Dear President Obama

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Barack Obama, building community, community, compassion, courage, democracy, doing the right thing, health care, hope, human rights, humanity, Hump Day Chronicles, integrity, kindness, laughter, leadership, life, Michelle Obama, passion, thank you, tolerance, USA, world issues

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 10, 2016, for a state dinner. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Just a quick note to thank you and Michelle for being great examples of what leadership should look like.

I want to thank you both for all you did, and tried to do to make the United States and the world a more tolerant and safe and inclusive place. For ensuring that more folks had access to health care, for bringing hope to whole communities that had no hope before, for making tough choices, and patiently with humility, building solid relationships on the world stage.  And most of all, for doing it with the poise, dignity, passion, integrity, compassion and sense of humour that should be the norm for any person who occupies a position of power.

No single person is perfect, or always gets everything right, but I believe that you did the best you could within the choices you had, and I for one, felt that I could breathe a little easier, even from way over here in Canada.

I wish you and Michelle all the very best and I know that you will continue to make a significant mark in whatever challenge you take on next.

Well done and thanks again,

Diana Schwenk, Alberta, Canada

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

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The Corner Of My Eye

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afraid, Alberta, building community, Calgary, Canada, community, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, disconnected, elderly, Fear, feeding birds, Hump Day Chronicles, life, lonliness, love, neighbours, Purpose, Relationships, The Bird Lady, world issues

I never knew her name, even though she was my neighbour.

I wrote about her once here. For the most part though, I never paid much attention to her. Sure, I saw her out-of-the-corner-of-my-eye. I even pitied her. And if I am to be completely honest, I felt guilty when I saw her. Guilty because she reminded me that there are many elderly people who are all alone in this world.

Another neighbour who lives a couple of houses to the right stopped to talk to me this past Saturday. She asked me if it was true that the bird lady had passed away. I looked to the left, a couple of buildings over, to the bird lady’s balcony and noticed that her balcony had been cleared of her belongings. To be honest I’ve been wondering if something happened to her. I hadn’t seen her drive slowly around the block or feed the birds in quite some time.

I told my neighbor that once in late summer, I had walked past her balcony to see if I could see a sign of her. I did not. And there was no management phone number on the apartment building that I could call to inquire about her.

So I did nothing.

Me.

The person who goes on and on about the importance of community…

I wonder why I didn’t reach out to her. Well actually, I think I know why.

I was afraid that she might take up a lot of my time.

That there would be things I couldn’t do, if I was involved with her. Things that I would miss. That I would have to give up.

And on a more personal level, I was afraid that I might one day be in her situation. That was something I definitely did not want to think about.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

I never knew her name and I don’t know what happened to her. But I do know that I don’t want to be someone who sees people out of the corner of my eye…

Breaking It Down

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200 words, building community, common, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, goals, mission, Purpose, strategy, teams, vision, working together

If I look at the masses, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.

– Mother Theresa

Mother Theresa was referring to the masses of people she cared for during her life with the above quote. But the wisdom in the quote can apply to many situations. I often apply this principle when working on something big.

Whether you’re looking to improve the lives of a specific group of individuals like the poor, the sick, elderly, oppressed, vulnerable or working on a complex personal goal,

or your goal is to create a team that’s on page and working together for a common purpose or negotiating rules of engagement between several groups with varying needs,

or you’re tackling a project like constructing a building, planting or harvesting a crop, renovating your house or designing and implementing a functional system,

you can very easily become overwhelmed if you digest it all in one gulp. When an individual looks at the entirety of a cause, project, or goal, they can become swallowed up and paralyzed by the enormity of it all.

So it really does make sense to break it down into smaller, chewable pieces.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

 

Doing Things Together Is Like Magic To Me

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building community, common ground, community, compassion, connecting, heart-to-heart, Hump Day Chronicles, laughter, life, living in the moment, love, mission, passion, Purpose, Relationships, stories, vision, working together, world issues

We can do more together than can be accomplished alone

This last week has served to remind me how much I value, and how important community is. Community, or a sense of belonging if you will, drives us to discover the things we have in common and start from there to create something beautiful together.

On Thursday night from 6:30PM to 3:30AM on Friday, I volunteered with a group of people, some of whom I’d never met, at a local casino to raise funds for Oxford House Foundation of Canada. It was only the second time I’d ever worked a volunteer shift at a casino. And oh man, staying up all night is not as easy to bounce back from as it was in my twenties! A month or two ago I worked a day shift for another wonderful organization called Fresh Start.

I gotta tell ya, both volunteer shifts were incredibly fun in that I always like learning new things and I always love meeting new people. The outstanding part of this experience for me, has got to be the fact that over the two days that a non-profit organization hosts a casino, up to 40 volunteers are needed to make it work. And they all work together, very hard I might add, to benefit a specific charity.

It really is something of great value when opportunities like this arise and one is able to take part in them!

On the following Saturday, I was invited to speak to a group of about hundred people on fundraising. Fundraising is both a science and an art, and I focused my talk on the art.

The art is all about relationships. And relationships are all about two-way communication, learning from each other and adding and gaining value from working together. In essence, it’s about building community which just happens to be my core passion!

My talk was divided into parts including: Know yourself and know others. One of the best ways to build solid relationships is to connect through stories: telling your story, learning their story and building a story together.

In other words, my story with the challenges I’ve faced and the resolutions I’ve come to have shaped who I am, what I value, what I am passionate about and why. The same is true of your story. When I know myself and I know you and what your values and passions are, we can find ways to be together for the greater good to create a better world for all of us. We are committed through our common values, passion and goals.

Now that’s like magic to me! What could possibly be more meaningful than that?

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

What is one of your favourite stories about working with a group toward a common goal? What was one of the challenges you have faced in your life that has made you who you are today? Which values did you adopt because of it? What are you passionate about?

 

Perspective

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200 words, building community, community, Community engagement, compassion, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, division, human behaviour, humanity, integrity, judging, justice, love, perception, perspective, understanding

When man calls an animal “vicious”, he usually means that it will attempt to defend itself when he tries to kill it.

Unattributed

As we encroach more on and more on wild animals and their habitats, we inevitably find ourselves in situations were animals have mauled people. Often the offending “vicious” animal is relocated or destroyed.

It got me thinking how that also happens in our interactions with each other when we perceive a threat to our way of being.

When we see ourselves as superior because of race, religion, no religion, social status, political affiliation, income tax bracket, level of education, gender, or any other form of discrimination.

When we justify our attacks on those who are not like us because we perceive them as a threat to our culture and way of life.

When we oppress the weak, the poor and the sick in our efforts to gain even more wealth for ourselves.

Yet, we are surprised at their indignation and “viciousness” when they retaliate; when they fight back to defend themselves and their children.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Think about it. If attacked, wouldn’t you fight back? Wouldn’t you protect your family and way of life?

When You Find A lone Nut Doing Something Great…

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building community, community, courage, Diana Schwenk, humour, Hump Day Chronicles, leadership, mission, passion, Purpose, teamwork, vision, world issues

How do we create a viral video? How do we get everyone to come onboard with our plan? How do we get people excited about our campaign? How do we start a movement?

Well it’s not gonna happen by creating a clever ad that no one but you understands, or presenting a logical argument to folks who don’t care about what you’re doing, or creating a boring, wordy, just-the-facts-ma’am document – you may get an initial response, but it will soon fizzle out.

Movements always start as a result of someone who has had-it-up-to-here with the way things are and passionately believes in their vision for a better world. This person’s fiery passion is contagious and quickly spreads in the hearts of others who also want change.

There is no formula for creating a movement.

There is no strategic plan that will achieve a movement.

It is an emotional response to an unacceptable situation or way of doing things.

It is a uniting of hearts and common purpose to change the status quo that creates a movement.

I love this short-and-to-the-point TED Talk on how to start a movement by Derek Siver!

So, to recap…

1. One lone nut courageously steps forward.
2. The first follower transforms the lone nut into a leader.
3. The leader embraces the follower as an equal.
4. Another follower makes it three and that’s news! (Now it’s public)
5. More followers come. They emulate the first follower, not the leader.
6. The fence-sitters come, this is the tipping point, now we have a movement.
7. As more people join in, it becomes less risky for others to join in.
8. Eventually, it becomes uncool not to join in, but there’s still time if you hurry!

I don’t think I’ve ever personally been that lone nut leader that courageously stands up and delivers their vision, but I’ve certainly been that first follower many a time!

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

When you believe in something, do you passionately step forward to the point of risking ridicule? When you find a lone nut doing something great, do you have the courage to be the first to follow?

How To Destroy Your Enemies

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200 words, building community, collaboration, common ground, common sense, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, enemy, Fear, friend, health, integrity, love, peace, war, working together

Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? – Abe Lincoln

How To Destroy Your Enemies

1. You could dig up dirt on them and leak it to the public
2. You could study them to determine their weaknesses and chip away at them until they break under the pressure
3. You could study them to determine what/who they love and cut them off from it/them
4. You could gather data to prove that they are wrong about something and discredit them
5. You could bear false witness against them, thereby inviting the unjustified wrath of others
6. You could harm them in some way and render them useless
7. Or you could enter into a conversation with them to find out what you have in common and take it from there…

Often when disagreements surface, we feel we must clobber down those who work against us and their ideas.

We’re afraid if we don’t, we won’t get our way.

We want to win.

If we really want to win, we should start where we agree and work forward from there. And if we’re really lucky, the end result will be better than either side could have imagined alone.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Hearing The Heart Behind The Words

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200 words, building community, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, heart, helpful, Homelessness, integrity, kindness, listen, meaning, Relationships, Taking offense, words, world issues

We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it. – Abe Lincoln

It astonishes me how many times I take things personally. The energy it requires to take offense can border on ridiculous.

Don’t get me wrong.

There are times when standing up against something offensive is warranted.

But we, as a society, have taken this too far for the most part.

I’ve spent a good chunk of my life working with vulnerable populations. Within this sector, well-meaning folks have declared certain terms offensive.

For example:

Many a supporter has said to me, “I’m concerned about homeless people and I want to help.”

Some might respond with, “…that offends me, I’d prefer if you said people who are experiencing homelessness.”

Instead of hearing the heart of the one who wants to help, they hear the words that offend them.

Ironically, those whom I have met living on the streets, refer to themselves as homeless people.

Yes, it’s important to not intentionally and maliciously offend, but it’s equally important to not be easily offended.

And so, I want to be someone who hears the heart behind the words.

Don’t you?

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

A New Chapter

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addiction, Alberta, believe, building community, Calgary, caring, Charity, Community engagement, courage, Diana Schwenk, dream, Fundraising, Homelessness, Hump Day Chronicles, life, living in the moment, Oxford House, teamwork

Good morning!
It’s a wonderful day!!
Thank you!!!

Those are the words I wrote on my whiteboard at the end of April.

It was the springboard to a shift in my thinking; from fear to trust. From despair to hope. A knowing that if I brought my best self forward, things would work out.

Hanging out my own shingle as a consultant was a wonderful experience. I learned so much from the few clients I worked with. But early in the year, it became very clear that it wasn’t going to be sustainable, and I began looking for full-time work.

So as I was closing off a very successful campaign I’d been working on with an amazing group of people, I turned my attention to finding full-time work.

It was a trying time, in the sense that jobs in my area of expertise seemed to have dried up all of a sudden. I had a few bites here and there and even a few close calls to maybe jobs, but nothing panned out. Although I still had enough money to keep me going for a few months, my future was unsure.

Let’s just say that by the time April came, I was ready to do any kind of job. So I picked myself up by the boot straps and wrote the above message on my whiteboard to help me start every day on the right foot. A message that I read out loud every morning on the way to my coffee pot in the kitchen.

And then some promising opportunities started to come my way. A phone call from someone in Vancouver who heard of me from someone I had coffee with because someone else suggested we should meet, and another job posting that looked promising and finally another possibility to work with someone I hold in high regard and respect tremendously.

That last possibility moved to the top of my wish list and I am happy to say that’s the position I was offered and accepted.

So finally my dear friends, as promised, here’s my update.

On May 1st, I started my new job at Oxford House; an organization that provides homes for men and women in recovery. Oxford House has 31 homes across Calgary and Edmonton. Each home has 4-5 bedrooms and provides a safe and welcoming space for men and women who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.

Oxford House has its beginnings in the United States with hundreds of homes throughout that country. Here in Canada, Oxford House was founded by the previous executive director who sadly passed away late last year . I am learning about him and the rich history of this incredible organization from the small group of people who make up the staff here.

A passionate staff, all of whom are also in recovery and some are even previous residents of Oxford House; deeply committed to helping others take responsibility for their recovery and make valuable contributions to their community.

How lucky am I to be part of something so amazing? I look forward to learning more about Oxford House and working within this dedicated team to build on the wonderful foundation that has already been laid.

The community-builder inside me is beside herself with joy.

I can’t wait to tell you more in the coming weeks and months!

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Building Bridges

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200 words, Alberta, bridges, building community, Calgary, community, connecting, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, memories, Purpose, Southern Alberta Floods 2013

I like to see myself as a bridge builder, that is me building bridges between people, between races, between cultures, between politics, trying to find common ground. ~ T.D. Jakes

New bridge connects Elbow Park to Rideau community. Calgary AB 2015

In June 2013, Calgary was devastated by the worst flood in a hundred years. You can read my personal account of events here, here and here if you wish.

A lot of work has gone into repairs since.

I was thrilled, on Wednesday, to discover that a new bridge was built, to replace the one that had been destroyed during the flood, linking Elbow Park to the Rideau community.

This bridge opens up my favourite long walk to Rideau and beyond to Sandy Beach. I feel so connected again!

The same is also true of metaphorical bridges, isn’t it?

Life’s disasters come along and due to our own, or the actions of others, bridges are destroyed.

Meaningful connections are ripped away

and it’s devastating.

The good news is that we can choose to make amends.

We can choose to repair the damage.

We can choose to build new bridges.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~