Category: Mindfulness (Page 2 of 3)

Good Eye Podcast – Michael Farley – Proper Walk

Your definition of a “proper walk” is likely very different from Michael Farley’s.

BIO:
Michael Farley is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, a retired nonprofit CEO, and an adventurer.  He was the leader of Elk Hill, a human services organization based in Goochland VA, for 21 years.  Michael has also led adventure trips in the United States and Kenya for the past forty years.  Through both a global and local “lens”, he shares those adventures, the lessons learned, and relates how the experiences have helped shaped his own personal and professional values, his leadership beliefs, and his continued purpose in life to do good and have fun.

Michael has returned to Kenya over 30 times.  Since 2002, he has organized and led 13 Proper Walks in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley trekking over 2,000km and raising over $950,000 for the Makindu Children’s Program, which supports 560 orphans and is in the same area where Michael served in the Peace Corps.  He has known three generations of Kenyans and has seen firsthand the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Sahara Africa and the orphans left in its wake.

Michael refers to his Walks as Adventures for a Cause.  And they are real Adventures, complete with wild animal encounters, indigenous tribes, and ornery camels.   Over the years, the Cause has provided thousands of children hope for a much better future.

The Proper Walks have been featured in National Geographic Adventure Magazine and Newsweek.
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Subscribe to The Good Eye Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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Contact Jay Smack
jaysmackvo.com
jaysmack.com

Good Eye Podcast – Andrey Karpov – TrueAgilityRVA, IT4Causes

Andrey Karpov is Director of Operations for IT4Causes.  They provide IT solutions for nonprofit clients.  He also has a burgeoning life coaching business in TrueAgilityRVA.  We get into the weeds and talk about the path that brought him to America from St. Petersburg Russia, early influences, favorite books, wellness practices and his plans to grow TrueAgility across the country.

IT4Causes.org

TrueAgilityRVA

Books referenced:

Andrey’s must have list:

Additional:

Good Eye Podcast – Tom Dorney – Veteran Outreach

Tom Dorney is a Navy vet who served aboard the USS Enterprise and is the current National Director of Resources and Partnerships for ReGroup Foundation.  His mission is to advocate for Veterans and First Responders effectively and provide them with the programs and resources they need.  Tom also serves as President of the Board of Directors of Adam’s House, a Peer to Peer and Educational support program for grieving children and their families.

From the conversation:
ReGroup Foundation
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Smokin and Jokin Podcast
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SUCCESS… Your WHY Powers Your How with Richard Kaufman
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Convene Collab
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VetUnite.org – Mentoring for Veterans
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Mission22
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Good Eye Podcast
Jay Smack

Voice Actor, Buddhist Peter Coyote

As a voice actor myself who meditates (almost) daily and holds mindfulness in high regard, it was great to see this article in TRICYCLE – The Buddhist Review with one of my voiceover heroes who also just happens to be a practicing Buddhist and Zen priest Peter Coyote.  The stars don’t necessarily align, but they do make themselves available to awareness if you remain vigilant and , dare I say it, “mindful”.

Peter Coyote on Transforming the Self 

From The Booth – Shakespeare – Hidden Agendas

Today’s wisdom comes from The Bard of Avon himself, William Shakespeare who has all kinds of wisdom cleverly implanted in his many works of comedy, tragedy, history and poetry. The quote is “The devil can cite scripture of his purpose”.

It’s the classic wolf in sheep’s clothing scenario. Beware of hidden agendas and be aware of those who see the world through convenient filters in that they tend to justify behavior under the guise of belief systems.

We should be equally aware of these filters in ourselves. Sometimes, what we take on faith or mistake for fact can be a lack of intellectual honesty and authenticity.

The full quote from The Merchant of Venice as uttered by the character Antonio:

“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!”

― William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

To be or not to be? Matter vs. antimatter

In Stanislaw Lem’s classic sci-fi/philosophy novel “Solaris”, scientists on a space station studying the titular planet receive “visitors”. The sub-atomic particles neutrinos are mentioned and theories are postulated (sorry so vague, no spoilers). It all invites many rabbit hole dives into the nature of the mind (the human one), perception and the matter/antimatter relationship. How can they co-exist? Technically, they can’t, but this video talks about the notion that matter gained an edge when this nutty ol’ universe was but a wee toddler. Check it out. And happy rabbit holing.

Stanislaw Lem on Wikipedia

Solaris on Good Reads

Solaris on Amazon

Video: Go Forward Team Ride

The 2021 Go Forward Team Ride to benefit the Forward Foundation is in the books.  We had great weather with lots of families on-site during the ride.  The 50-mile ride itself went smoothly.  No incidents, crashes or punctures – all-in-all a picture perfect day for cycling.  Huge thanks and gratitude to everyone that came out to support the Forward Foundation.  There was a 20-miler, a 10-miler and kids’ ride and lots of fun, food and activities at Dorey Park this weekend.  Please consider making a donation in support of this great organization led my Executive Director and CEO Andrea Starr.  They work tirelessly to provide support and resources to single parents in financial crisis.   See you next year!

Forward Foundation

Watch clips from the ride:

If you’re on the activity tracking platform Strava you can check out the ride here:

From The Booth – David Whyte – Friendship

Friendship
“All friendships of any length are based on a continued, mutual forgiveness. Without tolerance and mercy all friendships die.”
-David Whyte, poet and philosopher from Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words

The book is available on his website: https://davidwhyte.com/

Also available on Amazon.

David Whyte’s conversation with Sam Harris on Sam’s podcast “Making Sense”

C.S. Lewis said of friendship that it is “one of those things which gives value to survival.”

Full passage:
“FRIENDSHIP is a mirror to presence and a testament to forgiveness. Friendship not only helps us see ourselves through another’s eyes, but can be sustained over the years only with someone who has repeatedly forgiven us for our trespasses as we must find it in ourselves to forgive them in turn. A friend knows our difficulties and shadows and remains in sight, a companion to our vulnerabilities more than our triumphs, when we are under the strange illusion we do not need them. An undercurrent of real friendship is a blessing exactly because its elemental form is rediscovered again and again through understanding and mercy. All friendships of any length are based on a continued, mutual forgiveness. Without tolerance and mercy all friendships die.”

UPDATE – Go Forward Team Ride and Tour de Midnight

The Go Forward Team Ride and the Tour de Midnight have joined forces. Ride the Go Forward Team Ride this Saturday and you’ll receive a code to ride Tour de Midnight at a discount.
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The 2nd Annual GO FORWARD Team Ride to benefit the Forward Foundation is this Saturday Sept 18 from Dorey Park
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The Tour de Midnight to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia is Saturday Oct 16 from Midnight Brewery
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REGISTER HERE, for the Go Forward Team Ride or click the link above.

#goforwardtogether

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