Writers Circle - Coburn Ventures Community for Change — Community for Change

Community for Change

Sort posts by: Author | Date

#108: Looking into a Different Mirror in 2019

While I’m not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions, I like the idea of resolving, this year, to change the story we tell ourselves about ourselves.

One of the most relaxing parts of my winter break were the hours I spent curled up with The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, the most-recommended fantasy fiction book by all of you.

At the end of the book, I found a pearl of wisdom spoken by a minor character named Bast:

Everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.

Sasha DichterJanuary 22, 2019Comment

#107: Food for Thought

Eating, a basic biological need and desire we share with animals has been a site for meaning making in every religious and cultural system. Only human beings cook their food, set their tables, eat out, consciously restrict their desires, and frame their pre and post act of eating with stories and value judgments. While sometimes a cigar is just a cigar eating is never just about eating. The experience surrounding food/eating has been fraught with rituals, taboos, rules, customs, norms, symbolization, messages, and stories, -- the what, how, where, with whom, why, and when we eat.

Irwin KulaJanuary 18, 2019Comment

#106: To See and Be Seen

I watched a Ted Talk this week titled, "The Power of Vulnerability." The speaker, Brene Brown, emphasized the importance of “letting ourselves be deeply and vulnerably seen… to love with our whole hearts even though there’s no guarantee.”

She said, “To feel vulnerable means I’m alive. And I must stop controlling and predicting because it is not possible to selectively numb difficult feelings.”

Her words gave me chills and made me think about so many different circumstances in my existence. But they especially made me think about one particular really difficult part of my life.

Amanda PosaJanuary 14, 2019Comment

#105: Writing About How I Don't Know What to Write

I've been wanting to write a CFC blog post for weeks now, but I have struggled to know what to write about. I try to write a good amount outside of CFC too - and outside of my school papers - but have had a bad bout of writer's block recently. It's not that I don't have thoughts, I just don't have...ideas.

Lauren CulbertsonJanuary 10, 2019Lauren CulbertsonComment

#104: Contemplations On Over-Scheduling

“Life is what happens when we are busy making plans…”

This morning (December 22) I sketched out what I want to accomplish before 1 pm today when my son Eamon and I will drive from Georgetown to Pleasantville to join in on the Christmas joy back home.

I apportioned all my 6 and a half hours of time for the morning quite carefully. There is so much I want to accomplish. So I penciled out a very specific plan… and…

…It all fit!!!

Pip CoburnJanuary 7, 2019Pip CoburnComment

#103: My Fear of Blogging

Pip asked me some time ago, if I was also willing to share some of my thoughts or insights in this community. I said “sure” and then realized that I had never written a blog before…

When I was around 12 years old, I used to write hilarious reviews of the hockey matches of my team in the weekly club magazine. I had great fun in writing then, but nowadays I do not find it fun anymore to write things down…actually, I find it a big pain in the ass! It costs me all my will-power to sit down and trust my thoughts to paper… It takes me ages to write work emails in which I advocate on or ask for something!

Marcelle MettesJanuary 3, 2019Marcelle MettesComment

#102: Season’s Greetings and Anti Pet Peeving

Hi all, and Happy New Year! We are resending the anti pet peeve list in case you missed it from a week ago. I wish you all joy, positivity, and meaningful change for 2019!

Amanda PosaJanuary 1, 2019Amanda PosaComment

#101: Mind the Gaps

Be mindful of filling gaps

Of seemingly nothingness

With mindless distractions -

A phone or an app,

The TV or even endless cleaning,

Or some thing you do just to do it.

Jaime PosaDecember 18, 2018Sasha DichterComment

#100: How to give and get better advice

The problem with most advice is that it’s delivered as “here’s what I think you should do.”

Yet it typically reflects, “here’s what I did in a similar situation.”

That old situation and this new one are never the same: different time, different place, different people.

Sasha DichterDecember 9, 2018Sasha DichterComment

#99: A Magnifying Approach

For the last six months, I have been meeting with an amazing life coach in-training via zoom every other week. During our last call, I communicated to her that, lately, I have been so stressed and overwhelmed that I have actively noticed myself getting more easily frustrated or upset over minor things that occur in my life on a daily basis. I told her that I had been feeling hypersensitive to trivial negative incidences… like when I got to Dunkin’ Donuts and realized I had forgotten my reusable plastic straw.. or when a driver didn't let me cross in the crosswalk.. and safe to say, I did not like this realization I was having.

Amanda PosaDecember 5, 2018Amanda PosaComment

#98: A Great Yoga Practice

My yoga practice today
Happened next to a half-made bed
A few clothes strewn nearby

My daughter entered the room a few minutes in
Plopped herself onto the bed
To read her book

Sasha DichterNovember 28, 2018Sasha DichterComment

#97: No More "Stories"

About 10-12 years ago, my friend Om Malik said that “media” was the business of attracting attention.

I suspect there may be more human talent being applied to getting the attention of other humans than any other professional activity.

And these are real real real pros involved. These folks are GREAT at “storytelling”! (in quotes “storytelling”)

They are GREAT at reducing the complexity of an amazing world into an eye-catching, fully fully fully fully engaging “story”.

Pip CoburnNovember 23, 2018Pip CoburnComment

#96: Why I Am Listening to Christmas Music Early This Year

I love Christmas music.

Most years, I am pretty disciplined when it comes to waiting to listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. I don't want to spoil the specialness of holiday songs and listen to them out of the context of the holiday season.

But this year feels different and I have shamelessly listened to "O Holy Night," "Joy to the World," and (of course) "All I Want For Christmas Is You" a lot recently.

Lauren CulbertsonNovember 19, 2018Lauren CulbertsonComment

#95: Choose Your Own Adventure

It’s been a trying week for me and my family.

So, last week I’m in Europe – you know just doing my usual consulting thing - and I get a text message from my wife: “we’re being evacuated – big fire in our neighborhood. Will text you soon. Love, Elizabeth.”

I kept up through Google News and texts from my wife for the next four days. I’ve been back with my family for four days now, and safely ensconced in our temporary place – and we’ve just been notified that we’re allowed to go back to our home. It’s relieving.

Robert RoseNovember 17, 2018Rob RoseComment

#94: By when?

Behaviors around time and deadlines are some of the most important unspoken elements of your team culture

Do we ship?

Or do we delay?

Do we let plans and projects float around without deadlines?

Sasha DichterNovember 13, 2018Sasha DichterComment

#93: In Time of The Breaking of Nations

There are times when the world’s events seem to dwarf the human perspective. When whatever one might do feels small and gestural, energetic work with shovels in the midst of an avalanche.

In January 1916, Thomas Hardy published these twelve lines in The Saturday Review.

Niko CannerNovember 6, 2018Niko CannerComment

#92: Rejoicing in an Extra Hour of Sleep

I sense that we have taken in an idea that humans are all so different… and maybe miss how very very much we are the same…

…to our collective detriment.

I read this passage last month about shared human experiences:

Pip CoburnNovember 5, 2018Pip CoburnComment

#91: The Sweet Spot

When I was a teenager, my favorite movie was Into the Wild - the true story of Chris McCandless who cuts all ties from society, changes his name, and hitchhikes to Alaska. Fed up with what he saw as a world that couldn't change, made only of people who disappoint, he slips away without telling his friends or family where he has gone.

Lauren CulbertsonOctober 31, 2018Lauren CulbertsonComment

#90: I Would Go Back

I would go back.

I would go back to when you were just tiny

And wide eyed and testing out the world

And make sure you knew that you were loved.

Jaime PosaOctober 26, 2018Jaime PosaComment

#89: A Long Walk in the Same Direction . . .

Most of us walk through life driven by only one or two things. For some, it takes years to name our north star. For others, the vision is crystal clear. We might do a bunch of different jobs, but really we’re just continuing in the same direction we’ve always been headed. If you’re unclear about what drives you, just ask the few people closest to you. They usually know. That’s probably the topic for a different post.

Brinton JohnsOctober 22, 2018Brinton JohnsComment