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Informed

The New Yorker: I Listened to All Six Trump Rallies in October. You Should, Too.

Reading Time: 9 minutes Much of the coverage of these events tends to be theatre criticism, or news stories about a single inflammatory line or two, rating Trump’s performance or puzzling over the appeal to his followers. But what the President of the United States is actually saying is extraordinary, regardless of whether the television cameras are carrying it live. It’s not just the whoppers or the particular outrage riffs that do get covered, either. It’s the hate, and the sense of actual menace that the President is trying to convey to his supporters. Democrats aren’t just wrong in the manner of traditional partisan differences; they are scary, bad, evil, radical, dangerous. Trump and Trump alone stands between his audiences and disaster.

I listen because I think we are making a mistake by dismissing him, by pretending the words of the most powerful man in the world are meaningless. They do have consequences. They are many, and they are worrisome. In what he says to the world, the President is, as Ed Luce wrote in the Financial Times this week, “creating the space to do things which were recently unthinkable.” It’s not a reality show; it’s real.

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Elevate

A Surprising Solution for Stress Relief

Reading Time: 2 minutes New research from the University of North Florida’s Department of Public Health shows that living with flowers can significantly alleviate daily stress. These findings follow decades of behavioral research studies conducted by researchers at universities including Harvard, Rutgers and Texas A&M that demonstrate flowers’ ability to make people happy, strengthen feelings of compassion, foster creativity and even provide boosts of energy.

The study, titled The Impact of Flowers on Perceived Stress Among Women, concludes that adding flowers to indoor environments results in a statistically significant and meaningful reduction in stress.

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Relate

Podcast: An Honest Conversation About Screens and Our Children

Reading Time: 2 minutes Today’s episode will explore the issue of parenting in the digital age and how to get out of the cycle of using screen time as reward and punishment. Not all screen time is equal. We will look at the good and the bad and how we can best balance being a consumer with being a creator. Parents will be asked to reflect on their own screen habits before looking at a framework for house rules regarding technology. The goal is to humanize ourselves with our children, avoid power struggles and deepen our connection to one another as all of us learn how to co-exist with technology in the healthiest way. 

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Engage

Cut For Life – Hairstylists and Barbers Against AIDS

Reading Time: < 1 minute This video is a perfect illustration of how impactful and important community is. It’s also a beautiful illustration of how to have conversations about subjects most would feel are difficult of awkward.

It’s thought-provoking to think about the role of a hair stylist or barber in a community, friend, therapist, confidante, even mentor.  It’s inspiring to see how the simple act of conversation, especially when it’s difficult, can change the course of a life or save a life.

Brave conversation is the most powerful catalyst for change we have. These two provide a brilliant example of how to navigate that territory.

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Informed

Preparing an Emergency Plan for Your Unique Needs

Reading Time: 2 minutes Disasters such as hurricanes, floods, fires and other emergency situations are all too common these days. In fact, about 4 out of 5 Americans live in counties hit by weather events since 2007, according to disaster declaration data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). That illustrates how these events can impact nearly everyone and the importance of having a plan.

This is particularly true for older people and people with disabilities. Health issues, mobility concerns and use of assistive devices can create additional challenges during emergencies. However, there are simple steps everyone can take to prepare now for what may come later.

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Informed

Women Have Already Reached the Top

Reading Time: 7 minutes Although history books rarely record women’s achievements in anything near equal measure to men’s achievements, women HAVE achieved “it all”. We are doctors and lawyers and Supreme Court judges. We are world leaders. – Even though the United States failed to elect Hillary Clinton as our first woman President, there are plenty of countries that have NOT failed to put a woman in the top leadership position. We are scientists, fighter pilots, authors, psychologists, law enforcement officers, astronauts, teachers, professors, builders, race car drivers, actors, athletes, Olympians, musicians, entertainers, technicians, ministers, entrepreneurs – there isn’t a single field where women have not aspired to, and reached, “the top”.

However, what keeps nagging at me isn’t that we need more women “at the top” (although believe me, it has nagged me plenty) but that we need men to be more comfortable reaching down to what is perceived to be the bottom – the unpaid labor and necessary work that keeps the world turning day after day – the multitude of chores historically given to servants. These tasks are generally carried out by women, both physically and emotionally. The laundry load and the emotional load have predominantly been women’s burden to bear.

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EngageInformed

A People Before Politics Platform that Makes Sense When Everything Seems Insane

Reading Time: 8 minutes I woke up this morning with the powerful need to write down what I want to happen in our country, politically.

I’m going to share these ideas with you not because I want you to agree with me, but because I want you to consider your own perspective on these issues and come to your own conclusions.

Then, take a hard look at the candidates on your slate next month. Where do they stand on the issue vs. where you stand? If it’s unclear, find a way to ask them.

Then, vote for the people who are closest to your point of view. They may not be 100% in alignment with you – but vote for the one who’s 80% there over the one who’s 10% with you.

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