Love Tag

05 Apr

Posted at 12:51h in Glimpse into Me, Social-Emotional Leadership, SOMO Leadership by

  I wrote this in 2008. I lifted it from my MAPP capstone project, the final requirement for my advanced degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Social-emotional (SOMO) Leadership was just an idea in 2008 and I was ready to take some social-emotional leadership at that year's family Easter!   I realized the need for social-emotional leadership within my own network a few years ago when I saw one of the youngest members of our clan exhibiting some troubling behaviors on Easter. This young boy joined the men in the family room in a friendly betting pool that my Uncle Charlie,...

18 Dec

Posted at 20:22h in Glimpse into Me by

[caption id="attachment_1479" align="alignleft" width="277"] Look at that dog's smile![/caption] Going to the dog park as a daily routine has been really helpful in getting me on the streets of Philadelphia. I remembered from my time with Rocco in New York that people with dogs are more inclined to say hello to you on the street. Or, as is often the case, say hello to your dog, from their dog and in their dog voice. It’s the strangest thing. You’ll hear, “This is Sammy, what’s your dog’s name?” Then I’ll say with my SOMO style, “Oh, I’m Louis and he’s Ryder, what’s your name?” Often...

14 Nov

Posted at 20:23h in family, Glimpse into Me, Love, trust by

[caption id="attachment_1426" align="alignleft" width="230"] Ryder in his first month with me. That bottom right pic is us in our Halloween costumes the day we met. Me as a Smurf and he as an octopus.[/caption] They say that if you’re thirty-five, which I am, and you have no kids, which I don’t, then you should get a dog, which I did -- this past weekend, seriously. Not just a dog but a 3-month-old cockapoo (that’s cocker spaniel + poodle) puppy (that’s a baby dog). He goes by “Ryder” and he’s super cute. I adopted Ryder from his first family in New York who...

02 Nov

Posted at 21:15h in Action Research by

Apparently: 30 days has September April June and November. Yesterday, I thought November had 31 days, but alas, there’s only 30. Another positive, a friend reminded me, as I’m engaging in a month-long writing initiative, where we write everyday for a month. I’ve committed to this blog. To you. To me, really. And right now I don’t want to write. But I want to honor my commitment. I want to set and reach goals. To live into utmost integrity. This means saying what I mean and meaning what I say. It means adapting – even when I don’t want to. I’m reminded of the true...

10 Oct

Posted at 21:35h in Cognitive-behavioral, Love, Thoughts-Action, Uncategorized by

It's all about relationships. All. Perhaps having shared a womb with my twin sister has given me this understanding at a primal, energetic level. Perhaps it's because I lost my brother, Todd, to suicide nearly twenty years ago, a death not unlike Tyler Clemente's at Rutger’s last week. Todd jumped from a building. He was 19; I was 12. What's happening in the world? Bullies and terrorists; they're not much different. Each have a very scarce mindset about the way the world works. That for the bully or terrorist to feel good, we need to feel bad. What does this say about...

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