4.4 324 Your Hobson's choices
Be Around People Smarter Than You
Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction.
2.7 323 Set the narrative aside (pt 6)
Heavenly Father:
help us find, nurture, and share
Your kingdom within us.
Forgive us as we struggle to Love you with all our hearts, minds and souls;
Remind us to Love one another as we love ourselves; and
Teach us to Love one another as you love us.
Help us Love, and not count the cost;
Help us Live, and not heed the wounds;
Help us Labor, and not seek to rest;
Help us Learn, and not desire a reward
other than your presence growing inside us daily.
Seth GODIN The perfect conditions
Somewhere, there is the ideal soil for growing mangoes. Or the best possible wave for surfing. Or the most romantic sunset for a proposal.
But it’s not right here and it’s not right now.
Our success has a lot to do with how we dance with conditions that aren’t quite perfect.
NOVEMBER 19, 2023
The 2 x 4 lessons
SETH GODIN’s latest
You’ll need two 8-foot boards and six five-gallon buckets. Each board is a standard 2 x 4, about two inches by four inches in size. And the bucket is about two feet deep.
The first lesson is simple: Put the board on the floor and have a colleague walk from one end to the other.
Now, put it across three buckets and try again.
It should be clear that the fear is all imagined. We don’t typically have trouble walking on a board that’s nearly four inches wide. But the buckets change our narrative about risk.
The second lesson: Put the first board back on the floor and place another board alongside it, about 30 inches apart.
Now, have a second colleague walk on one board while the first takes a walk on their board. It’s do-able, but awkward.
Try it again, but with them supporting each other as they walk. Hand to hand, headed in the same direction. And then try it with the buckets.
We get much further together.
OCTOBER 30, 2023
Now what?
Agreed with the commentator with the “you have no idea…” thoughts; however, totally disagree re: the “warrior” stuff. I too did time in California Prisons; 7 yr term for white collar (i.e., securities fraud). I am a well-educated lawyer.
I would summarize prison as long periods of boredom punctuated by short periods of intense emotion (mostly negative). Your son will change, the question is what will be become. As Greg Boyle, SJ of Homeboy Industries might say, “Prison is not the place you go to, it’s the place you go from”. Your son gets to decide what he will be like when he leaves prison.
My goal was that, upon my release in 2011, I would be better physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Everyday I cultivated each of those areas. Guess what? Prison is a great opportunity for your son to enter the world as a great person, a positive leader,
Greg Boyle, SJ would argue that Love is always the way.
Since my release, I’ve worked to help hundreds of inmates each year while incarcerated and upon their release by providing everything they need to get started.
Keep the faith!
Once again, Seth nailed it!
Small groups, well organized
And those are the two challenges of anyone seeking to make an impact.
First, we get distracted by the inclination to make the group as big as we can imagine. After all, the change is essential, the idea is a good one. It’s for everyone.
Except that’s a trap. Because a group that’s too large cannot be coherent or organized.
Or perhaps, we blink and settle for a group that’s too small. Change requires tension, and if our group is so small that it’s comfortable at all times, we are probably avoiding making an impact.
And well organized? That’s the persistent, generous work of creating the conditions for deep connection.
When in doubt, focus on how to organize the folks you already have. Find a way to give them the tools for them to tell the others. Build a resilient loop, one that gets more organized and powerful as you grow.
The right-sized group and ceaseless peer-to-peer organization are the foundation of culture change.
OCTOBER 27, 2023
10/19 Pastor’s meeting notes
At a gathering of almost 20 pastors and church representatives, Pastor Ruben Bajo was unanimously elected to be the president of this project. Other executive committee members include Pastor Frank Esposito, David Dawson, Edward Bevilacqua (also elected as Secretary).
Also in attendance were the pastor’s of the Lutheran Church (hosted by Andy Safarik), Faith Fellowship (pastor Jim, Neal, Dave), New Hope, Theophilous Ministries. Joy Divine, Lady of the Valley (Deacon Rick Minch), Trinity Church (Pastor Gary), Full Armor of God (Pastors Ruben and Doreen).
The first two missions are to create additional committees (Pastor’s committee) and a special food distribution committee.
All are welcome. The meeting continues each Thursday at 8:00 am. Unless otherwise specified, we will meet at Mom’s Diner.
Our daily podcast…
https://www.youtube.com/live/jbctduHtRTs?si=00vCV5gaiXcsCZQg
1 PREPARE
1 Breathing exercise
2 GRATITUDE
2 I’m so happy and grateful now that …
3 REVIEW YESTERDAY
3 Morning, Mid-day, Night
4 TODAY’S PLAN
4 4-part Transformation program (Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual) to help people with their unique journey from "Someday Isle" to "Successlandia" (It’s over the horizon, separated by the predictably unpredictable sea), people who are ready, willing and able to work (and want to navigate to their best future).
All essential services provided (housing, clothing, food, hygiene, smart phone, transportation), foundational employment, education, career coaching and counseling.
5 It’s simple Say, “I believe that something great is going to happen to me today!
6 Advice from an 80-yr old .Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job
7 3 simple goals for today
8 Our on-line course https://sso.teachable.com/secure/383548/identity/sign_up
9 State Pen Practical Exercises https://bit.ly/StatePen-PracticalExercises
10 Success class https://sparklp.co/1b2614c5/
PHYSICAL (the Sails) (fitness & health)
11 Goggins https://youtube.com/shorts/a3KVu4zsYDE?feature=share
12 Jack’s observations https://vitalitypod.com
MENTAL (the Rudder) (Learning, remembering, communicating)
13 Arthur Brooks Love is what matters https://youtube.com/shorts/k3wLQKb6G84?si=1HGV8C7DgI_VBJtU
14 TED Daniel Amen (bran scans) https://youtu.be/esPRsT-lmw8?si=aZ6WNgmBMKIkOM0L
15 Daily Stoic Philosophy is… https://youtube.com/shorts/-_R5bQ9CwlE?si=ylXGrpwAxeG_KwPl
16 INC https://www.inc.com/stephanie-mehta/3-tips-from-a-ceo-on-how-to-improve-your-leadership.html
28 Prager-U Happiness #1 https://www.prageru.com/video/why-be-happy
Happiness #2 https://www.prageru.com/video/dont-make-things-worse
17 Seth’s Blog https://seths.blog/
18 Fables http://bit.ly/DCS-Fables
EMOTIONAL (Below deck) (controlling your emotions)
19 Darren Hardy https://dd.darrenhardy.com/identifying-real-vs-artificial-obstacles
20 Motivational push yourself… https://youtu.be/wcA0e4wqVCk?si=FUzsEUX8tIAQT94e
21 Jordan Peterson Nietzsche was right https://youtube.com/shorts/hPlncaxu7cM?si=_rkt897pHhrxM0Wv
22 Divine Inspiration https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdivine/recent-activity/articles/
SPIRITUAL (the Hull)
23 Berachah https://berachah.church/
https://berachah.church/lessons/streaming/3615?ref=527_622
29 James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
25 PRAYER https://bit.ly/TW-DailyPrayers
5. PROJECT
26 1 minute to project the path for your day / say your own personal prayer
27 Schedule your 10-min weekly call: (NEW) https://calendly.com/edward-668868/15min
—-------------
C 765 537 8480
e TW.LV2022@gmail.com
7 key phrases
1 "Can I ask you a couple of questions?" provides reassurance and inspires comfort.
2 "I'd love to hear what you think" offers a willing ear and respect.
3 "I think you're going to find this interesting" offers attention and a feeling of individualization.
4 "You might not have known this, but ... " is one of the most manipulative of these phrases, so please use it only for good; it leverages insecurity and rewards with confidence.
5 "Can I ask you a favor?" offers respect and potentially friendship.
6 "I'm sorry, but the answer is no" demonstrates confidence, boundaries, and reassurance.
7 Say absolutely nothing, as we've seen, it leverages social insecurity and offers opportunity.
We pray for those people living on the margins of society, in inhumane life conditions; may they not be overlooked by institutions and never considered of lesser importance. Pope Francis
BE A MAN, LOVE OUR LORD
Use the difficulty (Michael Caine)
1. Question every requirement.
Each should come with the name of the person who made it. Then you should question it, no matter how smart that person is.
2. Delete any part or process you can.
You may have to add them back later. In fact, if you do not end up adding back at least 10 percent of them, then you didn't delete enough.
3. Simplify and optimize.
This should come after step two. A common mistake is to simplify and optimize a part or process that should not exist.
4. Accelerate cycle time.
Every process can be speeded up.
5. Automate.
After you've completed the first four steps, what's left -- the things you really need to do, that are truly important, that genuinely add value -- can then be optimized and automated. Get rid of all the fluff, and then make what's left as effective and efficient as it can be.
Call Us ASAP
Read our latest blog post to find out how to get food delivered, how to shower for free, and MORE!
Call Us ASAP—Food Delivery, Shower Details, And MORE!
Time for a call?
Hello! We at Love Thy Neighbor are expecting lots (and lots!) of food this week. This shipment is going to be higher quality than ever… I think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised :)
Not only will the food be amazing, it’ll also be accessible to everyone in the entire community.
All you have to do is contact us AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (775-990-8455) and we will personally come and DELIVER it, right to you, wherever you are.
So CALL RIGHT AWAY! We need to talk with you to coordinate delivery answer all of your questions.
(P.S. We will be discussing details about shower coordination as well, including the details of where, when, and how!!)