“The beloved community is not a utopia, but a place where the barriers between people gradually come down and where the citizens make a constant effort to address even the most difficult problems of ordinary people. It is above all else an idealistic community.” ~Jim Lawson
Tom Kohler at a reading of Waddie Welcome…
This quote appears at the beginning of the book, “Waddie Welcome and the Beloved Community”, Continue reading
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Here in the states, Thanksgiving Day came and went. As I evolve, my belief is that this particular holiday offers an opportunity for people to embrace gratitude. If you’ve been a follower of this blog, you’ll know I believe sending out your gratitude every day is something to aim for…but is not always reached (certainly for me). In this short film by Louie Schwartzberg, through his brilliant photography and cinematography, he captures the gifts surrounding us each and every day. He invites us to treat every day as if it were our ‘first day of life and last day of life’…and if we approach each day like this, ‘then it will really be a good day.’ Take 6 minutes to watch this film and try not to have an ear-to-ear smile emerge within the first 30 seconds and stay throughout the film.
I repeat these words internally daily, externally almost daily and practice them as best I can (which is certainly not daily). Relentless positivity is the foundation of Come In From The Cold, a value Linda and I agreed on at the genesis of this adventure. This short film encompasses just that…and as he says in the film, ‘every day is a gift.’
Be well my friends…
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Deep REM sleep is rudely interrupted by the faint electronic melody emanating from my iPhone every morning at 5am. Why so early? Well, with three kids 6 years of age and under, and a work schedule which seemingly never turns off, 5am-6am is the sacred hour…the only hour of quiet in the house, in my life, where I can read, meditate, pray, write or lately… SNOOZE. We all know this function of the alarm clock well, providing us with 8-minute chunks of sleep, beyond the time we designated for wake up. Continue reading
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Several people over the past year have recommended a documentary titled “Craigslist Joe” and said “you’ll love it.” Well…all of those people were correct. I’ve linked in the trailer to this film here and would like to share my thoughts and recommendations on it.
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Here in the states, Thanksgiving Day came and went. As I evolve, my belief is that this particular holiday offers an opportunity for people to embrace gratitude. If you’ve been a follower of this blog, you’ll know I believe sending out your gratitude every day is something to aim for…but is not always reached (certainly for me). In this short film by Louie Schwartzberg, through his brilliant photography and cinematography, he captures the gifts surrounding us each and every day. He invites us to treat every day as if it were our ‘first day of life and last day of life’…and if we approach each day like this, ‘then it will really be a good day.’ Take 6 minutes to watch this film and try not to have an ear-to-ear smile emerge within the first 30 seconds and stay throughout the film.
I repeat these words internally daily, externally almost daily and practice them as best I can (which is certainly not daily). Relentless positivity is the foundation of Come In From The Cold, a value Linda and I agreed on at the genesis of this adventure. This short film encompasses just that…and as he says in the film, ‘every day is a gift.’
Be well my friends…
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Back in January 2013, while facilitating a workshop in Scotland with Beth Gallagher, Peter Leidy, Heather Simmons and our lovely hosts from EDG (Linda Keys, Stephen Coulson, Helen Wright), the concept of our Integrity Gap smacked me across the face. Presented to Heather by John O’Brien a few months prior to the workshop, she decided to share it and pay it forward to our group. Ever since learning about this concept, we’ve been sharing it with our employees in San Diego with Life Works at orientation and with others we run into while facilitating workshops wherever we travel. Continue reading
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This week we’ve linked in a TED Talk given by Ron Finley. Ron Finley is an activist in South Central Los Angeles. He started an organization comprised of volunteers that plant gardens in vacant lots across South Central Los Angeles. His passion rests in educating kids and community members about food and a healthy way of eating. His philosophy is beautiful, simple, real and impactful. Take the time to watch this ten minute talk. Have a great week everyone!
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Before we introduce this week’s blog link, we have AMAZING news! Co-author and co-creator of this here blog, Linda Keys, along with her partner Alan MacFarlane, welcomed their son Findlay into the world on Saturday evening, May 4. In a text she wrote, “Our beautiful wonderful son Findlay Keys MacFarlane, was born last night, May 4 at 8:21pm at home in water. Weight 8 lbs, 11 ounces. It was the most perfect home birth I could have ever imagined. His transition to the outside world was gentle and calm. Auntie Jenny made it here in time. We are all incredibly well and happy.” Congratulations Linda and Alan on the birth of Findlay!! Findlay is blessed to have you as parents! Now on with the show…
This week we are honored to provide you with a link to a dear friend’s blog, April Doner. Continue reading
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Hope springs…
Seven days removed from the Boston Marathon bombings, we wish to extend our thoughts and prayers to those affected by the incidents. Acts of violence are unnecessary. They leave us empty and searching for answers. As we committed to upon partnering to bring you this blog, Linda and I vowed to be relentlessly positive.
I saw a quote from Mr. Rogers yesterday and it read: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Continue reading
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Come In From The Cold 