(Issue #613) Tao Te Ching: Perspective on Life with Integrity

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Steve Piscitelli

Even the down times—those times when we seem confused and falling short of our goals—
have lessons to teach.

~~~~~

Reading a translation (by Stephen Mitchell) of Tao Te Ching I was taken by seeming contradictions (to my mind) that Lao-tzu used to teach about a life lived with integrity.  Such as:

…Being and non-being create each other.

Difficult and easy support each other.

Long and short define each other.

High and low depend on each other.

Before and after follow each other…. (Verse #2)

As I explored other verses, the lessons began to take shape in my mind and offer a path—a way—to think about a life lived with purpose. The Tao’s meaning was getting through to me. Perhaps as we work with head down, we lose sight of what is in us, in front of us, above us, beneath us, and behind us. We lose perspective.

Fill your bowl to the brim

And it will spill.

Keep sharpening your knife

And it will blunt.

Chase after money and security

And your heart will never unclench.

Care about people’s approval

And you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.

Then only path to serenity. (Verse #9)

Even the down times—those times when we seem confused and falling short of our goals—have lessons to teach. Times we feel behind, exhausted, and/or in danger present themselves for contemplation and growth. Because if we mindlessly sharpen, sharpen, and sharpen some more (see Verse #9 above), we could end up dulling our senses, emotions, morality, and perspective. A light guides us-if we heed it.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli

…There is a time for being ahead,

A time for being behind;

A time for being in motion,

I time for being at rest;

A time for being vigorous,

A time for being exhausted;

A time for being safe,

A time for being in danger…. (#29)

The way to ourselves requires us to pause and listen to others and ourselves.

Knowing others is intelligence;

Knowing yourself is true wisdom.

Mastering others is strength;

Mastering yourself is true power…. (#33)

And…

Those who know don’t talk.

Those who talk don’t know…. (#56)

Or as Mitchell states in his Foreword, we need to move toward doing not-doing. Less and less do you need to force things…

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week.

In his nod to the Tao, Willie Nelson sings (Live at Farm Aid 1993) “Still is Still Moving to Me”.

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.


©2022. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

(Issue #612) Five Stand-Out Team Member Behaviors

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Steve Piscitelli

Look at each of the five behaviors and notice a connecting thread:
An on-going sense of curiosity .

~~~~~

An article in Fast Company. “Employee Engagement is Out. Here’s a Better Metric”,(February 8, 2022) describes “five key behaviors that employees who produce great work demonstrate.”

As you read the workplace behaviors described below, consider the carryover for other teamwork environments (community committees, HOAs, neighborhood athletic leagues, church groups, or local governing bodies). Those producing “great work” do the following:

  • “Ask the right questions, like How might this task/process/problem be made easier/faster/safer/better?
  • “Go and see, which may mean standing on an assembly line or watching users interact with a product.
  • “Talk to an outer circle, gathering information and insight from a broad array of experts.
  • “Improve the mix, continually fine-tuning and improving upon their work.
  • “Deliver the difference, remaining laser-focused on positive outcomes.”

The bottom line, according to the company that conducted the study, was that the difference-making employees went beyond engagement with colleagues (which is important), to demonstratable and quantifiable outcomes. Engagement has its place, but it does not always equate with mission or output.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli

Look at each of the five behaviors above and notice a connecting thread: An on-going sense of curiosity by the team members doing great work. Questioning. Exploring. Conversing. Fine-tuning. And, finally, delivering a product based on the authentic path of curiosity.

Building on the five behaviors for great work, five employee archetypes present themselves: Socializers, Builders, Achievers, Taskers and Coasters.

Which one of the archetypes do you think ranks the most productive and which one the least? Check out the article…and see what application there might be for the teams with whom you engage.

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week.

Elizabeth Gilbert reduces the archetypes to two: Jackhammers and Hummingbirds.

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.


©2022. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in curiosity, teamwork | Tagged | Leave a comment

(Issue #611) Who You Hang With Makes A Difference

Posted on February 6, 2022 by Steve Piscitelli

Whether we call this a pod, social circle, monthly book club, or exercise group, this tribe knows and demonstrates the importance of developing authentic connections.

~~~~~

Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones focus on the Power 9® model evolved from research into what made for longevity of life in certain locales around the world. Nine interconnected “common denominators” showed themselves to be key to healthy living:

  1. Move Naturally (the environment creates/promotes opportunities to move)
  2. Purpose (passion for what you do)
  3. Down Shift (stress reduction)
  4. 80% Rule (eating to only 80% full)
  5. Plant Slant (healthy diet)
  6. Wine at 5 (moderate alcohol consumption with friends and/or meals)
  7. Belong (faith-based community)
  8. Loved ones first (importance of family)
  9. Right Tribe (social circle that continually supports healthy habits)
Photo by Steve Piscitelli

Many previous posts on this blog have looked at purpose and interconnectedness. (Like this and this.) Today let’s remind ourselves of the importance of #9 above, the Right Tribe.

Whether we call this a pod, social circle, monthly book club, or exercise group, this tribe knows and demonstrates the importance of developing authentic connections. Not transitory. Not exploitive. Not me-centered. Consider:

  • Years ago, Richard Leider wrote about nutritious people. They are the antidote to energy vampires. Leider encouraged us to surround ourselves with “people [who] have three primary characteristics: their face lights up when you come in the room, they listen to you, and they have few (i.e., no) plans for your improvement!” The opposite? People who show no enthusiasm for your presence, do not listen to you, and constantly tell you how you could be/should be better. The right tribe vs. the wrong tribe.
  • The right tribe is not a grouping of strangers. It  consists of committed friends (close and intimate) who know about you, care about, and are there for you. Likewise, you do the same for them. Again, the right tribe.

Buettner’s work found that the Right Tribe, also, connects with mealtime and what you do to make a difference in the world. And if you delve further into the Power 9®, you will see how all can impact each other.

Who do you hang with–and how does it impact your health and wellbeing?

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week.

This TED talk, Dan Buettner talks about the importance of healthy lifestyle.

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.


©2022. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in Life lessons | 2 Comments

(Issue #610) Taking Ownership of Your Self-Care

Posted on January 30, 2022 by Steve Piscitelli

“Taking care of yourself” does not have to equate with
a “lack of character, responsibility, and commitment.”

~~~~~

A quote I posted this week on my Facebook page (with one of my morning sunrise beach photos) conjured up two memories: one from the classroom and one from a professional meeting.

First, the quote attributed to Eleanor Brownn:

“Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

I have read similar words and sentiments over the last two decades. Hal Urban, for instance, speaks of taking ownership of your self-care in Choices that Change Lives. Borrowing from Urban, I often asked my students to draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On the left side, I asked them to write the five things, people, tasks that they valued the most. On the other side of the page, they wrote the five things, people, tasks that took most of their time each week.

An interesting thing (almost) always happened when the students looked at their two columns:

What they say they valued was not what they did each week.

The conversation went deeper when I asked how many listed themselves in the top five value list. Again, almost no one did. I remember one student, a single mom, saying that she could not put herself in the top five because she had kids to care for. “How can I put myself before my kids?” she asked.

Good point. Her children represented non-negotiables in her life. No question about that. And they need their mother (father). So, I questioned, “If you don’t take care of yourself and you get sick or end up in the hospital or die, what happens to your children?” In other words, the vessel (using Brownn’s word above) needs to be replenished if it is to continue to sustain others. It does not denigrate the children’s value. It recognizes the importance of the caregiver in the equation.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli

One of my first posts on this blog dealt with the same issue of self-care. At the time I had spoken to a professional group. I conducted the same Value-Time activity. It was followed by an interesting email exchange with one of the audience members. That person called me out on the self-care issue saying it lacked character and integrity for someone to “bail” on their responsibilities.  Here is a little of that exchange:

This audience member wrote to me: “I believe what bothers me is the ‘taking care of me.’ This ‘taking care of yourself’ philosophy is being interpreted into ‘It is totally ok for you to be selfish at whatever costs.’  We make choices in life.  Choices to have a family. Choices to own a home. Choices to work outside the home. Choices to strive for a particular income level. All these choices come with it responsibility of time and demands on oneself.  To bail on any of it because ‘you deserve to take care of yourself’ shows lack of character and responsibility and commitment to something you made a choice to do.”

Again, good points.  But I do not believe that “taking care of yourself” has to equate with a “lack of character, responsibility, and commitment.” [It seemed then—as well as today—to be a false equivalency.]

What I am suggesting is that we take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  I am NOT saying we should shirk responsibilities because I deserve “it” (whatever “it” may be). Yes, we do make choices—and we must live with those choices. 

We all have a lot of stuff to take care of each day. A problem can present itself if we keep putting off the stuff that addresses our own health and wellbeing. And that could have an impact on the health and wellbeing of others in our families and in our communities.

Interconnections.

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week.

At times, our old nemesis of procrastination can play havoc with what we say we value and what we do. Enjoy this oldie-but-goodie video.

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.


©2022. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

(Issue #609) Never Stop Looking for What’s Not There

Posted on January 23, 2022 by Steve Piscitelli

As you look down the road, what don’t you see?
What confounds you?
What is absent that, once present, will make your community a more compassionate space.

~~~~~

His words made me sit up in my chair and write a post-it note to myself.

Never stop looking for what’s not there.

Monte Wildhorn, an aging and disgruntled novelist, begins his first lesson on imagination for Finnegan O’Neil, an elementary-school-aged neighbor in The Magic of Belle Isle.

Never stop looking for what’s not there.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli

At first blush it sounds counter intuitive. How do we see what is not there? Shouldn’t we look at what is in front of us—what is there—and then describe it?

Well, that may help to establish context, but it doesn’t move the story along—on the page or in real life. When we look for what is not there, I believe, we can then begin the journey of creating a better story, a better world. In our mind’s eye we can see what a better scene looks like, a better vision of our community.

What should we never stop looking for when it’s not there? A short list could include:

  • Accessible and affordable healthcare
  • Critical thinking
  • Deliberative dialogues about difficult issues
  • Civility
  • Complete streets for a community
  • Supportive relationships
  • Personal purpose
  • Age, gender, and racial equity
  • A living wage
  • Justice
  • Peace
  • No more homeless people
  • No more homeless pets
  • Mindfulness
  • Mentors
  • Love

In the opening pages of his novel Mr g, Alan Lightman states,

Sometimes, the absence of a thing is not noticed until it is present.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli

Indeed.

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week.

In this scene (https://youtu.be/2haHRRfKLJ0) from The Magic of Belle Isle, Wildhorn asks Finnegan to look down the road and tell him what she does not see. It confounds her.

As you look down the road, what don’t you see? What confounds you? What is absent that, once present, will make your community a more compassionate space.

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.


©2022. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in Life lessons | 2 Comments

(Issue #608) Interconnections  

Posted on January 16, 2022 by Steve Piscitelli

Not sure where the words came from but there they sat in my consciousness.

~~~~~

In the Spring of 2015, Laurie and I made reservations to celebrate our 40th anniversary (February 2016) in Jamaica. A few months later she was diagnosed with breast cancer and our plans, obviously, changed. Rather than toasting our anniversary on a Caribbean island, we were thankful when Laurie completed her final chemotherapy treatment two days after our anniversary in February of 2016.

But we never lost site of the future—ever. Laurie’s resilience and focus kept both of us centered and grounded. We rescheduled our trip and arrived in Negril, Jamaica in December of 2016 to celebrate our anniversary. Ten months late—but still in the same year!

During that trip, I began in earnest my daily meditation practice. Sitting on our balcony before sunrise, I recited quietly to myself a Deepak Chopra mantra:

Peace. Harmony. Laughter. Love.

It, too, helped ground me.

During a mediation this past week, a new mantra of interconnectedness popped into my mind:

Healthy Outlook

Healthy Mind

Healthy Actions

Healthy Body

Not sure where the words came from but there they sat in my consciousness. Guess it is part of the mindfulness process. And they took me back to 2015-2016. And they resonate today and what we all face daily.

Our outlook and actions affect our mind and our body. And all will affect our dreams. Which brings me back to Jamaica in 2016.

On one of my early morning beach walks I came across a boat anchored just off shore. On its canopy three words:

Live Your Dreams

Our outlook and our actions not only impact our dreams, I take the position that they create our dreams.

Interconnectedness.

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week.

A short, guided meditation with Deepak Chopra on Peace, Harmony, Laughter, and Love.

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.


©2022. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in action, awareness, laughter, love | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

(Issue #607) Who Are Your  Coffee-Cup People?  

Posted on January 9, 2022 by Steve Piscitelli

We have to be mindful and reach out to those whose values and virtues help build a nurturing, dependable, responsible, friendly, brotherly (sisterly), courageous,
hopeful community with high expectations.

~~~~~

In the fall of 2002, I traveled to San Antonio, Texas to participate in a student success symposium. Among the speakers my editor, Sande, had lined up that day was Clifton Taulbert. His luncheon keynote drew on his book Eight Habits of the Heart: Embracing the Values that Build Strong Families and Communities.

Taulbert helped us understand how the eight habits that he came to know and embrace as a young African American growing up in the Mississippi Delta region are the basis for any functioning, caring, compassionate, and growing community. As he states in the beginning of his book, neighbors and family came together

…On their porches, which were their principal meeting places, to shield us from segregation’s woes by building a good community for our dreams. They, ‘the porch people’ of the Mississippi Delta, knew how to build such community because their parents had built community for them. (p. 3)

Their community was built upon the habits of

            Nurturing Attitude

            Dependability

            Responsibility

            Friendship

            Brotherhood

            High Expectations

            Courage

            Hope

Inspired by Taulbert’s lessons and encouraged by my college campus president, I developed an interactive workshop for my campus colleagues titled Who Are Your Coffee-Cup People?

Each participant received this card as reminder.

I helped them examine who provided the support and encouragement critical to their development both as individuals and as a group. These “coffee-cup people” watched out for, encouraged, admonished, and celebrated with them and cried with them.  The people with whom they would gladly sit and share a cup of coffee.  During times of trial and tribulation these people are invaluable. (Years later I fleshed out the importance of each of us developing our own Board of Directors.)

Whether we call them Coffee-Cup People or our Board of Directors or, as Taulbert did, the Porch People, these people help us grow and, as a result, help build a sense of community. They share wisdom and hold us to high standards. They question. The listen. They cheer. They raise the bar for what we and those around us can become. They foster nutritious relationships.

Sometimes we end up in places that (and with people who) do not help build community.  In fact, these energy vampires suck community right out of the room. We have to be mindful and reach out to those whose values and virtues help build a nurturing, dependable, responsible, friendly, brotherly (sisterly), courageous, hopeful community with high expectations.

One of my 2022 goals is to connect with at least one coffee-cup person per week.

Who is on your list of Coffee-Cup People? When will you connect (or reconnect) with these beacons of light?

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week.

Listen to Clifton Taulbert in this short video clip (https://youtu.be/D6U2UM9xPHg).

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.


©2022. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

(Issue #606) Renew or Release?

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Steve Piscitelli

If you are able to forgive, does that mean you have renewed your connection with that person?

~~~~~

A plethora of accolades, news stories, and television spots paid homage to the life and accomplishments of Archbishop Desmond Tutu (died December 26, 2021) this past week. His leadership of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission received attention.

Coincidentally, a few days before Tutu’s passing I read The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World (by Desmond and his daughter Mpho Tutu).

The fourfold path of forgiveness starts with telling your story of pain/injury/suffering, identifying your hurt associated with the story, and offering forgiveness to the perpetrator(s).   The last step (#4) is labeled as Renew or Release. The Tutus offered the following metaphor as one way to understand the challenge of renew or release.

  • Take a beautiful breakable item (like a cup) or a picture, photo or piece of fabric.
  • Break it.
  • Then, using the pieces construct something beautiful. It could be a rebuilt cup, for instance.

As you view the reconstructed item, the authors ask you to consider the following questions:  

  • Was it possible to make something beautiful from the pieces?
  • Was the reconstruction difficult or easy?
  • How much did the reconstructed item you created resemble the old (original) item you had?
  • Will this item (the refurbished item) be able to serve the same function as the old and beautiful item?
  • “What did you learn about renewing and releasing as you engaged in this exercise?” (see pages 161-162)

Now, instead of the reconstructed broken cup, consider a relationship, career, community team, or a political party. Consider someone who has injured you (emotionally, financially, spiritually, occupationally, or physically).  Let’s say you completed the first three steps in the fourfold path and you are able to forgive. Does that mean you have renewed your connection with that person?

Not necessarily.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli

The Tutus state, “Renewing a relationship is not restoring a relationship. We do not go back to where we were before the hurt happened and pretend it never happened. We create a new relationship….a relationship transformed….Releasing a relationship is how you free yourself from the victimhood and trauma…releasing is refusing to let an experience or a person occupy space in your head or heart any longer…” (155; emphasis added)

Someone may ask, “Why forgive, then, if you do not plan on renewing the old relationship?” Or “How can I renew anything with that person with the suffering I hold in my heart?”

In her book The Dance of Connections, Harriet Lerner says, “The fact that you’re the only one suffering may be the best argument for stepping back from a negative argument.”

For me, this was a reinforcement of Tutu’s call for forgiveness. It does not exonerate the perpetrator but it can relieve a burden from one’s heart. It helps release the suffering. And it may lead to releasing the relationship.

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week.

Desmond Tutu explains forgiveness in this short (4:25) interview with Bill Moyers.

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.


©2022. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in Life lessons | Leave a comment

(Issue #605) A Blogger’s Retrospective for 2021

Posted on December 26, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

May you create, share, and savor powerful moments in the coming year and beyond.

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week:

A short gratitude video from me to all of you who have read, shared, and commented on my blog posts.  I appreciate you.  May you have a healthy, prosperous, and meaningful 2022.

~~~~~

While sitting in an Austin hotel room at the end of May 2010, I wrote my first post for this blog. At that time, I had three goals:

  • Experience a new (for me) aspect of social media (remember, it was 2010).
  • Develop and flesh out new ideas.
  • Provide something of value—not just another cyber rant.

I believe I have accomplished the first and the second. It is up to you whether I have accomplished the third. My blog posts contain videos, book recommendations and summaries, questions to ponder, and always a takeaway to apply immediately to life.  I have remained true to my commitment to publish one blog post per week.

This post marks the 605th consecutive week— a little more than 11½ years.

And I know that I am #alwayslearning!

Since that first post (May 31, 2010 on Blogger), this blog evolved into www.thegrowthandresiliencenetwork.net. 

Thank you for reading, commenting, and sharing. 

I would love to hear what you find of value on this blog. And, please feel free to share any ideas you have for future posts.

Over the life of this blog, I have had the honor of close to 100,000 views from nearly 300 followers. Thank you for your interest and comments. And this year I added a new page: “Community Bright Spots!” And don’t forget Roxie’s blog—wisdom from a dog. It moves into its third year. I remain grateful for this opportunity.

As has become tradition, this last-of-the-year offering lists each of the posts I added this year. See the listings and links below. Along with each title, you will find a teaser. Perhaps a nugget or two will provide inspiration. I have linked each title to the actual blog should you want to read it, re-read it, or share it. Thank you for your continued support and comments.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli

*Top Six All-Time Posts by Views on this Blog (Since 2010)* 

(#194) Honor the Past. Celebrate the Present. Embrace the Future.
(#86) A Model for Critical Thinking
#18 Crab Pot Mentality!
(#93) SQ4R: Strategic Reading Strategies for the Classroom and Beyond
(#219) The First Day of Class: People Before Paper! (#134) Marshmallows, Teaching, and Learning

*The 2021 Blog Posts in Chronological Order from January through December*

  1. (Issue #554) Active Listening: A Refresher * We move from collective monologues to authentic dialogues through active listening.
  2. (Issue #555) Tags And Quotes To Ponder * Ten concepts that help guide us.
  3. (Issue #556) Gratitude. Pride. Lessons * A quick strategy to acknowledge thanks, achievement, and growth. All of which help with resilience.
  4. (Issue #557) Agree to Disagree: A Conversational Fire Extinguisher? * “We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace.” ~Amanda Gorman
  5. (Issue #558) Curiosity as a Literacy Skill * Curiosity stimulates basic literacy skills, nurtures conversations, builds collaboration, and opens our minds to what could be.
  6. (Issue #559) Who Me? Write a Book? * Why not you?
  7. (Issue #560) Renewal of Vows * A reminder that it can become too easy to say, “Oh, I said that. She/He knows it.”
  8. (Issue #561) Age and Wisdom: Questions for Your Consideration * Circumstances change. Does wisdom and the vessel of that wisdom change as well?
  9. (Issue #562) Sacrificing Self for Space? * Do we have encouragement to be bigger, bolder, brighter, and better?
  10. (Issue #563) Your Future Self * What do you want to say to your Future Self?
  11. (Issue #564) Perspective * A change in perspective might help us see variety, beauty, glory, and hope.
  12. (Issue #565) Offering a Hand or an Opinion? * At that moment they might not need to know how much I know but, rather, how much I care.
  13. (Issue #566) I Will * Seventy years ago, Marie and Dominic had dreams. One reaching beyond and the other attempting to create a comfort zone.
  14. (Issue #567) Purpose: Collecting or Connecting Dots * None of us knows for sure where we will be in 10 years or 10 days. Are you marking time or making a difference with your time?
  15. (Issue #568) Community As a Pathway to Dreams * One’s dreams, goals, desires, and vision, connect to one’s overall journey.
  16. (Issue #569) Stayca * On August 22, 1998, The Florida Times-Union (Shorelines) published an article of mine titled “Best Vacations Are Those At Comfortable, Easy-to-Reach Sites.”
  17. (Issue #570) Purpose and Meaning * Teaching was the how of my why?
  18. (Issue #571) Determining Relevance: Three Words * Consider three words—three questions—when determining the relevance of your actions.
  19. (Issue #572) Determining Relevance: Three Words * Consider three words—three questions—when determining the relevance of your actions.
  20. (Issue #573) Minding Your “To Don’ts”  *  What do you have on your “To-Don’t” list? What would you like to add?
  21. (Issue #574) Did You Really See That? * What we know we saw, we may not have seen at all.
  22. (Issue #575) Eleven Years Ago * As you look at the titles and snippets below, has the past informed the present? What have we learned and what do we still need to master—or at least face?
  23. (Issue #576) Imagine the Karma of Nobody Told Me * Or maybe we chose—and choose—to imagine that what we heard and saw would be a passing thing with no immediate consequences.
  24. (Issue #577) The Legacy of a Legend * Recognizing the talent in yourself to help another find the talent within them. What a way to celebrate and give back.
  25. (Issue #578) That Was The Longest Twenty Minutes Of My Life! * When I put the audience first, I succeeded.
  26. (Issue #579) Awakening * As I read these seven habits I could see how they interrelated and supported each other.
  27. (Issue #580) What If Teachers… *  It comes down to seeing the person as someone in need of what you have to offer. And finding a respectful many in which to connect with that individual.
  28. (Issue #581) Curiosity * Without curiosity we become a little duller and a little dimmer.
  29. (Issue #582) When Strangers Become Friends and Friends Become Strangers * “A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.” ~attributed to Donna Roberts
  30. (Issue #583) The 7Rs and Public Health * Public health is a community good that connects each of The 7 Rs. How can we remain good stewards for our community?
  31. (Issue #584) Wisdom of the Ages * Do you think a twenty-something and a seventy-something,
    for instance, share life lessons, questions and advice?
  32. (Issue #585) Sharing Wisdom Across the Ages * “Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.” ~attributed to Immanuel Kant~
  33. (Issue #586) Good, Not-So Good, and Why * Go beyond listing a goal statement. Before acting, make sure you understand the why of your what.
  34. (Issue #587) Serendipity, Beshert, and The Red Thread * Does serendipity lead to destiny or create destiny?
  35. (Issue #588) A Different Kind of Principal’s Office  *  Got me thinking of the good-natured fun you could have naming drinks in your workspace or community group. Maybe even for a family get-together.
  36. (Issue #589) Fill the Gap * When we reach out to fill a gap in our community (large or small) what we do is see a need, acknowledge that need, and act to address that need.
  37. (Issue #590) 115 Years Ago * Little did they know in 1924 that, in about the time it took them to finish high school, they would enter sixteen years of sacrifice.
  38. (Issue #591) Offering a Question or a Judgment? * We do not start the dialogue discounting the other person….
  39. (Issue #592) Me or Us? * A functioning community provides a safe place for its members to explore, learn, fail, and grow. That requires the community members to make room for aspirations beyond their own (self-centered?) biases.
  40. (Issue #593) What You Want to Be or What You Want to Do? * Remain curious as you connect your passion, purpose, and pursuits. What might you be denying? What is your true self? What is your true identity and what is a mask? Where is the thin place that may help you gain perspective?
  41. (Issue #594) The Sunrise is the Experience * Color. Texture. Sound. Feel. Location. Sea Life. Energy. Self.
  42. (Issue #595) Just Call My Name * We are fortunate when we have some we can call on. Others are fortunate when they can call on us.
  43. (Issue #596) Caregiver or Care Taker? * Caregivers have clear boundaries and limits. Care takers do not—and the results can be heartbreaking.
  44. (Issue #597) Whackin’ Your Thinkin’ * We let go of cherished ideas and begin to seek new ways of thinking, listening, collaborating, and doing.
  45. (Issue #598) Spirituality and the Ocean * The ocean does not judge. It is. And the is provides a sense of now and the future.
  46. (Issue #599) A Reminder About Our Non-Negotiables * Do not allow your non-negotiables to become negotiable.
  47. (Issue #600) A Thankfulness Alphabet *  May you give yourself time to reflect on your list of thanks and appreciation.
  48. (Issue #601) The Hypothesis of Generosity * So, I pulled myself off the too-often-climbed-on ledge of self-righteous upset and took a deep breath and waited.
  49. (Issue #602) What is Your Story? * Establish who you are as a person; boundaries and all.
  50. (Issue #603) Counting Things That Matter * Rather than counting why you’re right and I’m wrong, or I’m up and your down, or they’re out of bounds and we’re right on target, can we count on the times/things/topics on which we agree?
  51. (Issue #6044) Identifying What You Love * Enhance your community bright spots because you ARE one of those bright spots!
  52. (Issue #605) A Blogger’s Retrospective for 2021 (This post.) * May you create, share, and savor powerful moments in the coming year and beyond.
Photo by Steve Piscitelli.

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.

All photos (uness otherwise noted) ©Steve Piscitelli. 2021


©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in Gratitude | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

(Issue #604) Identifying What You Love

Posted on December 19, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

Enhance your community bright spots because you ARE one of those bright spots!

~~~~~

In the spring of this year I wrote a post about Ikigai. The model consists of four points of intersection that lead (hopefully) to life’s purpose: Love, Talent, Community, Remuneration.

Rather than write a typical piece about setting goals and New Year’s resolutions, I encourage you to focus on the four intersection points, especially the first three.

*What you love

*What you are good at (your talent)

*What the world (your community) needs.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli ©2021

These remain vital ingredients for any goal statement. They can help us all find our purpose in life. Or if we have found it, we can then renew it, embrace it, and appreciate it.

Love + Talent + Community = Purpose

Remember that goal setting might make us feel good but the result–goal achievement–is what you want. Or at the least, goal modification—and then achievement. Stay true to you and the greater good of your community. And you can benefit from the talents of other community members.

Enhance your community bright spots because you ARE one of those bright spots!

Next week I will post my annual “A Blogger’s Retrospective” in which I will provide a quick summary of and link to each of my 2020 blog posts.  Look for my year-end video—a moment of gratitude from the beach to you.

I appreciate you.

~~~~

Video recommendation for the week.

Find your one thing.

~~~~~

Make it a wonderful week and HTRB has needed.

You will find my latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story. Please, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

  • Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
  • Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

You can find my podcasts (all fifty episodes) here.

You will find more about me at www.stevepiscitelli.com.


©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®
Atlantic Beach, Florida

Posted in Life lessons | 1 Comment