(Issue #595) Just Call My Name

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

We are fortunate when we have some we can call on.
Others are fortunate when they can call on us.

~~~~~

Been noodling around with cover tunes over the past few weeks. One I had played years ago with a band (The Hubcaps). The other I had forgotten about and never sang. Both songs remind us that no matter the circumstances, no matter the size, there is power in community. Sometimes to give. Other times to receive.

Written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, and released in 1961, “Stand By Me” remains an anthem of love and support. No matter how dark the night or overwhelming the surroundings, with someone standing by your side you will find strength. 

~~~~~

Video recommendation #1 for the week.

While John Lennon released his version of the song, there is nothing quite like Ben E. King belting out the lyrics.

~~~~~

Released in 1979, J.D. Souther’s “You’re Only Lonely” brings chills with phrases like

…when you’re feeling lonely and small and you need somebody there to hold you…

and

…I was there when you were a queen and I’ll be the last one there beside you…

and

…Don’t ever be ashamed because you’re only lonely…

No matter how small you may feel, how far you have fallen, or how alone you may feel, having that someone to reach out to

~~~~~

Video recommendation #2 for the week.

Turn up the volume and sing along. Remember, if you need me all you gotta do is call me.

~~~~~

One song from the perspective of a care taker. The other from that of the care giver. We are fortunate when we have some we can call on. Others are fortunate when they can call on us.

Community

~~~~~

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 on this site, unless otherwise noted, ©2021 Steve Piscitelli.


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

Posted in Friendship | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

(Issue #594) The Sunrise is the Experience

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

Color. Texture. Sound. Feel. Location. Sea Life. Energy. Self.

~~~~~

Heard it again. About sunrise and redundancy.

“I don’t get it. Sunrise, again? Why bother? They all look the same!”

Were to begin?

First, I’ll offer that one may prefer the crunch of leaves beneath hiking boots in the mountain to bare feet on the beach. Or the hustle and bustle of an urban venue. Personal preferences for surroundings and exercise. But would I be accurate saying, “What? Another morning mountain hike? Aren’t they all the same?” Of course not. Same for the sunrise—especially viewed from the beach.

I’ve written on this blog about the importance of perspective. Each day brings something new. Sometimes we have to search a bit harder to find that offering. We have to pause and switch our gaze. And it is there. Something different. Something new. Something that is anything but the same.

Each sunrise is different because of what it brings. Like:

*Color. I have found arriving at the beach (about) twenty minutes before sunrise allows me to see the most vibrant colors the dawn will bring. Scientists speak of scattering. Particles in the air cause a scattering of light. When low in the sky (sunrise time) this phenomenon shows off the color spectrum in full force.

*Texture. Add floating cumulus, stratus, cumulonimbus, and cirrus and you will have a light show to take away your breathe. And there is a different texture to the water each day that ranges from flat and glassy to choppy and bumpy.

*Sound. The ocean provides a symphony of sounds each morning. Depending on the size and force of the swell coming ashore, you will hear anything from a lapping of the water as it bushes the sand to the crash and splash of a breaker. The rhythm creates its own meditative ambience.

*Feel. I kick off my slides as soon as Roxie and I hit the sand.  Walking or simply standing in place provides a connection to the earth. Depending on the tide (low, high, ebbing) and where we stand, the sand feels different each day.

*Location. Taking a cue from Roxie, I often will sit on the sand and watch the sunrise. Other mornings will find me standing in the water as it ebbs and flows from the shoreline. And then there are the special days when I paddle out toward the horizon in my kayak. Different vantage points each time.

*Living Beings. Some days a pod of dolphin will greet us as it breaks the surface of the water. Bait fish will create a ripple. Pelicans glide just above the waves while gulls will search and dive for a snack. At times we will see just the birds; some days all present themselves. And don’t forget the surfers, paddle boarders, and kayakers.

*Energy. All of the above creates a different feel (energy) each day. Physical, emotional, and spiritual. And each day as Roxie and I leave the beach, the feeling is one of calming gratitude for a new day. A different day.

*Combination. One of the regular sunrise appreciators told me, for her, it is all about the combination of the above. No two days have the same collection of ingredients. A different mix each morning. Such as when the water catches the sun’s glow like a Monet painting.

*Anticipation. Another “sunriser” told me the experience is about the anticipation. What will it look and feel like that day?

*You. In a way, you, the watcher, create the experience. Each day I bring a different me to the beach. Calm or cranky or confused or compassionate or concerned or confident or … My internal view colors the day’s dawn. And the day’s dawn helps me get in touch with a sense of quiet.

Each day different.

Anything but the same.

All photos by Steve Piscitelli ©2021.

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week:

Watch as the dolphin surface off my bow around the :50 point in the video. I filmed this in Atlantic Beach, Florida.

~~~~~

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.

My podcasts (all fifty episodes) can be found here.

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


©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®

Posted in Appreciation, awareness, Balance, beach life, health | Tagged | 3 Comments

(Issue #593) What You Want to Be or What You Want to Do?

Posted on October 3, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

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?

~~~~~

This past week I reviewed a chapter for a forthcoming book on transformational leadership and community development.  Midway through the piece, I found this quote attributed to physicist Richard Feynman:

Place your focus on what you want to do rather than what you want to be.

I thought of:

  • The students who have difficulty choosing a major. OR they enter college pushed by someone else’s vision of what they should be. They come to college looking to be a certain something (doctor, nurse, teacher, writer, entrepreneur, or …) and along the way to their degrees they get tripped up by what they really want to do.
  • Former colleagues who made a switch from faculty ranks to be an administrator and found out that was not what they had a passion to do.
  • Committees I wanted to be a part of and eventually determined it was not what I wanted to do.

Feynman’s quote may be a reminder that on our way to settling on what we want to be it would healthy to examine if that end result leads to what we want to do with our lives. True, at times, we don’t have a clear understanding of what a to be will require us to do. But it is a nudge to keep our eyes, ears, and hearts open to what is connecting with our souls as we invest our life energy in a project, relationship, or career.

The to be maybe the title. The to do is the purpose.

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?

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week:

Parker Palmer speaks about The Divided Life.

~~~~~

Make it a great 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.

My podcasts (all 50 episodes) can be found here.

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


©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®

Posted in Life's purpose, Purpose | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Community Bright Spots! Music as Social Capital

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

NOTE: You can find more information about the mission of this page here.

In 2003, the Atlantic Beach Cultural Arts and Recreation committee supported an idea that led to the founding of two music events: Acoustic Night and Songwriters Night.

Acoustic Night takes place on the lawn of Bull Memorial Park (on the grounds of the Adele Grage Cultural Arts Center). Amateurs and pros sign up to perform a few songs for the gathered audience. Songwriters Night transforms the theater of Gulliford Hall (also on the Adele Grage grounds) into a venue for original music.

For 18 years the events have taken place. They have transformed to virtual at different points during the pandemic. But with the support of the City of Atlantic Beach, a musical host (Mike Shackelford), and talented residents sharing their songs and hearts, these events have become Community Bright Spots! They bring people together to share, listen, support…and repeat. They represent social capital in a community. A way to bring people together for good. (You can read more about this event in my book Community as a Safe Place to Land, pp. 85-87.)

All photos ©Steve Piscitelli. 2021.

Enjoy your week. And remember to stop and appreciate your Community Bright Spots!

And if you’d like to hear about bright spots from the mouth of a dog, check out Roxie’s bi-weekly blog. WOOF!

My weekly blog can be found here.

Posted in Community, community development | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

(Issue #592) Me or Us?

Posted on September 26, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

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.

~~~~~

Energy practitioners believe the fifth energy chakra—the Throat chakra—connects to a clear voice; integrity of message. It is associated with the sense of hearing. To have a clear and authentic message, we need to hear what the other person, group, and ideologues say. That requires acts of listening, not commissions of me-centered statements. (Community as a Safe Place to Land)

We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community. Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others,
for their sakes and for our own. 
(Attributed to Cesar Chavez)

The above quotes share a basic concept of community and community building: Recognizing and respecting the other people in the room. Of course, in turn, the others need to see and hear you. A community replaces the discordant self-centered cacophony with the positive energy of recognition and listening.

We replace my with ours, me with us.

That does not mean our needs should be ignored or belittled. It does mean that our needs are part of a broader community dialogue. Just because something is convenient or best for us does not make it in the community interest.

Maya Angelou reminded us, “We are not our brother’s keeper; we are our brother and we are our sister. We must look past complexion and see community.”

And we need to judge ideological positions on whether they are rational, fact-based, and community-minded. That would take, however, questioning not just the other ideology but also our  dogmas.

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.

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week:

Enjoy these short podcast clips featuring community advocates and their views about the core values that help build a community that recognizes the worth of each member.

~~~~~

Make it a great 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.

My podcasts (all 50 episodes) can be found here.

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


©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®

Posted in resilience | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

(Issue #591) Offering a Question or a Judgment?

Posted on September 19, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

We do not start the dialogue discounting the other person….

I’ve written before about the importance of authentic questions and the power of epistemic curiosity. They inextricably connect to one another and lead to sustained cognitive effort to learn and expand our worldview.

Perhaps you’ve heard of rhetorical questions. Such inquiries do not seek an answer or conversation. More than likely the questioner wants to make a point rather than begin a dialogue. Or the so-called (inauthentic) question has been tossed so that the speaker can judge the audience in front of her. Questions like:

  • You wouldn’t think of doing that, would you?
  • Did you eat inside the restaurant? I’m sure you didn’t because you know that isn’t wise currently!
  • You didn’t vote for that candidate, did you? I never would!
  • So why is that your college major? Do you really want to do that with your life?

You can add others that you have heard—and that you have asked of someone else.

The eloquence of well-thought out and authentic questions is that they can lead to conscious-raising conversations. One with give-and-take. One that may bring about a change in mindset. One that helps us grow.  Sure, we more than likely have an opinion entering the conversation. But we do not start the dialogue discounting the other person by offering a question that is really our staunch opinion that immediately throws the other person under the rhetorical bus.

You wouldn’t want to do that—would you?

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week:

This video pokes a little fun at rhetorical questions. You may have seen a few on Geico commercials.

~~~~~

Make it a great 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.

My podcasts (all 50 episodes) can be found here.

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


©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®

Posted in authenticity, Communication, listening | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Community Bright Spots! Skate Parks

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

NOTE: You can find more information about the mission of this page here.

Atlantic Beach (FL) and Jacksonville Beach (FL) each offer a space for the skate enthusiasts.

First, Atlantic Beach and its Oceanside Rotary Skate Park located in Jack Russell Park.

And a few shots from the South Beach Skate Park in Jacksonville Beach.

All photos ©Steve Piscitelli. 2021.

Enjoy your week. And remember to stop and appreciate your Community Bright Spots!

And if you’d like to hear about bright spots from the mouth of a dog, check out Roxie’s bi-weekly blog. WOOF!

My weekly blog can be found here.

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

(Issue #590) 115 Years Ago

Posted on September 12, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

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.

Among the memorabilia at thee Fernandina Beach Schoolhouse Inn is a photo of the a 1924 high school class. If these smiling faces were 18-year-old seniors at the time the shutterbug posed them, that puts their birth year in 1906.

115 years ago.

A year before they entered high school, World War I ended.

They were leaving high school during the Roaring 20s. The Wrigley Building was just completed in Chicago. The Washington Senators won the World Series. Two US Army planes flew around the world. (It only took them 175 days.) France held the first winter Olympics. It was a Leap Year. Our nation implemented the 1924 Immigration Act which established a quota system for immigrants based on national origins.

Framed photo hanging in the Schoolhouse Inn

Looking at the faces I thought of the dreams these students might have had moving into their post-high school life. What would the future hold for them and their families? What future would they create for themselves and their communities? What surprises, twists and turns awaited them? Were they hopeful or resigned? What would be their bright spots and not-so-bright spots to come? Would they recognize weak signals around them?

Just five years after that photo, our nation would begin the Great Depression which lasted twelve years. That was followed by World War II; another four years.

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. Almost as long as they had been alive to that point of the photo.

I thought of my parents who lived during those sixteen years of sacrifice. I heard of the bread lines, ration stamps, neighbors not returning from war. My father dropped out of school in the 8th grade to help support his family. Not an uncommon story as I came to learn. Neighbors helped neighbors. The New Deal came into existence. Government programs proliferated to help citizens. Young people volunteered to fight for freedom. More than 116,000 would not return home to the USA.

Individual sacrifice for the family and community good.

115 years ago.

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week:

When we look back, do we regret not doing what we wanted to do? Do we put off life until tomorrow? In 1924, those students were looking forward to their tomorrows. Did they get there? Will we? Here is a reminder.

~~~~~

Make it a great week and HTRB has needed.

My latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, can be found 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.

My podcasts (all 50 episodes) can be found here.

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


©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Community Bright Spots! Public Beach Accesses

Posted on September 7, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

NOTE: You can find more information about the mission of this page here.

I have posted a few of my (recent) favorite photos of beach sunrises. Always a peaceful and reflective time of the day to get in touch with one’s senses.

But to enjoy the sand, surf, sea breezes, and sun, one has to be able to access the beach.

I am fortunate to live in an area that provides access to the shoreline. (Now, parking at some accesses can be an issue.)

If you were to peddle your bike or jog from the northern end of Atlantic Beach, through Neptune Beach, and end up at the southern end of Jacksonville Beach, you will pass more than eighty (80) public beach accesses. Some offer a fair number of parking spaces others a few street-side spots. You will find benches, bike racks, trash cans, and showers. Some access points have sand paths through the dunes. Others have walkover structures. Click on the links above for specific information on the location of beach access points.

Public access to a wonder of nature. A true community bright spot!

Enjoy a few of the these access points below.

All photos ©Steve Piscitelli. 2021.

Enjoy your week. And remember to stop and appreciate your Community Bright Spots!

The next expected bright spot: Public Skateboard Parks in the beach communities.

And if you’d like to hear about bright spots from the mouth of a dog, check out Roxie’s bi-weekly blog. WOOF!

My weekly blog can be read here.

©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®

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

Issue #589) Fill the Gap

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Steve Piscitelli

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.

Scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw a re-post of the following message:

“My dad died when I was eight.
Every week a few of the dads on my hockey team would offer to tie my skates.
Not in a big showy way, in a quiet kind of way.
They filled the gap.
Find a way to fill the gap for someone.
It will make you both better.”
~attributed to Jonathan Torrens

Those poignant words reminded me of a few life lessons.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli ©2021
  • There are gaps all around us. From neighbors needing a hand with home repair, to a child searching for a mentor, to a friend suffering through a family crisis, or, maybe, a family member with whom you need to reconnect. Before we fill the gap, we have to recognize it exists. Eyes wide open.
  • The quote above notes the gestures were made “not in a showy way [but] in a quiet kind way.”  Those dads stood out for their gentle connections. They did not have to bloviate and say. “Look at me and what I am doing!” No, they stood out by not standing out.
  • When a gap exists sometimes the best action is to address it head on. Like a suggestion I offered in a previous post on this blog: Rather than ruminate on “Why isn’t our community a better place?” we would be better served (and serve better) to ask, “What can we do to make our community a better place?” Yes we have to know the why–just don’t let it get in the way of the what that is needed in front of you. The child in the quote above needed the love of tied shoelaces more-so than a dialogue on why the shoelaces were not tied. Tie the shoelace and that may lead to deeper conversation addressing the nature of the gap.

When we reach out to fill a gap in our community (large or small) we see the need, acknowledge the need, and act to address the need. Why? Because in that moment we remember the gap that separates provides an opportunity to create bridges.

Photo by Steve Piscitelli ©2021

~~~~~

Video recommendation for the week:

One of my favorite podcast episodes came when I had the chance to sit down with centenarian Dr. Frances Bartlett Kinne. Her life motto speaks to filling the gap by bridging connections: “Life is not about me, it’s about others.” Enjoy!

~~~~~

Make it a great week and HTRB has needed.

My latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, can be found 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.

My podcasts (all 50 episodes) can be found here.

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


©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment