrating and honoring the rich diversity of our region. Please help AFP San Diego honor those most deserving!   Nomination Categories: Outstanding Philanthropist Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer Outstanding Organizational Volunteer Outstanding Grant Making Organization Outstanding Philanthropic Business or Corporation Outstanding Development Professional Outstanding Youth/Student Volunteer Nominations will close on June 16, 2017 at 5:00 PM.

Please help AFP San Diego honor one of its own and nominate someone today. For more information, including the categories and criteria, click here.

 

Thanks this week go to Julia N and Parenting 2.0, Will M and Smart Rocket, Jackie and Education Transformations, & the Future Fit and NPD teams!

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 pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident”– Charles Lamb (1775-1834) British Essayist

“Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
–Viktor Frankl

This week: 

Teach Your Children Well- A Revisit of The Four Agreements:
A conscious capitalism breakfast meeting this week reminded us of this short but powerful book that might make an excellent book club read with your family this Summer.

The ideas in this book represent insights possessed by the Toltecs in what is now Mexico a thousand years ago, yet most of these ideas are highly similar to concepts used by modern humanistic psychologists, transactional analysts, and cognitive behavioral psychologists.

1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don’t take anything personally
3. Don’t make assumptions
4. Always do your best

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cui-bono/201012/agreeing-the-four-agreements

Smart or Pleasant:
“In this world Elwood, you must be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant”…
Which value drives your actions?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzOIhLJ1C-Y

6 Things Positive People Say in Adversity with Marshall Goldsmith:
http://bit.ly/2r0RTZR

End Pre-Trial Torture in 25 Countries Around the World:
Help us inspire and train the next generation of International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) public defenders (JusticeMakers), who are effectively ending pre-trial torture in 25 countries around the world. This is about supporting real social action in action. Help us Help IBJ and become a part of the effort. Take a look at our campaign https://igg.me/at/z5v952Ryhyc
IBJ isn’t trying to end pre-trial torture, they are currently doing so, and they can use all our help…

 

If you are local:
Future Fit Education: May 31^st from 5-8pm at the Dove Library in Carlsbad
Please join our conversation and bring others on what the future of education will look like in our region with your help…
The event is free and dinner is included, but if you sign up and don’t show up we will ask for a $50 contribution to an educational charity of your choice and out you on CNN!
To register: http://sdcoe.k12oms.org/1020-132599

 

Thanks this week go to members of the Conscious Roundtable, the Conscious Leaders Collective, Ron S, and all current and soon to be participants in Future Fit

Pay it forward please…
Love,
Neville

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

My Purpose:
Building engaged communities empowered to realize
their potential to positively impact the world!

This week:

23 Powerful Tactics for Personal Greatness with Robin Sharma:
1% victories performed daily–and flawlessly–are the keys to producing gargantuan results. Over long periods of time. You really don’t have to make sudden changes or frightening optimizations to raise your game + revolutionize your life. Instead, just master each day… By simply devoting to delivering a few micro-wins that, over time, elevate you to a place called wow. And a league called legendary.

[Ideas don’t work for those who don’t do the work, yes?].

I’ve deconstructed 23 powerful tactics to promote your personal greatness. To feed your inner hero. To fuel the history-maker within.

With great love + respect, I encourage you to make the time right now to read each of the ideas with a thoughtful mindset — and an open heartset…

…We’re all busy but I really do trust you’ll find what follows enormously valuable.

And as you know so well from our work together: the performer who learns the most wins…

Ok. Here you go:

#1. Don’t check emails or your social feeds first thing in the morning. Exploit your most pristine hours for your most valuable projects. That’s what the Titans do.

#2. Create your “victory move”. This is a physical pose you do at certain times of the day to kick start your mental concentration and unleash your physical energy. Doing so often is a strong ritual supported by some very good science.

#3. Forgive anyone you haven’t forgiven. It’s a gift you’ll give yourself. [Hard to climb a mountain carrying someone on your back].

#4. Remember that the bigger your dream, the more important your team. You can’t get to world-class with a low-performing support circle.

#5. Read “Peak” by Anders Ericsson.

#6. Get out into nature at least once a day. Tremendous benefits for your mindset, heartset, healthset + soulset.

#7. Stop being so hard on yourself. You’re human. We each have our gifts and our flaws. Our hopes and our fears. You and I are works in progress. Celebrate who you’ve become. And honor the progress you’ve made [instead of demanding perfection].

#8. Plan your week in intimate detail every Sunday morning. This removes the need to make multiple decisions each day [because you now have a beautiful blueprint in place]. And that frees up your focus + energy to dial into the few priorities that are most vital to your A-game.

#9. Let go of the relationships in your inner-circle that steal your joy. Your highest life depends on this one winning move.

#10. Travel more. You’ll receive your most genius ideas and experience your happiest moments running through the streets of Paris, swimming with the dolphins in Mauritius and watching the sun set over the Taj Mahal in Agra.

#11. Have good judgment. Yes, I know I’m old-school on this. But I think we’re living in a culture of oversharing. People show up in their pajamas on Instagram, reveal their intimate details on YouTube and have no boundaries on the internet. Go contrarian.

#12. Breathe more deeply. Regularly. All elite producers do.

#13. Drink more water. And ginger tea with fresh lemon in it.

#14. Run my “Daily 5 Ritual”. It helped millions of people do amazing things in business + their personal lives. Five small goals done with perfect execution every day makes 150 accomplished goals a month and 1850 in a year. Life changer. Truly.

#15. Read “What Doesn’t Kill Us” by Scott Carney. Fascinating.

#16. Read “Into The Magic Shop” by James Doty. Moving.

#17. Get enough sleep. Yes I made The 5 AM Club famous but I’ve never evangelized sleep deprivation. You absolutely need excellent sleep to perform at otherworldly levels. And to be happy, healthy and strong. [And yes–I’m in year 3 of writing my new book The 5 AM Club. Yikes!]

#18. Remember that your pain has served your growth. Your setbacks have strengthened your character. And your heartbreaks have helped your heroism. [Let resentments go. And trust life has your back].

#19. Find your Dream Room. This is a place you go where you have zero devices to distract you. Schedule chunks of time in here at least 3x a week. To produce Michelangelo-level work. That wows the world.

[Note: I could walk you through the mind-blowing science of transient hypofrontality, the triggering of a brain cell type called oligodendrocytes that happens away from interruption and the related production of myelin that research is now showing is the secret of mastery. But that’s for my live event Personal Mastery Academy…

#20. Run my “2 Massage Protocol”. Getting two 90-minute massages a week isn’t an expense. It’s an investment in your peak mindset, massive levels of daily energy [you can’t inspire the world if you’re exhausted], battle-proofing against stress + extending your life [a great key to legendary is longevity].

#21. Respect time. Learning how to leverage your time like a pro is mission-critical to leading an epic life. So many people want gorgeous results but aren’t doing the things required to have those rewards. You can’t own your game without installing the core mentalities, routines, operating systems and life structures that the best use every day.

#22. Protect your willpower. One of the most valuable of your performance assets is self-discipline. You can have a brilliant ambition, a sensational mission, exceptional talents and great products. But without the ability to execute on these–and translate your grand intentions into daily results, nothing happens. So understand that elite performance without regular recovery leads to depletion.

#23. Be alone a lot. Solitude is where you get to remember your greatness. World-class performers spend a lot of time alone. Envisioning. Planning. Scripting. Practicing. Studying. Iterating. You should too.

Hope this post helps you produce some exponential gains in your work and personal life… Make this time of your life an epic time of your life. Believe in your talents. Honor your gifts. And get ready to inspire the world.

Love + respect,

Why it is important to develop a spirit of philanthropy in children:
http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/family/why-it-is-important-to-develop-a-spirit-of-philanthropy-in-children

Teaching Kids Kindness:
The Carlsbad School District in San Diego is modeling kindness
http://cusd-ca.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1483356641555

Here is the program that has touched 10 million students, 15,000 schools, 500 million acts of kindness in 90 countries:
Let’s not leave kindness to a few weeks of the year!
http://thegreatkindnesschallenge.com/

Thanks this week go to Robin S, Hitendra M and the Parenting 2.0 group, as well as Leadership in Carlsbad Unified Ben C and Rick G.

“Make America KIND Again!”
Love,
Neville

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

“The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident”– Charles Lamb (1775-1834) British Essayist

This week:

Celebrating National Day of Prayer!
May all religions, world views, spiritual traditions, and beliefs be affirmed and supported if they hold love, kindness, compassion and the goodwill of all people and all sentient beings at their core, whether you pray, meditate, contemplate, reflect in churches, mosques, fire temples, synagogues, in nature on wherever you feel deeply connected to your higher self!

Celebrating National Teacher Appreciation Day!
California Teacher of the Year & former Escondido Elementary teacher, Alex Kajitani, launched Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Teachers. The event and book launch at the Schulman Theater in Carlsbad this week included heartwarming stories of the transformative impact teachers have on our students, and on the world, shared life lessons beyond the classroom and at their core, reminded us for the power of “I believe in YOU!”
Chicken Soup for the Soul does offer hats that say, “Make America KIND Again”
Thanks to all of you that transform the lives of so many for the better…

Vista Unified and UC San Diego celebrated the soft launch of the Center for Educational Research and Practice:
Featuring research in real time in a real place, this model predicated on co-creation and co-design will set new national and global standards when it comes to fostering creativity and critical thinking skills.
Ex.Summary-CenterforEducationalResearchandPractice

May the Fourth Be With You:
8 Holidays From Pop Culture We Need To Celebrate…
https://mic.com/articles/104754/8-holidays-from-pop-culture-we-need-to-celebrate#.m6UXlPxzT

Do you have this trait?
When people are extra open to new experiences — a trait that’s also been linked to insight and imagination — things can look a little different.
“Their brains are able to flexibly engage with less conventional solutions”
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/32fhqR/:$yu2qPT7:l5tZ+S1D/nymag.com/scienceofus/2017/04/people-with-this-trait-literally-see-the-world-differently.html

The 10 C’s of Great Leadership:
Here are ten “must have’” characteristics that enable great leaders to exceed strategic goals, build strong teamwork, foster innovation, and engage their workforce at a higher level. The best employees choose to work for these leaders and will follow them anywhere…
https://www.peterstark.com/10-cs-great-leadership/?inf_contact_key=17030db843af35b7eaba930d7d4438ba252ab6064721e3838b4d0c51807b100f

Be the Change You Want to See
National Philanthropy Day 2017: Call for Nominations:
Help spread the word and generate awareness and nominations for all the generous and kind people and organizations that contribute their time, talent and treasure to transform San Diego!
Here is a clip with Whitney Southwick from NBC 7 chatting with me about this…
https://youtu.be/oWuNryX9xCo
You can access the AFP nominations page at:
http://npd.afpvote.org/nomination_form/chapter/acb342916471ac6bed5f3a6a13ca8e3ecdc48429

Thanks this week go to Alex K, Matt D & Alan D and all the inspirational educators that are creating a better future for our kids, Peter S for pushing the envelope on leadership, Meg M for thinking outside of the box, and all the kind and generous San Diegans making every day National Philanthropy Day!

Pay it Forward!
Love,
Neville

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

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited.
Imagination encircles the world.”

–Albert Einstein

Had a tough week? First, change your state and get in the soul food groove with the SFSU Pep Band playing Chameleon with my son Arman on keys:

https://www.facebook.com/arman.sedgwickbillimoria/videos/10211598792992643/

Better?
This week:

To paraphrase Cornel West, Civility is What Love and Justice Look Like in Public:
In the last week I attended the 6^th Annual Community Conference on Restoring Civility here in San Diego. Some pundits say our hyper-partisan orientation has not been this polarized and negative since the Civil War (and that’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one)!
Today, 79% of Americans believe incivility is a crisis http://www.webershandwick.com/news/article/poll-finds-americans-united-in-seeing-an-uncivil-nation-divided-about-cause
“We have been tracking how civility impacts our nation’s social fabric since 2010, and we have seen a steady increase over that time in the recognition of how civility is a major problem facing Americans,” said Andy Polansky, CEO of Weber Shandwick.

Any theory of change must include a healing piece to go along with the theory of action or it simply will not uptake and stick.
Distinctions were made between debate, deliberations, discourse and dialogue.
Some takeaways: When you are addressing situations fraught with opposing and deep seeded beliefs, facts don’t seem to matter. What matters is LISTENING to UNDERSTAND the other person’s beliefs and striving to find shared experiences that can be the foundation from which civil dialogue can ensue. We have to get out of our echo chambers and start engaging civilly or we can forget about the “reunited” states of America.
Check out the http://www.civilitycenter.org/ and the civility scorecard for some ideas and best practices…

How early is too early to start teaching principles of democracy and the need for civil not just civic engagement?
Here is an approach that could scale across the nation, inspired from insights gleaned from the presenters and participants at the civility conference.

What if ALL universities (institutions of higher learning) saw themselves first and foremost as community colleges (to be great globally you must be strong and relevant locally), took it upon themselves to equip young people for the world ahead with these transferrable and irreplaceable social skills of cultural competency & committed to serving as the centers of civility and safe/brave spaces in their communities- however they choose to define and embrace community.
As part of their authentic outreach to their local stakeholders uni-versities, probably better reframed as multi-versities can help discern the difference between free speech and protected speech, teach and model civility both on their campuses and in their larger community.

What if these student-run initiatives were modeled in the spirit of learn, practice, teach and each cohort as part of community service scaled the work and taught these skills to each other? This could be student leaders to other students. University students to high school students. High school students to Middle schoolers…
Faculty and students from Washington State University Vancouver modeled a training session for deliberative dialogue fabulously so we know the pilot is in place both here and in other areas.
No longer can universities self-ascribe to being the wisdom holders and culture bearers in society if they can’t embed these values in their community, and they will be most likely to achieve this by partnering with the community leaders that are also wisdom holder and culture bearers sans the ped-degree.
Isn’t it time we turn our deepest wounds into a personal/community mission and might civility in its most basic form become a civil right and responsibility we preserve and protect for future generations?
I invite each of us today, to make a commitment to modeling civility. After all the whole world and our kids are watching!

5 Deadly Sins of Conscious Leadership
It’s hard to positively define conscious leadership, but you can be sure that if you’re making any of these fatal mistakes, you’re not actually practicing it…
https://consciouscompanymedia.com/personal-development/leadership/five-deadly-sins-conscious-leadership/

 

If you are Local (by Chronology):

Encinitas Street Fair April 29^th and 30^th
Swing by the stage right next to the Lotus Café on the 101 at 11 am on Saturday and catch us singing some Beatles tunes and playing some Jack Johnson with the Encinitas School of Music:
http://local.encinitaschamber.com/events/details/encinitas-spring-street-fair-2-days-1897

Mission Federal ArtWalk 2017 April 29 and 30^th in San Diego’s Little Italy:
Get out and enjoy some of San Diego’s finest art experience on what promises to be a sun-filled weekend with local heart-ists!
Hope to see you there Sunday…
https://www.artwalksandiego.org/missionfederal/

Conscious Contracts & Covenants: Maintaining your conscious vision … even after you’re gone May 3^rd 4-7:30 Enlightened Win/Win Agreements that Support the Conscious Vision of its Leaders

How do you create a conscious culture when your company’s structural documents are unconscious? We must bring awareness and consciousness to our short- and long-term interactions, to how we treat and negotiate with each other. That is the essence of both Enlightened Negotiation and Conscious Contracts.
If you are interested in creating a more conscious organization, you will value this…
Learn. Network. REGISTER.

————-

“Embody Your Future”

Saturday, May 6 at 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Marriott Courtyard Hotel, Solana Beach  (717 South Highway 101)

This is a complimentary event with Scott Coady where he will share some fundamental leadership principles and address any questions you have about The Art of Leadership Mastery Program, his work with The Institute for Embodied Wisdom, and his unique and powerful approach to leadership, embodiment and distinctions of language.

Scott Coady is the founder of the Institute for Embodied Wisdom in Ojai, CA and the founder of the Association of Transformational Leaders SoCal.  He works with CEOs and executive teams around the world on transformational leadership and high performance teaming.

Scott will personally introduce you to some of the techniques and practices taught in his Art of Leadership Mastery Program (www.embodiedwisdom.com/alm ). These techniques can enable you to generate a more authentic and powerful presence, support you in generating trust, becoming a more authentic and powerful leader for yourself and for your organization.

Eventbrite Link – https://eyf-051617-sd.eventbrite.com/
Facebook Link – https://www.facebook.com/events/1853959704842561/

————-

The Samurai Game®

Sunday, May 7 at 9 AM – 6 PM

The Samurai Game® is a fast-paced, highly challenging simulation training. Live and unscripted, it presents a series of fascinatingly unpredictable and challenging situations that reflect the pressures of professional and personal life.

The Samurai Game® requires each participant to fully engage with others and become keenly aware of the interplay of thought, feeling, action and outcome. From this perspective, individuals and teams become more aware of existing habits and the potential for positive constructive change and action. Participants have experienced:

* Move More Decisively When There is No Clear Choice * Unlock Your Ability to Flow: Take on More with Less Effort * Increase Self Awareness and Self Trust * Learn to Build Trust and Rapport in Critical Situations  * Practice Mindfulness Under Pressure * Learn to Strengthen Trust and Alliances in Critical Situations

Eventbrite Link – https://oceansidesamuraigame.eventbrite.com/
Facebook Link – https://www.facebook.com/events/809818489170410/

Thanks this week go to:
Carl L, Ken D, and all the organizers and attendees of the Civility Conference
Eric K and all the members of the Conscious Leaders Collective
The San Diego Chapter of Conscious Capitalism
The Mission Fed ArtWalk team
and Robert Mc. for sharing Scott Coady with us!

Pay it forward!
Love,
Neville

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

“Civility is What Love and Justice Look Like in Public”

“I will see it when I believe it.” — Dr. Wayne Dyer

While it might be true that there are none so blind as those that will not see, it is also true that seeing with a new set of eyes can transform your life!

Enjoy these powerful examples of sight restored, don’t take yours for granted, and if you are blessed with sight remember Hellen Keller’s admonition; “What good is sight, if you have no vision!”

 

This week:

Grandpa Sees Colors for the First Time in His Life:
His reaction is soulful!
https://www.facebook.com/viralthread/videos/731127433726609/

“As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can’t see how it is.”— Ram Dass

Two Doctors Embark on One of their Most Challenging Missions: Fighting Blindness and Partial Blindness
This story will touch your heart and this is a powerful reminder of how to build a sustainable and scalable solution to a seemingly intractable problem.
One of the best 60 Minutes episodes I have ever seen!
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/out-of-darkness/

“We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.” —Anais Nin

National Haiku Poetry Day:
Here are some fun sub-missions from Monday of this week…
https://twitter.com/hashtag/NationalHaikuPoetryDay?src=tren

 

If You Are Local:
National Teacher Appreciation Day is May 2^nd and We Still Want to Celebrate YOU!
70 tickets have already been snatched up, and planning is now underway for a Los Angeles event the following evening!
The Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Chicken Soup for the Soul has decided to come to California to attend!
Join us if you can…
http://www.inspirationforteachers.com/

Thanks this week go to Marlaine M, Alex K, and Seers everywhere!

Pay it Forward
Love,
Neville

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

“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

This week:
Channeling Socrates… Please THINK!

It’s National Dolphin Day:
Dolphins are highly social animals that form superpods in which they form strong bonds and stay with injured or ill individuals, even helping them breathe by guiding them to the surface.
In a world of sharks, I hope you can be that dolphin that makes a difference!
http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-dolphin-day-april-14/
BTW, there are over 1,200 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day!

20 Year Anniversary of the Rady Children’s Center for Healthier Communities:
I was privileged to attend this event on behalf of the Ackerman Foundation on Wednesday.

It was an inspiring gathering that showcased the amazing work and impact this group has had over 2 decades in partnership with many other local organizations.

I was particularly struck by the comments and call to action by Dr. Bob Ross, President and CEO of the California Endowment, who highlighted 3 main themes:

1. This work is exemplary; ensuring the circle of human concern and compassion is as wide as it can be. In today’s narrative, beyond politics and personalities, the exclusion circle narrative seems to be winning out v the inclusion circle narrative. Children’s hospitals over the last 4 decades have remained warm, welcoming inclusive environments where NO CHILD is turned away based on their documentation status, religious beliefs, demography or other factors. We can’t turn back the clocks on ensuring the circle of compassion is as wide as it can be and ensuring this cultural competency remains integral to our work in every sector of society.
2. Remaining vigilant of Trauma Adversity. Early implications and the data suggests that the old adage, “time heals all wounds” is not true! Multiple doses of trauma have long term implications for long term health and wellbeing and we need trauma smart systems to proactively address these challenges and limit the adverse impacts.
3. Keep advocating for healthcare for all. We have gone from over one million kids in the US not having access to healthcare to less than 75,000 but this with the Obamacare rollback and risks to Medicare need to be social issues we add our voice, power and advocacy to preserve and protect and will require a fight to get to 100% universal coverage.

Thanks for the generous support from the Ackerman Foundation to supporting these causes and our community!

If Living Better Matters to You and Your Organization, You Might Enjoy This Interview with Yours Truly on a Local Radio Station- KSON:
http://www.kson.com/blogs/living-better-san-diego/mission-federal-credit-union

If you are local:

Join us for Purpose San Diego on April 19^th @ the Corporate Alliance:
PURPOSE SAN DIEGO – WHERE BUSINESS MEETS PURPOSE
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GAME CHANGERS
PRESENTS
BREAKFAST CLUB – KICK OFF EVENT
APRIL 19, 7:30AM
CORPORATE ALLIANCE OF SAN DIEGO

PURPOSE SAN DIEGO  is uniting minds
to magnify positive impacts on society
through business.

You are invited to the launch event
of the monthly Breakfast Club.

ATTEND  THIS GREAT EVENT TO:

• Be a leader in purposeful business space.
• Align your organization with a purpose driven mission.
• Find your passion purpose(s).
• Connect with others who share your purpose, for greater impact.
• Share best practices and learnings to accelerate the journey.
• Learn from expert speakers, innovators, and thought leaders in this field.

PURPOSE SAN DIEGO’S MISSION IS TO:

• Unite purpose-driven organizations & individuals to strengthen our local purposeful business community.
• Create more awareness about the conscious business movement and how all can participate.
• Grow our collective through purpose driven connections.
• Share resources, best practices, and learnings to powerfully enhance our positive impact on society.

TIME & PLACE
WEDNESDAY APRIL 19, 7:00 – 9:30 AM

CORPORATE ALLIANCE OF SAN DIEGO
9171 TOWNE CENTRE DRIVE #180

PARTNERS
GAME CHANGERS | CORPORATE ALLIANCE

TICKETS
Eventbrite – The Kick-Off Breakfast Event by PURPOSE SAN DIEGO!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/purpose-san-diego-breakfast-club-the-launch-event-tickets-33033121957

Restoring Respect 6^th Annual Conference on Restoring Civility, April 18-19^th @ UCSD Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice:
Modeling Civility Has Never Been More Important
Add your Voice and Power to the Change We Wish to See in the World!
https://www.sandiego.edu/uploads/62a57cd3b9997e0e992d187d74275ce1.pdf

April is also National Sexual Assault Awareness Month:
“There is increasing evidence that, with support from a caring adult and high-quality treatment, many children and parents effectively recover and may feel stronger and closer as a family in the aftermath of a traumatic experience.”
http://www.nctsnet.org/resources/public-awareness/national-sexual-assault-awareness-month%20

Join us for this Human Trafficking Awareness event Tuesday April 25^th from 4 to 5:30pm
kNOw MORE! And Change the World for the better, together!
This performance uses dialogue, abstract dramatized images and spoken work to incite curiosity and prompt a learning journey toward understanding red flags and vulnerabilities in human trafficking
Event Flyer: No More Know More
Please RSVP on our Eventbrite page:
https://thesourceofchange.eventbrite.com/

Come to Triton Entrepreneur Night April 27^th 2017
Celebrate Innovation and Entrepreneurship with big exhibits, live demonstrations, team pitches and networking with the entrepreneurial-minded folk that have started or backed startup companies.
You can register at: http://www.ucsdbasement.com/

Thanks this week go to the Team at Rady Children’s Center for Healthier Communities and the Ackerman Foundation, Larry K and the Purpose Breakfast Club, Naila C and all those committed to addressing Human Trafficking as well as Social Entrepreneurs committed to changing the world for the better!

Pay it forward please!
Love,
Neville

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

“If you want to be happy practice compassion; if you want others to be happy, practice compassion” – The Dalai Lama

This week:
An Important Parable:

A Teacher was writing the table of 5’s on the board:
5X1=3
5X2=10
5X3=15
5X4=20
5X5=25
5X6=30
5X7=35
5X8=40
5X9=45
5X10=50

After writing she turned back towards the students and found that everybody was laughing at her. On asking the reason for laugh, couple of students got up and told her

Ma’am- the first line of the table is wrong…It should be 5

Hearing this the Teacher (smiling) explained “I wrote the first line wrong on purpose, because I wanted you to learn something important. This was for you to learn how the real world will treat you. I wrote 9 correct lines but nobody congratulated me but one mistake and everybody pointed at it.

Moral: The world will never appreciate a billion right things you do but will criticize you for one wrong doing. Therefore, never ever get disheartened if somebody criticizes you. Take it positively and rise above all criticisms.

“Honest, open questions are countercultural,”
– Parker Palmer: The Journey Toward An Undivided Life

 

Powerful Video Urges Men To Fight Rape Culture To Protect Their Daughters:
Trigger warning… This has some bad language and broaches an incredibly difficult subject, but if we don’t ask honest questions and address the issue, who will?
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/12/14/dear-daddy-campaign-video-care-norway_n_8802942.html?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004

Some of the Chibok girls are getting an Education and a New Future:
Much has been written about the Chibok girls, the 276 schoolgirls from the village of Chibok in northern Nigeria who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in April 2014. A few have been found or rescued in the past few months; most are still missing. However, there’s another group of those Chibok girls we’ve heard less about — those who managed to escape the night of the abduction.
https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-03-28/some-chibok-girls-are-getting-education-and-new-future

Self-Care: Putting on Your Oxygen Mask First:
Did you know that Penn State University recently published a research article outlining the impacts of stress on teachers? According to their study, teacher stress “compromises their health, sleep, quality of life, and teaching performance.” The good news is the study also cited mindfulness practices as an intervention to help reduce teacher stress.
https://dmind.org/self-care-putting-oxygen-mask-first/?utm_source=Niroga+News&utm_campaign=59052e4cf0-DM+NoLa+%231&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f1e8301031-59052e4cf0-112790825&mc_cid=59052e4cf0&mc_eid=837f607469

Local Inspiration for Teachers:
A celebration of You on National Teacher Appreciation Day May 2^nd…
http://www.inspirationforteachers.com/

Thanks this week go to David S, the team at Parenting 2.0, the team at the Niroga Institute, and Alex K!
Pay it forward!
Love,
Neville

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

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence
and making sure that impact lasts in your absence”

Happy Soul Food Friday!

“I am blessed to live in a democracy, not a totalitarian state. But the democracy I cherish is constantly threatened by a brand of politics that clothes avarice and the arrogance of power in patriotic and religious garb.”—Parker Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness

This week:
Community Heroes:
In a world in dire need of civility, San Diego has embarked on a Community Heroes campaign created by KPBS and the National Conflict Resolution Center, with sponsorship support from the San Diego Foundation, the Jewish Community Foundation and Mission Fed, honoring individuals who give selflessly to build civility and community.
http://www.kpbs.org/community-heroes/
We are proud to honor the first Community Hero of 2017 for her work on racial justice and equality, Elizabeth Bustos, and here are some remarks shared about Ms. Bustos at the inaugural lunch this past week..

Greetings fellow foot soul-diers committed to the cause of equity, inclusion and social justice!
Thanks for affording each of us the opportunity to be part of today’s amazing experience celebrating Ms. Bustos and by extension, all the community heroes making a difference of consequence in creating America’s kindest region.

Please forward this on, as EID (equity, inclusivity and diversity) are core values of this work…
Elisabeth,

Thanks for “championing the un-champion-able” and tackling racial injustice HEAD ON in South-East San Diego and by extension in our extended community with a little help from your friends!

It is no co-incidence that heart health is the underpinning of your decades of work towards healing and wholeness.

Your journey of heart health has taken our community from anger to courage to compassion.
Our collective journey of heart is moving us from broken hearts to whole-heartedness, and so vitally needed at this critical time in our EVOL (love backwards) –ution

You are modeling and mentoring how each of us, in our own ways, can turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones with grace and forgiveness applying equal parts; history lesson, civic engagement and assessing our own risk and/or contribution to this equation to advancing the human race.

Let’s remember, even the heart pumps blood to itself first…
Thanks for bringing voice to the silent killer that is anything but silent; as so many voices are crying out for dignity, truth and no excuses, birthed in a legitimate anger embedded in the pain of our existence, which serves as a foil to unmask the “posers” from the legitimate and committed change makers, which the people in the room today clearly represent.

Yes, Ms. Virtue has a great name.

But, you Ms. Bustos do too, and we can all learn from you:

B= Benevolence and a genuine love of humanity in all its manifestations
U= Universal truths that you speak and remind us all to hold sacrosanct
S= Social Justice, which should remain our moral compass in this journey
T= Togetherness/Inclusivity where we are all interconnected and interdependent (If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go together)
O= Own It! We all have a role to play in being part of the solution. A part or apart. That little space makes a big difference!
S= Service before self and subordinating our personal needs for the greater good
Trust and Truth
TnT- dynomite!!

Inspired by your courage, compassion and conviction…
Love,
Neville

Nominate a Hero!
The next critical topic is Affordable Housing and we welcome your nominations of people who:

Represent the topic of interest.
Promote community, collaboration and civility.
Showcase creative problem solving.
Support and align with the missions of KPBS and NCRC, and that of the program.
Resonate with and inspire our community (and have emotional impact).
Have significant indirect or direct community impact. You can nominate them here:https://kpbsoutreach.wufoo.com/forms/z1u0mm7g0nq8o40/

Happiness and Life Satisfaction: Our Word in Data
There is no doubt that the positive or negative view that we have of our lives is of huge importance to each of us. For this reason economists frequently recommend to include measures of subjective well-being in measures of social progress – and in particular to augment the usual measure of economic prosperity, GDP…
https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction/

Zoom Focus:

Zoom Focus

“Vision without Execution is hallucination.”
– Einstein

I believe every one of us has a desire to accomplish great things, to do something meaningful, to have an impact. Yet, so many of us don’t take the actions necessary to create the success we desire. Then there are others who are very busy taking actions but the actions have nothing to do with their vision and goals. They’ve become lost in the busyness of life.

In my work with sports teams, businesses and organizations I have found that the key to individual and team success is to Zoom Focus. Zoom Focus helps you turn ideas and goals into reality and results. Zoom Focus helps you focus on your priorities, execute, and create success. Zoom Focus helps you take daily steps towards your big picture vision.

Now more than ever it is a time for action. It is a time for getting things done. It is a time to tune out the distractions and the noise from the doomsdayers and the naysayers and focus on what truly matters and what truly will help us create success. In this spirit here are a few ways to put Zoom Focus to work for you and your team.

Create your Big Picture Vision – This might be a goal or a dream. It might be a project that needs to be completed or a sale you are trying to close. It might be a company objective or a team mission. It might be a book you want to write, an initiative to improve your community, or a championship you want to win. Identify your vision and then you’ll be ready to Zoom Focus and take the necessary actions to get you there.

Ask One Question – Each day when you wake up in the morning ask the question, “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then each day take action on those three things.

Tune out the Distractions – Turn off the television. Stop answering the phone. Don’t answer email right now. Talk to your friend later. First, get things done. Execute, accomplish and then feel free to embrace the distractions.

Say No and Yes – My friend once told me, “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” He reminded me that we need to stop scattering our energy and wasting our time on trivial things that have nothing to do with our vision and goals and start saying yes to our priorities and to what truly matters. Each day we must make choices and those choices including saying “no” to people and opportunities so we can say “yes” to the work we are meant to do and the success we are meant to create.

Focus on Daily Improvement – I see it in sports all the time. Teams focus too much on winning the championship and forget to Zoom Focus each day in practice. They are outcome focused not process focused. The key is to focus on improving each day and take the necessary action steps. If you incrementally improve each day, each week, each month, each quarter, by the end of the year you’ll see remarkable results and growth. When you Zoom Focus on the process the outcome takes care of itself.

Teach Your Daughters Well:

The Three Things We Must Teach Our Daughters

In today’s society, women are suffering. Our young women are suffering.  My granddaughters are suffering. Not because they are incompetent or weak, but because society tells them day-in and day-out that they are NOT good enough.

These conflicting messages become apparent as early as pre-teen years because our daughters look around and become very aware that males have privileges that they do not, and they realize they live in a male centered world. So, it’s no surprise girls become great at becoming something they are not. Change is needed.

My advocacy of women came about because of deep and sustained research of leadership effectiveness that the Gap company asked me to do. What I discovered at Gap was that women have distinctive advantages in leading teams and organizations that rely on collaboration. Women are especially able to create and implement innovation that people and their customers valued, and women especially excel in conditions of ambiguity and change.

My subsequent research took me deep into the field of neuropsychology. This is a new field that studies the interactive effects of our brain biology and social environment. This led me to understand how negative impact of systemic bias severely limits the lack of confidence that most women battle when fulfilling their potential in the workplace. It also inhibits women’s happiness and life satisfaction.

Put simply, it’s a man’s world. It has been for thousands of years. And the world we currently have is about as good as male brains can make it. It doesn’t appear to be good enough.

Due to the explosion of world population from 2.5 billion to 7.5 billion people the last 60 years, and an unprecedented advancement of technology, everything in our world has become more intensely interconnected. It turns out, the holistic neuro networks of female brains are better designed to deal with this complexity than the linear brains of most males. However, unless women’s voices and thinking versatility is elevated to the highest levels of our institutions, the short term, binary, blue brain thinking of testosterone thinking will continue to dominate.

We need to train our daughters to overcome the female self-doubt that is driven by the bias in our world culture. We need to obliterate the limits of women’s contributions that will lead to better business, better government and a better world.

In my women’s leadership training I summarize the mindset of successful high functioning women leaders. It is based on years of leadership science that examines the results of 360° leadership surveys and the business results achieved by high impact women leaders. It is also very relevant in teaching and raising young girls.

The foundation is confidence.  Confidence arises when you believe that the result of your best efforts will be successful. When you don’t have that experience because others, who are less capable, are consistently given more opportunities and advantages than you, it is natural for your confidence to erode. Too often, women settle for jobs which are designed to help other people achieve their goals.  But for our world to work for everyone young girls and women need to pursue their goals.

The confident mindset is built on three principles:

1.Be BRIGHT: Carol Dweck’s  growth mindset research confirms that if you have an IQ of 115,  you can learn anything.  You can become a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon. You can certainly become the President of United States.   This idea is new for women.  In 1960, nearly all major universities would not except women into their engineering programs.  1960! Most states would not license women to become architects until the 1950s because architecture was considered too technical a field for women to master.  Unfortunately, that mindset lingers.  We have to actively build a confidence of our girls that they are intellectually, socially, and emotionally gifted to learn whatever they need to learn to make the greatest contribution they can make in whatever field they choose. Teach your daughters that they can learn anything.

2.Be BRAVE. Personal bravery is a willingness to try things at the outer edge of your competence. When you are  brave enough to push yourself out of your comfort zone your learning and development expands.  One of the greatest abilities of women is their mental and social agility which allows them to move beyond mistakes and shortcomings to endlessly become better and better. Recent research from McKinsey and Company reveals that women continue to seek and grow from feedback after age 40. The research found that as men age they tend to respond to negative feedback defensively. They become more self-justifying. For women, the greatest deterrent to bravery is perfectionism.  Teach your daughters that a well lived life is a life of progress not perfection.

3.  Be TRUE. In the Facebook era, we swim in an ocean of social comparison. But high functioning people do not define themselves by comparing their looks, their achievements or their stuff to anyone else’s. To be true means that you consistently invest the inner energy necessary to understand your unique motivated talents.  These are the abilities that you love to use and develop. These are talents that can be harnessed in the service of what intrinsically rewards you. When your highest motives and your greatest talents are combined you’re on the path to fulfillment.

You are not your body.
You are not your achievements.
You are not your grades.
You are not your friends.
You are not your emotions.
You are not your fears.

You are not any of these things because all of these things change. You are something much deeper.  You have an intrinsic, essential self that is gently seeking to be fully realized.  You’re not seeking self-fulfillment as much as soul fulfillment. This is not an airy- fairy, quacky notion. It is the conclusion of the collective wisdom of thousands of years of philosophers and spiritual leaders worldwide. And after three decades of helping people fulfill their inner sense of purpose as well as their professional and personal goals, it is also my strongest conviction.  Teach your daughters not to be defined by anyone else, and to seek soul fulfillment.

Be bright.
Be brave.
Be true.

These are the things to teach your daughters and the young girls in our communities. One of the greatest benefits in teaching them these three principles is that you will more fully become the truth that you teach. For it is in our examples that the most powerful teachers emerge, always.

– Will

If You Are Local:
Teach Your Parents Well…
TEDx Youth Event in Encinitas on Saturday, April 1, 2017
TEDx Encinitas is a TEDx Youth event with a twist…  Instead of adults sharing their wisdom with youth, at this event the speakers are the young people (ages 11-21) and the audience is predominantly adults.    Come hear the wisdom of some incredible young minds share their perspective on the theme “Changing Voices”.  The event goes from 1:00 – 6:00 PM and will include an entire experience including entertainment and experiential activities in addition to the speakers.  If you are committed to supporting our youth this is the place to be!
For tickets or more information go to www.tedxencinitas.com or call Robert MacPhee at (760) 846-0312.

Thanks this week go to Community Heroes, sung and unsung everywhere, Paul S, Larry H, Will M, Robert M, and all the children that teach their parents well!

Please Pay it Forward
Neville

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

“Perhaps the immutable error of parenthood is that we give our children what we wanted, whether they want it or not.
We heal our wounds with the love we wish we’d received, but are often blind to the wounds we inflict.”
― Andrew Solomon

Happy Soul Food Friday for the Week of Spring Equinox, Persian New Year, International Day of Happiness & Arts Advocacy Day 2017!

This week:

Fighting Hunger with an App:
Oscar Ekponimo grew up with very little food in Nigeria. He then became a software engineer and has invented an app that aims to end food waste by connecting retailers with charities who distribute provisions to the hungry.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04x230f

The One-Winged Eagle that Soared Again:
John Stokes from Tennessee and Osceola , a one-winged eagle, have travelled across America taking part in educational shows. They even had a residency at Dolly Parton’s theme park Dollywood. But there was just one sadness in their lives – Osceola’s one wing meant he could never fly again. So John came up with an ingenious idea to solve the problem…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04wysr5

Spring Equinox & Persian New Year on Monday, March 20, 2017:
The Spring (Vernal) Equinox fell on Monday, March 20, 2017 at 3:29 am PDT and is a time of changing seasons as well as a significant astronomical event.

The Sun crosses directly over the Earth’s equator. This moment is known as the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and begins the Spring season.

For the Southern Hemisphere, this is the moment of the Autumnal Equinox, and begins the Fall season.

On this day the sun rises precisely due East and sets due West.

It is a moment of equilibrium in the year. Translated literally, equinox means “equal night”.  Day and night are about equal in length all over the world during the equinoxes, twelve hours of each, because the sun is positioned above the equator.

The Spring Equinox signifies a rebirth. The duration of light is about to overtake the darkness.  After the Spring Equinox, the days become longer and the air warmer. The soil becomes fertile and all hibernating life is re-animated.  It is a time to plant seeds of growth.

The Spring Equinox is a time of renewal – in nature, the home, and in us. More than just physical activity, “spring cleaning” removes any negative energy accumulated over the dark winter months and resonates with the positive growing energy of spring and summer.

The Spring Equinox is a time where there is a special quality of energy – to plant, grow and renew our lives. Energy is emerging from the ground where it has been dormant in the earth since the winter solstice.

Wishing you a special day, symbolic of balance in our life and with the environment!

Emotionally Healthy Families are Happy Families:
This past Monday marked the International Day of Happiness, a day for everyone to promote happiness and kindness, aiming to feel fulfilled and having the ability to reach our potential, both of which can be achieved by supporting good emotional health in ourselves and our families…
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/nick-haismansmith/emotionally-healthy-famil_b_15383176.html

San Diego, Chula Vista among happiest cities in United States:
http://www.10news.com/news/san-diego-chula-vista-among-happiest-cities-in-united-states-according-to-study

Please Urge Congress to Support the Arts! 

This week, March 21^st was also Arts Advocacy Day 2017, and OPERA America joined dozens of national arts service organizations to revise and update the national policy briefs.

This year, approximately 650 advocates from across the nation are visiting D.C. to talk to Congress about the issues impacting artists, arts organizations and the communities they serve. In fact, this year’s slate of issues includes 18 different policy briefs that range from support for the National Endowment for the Arts and arts in education, to preserving the charitable deduction and the impact of the arts on healing.

Not in D.C.? Not a problem! You can add your voice to the millions advocating across the country by sending a letter to your congressional representatives. OPERA America continues to represent the field daily in Washington, D.C., meeting regularly with congressional offices, working with national coalitions on a range of issues and providing opportunities for grassroots advocacy.

KEY POLICY ISSUES

Support the NEA: Last week, President Trump released a non-binding budget resolution that proposed the elimination of 19 federal agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts. Congress must still put forward and pass their own budget legislation, which means there’s time to build and strengthen relationships with lawmakers and urge them to save the NEA and fund the agency at $155 million for fiscal year 2018.

Tax Reform: Congress is eager to tackle tax reform in 2017. There have been proposals from both sides of the aisle that would limit giving to charitable communities. The nonprofit sector is urging Congress to preserve the full scope and value of the tax deduction for all charitable gifts.

Visa Policy: With ongoing delays in the processing of visas for foreign guest artists, OPERA America continues to advocate to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. Department of State to reduce the processing times. Advocates also urge Congress to enact the ARTS Require Timely Service (ARTS) provision, which would support increased efficiency.

To learn more about these and other issues, visit OPERA America’s advocacy page. And please take a minute to join arts advocates from across the U.S. in urging Congress to support policies and legislation that impact the arts sector. 

If you are local:

Local Robotics Team First to Win the Super Regional Championships!

FTC 4216 Rise of Hephaestus, spent over 5000 total hours working together over the past six months and won the Super Regional Championship in Tacoma, WA this past weekend as Team Captain of the Winning Alliance.  This is the first time a San Diego region FTC team has won at this level.  They are partially sponsored by none other than Qualcomm and a variety of other local sponsors.

The precepts they work under are:

Gracious Professionalism – FIRST

https://www.firstinspires.org/about/vision-and-mission

Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It’s a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions.

Here is a newspaper article about them that just came out (see page 7):
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0tMUxbNho9ncE1VbERnQW1nNVk

And a news conference they were recently in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi_EXJ_dVAs

Their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riseofhephaestus4216/

Their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ftc4216RiseOfHephaestus

https://www.gofundme.com/ftc-4216-rise-of-hephaestus-worlds

Click here to support FTC 4216 Rise of Hephaestus Worlds! by Rise Hephaestus

Please help support our local Point Loma/Ocean Beach First Tech Challenge robotics team FTC 4216 Rise of Hephaestus!  We have spent over 5000 total hours working together over the past six months to advance to the Super Regional Championship in Tacoma, WA and finished as Team Captain of the Winni…

Thanks this week go to Billy S, the team at the Global Presence, & Matt N and the Point Loma/OB First Tech Challenge Robotics Team!

Pay it forward…
Love,
Neville

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

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,
it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”– Albert Einstein