What NOT to do during swine flu season!

Mantras, Scriptures & Quotes

I have recently been thinking about and using various quotes that I have adopted at different times in my life. Often, I will cite a good quote in passing, in a conversation, or writting of sorts, and want to explain the logic and power of relying on some of these in the short and casual way, but also down the more challenging winding roads of life. Quotes to me, are the lay man's equivalent to a runner's mantra or a Christians' scripture. 

Mantras, as defined by wikipedia are "a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation." In Eastern religions they can be used to focus the mind back to the spiritual. One group of individuals who also use mantras, for less so spiritual reasons but more so for motivation, is that of runners. Runners, need all the self motivation they can get, and hence it's very common within the running culture to have a running mantra to get yourself through a period of time (of training) or a particular race or season.  "Dory" from the Pixar film, Finding Nemo, "just keep swimming" is a perfect example of a short attitudinal phrase that frames one's actions. Some examples of running mantras include:

"one more step"

"finish strong"

"she's going the distance"

"Screw it; run through it"

"Pain is weakness leaving the body"

I make my point. The reason for these mantras for runners is, (I think) the process and challenges that arise include (depending on the distance & training) but they vary from being tired, hungry, and in pain and discomfort. When all of these things come together, and  you hit mile 18 out of 26.2 it's a little harder to be optimistic, or have a fresh perspective, the mind becomes cluttered and the only way to create distance from all of the physical challenges is to focus on the goal and reverting to the powerful words of the mantra, which are so hard wired into your system so that it replaces every other thought trying to determine the final outcome of that race (/run).  So, the reason this isn't on my running blog is because, I have no permanent mantra yet, they are often dependent on circumstances around life, which is also okay, but I want to find a more permanent one that I will have as the years go by. (I also feel this self motivation is too personal to be just copied). 

Only speaking for myself, Scriptures have always been a useful tool that I was equiped with but didn't notice while it was happening. Growing up in the Methodist church, kids learn the teachings of the bible, but not with too large of an emphasis on memorizing scripture. It wasn't until high school church camp (Forest Home) where I spent some time memorizing scripture (and not necessarily for the right reasons, but rather for a camp wide competition of knowing the chosen 10 (or so) bible verses.) For 5 summers, I learned the small verses and really drilled them into the short term compartment, but somewhere along the way they were ingrained in the long term compartment, and have found myself recalling appropriate scripture at some of the most challenging times in my life, and in my journey in faith. I have found it surprising and empowering to have a certain scripture come to mind that addresses something I'm facing whether that is a fear, a temptation, or even a moment of joy, anger or even plain emptiness. Just recalling such scriptures has continuously strengthened my faith beyond belief. Not unlike the runner who is almost ready to quit and then recalls his mantra, scripture strengthens the soul when it too is down and almost out. 

One of my favorite things since the 5th grade have been quotes. I use them a lot but really only have a handful that have come to be very indicative of who I am or ideas I find to be pretty concrete enough to rely on.  Some have to do with goal setting, others with political beliefs (about the people as they relate to their governments). Often quotes only make sense in their original context but a good quote always makes sense.

One of my favorite quotes is Socrates' with a hint of Uribe. "Know thyself - and you will never be disappointed." 

We can at times run the risk of underestimating or overestimating ourselves (qualities, skills as well as weaknesses) but if we know ourselves, our character,spirit and goals, there is no reason to ever be disappointed.  Below are some of my favorites:

• "Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds." -Einstein
  
• "The greater danger for most of us is not that out aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." -Michealangelo
  
• "Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something"- Plato
  
• "the more insecure we are about our beliefs, the louder we become in order to drown out our doubts."
  
• "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free ... it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson 
  

Quotes, Mantras and Scripture make for a good tool to aid as a compass for the days when the mundane and the standard logic is spun out of control due to circumstance (good or bad), and we lose the ability to think objectively and respond accordingly. If we have the foresight to adopt sturdy, continous meaningful phrases that encompass our attitueds and beliefs, then we have something to fall back onto when running a "system check" as I call it. (A system check to me- in running- is checking how I am doing, my mind, my body, my heart rate etc, -in life- it is checking how I am doing, my priorities, motivation, faith, commitment etc) I can only know how it all functions, in relation to whatever compass I am relying on.

I am one who is curious and will often focus on the quotes posted on a site, or cited in an article because I expect them to be encompassing of larger life views, since I equate quotes to the lay man's "running mantra or Scriptures". 

Opportunities in Financial Downturns

There are plenty of things we can do to improve our own situations, and make a vital difference for others.

By Olivia Uribe | Posted on 03.09.2009

In this current time of financial hardships, when budgets are being cut and money is tight, we must become ever more resourceful and creative in accomplishing our goals and improving the quality of our lives and our communities. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we need to master and improve its use. Rather than creating new programs and facilities that require funding, we can create policies and practices that protect and improve and strengthen what is already in place. For instance, Santa Barbara County Action Network, or SB CAN, along with various allied organizations and individuals are looking at strategies to reinforce rental housing protections, and prevent the conversion of affordable housing into market-rate condos.

But there are other, more personal and individual, ways that we can increase our quality of life even without the big bucks.

First and foremost, we must change our attitudes and habits. On the national stage, President Obama stated in his inaugural address that he will evaluate government programs and eliminate those that don’t work. We can follow in this example and evaluate our everyday activities, behavior and habits to see what we can do differently. Some changes will ultimately benefit us as individuals but even more, benefit those around us.

For example, rather than spending a Saturday at the mall and out at lunch, perhaps choose one or two volunteer activities to participate in and include our families. There are local shelters in every community that could use a helping hand. There are ongoing environmental protection and beautification projects, and even educational endeavors such as recording for the blind and dyslexic, or mentoring a child.

When it comes to saving money and the environment, we can look to ourselves to change our transportation habits toward car-sharing/carpooling, taking the bus, a bike, or even walking when we would otherwise drive. It’s easy to make a conscious choice and if we make the decision to change our habits with enthusiasm, it is even inviting and encouraging to others to join us. Equally important, is to advocate for greater outreach to encourage such approaches rather than just ask for dollars to be invested in capital projects.

We must encourage not just our local and county governments to take the lead but also urge private businesses and corporations to join in the efforts. Perhaps we could create a partnership between technology-equipped businesses and cities to promote telecommuting. Bike to work weeks, gyms giving incentives for steps walked according to a pedometer are fun ways of encouraging a temporary change in habits, but we could make many of these changes long lasting and life altering.

Finally, we must encourage our elected officials to pass budgets in a timely manner, and to find those “shovel-ready” projects that can benefit from the recovery package recently signed by Obama.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his first inaugural speech, stated that, “When there is no vision, the people perish.” We must strive to be visionary and encourage creative imagination in our community. It is our responsibility as individuals to take action now to improve both our own situation and that of the wider community around us.

Olivia Uribe is associate director of the Santa Barbara County Action Network (SB CAN). She can be reached at 805.879.1768 or at olivia@sbcan.org. This commentary originally appeared in the Santa Maria Times.

from: http://www.noozhawk.com/point_of_view/article/030809_olivia_uribe_opportunities_in_financial_downturns

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish- The 60's and the generation of "HOPE & CHANGE"

The year that just passed, 2008 saw the election of Barack Obama for President of the United States, something momentous; an achievement, and the breaking of another barrier, but in comparison to what?

The campaign that lasted more than a year saw a lot of excitement, personalities, picture ops and usual rhetoric. Perhaps even more. This nation elected a leader that has been criticized for having little qualifying experience for the presidency, but spoke eloquently of "change" and "hope". For being relatively young, I was greatly bothered by the easy sale this was to an entire nation. However, my cynicism is now leveled a little by perspective and understanding, which has concluded with acceptance, and realistic expectation. 

The perspective came from the sparks that were triggered by analysis that's come from reading much from political analysts,  and most recently reading Tom Brokaw's book, BOOM Voices of the Sixties, Personal Reflection on the 60's and Today. 

The book itself is an overview of social movements, political events, cultural changes, and the players involved. He manages to vaguely and often not so obscurely compare and contrast some situations taking place in the 60's as well as today, such as unpopular wars. 

What I learned  from this book has helped me understand a little about where we are, how we got here (to the generation of "Change we can believe in") and where we still have to go. We are on a continuum, a spectrum if you will of history. We are not the end, our generation is only one of many more to come. What our contributions will be, will only be appreciated in retrospect, but while we're at it, we have got to do our best. 

The big picture lessons: Where we have fallen short through history is in our failure to communicate. We have establishing extremes and divisiveness, everything we do has to be in excess. The 50's were an excess of rules, the 60's were an excess of revolutions, and today we live in an atmosphere of disgusting apathy, or politicians who live in the partisan politics that lead to a stagnation in a continuum of national progress.We have a world of cynics, and their romantic counterparts, where we would best be served by pragmatists.  We have in the past had visionary leaders, and we cannot exist without a vision. 

The individual lessons:

• Why does it matter that we "bother" to understand or even spend the time of day on previous generations? 
  

The simple answer is because " Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it".- George Santayana

The more complicated answer is because every generation brought with it and developed great habits, rules, revolutions, as well as mistakes that we need to know in order to adapt, and evolve to make the continuation of progress smooth and most productive. There is no sense in us fighting the same ideological fights, or parallel wars, when we have found better solutions, or rather tactics and solutions that don't work. We cannot move forward until we can better grasp where we have been, failed, quit, and succeeded. I have a water mug, it's good to have as a daily constant companion, and the quote on it reads, "Take pride in how far you have come, and have faith in how far you can go". -Christian Larson

• No Wonder...we're only this far along.

It's no wonder we're only as far along as we are. I say that with not a whole lot of pride, but not shame. 

For example: eventually and in the midst of supporting Hillary Clinton, I came across many conversations that I felt were in different terms than what I wish to have had. Definitions of feminism that seemed archaic, and out of touch with whatever should or ought to have been part of the dialogue regarding women today(sorry about the vagueness).  The point is, after having read the interviews that Brokaw did with various contributors to the women's movement, (directly and willingly or inadvertently) they all had different strategies, goals and visions. Some might be more in line with what I perceive are necessary, while some be more in line with the ideals my 84 year old grandmother still espouses. If we cannot agree on what ought to be the parameters and goals of the continuation of a woman's movement (as I assume one is still necessary), then we still have pending dialogues. It's no wonder we cannot have equal rights if only 40 years ago women were beginning to question if they should get paid the same for the same work...

It's no wonder there are only 4 women with top posts in the Presidential Administration of Change, because we have not yet been able to adjust the mind frame in which we as a society ought to reach for. 

It's no wonder that in California we couldn't defeat prop 8 when the dialogue about homosexuality is often so trite and discussed with such contempt and insensitivity as it was during the days of Harvey Milk. (1970's)

• The depth and history of those that shaped our nation and their multidimensional worlds.

One of the most exciting and interesting parts of reading this book, and the reason why biographies and memoirs are so enlightening is because they give us a sense of who these people are and how they became that way. We are only a sum of all of our parts. We are made up of experiences that are contributed to by our family, friends, enemies, lovers, teachers, co-workers religion (or lack there of), and it all helps to form the perspectives that have. The ideas we come to believe to be true which then become the beliefs that we take stronghold of. In his brief biographical anecdotes of so many figures, I was able to understand if not agree with some of the most polarizing American figures and learn how it is that they became of such opinions. 

Conversely, we often hold on to ideas, which might be worth examining, how they came to be. 

An observation about each and every figure that was mentioned in this book shared the traits of fire, tenacity and undefeated spirit. Every individual was committed and rose to the leadership they did be it in a war, a social movement, a business, or single political cause, but none was fast to quit, and nobody had it easy. 

• How is it possible that Brokaw described often witnessing things first-hand  or others often experiencing things first-hand that were historical?
  

I suppose it is so because at the time they didn't know that moment would be one that would be important in history. Sometimes we are involved in events or moment that we know will be forever in history and we were just in the right place and in the right time (or wrong time). Often we will not be significant players, these events will just occur within our time, such as the attacks of 9/11, election of Barack Obama. What matters will be our ability to recognize them, analyze them and react to them appropriately. (What that means, of course cannot be defined with a simple equation). 

• Inspiration and motivation to repeat rhetoric or to act and react?

John F. Kennedy & Martin Luther King Jr. The 1960's had two outstanding and transcendent figures that promoted and instigated courage, action, belief in one's ability to make a difference, and then the young (idealists) acted accordingly. They had large protests to the Vietnam War. Others devoted themselves, their time and energy to the commitment and fulfillment of certain values and ideals of social change. In 2008, history will note that America was inspired to believe in Change, and to have Hope. What that means is still to be seen. (2005 gave us a song by John Mayer by the name of Waiting on the world to change) My biggest fear, and largest incredulity in this "new day" is in us.  There are no protests, no deeper discussions, and very little concern with the substantive stuff of the day. We have every reason to be the most active, the most powerful and the one that will utilize all of the momentum of previous generation to make the most amount of progress in all that we commit to. It was said in the woman's movement, that the "Personal is Political".However, I don't know what is the issue, or if there is one that will motivate our generation to activate. 

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish

- Whole Earth Catalog

What’s fair is fair, but why?

What’s fair is fair, but why?

Last April, a storm came about when the SB County Director of Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services department presented a budget that included an 8.4 million dollar budget cut for the 08-09 fiscal budget to the Board of Supervisors. As it is, the 2% in revenue that Santa Barbara County provides to ADMHS is much lower than the 6% mean contribution by other California Counties. Of the proposed budget cuts, 60% would be to Community Based Organizations that provide housing and other services; this translates into expelling 800 people from a safety net already in place, which supports people to get on their way to being self sufficient, productive, and healthy members of society.

Community leaders and advocates got together to fight these cuts. While SB CAN has not yet joined this coalition, we do belong to The General Fund Fairness Coalition, and the word fairness is what brought this fight to our attention. Budgets are a tough thing to deal with, yet it is in the best interest of this county to fund the most amount of ADMHS without the exorbitant departmental proposed cuts because in the long run the county will save money that they would otherwise pay for hospital beds, jail fees and emergency services for the people who, come June will be affected. Pragmatism and fiscally sound policies are one reason for a fair budget.

Santa Barbara City’s efforts to implement a 10 year plan to end chronic homelessness is an example of appropriately addressing interrelated issues. It is a fact that many people that are homeless are dually diagnosed with some sort of addiction and mental illness. It is difficult to understand how one would chose to live on State Street, under a bridge, or be panhandling on a freeway exit, yet it is important to acknowledge that “people are mentally ill through no fault of their own”, as Mike Foley and I discussed.

When people have a mental illness, which could begin to show at different times in ones life, sometimes during high school, or for others in their mid-thirties, and onward, people would in a perfect world have access to mental health care, and a strong social network of friends and family who understand the complexities of this illness, can provide patient support and care of an individual to keep them safe, focused, productive and eventually get the ongoing support that they need. Unfortunately we live in a less than perfect world and mental illnesses are not always diagnosed, people don’t always have the access to pay for insurance that covers psychiatrists and other non-“basic” health care. Also, there is STILL a stigma around the issue of mental illness, which is one of many factors as to why a person might lose a social network, if they had one at all. Add a little bit of misfortune, and before you know it, an individual can be on an unimaginable and unstoppable downward spiral that concludes in one’s first night sleeping on Main Street.

One reason to provide the funding for CBOs that can help an individual at different points on their way back up, is because this could be you, or your children, or your friends. That’s a pragmatic, yet selfish reason to fund this budget but it’s a second reason.

Given the economic chaos that we are in, nationally, the foreclosure rise in our state, and the budget concerns that we have in our county, and seeing all the interrelatedness of the issues, I asked Mike about the local impact, and he shared that Casa Esperanza has seen a 17% increase in clients since January 08. Things are not getting better, and it is now when we need to make sure that there is a safety net for those that need it, not only for pragmatism and selfishness, but because it’s the right thing to do, these individuals that now are serviced are in fact someone’s friend, someone’s child, and someone’s parent. We cannot just sit on the sidelines and watch these budgets hearings come June. A fair budget is not about hope, it’s about political will, and it is our responsibility to be there in the advocacy of more than just a balanced budget, but a FAIR budget.

p.s. Speaking of fairness..."of moral fiber", I ran into an article in the indy (the Independent, the most reliable source of local news in S.B) and I am disgusted by the attitudes and tone...not only of the portrayed business owners but also of some comments...grr

http://www.independent.com/news/2008/may/22/business-leaders-ponder-homeless-problem/

When it rains, it pours...

Outside the office. Can't wait to look for my car...

All in a day's work

On my way to a board mtg for work...