Living a Life Full of Meaning

 Highlights from Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

The way that Raj Sisodia spoke of Man’s Search for Meaning during a presentation for Conscious Capitalism spoke directly to my soul. I decided right then and there that I was going to read it. To this day, it is the most impactful book I've ever read.

Frankl was a neurologist who lived in Nazi internment camps for 3 years. He paints a picture of what it felt like to be separated from family, lose everything including freedom, and witness heartbreaking cruelty. He explored how different people reacted to the torture. 

Frankl found a high correlation between a person's level of hope and their health. Those who were hopeless had declined immunity levels and experienced rapid mental and physical decay.  Prisoners with hope had a fundamentally different attitude toward life, resulting in better health. 

Even in the states of extreme torture, some prisoners felt hopeful and that their life had meaning. It is the seeking of achieving a goal that creates purpose, not a tensionless state. Having this goal to achieve enables people to not only thrive, but also overcome extremely painful experiences.

Frankl found the ultimate meaning of life is to strive for a worthwhile personal goal. It is personally motivating potential. Frankl went on to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy, became a professor at Harvard, and developed logotherapy. 

Kotter's 8-Step Change Model

 I'm finishing a course on Organizational Behavior this week and I've loved it. My favorite takeaway is the change model created by John Kotter, a professor at Harvard Business School and world-renowned change expert. It's simple, yet powerful.

1. Establish a sense of urgency by creating a compelling reason for why change is needed.
2. Form a coalition with enough power to lead the change.
3. Create a new vision to direct the change and strategies for achieving the vision.
4. Communicate the vision throughout the organization.
5. Empower others to act on the vision by removing barriers to change and encouraging risk taking and creative problem solving.
6. Plan for, create, and reward short-term "wins" that move the organization toward the new vision.
7. Consolidate improvements, reassess changes, and make necessary adjustments in the new programs.
8. Reinforce the changes by demonstrating the relationship between new behaviors and organizational success.
   

Who Do You Surround Yourself With?

Each person that we come in contact with makes an impact on us.  The level of impact depends on how we feel about them and what they are representing to us.  We may feel a strong positive attraction, a strong negative rejection, or anything inbetween.  Either way, it's facinating to think about how a simple interaction has the opportunity to leave an impression on us that lasts a lifetime.  

The people we spend the most time with have a great deal of influence on us. We become like those we surround ourselves with.  Make a quick list of the five people you typically spend the most time with.  This can include podcasts, books, and TV shows that you frequently tune into.  What type of mindset do they have?  What are their most common attitudes?  Do they pull you up and inspire you to grow?  Do they bring you down and hold you back?  What feelings do they trigger in you?

Rather than hanging out with people who are nearby or you've known forever, think about consciously selecting your influences and what impact that may have on you.  If you aren't spending time with at least one person who serves as a role model for you and inspires you to grow, change that today.  Do some research, subscribe to a podcast, or read a book.  Bring more of that energy into your weekly schedule.  This small shift can change your life significantly.  

A Fresh Start

Cleaning up the spaces you frequent can leave you with a deep sense of renewal and a burst of effervescence.  There’s no better time than right now!

Clear Out the Old.  Simplify and let go of clutter. 

Donate items you haven’t used in a year.  Box and archive old files or shred them.  Keep current files in a central location that is easily accessible and near your workspace. 

“Next to the dog, the wastebasket is your best friend.”

~B.C. Forbes

Create Workspaces.  Optimize areas with a specific purpose. 

Keep everything that you need to use daily within arm’s reach.  Put away things that you rarely use.  Invest in new tools and systems where it will save you time and make you feel more organized. 

Reorganize Your Desk.  Create a work area that organizes your activities for you.

1.      Clean Inbox.  Everything that comes in goes directly in here to be processed in batches.  Empty it regularly and keep it clean.

2.      Focus Stack.  Keep a stack of items you will focus on this week.  Keep it very small as to reduce clutter and increase speed.

3.      Follow Up Pile.  Keep an area where you can stack things you want to follow up on and/or you need to work on but aren’t going to focus on it this week.  Look through it weekly to review if anything should be prioritized yet.  

4.      Simple Filing.  Create a first file in your filing cabinet ("to file") so that you can quickly put away anything that you’re done with.  Take the time out to file everything in the correct files at least once per year.  If you find you are hesitant to file, simplify your system. 

5.      Refill Supplies.  Get a notebook or app that you write lists on each day.  Setup a pen cup with colorful markers, scissors, etc. 

Metamorphosis of the Monarch

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly."- Richard Bach

One of my hobbies is to raise monarch caterpillars and protect them while they develop until they become butterflies.  The chances of a monarch caterpillar's survival is only 2% in nature.  One butterfly lies about 400 eggs and only 8 typically live to become adult butterflies.  In recent years the monarch population has drastically declined.  I enjoy helping to increase the chances of their survival.  This year I've had my largest "batch" ever with over 20 butterflies emerging during the month of June. 

The process is absolutely amazing.  Within a few weeks they grow over 2,000 times their original size and completely transform, changing to a distinctly separate organism entirely.

These caterpillars start as eggs, almost invisible to the naked eye.  I keep an eye out for any holes in the leaves of my milkweed plants.  Once I find a caterpillar, I move him into my mesh caterpillar habitat and place him on a milkweed plant that has a much greater chance of survival.  

As the caterpillars grow, they eat A LOT.  There have been many days where I had to make an emergency trip out to get more milkweed plants.  I have found that a cucumber is a good substitute for one day, in case of emergency.  They molt several times as they grow, splitting their old skin.  

Once the caterpillar is ready to form a chrysallis, they climb into a spot the believe will be the most safe and hang out there to make sure.  They then spin silk to attach and hang head-down in a "J" shape.  

About a day later, they straighten and start pulsating strongly.  They tear through their exoskeleton and expose the pupa.  It first appears as a light green milky substance.  Over the next few hours, the green darkens slightly and a beautiful gold trim appears.  You can immediately see the outline of the wings within the pupa.  

The Monarch chrysalis remains in this state for 1-2 weeks.  During this period, the entire internal contents of the caterpillar (including the muscles, digestive system, heart, and nervous system) are totally rebuilt.  They lose half of their weight due to the tremendous amount of energy it takes for this transformation.  The day before they emerge, you will notice that the color of the chrysalis darkens.  The following morning it will appear black.  It's actually clear - if you look within you can see the orange on the wings.  

That morning the Monarch will emerge.  The prior yellow, white, and black striped body has changed into a black body with white dots.  The atenna and legs are completely different as well.  The wings are folded at first.  The Monarch must hang upside down to allow fluids to surge to the end of the wings and dry.   It will take several hours for the butterfly to prepare for their first flight.  As they get ready to fly, they'll flap their wings, learning to use them.  I let them go that afternoon.  It's so beautiful to see them soar for the first time.

Monarch butterflies typically live two to six weeks.  During this time, I'll find many of them coming back to lie eggs on the same plants they were born on.  The process repeats.  The last generation of a season is born in September and October.  This generation migrates South to Mexico, where it will live for six to eight months until it's time to repeat the cycle. 

I love to see the process of change.  It's a great natural example of the change that we all go through and that is possible in each of us.  It's also amazing to see that with a little guidance and love, the chance of success is vastly higher. 

“If we could see the miracle in a single flower clearly, 
Our whole life would change.” ~Buddha

Meditation

The past year I have dealt with anxiety more than ever before.  As a young child remember feeling anxious before school, but it wasn't something that I often dealt with.  Then, in my late 30's, it became something I struggled with daily.  I'd find myself regularly feeling that sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach.  In moments where I felt at peace, I'd notice my mind wander toward thoughts that would trigger worry.

I understood the concept that I should focus on what I want, not what I don't want.  I battled with myself to stop worrying and "out think" the worry.  However, I'd continuously find myself struggling - to the point it was deeply affecting my well-being and impacting my relationships.  I started to feel desparate for change.

One day while scrolling through Instragram, I felt the urge to check out workshops by one of my favorite authors.  Although she's usually conducting workshops around the world, she had one in San Diego within a couple weeks. I took immediate action and went by myself to her workshop.  Within an hour I felt a great sense of connection and deep inspiration.  The strongest message she had to convey that day was the importance of meditation.  She reiterated how much it impacted her daily life and that she could not recommend it enough.

I had always been resistant toward meditation although I had read about the benefits: stress reduction, self-awareness, brain function improvement, reduction of memory loss, and even improved brain structure.  Well, ever since that workshop, for the past 8 months, I've been meditating most days.  I usually meditate for just for 10 minutes first thing in the morning (but for as little as 3 minutes if that's all I have that day).

I quickly found that I enjoy the meditation sessions.  Each time I notice that I feel better afterwards.  Within just a few sessions, I started noticing that the time I spent worrying and the physical impact of it was reducing.  I felt an overall stronger grounding that made me feel more calm and peaceful in general.

It was very interesting to see how busy my mind was at first - to directly observe my desire to constantly analyze everything.  Now I have more awareness and control and I am more effective with my thinking.  I typically use Headspace's guided meditations.  They have a free set you can try which helped me build strong habits.  More recently I've been meditating without the guidance and enjoying that - but at first I found that difficult to do.

With the recent COVID-19 changes, my habits have been in flux and I've noticed some of that anxiety coming back.  Making sure to prioritize the daily meditation is the single most impactful habit I have.

Wishing you peace and harmony.



Reference:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/meditation-mind-body-spirit_n_5291361

Dealing with Extreme Difficulty

Over the past year, I faced some of the most difficult challenges of my life.  I felt like I was losing it, like I could hardly keep my head above water, and I found myself struggling with anxiety.  I was in a spiral that I didn't know how to get out of.  This struggle impacted my daily well-being and my relationships. Although I knew that my thinking made a huge impact on what I was experiencing, I found it very challenging to shift my thoughts to being more positive.

A few key behavior changes helped me shift the pattern:

1. Communicating where I was at with those closest with me.  I tend to keep things inside and try to solve them myself.  As I opened up and shared what was going on, the support and advice that I got helped me feel more confident about myself, see past my perspective, and navigate to new solutions that I hadn't considered before.  
2. Focusing on the solution rather than the challenges.  I found that during this period, I tended to focus too much on how things were at that moment and what was wrong.  This limited my ability to create the change that was needed.  By directing more of my energy toward possibility and innovative approaches, I was able to get past the hurdles that stopped me in the past.
3. Prioritizing my well-being.  I tried many different methods to find something that made me feel more peaceful each day.  The one that really made an impact was meditating.  I am now meditating every week day for 10 minutes as part of my morning routine.  This helps to calm my mind and start my day from a more grounded place.  

I can't say that my life is perfect now, but I am feeling a huge sense of ease and peace with my days.  I am once again excited for what's to come rather than fearing it.  I can more easily focus on what I'm thankful for (there is so much) and how I want to impact others with the time I have.  That's my favorite place to play in.

Thanks to everyone who supported me and was understanding during the past year.  Love you!

Dancing with Change

Change is constant, whether we like it or not.  If we don't know how to to deal with change, it can slow us down, feel very difficult, become very expensive, and cause a lot of waste.

Our ability to manage change well directly influences our speed of growth, daily experience, success in achieving goals, and ability to make a valuable impact.

Here are keys to improve your ability to manage change.

Create a Change Map
True clarity on what specifically needs to change is critical.  We can achieve this by:

• Having a high level of awareness of current position
• Creating a clear vision of desired outcome (with a thoughtful, elevated outcome)
• Mapping a path from one point to the other
• Assertively chasing that path every day, being the force to make it happen
• Being flexible and adapting the path, as needed, to reach the outcome

By mapping this journey of growth, we paint a picture of the specific shift that needs to happen.  Priorities become clear and noise is eliminated.


Refresh Habits
Our daily habits are essential to driving important change.  People who consistently bring effort, energy, and attitude excel regardless of factors outside of their control.  Encouraged daily habits:

• Engaging in a mindset routine every morning feels motivating 
• Obsessing with being better than yesterday
• Living each day as if it's the only one
• Seeking to be coached and learning from disappointments
• Speaking words that are rooted in love and honoring them

When we demonstrate our ability to thrive with change, we encourage others to do the same.  This synergy is powerful momentum.


Influence Progress
Collaboration that leverages various perspectives while creating ownership at the same time is a great way to elevate results.  We have an opportunity to not only seize opportunities for change, but to lead others to do the same.

• For changes that are big - a clear, agreed upon action plan with a small, specialized group who is highly motivated is a great way to drive fast progress in a fun way.  Be sure to set a cadence of regular work sessions to speed progress and give the team time in between to elevate their work product.
• For changes that will be repeated - a simple guided process with forms that gather all necessary information,  create clear ownership over each step, and ensure checks and balances is a great way to drive quality and efficiency. 

Unstoppable: Transforming your mindset to create change, accelerate results, and be the best at what you do

Highlights from the book by Dave Anderson

This book was a great, quick read that left me feeling amped up and empowered to create change.  Here are the key parts I want to remember. 

4 Types of Team Members

1.       Undertakers – Drain value.  Others need to carry their load, clean up their mess, and perform damage control in their wake. 

2.       Caretakers – Baseline participants.  Do just enough to get by, get paid, and go home.

3.       Playmakers – Occasionally create change.  They have more energy and drive but are inconsistent.   

4.       Game Changers – Unstoppable.  Consistently bring effort, energy, attitude, excellence, and passion to the job. 

Everyone can vary between these 4 mindsets, however one will primarily dominate a person’s time, and is therefore reflected in their performance.  Transforming one’s mindset upward is achievable and the main content of this book. 

9 Things it Takes to Become Unstoppable

1.       Decide to think differently.  Stop blaming or making excuses.  Change your behaviors, replace unproductive habits with healthy ones, and get focused on your dreams (and why you want them).

2.       Do the ordinary extraordinarily and consistently well.  Reap the predictable harvest from the consistent seeds of discipline, attention to detail, continual improvement, and extra work over time. 

3.       Add value to the culture.  Even if your level of skill, knowledge, talent, or experience may be less than others, incessantly apply what you do have.  Take relentless approach that is rooted in the right mindset.

4.       Be committed to self-improvement.  Be obsessed with becoming better than your former best.  Every day consider what you can do today knowing it will help you be better tomorrow. 

5.       Err on the side of being personally humble.  By continuing to grow and excel, and being a clutch member of the team, you can inspire and lift others to a higher level of intensity, desire, and performance.  Have a voracious ambition for the team to do well. 

6.       Focus on what you can control.  Have an outlook of never giving up and quitting is not an option.  Stop making excuses for why you don’t do it or complaining if you didn’t get it.  Earn it, deserve it, or go without it. 

7.       Embrace revolution.  Change and risk before you have to so that you can do so from a position of strength rather than having an impaired vision due to desperation.  Have the ability to be in a constant state of evolution and embrace revolution. 

8.       Seek to be coached.  Accept constructive criticism as a compliment.  Let every disappointment become a lesson. 

9.       Give everything you can.  Rather than focusing on quantity of work, do all that is possible to turn out the best work possible.  To aspire to excellence, never accept good enough. 

Becoming a game changer depends on you alone.  It’s a choice you make to focus on what you can control, be more humble, hungry, persistent and focused, and to grow. 

Game Changer Philosophy

Game changers are energized by their goals, the chance to make a difference, the chance to lift a teammate, the chance to move the team forward, and the chance to be better today than they were yesterday. 

·        Focus on choices that you have control over rather than conditions you don’t.  Be driven, hungry, resilient, and stay focused.  When you get off track, get back on ASAP.  Be internally motivated.  Be early and prepared.  Have a set routine.  Push others along rather than being pulled. Focus on behaviors rather than words.  Look within and take ownership.

·        Know your why.  Your WHY gives you purpose, builds resilience, and makes you unstoppable. 

·        Be in the Zone as much as possible.  There is a state of heightened focus that enables peak performance.  We are far more effective when we find it, stay in it, and return to it quickly if we depart.  Recognize your zone busters and shift them with your mindset or by taking action. 

·        Go A.P.E.  Attitude: settled way of thinking/behavior.  Passion: feeling of excitement about doing something. Enthusiasm: intense enjoyment or approval.  These characteristics that start from within are the greatest differentiator in results and speed. 

·        Be mentally tough.  Developing oneself to a game changer status requires persistence, tenacity, focus, resilience, diligence, and the right attitude.  Create your own unstoppable philosophy by setting a standard that you strive to and measure your growth against.

·        Develop a daily mindset discipline.  Process facilitates focus, discipline, and consistency.  Get motivated about what the process will do for you and follow it every time, over time.  Engage in a mindset routine in the morning that motivates you and aligns you with daily priorities. 

·        Set the example.  The power of your example is unfathomable.  Hold yourself to a higher standard of thinking and behaving that is in alignment with living at unstoppable game changer status. 

Commitment Continuum:  resistant, reluctant, existent, compliant, committed, compelled, obsessed

My Favorite Trick for Feeling Truly Fulfilled: Planning Outcomes

The habit that helps ensure my personal fulfillment over all others is a 90 day pivot review.  Every quarter, I carve some time out to take a fresh look at what my priorities are and set new goals accordingly.  Sometimes these goals are changing or elevating my approach on a goal I've been actively pursuing.  Sometimes they are completely new ideas.  By reviewing this regularly, I improve my ability not only to plan, but to elevate what I'm planning for.

When I step out of this Outcome Planning Session, I feel reinvigorated and ready to drive forward.  This 30 minute practice renews my motivation by alinging my focus with my planned actions.  It also prioritizes important reflection on my prior goals versus actual accomplishments.  I love to look back see the results of my intentions versus what really happened.  I learn so much when flipping through the pages and seeing my progress.

The template that I use is from my Daily Notebook and is pictured here.  The Notebook helps create daily balance, focus, and enjoyment.  When partnered with quarterly outcome planning and weekly organization sessions, it brings a much higher level of self-growth and fulfillment.

Other Favorites:

• My Favorite Organization Trick
• My Favorite Life Hack
• My Favorite Time Management Trick
• My Favorite Daily Mindset Practice

My Favorite Life Hack: Weekly Organization Session

The hour I spend organizing myself makes the single biggest impact on my week.  When I take time out to look from a big picture perspective, I see new opportunities, prioritize things that fill my cup, and create greater focus on what is most meaningful. These changes to my approach significantly improve my experience and impact.  

A weekly organization session carves out creative space to review, reconnect, and readjust. The following structure guides you through a simplified workflow that creates an optimized blueprint for the week, aligning goals and actions to take large steps forward consistently.  

Weekly Organization Instructions:

Pick one day per week and set up a recurring appointment with yourself in your electronic calendar (with a reminder) for your weekly organization session. Carve out an hour or so to align, sync, refresh, and renew. I recommend doing this on Friday for the upcoming week. That way you can communicate to others ahead of the week and everyone can dig right in on Monday morning.

 Steps

• Design your Schedule
• Schedule the “rocks” first - things that are critical such as appointments, etc.
• Add in time for goals - set timeboxes for key priorities (30 mins to two hours each)
• Add in time for relationships 
• Narrow your Focus
• If you have critical tasks that need to be done this week, block out time for them
• Review what's on your schedule and evaluate if you really need to attend meetings scheduled; objectively consider what things can be let go or delegated
• Balance your time and include things that recharge you and take care of your critical needs
• Be Flexible
• As things come up, move things around and adjust 
• Don’t overdo it - leave room each day for follow up, impromptu discussions, etc.

By taking time out once per week to setup our days, we make the things that matter most to us our true top priorities.  Being selective about what makes it into our lives helps ensure we experience our ideal levels of fun, growth, and accomplishment.

Other Favorites:

• My Favorite Time Management Trick
• My Favorite Organization Trick
• My Favorite Trick for Feeling Truly Fulfilled
• My Favorite Daily Mindset Practice

Roll with Change

Change is the one constant in life.  The feeling of being “short-changed” or on the losing end of change can be overwhelming and incredibly painful.  It can bring the intense emotions of disappointment, sadness, and regret.  The changes that can hurt us the most are those that we never expected.  The more love, hope, and energy we invest into something, the harder it hurts to let it go.  Letting go is the only way to deal with changes we can’t control. 

The greatest growth, accomplishment, and achievement often come from changes that seem impossible to overcome.  These challenges bring opportunity.  They create a new foundation to build something better than before.  Listening to feedback from people that care about you and have different perspectives helps to open the mind to new possibilities that may be blocked by fear or limited thinking.  While the entire path ahead may be hard to see, the next step is usually not too hard to figure out.  It’s up to us to open up, be flexible, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.  

Be the Change you Want to See

Begin each day with gratitude and love.  Radiate positive vibes to those you encounter.  Lend a helping hand even if it slows you down a couple of minutes.  Listen intently when people speak.  Share your perspective with kindness.  Put in hard work toward making a difference.  Tease your brain and learn something new.  Lighten up.  Smile.  Prioritize playfulness and celebrate life.  Nourish your body and feed your soul.  Envision your best self.  Take a step forward daily.  Do something that fills your cup and re-energizes you.  Say 'I love you' often.

I am an Activist

Tomorrow a senior reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle will attend our women's meeting.  He's writing about the unprecedented number of Orange County activists since Trump took office.  He'd like to understand what drew us to become active.

Immediately following the most recent election, I felt compelled to become active in the issues to help work toward solutions.  I found myself extremely frustrated and wanted to funnel that energy into something productive.  When I heard about the Women's March, I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it.  A wonderful group of old friends felt the same way and we met up that day to walk together.

The march was the most unforgettable experience.  People of all types came together to stand for unity, diversity, and inclusion.  It opened my mind to how much people of all types suffer through discriminatory conditions every day.  I saw many people genuinely fearful of how the new administration would change their lives and lessen their freedom.  I decided that I can't just stand by and let it happen without helping to change it.

One of the friends that I marched with forwarded an email to me that was written by Joanna Weiss.  Joanna had recently formed a women's group called Women for American Values (WAVE) in Orange County to leverage this frustration into impactful action.  Her messages were extremely informative, concise, and focused on making real progress.  I went to the next WAVE meeting and have remained aware and active ever since.

I identify as an activist because I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up for civil rights and I take ownership in creating the change that is greatly needed.  

The progress we've made toward equal rights cannot move backwards.  I find it very difficult to understand how we aren't further ahead already.  I understand the level of privilege I've been given and want to leverage that to create a positive impact for others.  A lot of this is new to me because I've never been politically involved.  I have always voted but hardly did any research; I was very unaware of what was going on politically.  I've got a big learning curve but a lot of heart and motivation.

I've started with a commitment to be more informed.  I've filtered my sources, adjusted them to be less biased and of higher quality.  I plugged into multiple groups that discuss issues as well as share recommended actions to take.  I joined WAVE, which has become a PAC, to partner with local activists that are driven to make change.  I'm also part of a working action group within WAVE that focuses on Civil Rights to make an impact locally.  I'm loving the connections I'm making and what I'm learning.  I enjoy being a part of the team driving toward true equality for all.  <3

Conscious Capitalism Credo

I'm reading through the handbook and want to capture how awesome this is. :)

We believe that business is good because it creates value, it is ethical because it is based on voluntary exchange, it is noble because it can elevate our existence, and it is heroic because it lifts people out of poverty and creates prosperity. Free enterprise capitalism is the most powerful system for social cooperation and human progress ever conceived. It is one of the most compelling ideas we humans have ever had. But we can aspire to even more.  

Conscious Capitalism is a way of thinking about capitalism and business that better reflects where we are in the human journey, the state of our world today, and the innate potential of business to make a positive impact on the world. Conscious businesses are galvanized by higher purposes that serve, align, and integrate the interests of all their major stakeholders. Their higher state of consciousness makes visible to them the interdependencies that exist across all stakeholders, allowing them to discover and harvest synergies from situations that otherwise seem replete with trade-­‐offs. They have conscious leaders who are driven by service to the company’s purpose, all the people the business touches, and the planet we all share together. Conscious businesses have trusting, authentic, innovative and caring cultures that make working there a source of both personal growth and professional fulfillment. They endeavor to create financial, intellectual, social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, physical and ecological wealth for all their stakeholders. 

Conscious businesses will help evolve our world so that billions of people can flourish, leading lives infused with passion, purpose, love and creativity; a world of freedom, harmony, prosperity, and compassion. 

From Conscious Capitalism

Our Civic Duty: Becoming More Actively Involved

So many of us are more aware of politics and the impact they have on us now than we have ever been before.  Seeing Donald Trump become President of the United States while having less of the popular vote has sparked a greater level of care and concern toward our government than I've ever personally witnessed.  There are various reasons people are feeling more compelled to take action and create change in our current politics.  Navigating the path to understanding which actions to take with the little time you have available can be a challenge.

I have been an active voter for 20 years now.  In the past I would conduct some light research for a couple of weeks just prior to voting on the candidates and issues.  Each time that I would open up the ballot information packet, I would wish I had been more diligent to inform myself more thoroughly on many of the topics.  In the last month I've been highly motivated to learn which actions I can take to create the change I want to see and how to balance the time it takes to do so with all of my other commitments.  I've come up with an approach that is working well.

I have found how I can make an impact in just a couple of hours per week.  In this short period of time, I've learned a lot in the quest to optimize the amount of time I want to dedicate toward this.  This will be an ongoing development, but I love how this is working so far. :)  Here are my tips:

Pay Attention 
With all of the political events happening in the past few months, I've genuinely taken a much deeper level of interest in informing myself.  I am paying attention to the current issues as well as taking great care on vetting the sources I consume.

• Start tuning into credible political news sources and stay informed on current issues
• Focus on the non-biased, well-vetted sources (examples: NPR, PBS News Hour, The Economist)
• Select some sources with a minimum bias level and look at both sides to have the full picture in mind (examples:  Left - New York Times, News Week, Washington Post; Right - Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Foreign Affairs)
• Of the sources selected, tune into them in the way you enjoy most - such as on TV,  Facebook, Twitter, Podcasts, and/or the radio
• Be sure to weed out sources that are proven as extremely biased and/or with reporting that is not highly factual (examples:  Info Wars, Daily Kos, Breitbart)

Time I spend per week on this:  About 1-2 hours (20 minutes/day)

Form Opinions About the Issues

It is very common for people to focus on reinforcing the beliefs we already have.  If we all continue to do so, we will become more and more polarized.  We need to find common ground.  Learning about the concerns of those with opposite beliefs and/or discussing the issues in a way they can relate to is critical to making progress.  

• Identify the issues that mean the most to you - write a list
• From your list of issues, rate each - 1 being the most important to you personally
• Research both sides of your most important issue and keep building your knowledge around it

Time I spend per week on this:  N/A - this happens during research

Speak Up to Elected Officials

This is one of the least appealing but most important actions you can take.  Let your elected officials know what's important to you and why.  Hold your Members of Congress (MoC's) accountable to represent your position in their votes.  They do monitor overall quantity of contacts by topic.  Calls have been shown as the most effective way to get their attention.  There are tools that make this very simple to do and save a lot of time.

• Use "5 Calls" App to prompt you on current issues and connect you right to the people who vote on them - I make two calls a week for 1-2 minutes each regarding the two issues most important to me
• Use "Countable" App to read a neutral view of current issues and send messages to your MoC's - I do this in 10 minutes on Sunday afternoon

Whether you call or write, be effective by framing your message with the following information:

• I am a constituent and voter in (specific district they represent you in or your city, state)
• Important fact about the issue (why it concerns you)
• Specific request (what specific action you are requesting they take)

Time I spend per week on this:  15 minutes

Join a Group

If you feel so inclined, you can also join a group. There are many groups out there of all types. They vary on issues, positions, activity types, level of commitment, etc. I have recently found one that works very well for my needs. We have meetings about once per month to come together to educate ourselves and plan actions. I love this group because I learn a lot and I also enjoy having connections with and support from like-minded individuals.

There are a lot of Facebook groups that are private where you can connect with others who align with you on key issues and speak freely about them. These groups can be very encouraging to plan on steps forward as well as share information. If you're interested in joining something like this, ask your friends that are active politically or search to find one.

Time I spend per week on this:  1 hour

Talk with Others
Having conversations with each other is also important.  One of our biggest challenges is that many people that are eligible to vote, don't.  People aren't sure who to trust and are largely uninformed on what is happening.

We have to encourage friendly conversations where we can genuinely learn from each other.  When we cast judgment against others as being wrong or don't really listen because we're so focused on wanting to say our opinion, that gets us nowhere.  If we all get overly up tight when people disagree with us and can't communicate why issues matter so much to us, how will we ever create bridges and find some common ground to build upon?

We each have a duty to contribute toward making this country what we believe it should be.  If you aren't contributing, then please consider doing so in a way that works for you.

What do you do to contribute to change that you think should happen?  I would love to hear what's working for you.

Why Did I March?

Why did I march? Integrity, compassion, and equality are of utmost importance to me, more than any political views. The person elected in office shows absolute disregard for these values, to the point where he boasts about being the opposite.  I stood up to show the world that I don't agree with the system that elects someone that the majority of the people didn't. Progress is incredibly important to me and this feels like huge steps backwards in critical areas such as basic human rights.  I stood up to represent many more that wish they could have, but couldn't - people that have genuine concern for their safety and freedom.  Not freedom of possession but actual physical freedom.  Something that those judging right now must have no clue about... or they would understand.

I feel flared up about making real impact now, to be the change I want to see. I don't care if you disagree or discount it. I have no patience for you saying you don't understand.  I don't want to hear your criticism about what I should do instead.  I have no choice but to be represented by our president so I wish him the best... I absolutely hope that his "change" creates an overall positive effect. I never lose hope, but I do lose patience.

Women's March 2017

Yesterday I took part in the Women's March with people in every US state, many countries, and on every continent around the world.  Over 4.5 million people came together to stand up for equality.  The US alone is currently estimated to have had around 3.5 million attendees.  The counts are still being tallied.  The main march was in Washington DC with about 500,000 attendees.  There were over 650 sister marches, the largest being in Los Angeles with over 750,000 people.  California had more than 60 marches with well over 1 million attendees. Other cities with over 100k included: New York City, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Boston, London, Saint Paul, Portland, and Madison.

I attended the OC March in Santa Ana, CA with a group of girlfriends and children.  It was an unforgettable experience.  I loved coming together with friends that are passionate about the same principles to stand in honor of many more individuals.  The crowd of over 20,000 was revved up and fun.  There wasn't any "craze" feeling or any violence at all.  There was unity, diversity, inclusion, and above all -- sisterhood.  People smiled, cheered, and handed out refreshments and memorabilia.  One awesome woman had made a bag full of pussyhats and was offering them to those that didn't yet have one.

The people that marched were from all types of backgrounds.  This crowd was beautifully diverse in every way.  There were young girls and boys, teens, determined moms with babies in tow, dads, grandmas, and grandpas.  Some marched completely alone.  Some were in large well-organized groups.  Some were just a pair or family.  There were people from every ethnic background.  There were people with disabilities marching with us.  There were some that couldn't, so they lined up on the side with a sign on their wheel chair saying, "thanks for marching for me".  There was such a beautiful coming together of people wanting to care, love, and protect one another.

There were people there as well that were genuinely afraid of changes that may come with the new administration.  Not because they are stuck in a mindset that is attached to one particular party or way of thinking, but because they have been discriminated against and/or may lose a level of significant freedom.  These are real fears that our fellow people face daily.  We stood together to say, "that's not okay and we are here to stand up for you."

When we came home from this awesome experience, some of us faced condescending questions and remarks from people who judge the purpose and value of the march.  There were common themes, but they all stemmed from a lack of understanding.  Some of these people won't get to that understanding until they are genuinely curious, if ever.

My favorite part was coming home to my husband and mother-in-law.  Both were so deeply proud of me for attending and inspired by the overall movement.  I loved looking at all the pictures of the day, from around the world, and learning about how big this truly was.  Today, the next morning, I awoke and immediately reflected upon what an amazing experience this all was.  I want to capture the moment ... and in doing so ... comes a hunger for more. :)

To all those that stood up, came together, and were there in spirit - Thank You.  More to Come! :) <3

Resources:

• Official March Page: https://www.womensmarch.com/ 
• Women's March Sister Marches: https://www.womensmarch.com/sisters
• Official March Guiding Vision & Definition of Principles: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/584086c7be6594762f5ec56e/t/587e8432b3db2b97b38a7a8f/1484686387172/WMW+Guiding+Vision+%26+Definition+of+Principles.pdf 
• Count of Attendees document by Professor Jeremy Pressman: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xa0iLqYKz8x9Yc_rfhtmSOJQ2EGgeUVjvV4A8LsIaxY/htmlview?sle=true#gid=0
• US Uncut Count of Attendees: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/170xxy-6PnwF-BwQJsTgF1vxlEaWIhT7vNlqxjkNni7E/edit?ts=588404ed#gid=0 
• 9 Biggest Marches in US History http://www.businessinsider.com/largest-marches-us-history-2017-1/#protests-against-the-iraq-war-in-americas-largest-cities-february-15-16-2003-8 

Excerpt from Guiding Vision and Definition of Principles document:
OVERVIEW & PURPOSE The Women's March on Washington is a women-led movement bringing together people of all genders, ages, races, cultures, political affiliations and backgrounds in our nation’s capital on January 21, 2017, to affirm our shared humanity and pronounce our bold message of resistance and self-determination.

Recognizing that women have intersecting identities and are therefore impacted by a multitude of social justice and human rights issues, we have outlined a representative vision for a government that is based on the principles of liberty and justice for all. As Dr. King said, “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”

Rock Bottom

I hope this is rock bottom.  Although it seems like such a negative, rock bottom is the ultimate launching pad for truly leaping up to the next level.  

I have a lot of hope for the upcoming generations to make some real, positive, significant change.  I commit to do my part to open new opportunities, support their growth, and lead by example.  

We need to find a way for everyone.  Not be selfish.  Not be focused on fear or greed.  Not allow people to suffer and just watch without action.  We need to find a way so that we encourage and reward hard work, we create opportunities for everyone, and we show love to our fellow human beings. 

We work together instead of sticking to polar extremes and never budging from them.  Harmony lies in the middle and doesn’t exclude anyone.  Don’t worry.  It also allows for those that really drive hard to shine, be able to thrive, and enjoy the ultimate “American dream”.