Sort posts by: Author | Date
A few years ago, in Park City, Utah, near the completion of a two-day gathering we call Road Makers, Rob Rose said that it was so nice and valuable to have a space he could show up not as a superhero—which is often required at business gatherings—but, instead, as his alter ego Clark Kent.
Way back in the 1990s, a family friend switched jobs.
Read MoreIn preparation for writing about the Community for Change and Instagram, Pip asked me to think about perhaps my own first Instagram post. I remember it very clearly, actually. It was back in 2012 when my older, cooler cousin told me about this app called Instagram where you could post photos. I downloaded it, and my first photo was of bouquets of sunflowers I had hung upside down with twine – with a very heavy, color-saturated filter, of course.
Read MoreI am highlighting April Tam Smith’s note below on PS Kitchen…
For context…
I remember back in 2009 as some extremely large companies were bailed out the phrase “too big to fail” became popularized… and quickly demonized. People HATE that phrase.
I think NOW we are quickly understanding too small to fail.
I have no idea what the actual numbers are, but everyone I know knows people who will have no work and people whose small businesses may face real survival issues.
I am highlighting this note from our dear friend April.
Read MoreA week ago, I felt ahead of the coronavirus curve. Our town had closed schools as of the prior Sunday night, so our kids were already at home. Our community had started social distancing and I was already staying home from work. Meanwhile, the rest of the country, and most of the rest of the world, was going about business as usual.
What a difference a week makes.
If last week my community was living through a first, early wave, this week everyone everywhere got hit head-on with a mammoth second wave, and it’s knocked us off our feet.
Read MoreI feel blessed to be a part of this community. In thinking about the serious challenges and uncertainty we face a few things have come to mind that Pip invited me to share.
Read MoreEarlier today, I replied to a message from Melissa, who, as usual, wrote me a kind note of friendship and encouragement. I told her that lately, our Zoom sessions and dinners about community made me connect even more with a passage in a recently published book about the biology and evolution of friendship (Isn’t it great? Friendship has a fundamental biological aspect to it, and it goes beyond human physiology! I am totally hooked on this book!).
Read MoreLike many, I’ve found my week and life disrupted by the Coronavirus.
First, over the weekend we decided to keep our 60 Decibels New York team working from home for the start of this week, since two of our team members live in Westchester County (which has been leading the nation in total number of Coronavirus cases). Then I learned late on Sunday night that our school district was closing until March 18th.
Read MoreThe CFC Writer’s Circle has perhaps inadvertently become a place to share the wisdom of loved ones who have passed away. I have really enjoyed hearing about Pip and the Posa sisters' respective fathers, Pip’s coach, as well as Amanda’s former boss in Florida. I am sure there have been others too. I lost a friend a year ago very unexpectedly, and as we come up to the one-year anniversary of her passing, I have been wanting to put into words some of the things she taught me.
Read MoreWhen people offer me a seat on the subway, especially when my backpack is heavy and I have an hour commute. - Sandra Diaz
My watch tells me the sunrise and sunset every day, and it makes me SO HAPPY to see the time the sun sets get a little later each day - I’m not the biggest fan of short winter days! -Lauren Culbertson
Getting gas the other day I had a really, REALLY friendly attendant. This gentleman was truly remarkable, such that I asked him if telling his manager how great he was would help in any way. He affirmed that it would be, so I did. I often encounter people who seem to be grudgingly doing their work in this world... I was really grateful to encounter someone who brought joy to his work. -Richard Uniacke
Read MoreA long time ago (1996) my incredible coach of 20 years Ken Davidson said: “Do you think I have a thought of what you should do in this situation? I truly don’t.. I have enough trouble figuring out my own life to spend any time thinking about what others should do with theirs.” And I stopped my own habit of contemplating what others should do with their lives that day as well. Why do I mention this “anti-advising” idea? It is one of the core core design principles of the Community For Change and all the writing in this series that Amanda brings to life for us. I am anti-advising. I think there is so much relief from self-consciousness when we feel we are truly in a space of zero fear of judgment and spaces filled with advisement (solicited or unsolicited) I sense can so often cut off genius and learning and community way too instantly. Perhaps I will write on this topic in the future more widely just to share the weird thinking I have migrated toward on the “advising” topic.
Read MoreI work remotely a majority of the time, and last week I decided to do a free trial with KettleSpace, a group that partners with restaurants in New York that are only open for dinner, transforming them into a coworking space during the day. Anyone can try them out for free for 7 days, so I thought why not?
The location closest to my apartment is a pretty unassuming restaurant that shares a building with the Czech Consulate on 73rd street. When I arrived, I was pleased to find only about seven people spread out around the room, either working silently on their laptops or in small groups. A KettleSpace employee greeted me when I walked in, gave me a short tour, and then I sat down with a black coffee to get to work.
Read MoreSo – in my experience one of the more common challenges we have as leaders is to make decisions under pressure. Where should we focus our time? Where do we start with our new strategy? Will the other team think we are stepping on their toes with our new approach? Should we back off our ambitious goals?
We can become so focused on what the right decision is, we lose the ability to even make one.
We think rehashing problems in our head helps us figure out the answer. It almost never does.
Overthinking often rears its head as we plan out a complex change we have to make. Mapping out all the things to we need to create, stop creating, or modify usually involves more unknowns than knowns.
Read MoreThe best part about Ellie's playroom is that it is has a window she can walk up to that faces the woods. Every now and then, we get a close up view of deer. This morning she saw one, pointed and came running over to get a closer look. Then we just stood together and observed for awhile until she was done observing. She said "woof woof" and then went back to play. I really reveled in that experience.
Read MoreAs everyone in my family knows, I have a persistent, daily, absurd issue with running for the train.
Each morning, to get to work, I walk a half mile from my house to the train station. At a relaxed pace, that walk takes 12 to 14. Walking briskly, you can do it in 10-12 minutes. Most mornings I do it in 8-9 minutes, and when things get bad, I sprint to the train in 6 minutes.
Mind you, this is all while fully dressed for work. And it’s not because I’ve overslept: I wake up at least 75 minutes before the train, and often I’ve been up for as much as two and a half hours (to exercise).
Read MoreI've become hyperaware recently of the voice in my head.. and I've happily gotten a bit better at managing it in a healthier way. But what I have seen that stays more stagnant is its tendency to quickly jump to a judgement after something even a bit discouraging has happened. I've noticed though that after some time has passed, and I am less tied to a negative emotion, my orientation is more objective and I can re-shape my mindset to become a place for greater motivation and resoluteness. Lauren's blog brings me back to this, sometimes challenging, practice of actively reframing perspective. Thank you Lauren.
-Amanda
Read MoreOne of my new year's resolutions is to be less hard on myself ... to laugh at the mistakes, to have more positive self-talk, to trust my own intuition more, and to simply stress less about my daily agendas. Because deep down I know it will all get done and that I am always trying my best - so why add so much anxiety and overthinking into the mix? Jaime's blog reminds me of the power of believing in myself and of being mindful of feelings, my energy, my needs, and my growth. AND, to not let a long cold winter freeze my ability to make, even seed-like, changes to my life ;) The growth will happen naturally when I begin first by getting more in touch with what I believe I really am. Thanks Jaime!
-Amanda
Read MoreThe only thing better than my internship this past year was the person who led it. It has been over a month now, and I still find myself unable to process the tragic and unexpected passing of Mr. B - a person with an extraordinary soul, who inspired me since the first day I saw his radiant smile.
The internship that I spontaneously decided to take on last semester was geared towards harnessing the therapeutic healing power of nature to support young adults with disabilities. My three co-interns and I planned an engaging activity at a different nature park once per week. The internship/program we were leading was titled Nature and Nurture and partnered with another incredible agency titled, “Life Transition Skills” (LTS). LTS has the “aim of developing and empowering youth & young adults with intellectual differences in achieving their full physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual potential, as individuals, and as independent, responsible citizens and members of their local communities” (LTS, 2017). The program is incredible because of its leader.
Read MoreBack in November, I had asked Maria to share one thing she was grateful for from the past year. She responded with a much deeper thought and shared some very personal experiences. I am excited to now share it with you all as well. Maria inspires me to be more self-reflective and to find greater peace from within, being conscious of my surroundings let not allowing them to disturb what's inside. I think this idea helps me be more present, aware, and even spiritual. Thank you for your authenticity and for your growth mindset Maria, as always!
- Amanda
Read MoreOne morning last week in the Black Cow, I had the thought that every single relationship I have in my life that I consider super important (which there are a LOT) started out as “stranger”.
Every single one started out there and somehow progressed.
Thankfully.
Yet… we systematically teach “stranger danger”.
This seems to be a super duper societal challenge if we wish for wide-scale empathy (which I do) as well as intimate friendships (which I do). If we want to create “bridges” in the world (which I do) we would be helped if we could eliminate “stranger” as opposed to “reinforcing” it.
“Stranger” seems to be the available on-ramp to all relationships.
Read MoreOf all of the issues that must come up when serving women from all over the world who have been trafficked, survived sexual violence, and ended up finding respite at an organization called Restore NYC in the New York City area, surely fighting over food in the refrigerator was the least of the counselors’ problems. Hoping to move past this distraction and pay attention to the real work of recovery that the women needed, they got to work at resolving the issue. They intended to make sure everyone was heard. They would work to understand the root issue. Then, they would make the necessary changes, and move on.
Read More