#i cant seem to discern a pattern in any of it?

[littleeyesofpallas]

A RANK PARTY o Ridatsu Shita Ore wa, Moto Oshiego Tachi to Meikyuu Shinbu wo Mezasu[Ａランクパーティを離脱した俺は、元教え子たちと迷宮深部を目指す。] After Leaving (an) RANK A PARTY, I Aim for (The) Labyrinth Depths with Students

[overandundertarot]

PAC; How can you heal your financial trauma?

Pick a pile (1-5)

*Sorry for any grammatical/spelling errors.

PILE ONE

Cards; 9 of wands reversed, The Devil. Pile one you are worn out. You're tired and exhausted and have been working on something for a while but it's draining you. The situation was not even clear, you were just keeping at it because you didn't know what else to do. "I've always done it this way so I should continue, people have always done it this way so it should work for me too." You've been turned this way and that way and you're mentally exhausted too. This is your trauma. The society you grew up in and the people in your family. There's the energy of always having to work hard to earn money. Struggling for money. You can't allow yourself to rest, and when you break down from the pressure and burden of it all you berate yourself for that too. Advice for you is to give into temptation, allow yourself to be seduced by your inner desires; get to know them, get to understand them and get to know what it feels like to loose yourself to the sensations and not think about anything else at all. If it feels not only exciting and new, but dangerous and downright scary because it's something you've never done before, It's the right thing to break you out of this shell. You need to get to know yourself and who you are instead of the worker bee you've been made to live as. Also something sexual related is coming through, work on your dark feminine, seductive energy. If you are interested in human design you may be a generator or manifesting generator. Inner change and alchemisation. Find out what you like by trial and error; obviously don't do anything too rash/dangerous that you would never be able to recover from. This trauma may also be affecting your relationships(you may have relationship issues) There's such a strong and intense energy(I feel like I cant even breathe) in this pile, I think if you find a away to channel your energy into whatever it is you really want to do, you could be unstopable. Symbolism : Webs; spiderwebs, preying mantis, carnivourous plants, birds, aries, mars, pentagram, occultism, galaxy.

PILE TWO

Cards; The Devil, Knight of Swords. Pile two you often get lost in your head. You find yourself indulging in fantasies and creating this safety net of illusion and comfort meanwhile you're not taking any action. I feel like you may accumulate and hoard business ideas that you see on tiktok/youtube/social media or tell yourself that you can do this and that but never take any tangible action. Gambling addictions and small expenditures that add up, you're not being honest with yourself about your financial situation and money is controlling you so much more that you would think. That's your truama, that money is such a big influence in your world and you don't even know it. You're being hypnotised and controlled by money, its sneakily around the corner influencing your decisions and you don't even know it. Worst of all is that its causing you so much anxiety and you've learnt to just live with it. I'm sorry if I'm being too harsh, but the words have to come out. It's not completely your fault, it only becomes your fault if you're aware of the pattern and choose to ignore it. I'm not getting too much about the source of this trauma but it seems it doesn't even have one exact source. It's more a product of living in the world we are in right now, maybe social media. Do some research about consumerism. Minimalism might also be beneficial for you. Try to discern if you trully want something or you've just been influenced. The way to heal this trauma is to cut through the haze with clarity. It's time to make plans, write down your goals and cut through the illusions to the core of yourself and what really matters to you. It's a time to be logical .There are actions that you have to take that you've been putting off. There's a deep fear inside you of not living up to your dreams/expectations. Take it slowly and start wih small steps. It's like wading through murky muddy water and then suddenly breaking through the water into crisp and cool air. Try to do a cleanse of the uneccessary things that you have let accumulate in your mind or even just clean your home. If you have a goal that feels too big and scary break it down into small steps. You can do so much more than you think you can, and make a bigger impact in your own life than you would ever believe. But you have to start somehwere. Symbolism; clear waters, rivers, lakes, sunflowers, light blue.

PILE THREE

Cards; 10 of cups reversed, 6 of wands. Pile three you have a dream. Something that you've always secretely desired but it just never felt like you could get it. It could be a happy family of your own, innocence in life etc. It feels like you've been the mature one from a young age, someone who had to grow up too fast. You may be an orphan/ lost a parent at a young age or you could have simply had a desire for a family from a young age. A desire for strong emotional connections with people. Your trauma with money is not so much connected with money but other people/ the world in general. You understand that money is a tool that can be used to put you in the right situations to get what you want. You view money as a safety net and may get panicky/ stressed/ emotional when you think you are running out out of it. You may be a man and believe that you cannot find love if you are not financially stable.(specific message). To heal this you have to believe that you can get what you desire even without money. You are someone who is charismatic, energetic, level headed and you have leadership qualities overall. You have to be optimistic in your outlook. You need to shift your perspective to heal your financial trauma. You have to believe that no matter what your financial status, you are deserving of love and affection. Of true connection and whatever it is you may desire. You could have imposter syndrome and over criticise yourself. You need to look in the mirror and have appreciation for who you are , what you have, and what you've made of yourself till now. Symbolism; moustaches(?) , fast paced cities, mountains, cancer(the sign), scorpio, capricorn, clover.

PILE FOUR

Cards; 6 of wands, The Fool reversed. Pile four you may be too arrogant when it comes to money. You may love to overspend and show off to your friends because this pumps up your ego. You feel you deserve nice things and may actually have the background to support your spending habits but this attitude won't help you forever and this is kind of your trauma. How other people perceive you based on your money. You are scared of being taken advantage of based on your money or people misunderstanding you and assuming things about you. You're always aware, always on the lookout. Despite being emotionally secure, other people's opinions and actions still impact your emotions greatly. To be honest, you need to be careful and start managing your finances and planning for your future. It may not always be so assured and abundant for you. To heal this trauma you need to put measures in place. Cultivate a feeling of safety as well as educate yourself in terms of financial matters so you are prepared incase of any windfall. You should also get to know yourself so that you may regulate and curb on your reckless spending habits and also avoid situations that money may not be able to get you out of. You may also be craving true and sincere friendship, and this will come to you as you work on yourself more and go down a path of self development. It may be beneficial to you to get a mentor/someone you can learn from. Symbolism; Gold, glasses, braces, spiders, knifes, eyes, peacocks, green.

PILE FIVE

Cards; Death reversed, 7 of Cups. Pile five you have a tendency to hoard money. Money has become a self fulfilling need for you and it's difficult for you to spend money or exchange it because it only registers as a depletion. As a loss. This is how your trauma shows up for you. It may go so far as you not even spending money on yourself because you feel it's unecessary. For example on something like a parfume or deodorant, or a type of food. Only eating the cheapest foods, wearing your clothes until they're falling apart because you just can't bear the thought of spending money on new ones. What you dont realise is that you are putting money above yourself. Money is more important than you so you would rather deny yourself for the sake of money. To preserve and uphold it. This is an issue with self worth and can permeate more areas of your life than you may think. Are you the type to brush away your problems? "It's not that bad so I can live with it." What you dont realise is that you are making life harder for you, accumulating stress and hardships that are completely unecessary. To heal this trauma you have to acknowledge that you have needs. Your quality of life can improve so much by making small changes; buying clothes that make you feel confident, eating food that delights your senses, using products that make you feel beautiful, fixing something around your house that could make your life so much easier. You dont always have to do things that hard way or deny yourself pleasure just to save some money. Allow yourself to have wants, to express your needs and use money as a tool to enrich your life. Symbolism; Glass bottles, slippers, sunsets, fish.

That's it! Thanks for participating in this pick a card reading. If anything resonated, please dont hesitate to give feedabck it's always so lovely to hear and motivates me quite a lot to continue posting. :)

*The pictures are not mine, I found them on pinterest.

[chihirolovebot]

If Physicist got the despair disease what do you think their disease would be?

this is a really interesting question !!!

so , as far as i can tell, there doesnt seem to be much of a discernible pattern in how despair disease affects people? when we first saw owari i assumed it was going to be something that made people act in a polar opposite way to their personalities, but then we had komaeda with the chronic lying ( komaeda , who is definitely Not prone to always telling the truth ) and mioda with the gullibleness when that had never been any sort of established character trait . and finally tsumiki with the remembering disease which . i still think is total bullshit but whatever .

actually , now i think about it - all of these things are definitely something that could increase the likelihood of a murder . like , their friends being sick isnt the only motivation, cause thing about it !! constant crying and thinking of oneself as weak , pathological lying, gulibleness , and remembering you used to be remnant of despair ? its a recipe for murder in the making.

so if we go with that , combined with phys' established traits .... i think it would affect them in a way that would really ramp up their paranoia . phys isnt an inherently distrustful person , but theyre less faithful in people than , say, momota or kiibo or gokuhara . i think it would be really interesting to see them turn on everyone — all of a sudden they cant be with harukawa, the ultimate assassin , and they have to keep saihara away from them, he's a detective, he could easily kill them and get away with it !! and momota and gokuhara are much stronger than them , and yonaga knows all about bloody rituals from the tales of her island , and ouma? ouma who jokes about killing them all the time ? they might be more afraid of him than anyone else .

this is a rly fun concept . i see hijinks. i see angst potential . i see .... a potential chapter in the au oneshot book that i will eventually get around to publishing .

[wallaceandpestle]

warrior cats beauty standards

frankly in a organized society as complex as Warriors there would definitely be things considered attractive, standards of beauty, clan aesthetics, etc. this includes physical cat features, general traits, objects, etc. 

thunderclan:

* thunderclan cats generally find that “big cat features,” resembling lions and panthers, are most attractive, and thus, are common and typical of thunderclan cats. this includes features like thick snouts, broad faces and noses, far-apart, smaller eyes, etc. seem to have “friendlier” faces, much more round. 

* wide paws with long claws are seen as signs of strength and prowess (good for climbing trees and navigating the forest)

* thunderclan cats are generally the biggest out of all of the clans, and appear to have the most muscle mass,

* but tbh they just have some of the thickest fur. they’re the only clan to regularly have a “winter coat” and a “summer coat,” the former much thicker and longer. fur is seen as especially attractive in the form of manes around the neck or fluff on the belly (the really plume-like tails are more riverclan reserved, however). 

* coat colors can vary, and from what we see in the books i cant really gather common traits (modern tc is so mixed with other groups anyways) but i like to imagine that colors are generally very saturated, somewhat brownish and earthy. brown and ginger tabbies are especially common, but tortoiseshells aren’t unheard of as well (tortoiseshells are more common than calicos). 

* cats aren’t dirty by any means (i mean these are cats we’re talking about, sharing tongues is a huge tradtiion) but thunderclanners can be seen visually “Carrying” signs of their environment. pelts flecked with moss and leaves, flowers in the ears of queens, mud streaked along the coats of playful apprentices. every single “crown” headcanon people come up with for plants are valid. all of them. 

* obviously every thunderclan cat has a different thing they look for in a mate, but stereotypical (straight) queen signs of attractiveness in toms includes a sense of duty to protect his family/clan, friendly and warm, etc. 

* thunderclan cats love foliage and trees. there aren’t a ton of wildflowers in the territory, with how wooded the land is, so instead they favor things like vines and bushes. bramble bushes have long been signs of strength and defense, while softer plants, like ferns and bracken, usually indicates a sense of family, familiarity, or comfort. 

* moss is like designer silk to these babes. 

shadowclan:

* think thunderclan, but sharper, sleeker, edgier, when it comes to faces. long, narrow snouts, sharp angles in cheek fur and ears and eyes, etc. eyes are often slanted, with very angular corners, while ears are generally very deep-folded (like they curve on the head a lot, with big folds on the sides, idk how to explain it lol). 

* coats can range from medium-short to long, somewhat wiry fur. almost wolflike in appearance, with the underbelly fur even brushing the ground. it’s generally accepted that the older a cat is, the longer his fur grows. 

* brokenstar cut his longer growing fur with thorns and burs and his own claws to maintain a sharp, clean look. long coats are somewhat associated with elders (and by extension wisdom, knowledge, etc), and he didn’t want that. 

* mustaches!!!! long fur on the muzzles, long whiskers, beards!!!!!!!

* for colors, almost all cats that aren’t brown or grey tabbies have white somewhere, in the form of a calico cat, a white chest and belly, white paws, etc. colors are a bit darker and desaturated from thunderclan. most calicos are dilute in some way (as in, they’re grey and cream instead of black and red). 

* long curvy claws here too, along with long teeth and fangs (goof for hunting). 

* the camp is kept as very secluded between thick pine trees, so there’s no weak spots, and little light let in as well. pine needles are the most common plant, so obviously they’re used for almost all purposes where they can be used. 

* mushrooms are very common around the camp, and have become a tiny little motif of shadowclan! most of the other clans dont get them, aside from small ones growing on tree bark (which they hardly notice,) so shadowclan likes to think it’s starclan’s little gift to them. just dont eat them. 

* cats are very methodically clean, although they never enter water. especially in the forest territories, most water is somewhat muddy (i mean they lived on a swampland). it’s perfectly safe to drink, but esteemed shadowclan cats probably wouldn’t want to bathe in it. 

* medicine cats keep herb gardens!!!! they’re signs of tenderness and clan growth and health, and warriors respect them, refusing to walk through them. apprentices get in big trouble if they trample them. 

* cats cant climb the trees, as they’re all confiers, and usually have too many branches close together, with thick pine needles difficult to manuever through, even for cats. but somehow the stereotype of glowing shadowclan eyes in the trees is a thing. shadowclan cats HATE this.

riverclan:

* riverclan cats are viewed as the most luxurious of all the clans, and they love it. plump, well fed bodies, long, sleek, shiny fur dripping down like waterfalls, beautiful, regal faces, are all the beauty standards of riverclan, and often other clans too. 

* i mean cats in general find riverclanners physically attractive, often. in the books we see riverclan involved in a lot of forbidden romances, but these take a much milder form all the time in thunderclanners eyeing the gorgeous riverclan she-cat, or windclanners gawking at the stregnth of that tom. 

* although, “riverclan crushes” dont usually extend past the physically, since most of the other clans agree that riverclanners let their good looks get  to their heads, and are stereotyped as cocky, arrogant, luxurious, demanding, etc. 

* it is true that they are very picky with their food - and they get a lot of it. some creative medicine cats and queens take the job of preparing fresh kill for the leaders to be extra tasty and well presented, whether that means serving it with flavorful herbs, or arranging flowers around it, etc. 

* many leaders joke about wanting *only the fattest, finest fishes.” it is true that riverclan is much more reluctant to share prey in the books, but in the clan itself, leaders obviously make sure everybody is fed. 

* dens, as well, are often decorated with flowers and herbs are stored in the nursery, to help calm queens with their scent. certain flowers symbolize different things, usually related to luck in some way. 

* riverclan cats are the only clan that regularly bathes in the river. it usually replaces “sharing tongues,” but cats get just as clean. 

* coats are long, healthy, and very smooth, sometimes even wavy. obviously cat’s cant do hairstyles, but the same attractive features in long human hair translates to riverclan cat’s tails, often like feather plumes (feathertail is the riverclan equivalent of naming your child after their beautiful luscious locks). 

* cats have big, big eyes, and small noses, with little delicate snouts and mouths (but really sharp teeth). riverclan is the only clan that regularly has flatter snouts, shadowclan occasionally has them but since riverclan has the least need to run around and be active, they can afford a more persian look. 

* ears are absolutely fULL of fur. 

* webbed feet for easier swming!! all cats have webbed feet to some degree but riverclan cats have it a lot.

* the main areas of long fur are congregated on the elbosw, ankles, tail, neck/chest, cheeks, and ears. the actual body has a very sleek and flat coat for ease in swimming. 

* colors are vibrant, usually cool-toned. brown and ruddy tabbies are less common than silver ones, and aside from those and tortoisehsells most cats are solid. exotic patterns, like leopard spots, colorpoint (siamese), ticked, persian, etc, are rare, but definitely possible (and very attractive) in riverclan. 

windclan:

* windclanners are the smallest of all the clans!! they’re just short and low by nature. 

* because they’re so small, windclan cats are very compactly built, as they have to fit a lot of muscle in a little space. they aren’t the strongest or heaviest in a fight, so they can’t pin down their attackers, but they have really long, strong legs. 

* windclan cats have such great legs because they have to run around the moor a lot. they have a really big territory, like it goes really far, but because it’s all just moor and fields the clans aren’t really jealous. they have to traverse all this territory multiple times a day, so they train for speed and endurance a lot, hence the powerful limbs. 

* long legs are tucked under the body when they sit/lay, like a rabbit! you ever seen a rabbit run??! the legs are all tucked under so they look really small, but when they get up they go on for miles. 

* good hunting abilities are very desirable in a mate. when a bunch of cats have a crush on the same one, they might engage in a “race” in front of them to prove their speed. cats woo their mates by sharing prey with them, and letting them have the first bites. 

* in terns of facial details, windclan cats dont have a lot of discernable features. they have generally shorter snots, but not compressed, as this makes it difficult to run and breath heavily. ears are small (and flattened against the face a lot), eyes and noses are big. 

* tabbies, especially brown and grey, are extremely common, and any other look is pretty rare for windclan. many cats felt an inherent unease about tallstar being leader, since he was black and white, very uncommon for windclan. 

* cats have the shortest fur, to keep away dust, sand, and grasses from getting stuk in their pelts. short/cropped tails are common as well. 

* cats love the feeling of being open, of sunshine and total exposure to the elements. sleeping under the stars together is very romantic for windclan mates. 

* dens are usually hollows in the sides of hills, often abandoned fox or badger burrows. whatever bushes are there are scraggly, and cats can’t really live in them, although their leaves are usually taken to be bedding for queens (other cats just forgo bedding entirely). 

* this is kinda gross but i imagine windclan woudlnt really have a dirtplace?? they pretty much live in a sandbox so there’s just certain areas of the territory they use. 

skyclan:

* so i havent read much of the books with skyclan so i cant say much. but from what i understand, as they have a long and sordid history of hardships, traeling, and fighting for their rights, skyclan cats value durabilty, resourcefulness, etc. 

* cats are taught from a young age to push through any pain they have, even if minor. medicine and herbs have become largely lost on the clan (i mean leafpool helps them but before that) so the mentality of “get over it, it doesnt hurt that bad” is taught in kits from a young age. 

* queens have lots of smaller litters, as when cats are hungrier, they tend to have less kits. so to make up for it, any she-cats able to have kits re admired for having as many litters as they can. 

* cats are physically very varied, usually on the thin side. durable, strong bodies are valued as they can survive harsher condition. cats are wirey and thinner, more spry and flexible than any other clan. 

[selowyn]

The Magistrate’s Mandate

“Confessor?” The question, following a knock and asked delicately from the doorway by a soft-spoken messenger, prompted a quizzical glance up from her desk inside the Sanctum.

“Yes?” Her musical voice further broke the silence.

“Pardon the interruption. The Magistrate would like to see you.”

Oh. Ohhh. “Very well.” Her voice was far steadier than she felt as she rose to follow.

The day was clear upon the Isle, the trees ever-bursting with eternal foliage of golds and reds. A small breeze teased up from the sea and she took a deep breath to steady her nerves as they made their way across the main square and up the steps to the summoning platform. The Magistrate’s office in Quel’Danas, situated high in a tower at Sun’s Reach, overlooked the harbor with a clear view of the Terrace. She had been here a few times before. Recalling it as well-appointed, she was curious as to the occasion. When she materialized before the open door to his offices, she was quickly ushered in.

“Ah, Miss Sunhawk,” the Magistrate intoned, rising from his ornate desk in a splendor of carnelian and cream silk, the faint crows feet in the corners of his eyes crinkling with the upturn of a smile. “Thank you for coming. A pleasure to see you. Please, please, come in. Make yourself comfortable. Yes, yes, have a seat, there you are.” Bowing low at the waist in the old way, the Magistrate pulled out a chair at his conference table, into which she invested herself following a deep curtsy. After offering her something to drink (politely refused), he admitted his time was short. A folder from his desk was fetched and brought to the table, slapped down softly as he took a seat opposite her.

Sliding wire-framed glasses over glowing golden eyes, he flipped open the chart, humming idly as he skimmed. “I have been reading your file, and am taken to understand that for a time you studied the arcane.” Peering at her over the top of the lenses, he awaited confirmation.

Interesting start. “Yes. My father was an arcanist and we shared a love of books.” The ensuing surge of sadness was expected, but could not be indulged presently. It was shoved back down with an intense exercise of discipline before it could pose too much distraction.

“How lovely! A right and proper calling for a highborne.” More skimming. “Ah, but that’s not all. He was an accomplished fencer, isn’t that right? And so perhaps it was through a mutual love of fencing you eventually found your way to more...martial pursuits.” A flip of a page. “How interesting. Was that here, in Quel’Thalas as well?”

She held her breath, shaking her head. His tilted in response and he sought his answer in the document rather than from her lips with a rapid shift of focus. “Ah. Ahh... I see. Perhaps it was in the City-State of...Theramore.”  

The rapid descent in his tone from praise to disappointment was palpable, and the Confessor shifted in her seat. This seemed a broad leap, glancing over many years and experiences, but... He wasn’t incorrect. “For a time, yes, that’s right.”

Tossing the dossier to the side, he leaned back in his chair, eyeing her appraisingly. “I suppose it at least shows some level of discernment that your family followed the Expedition rather than remain in Lordaeron, doomed as it was.” Breaking eye contact to peer out the window, he shrugged. “Why you all did not just...come home to the open arms of your Kingdom; well, that begs other questions.”

A swallow. “Sir, if you would like me to explain…” The wave of his hand silenced her.

“Those were dark times and Lady Proudmoore an accomplished sorceress. Many highborne cleaved to her side, and when the Prophet gave his warning she was wise to leave. Undoubtedly the Kaldorei are thankful for your aid at Hyjal as well.” A soft snort. “For all the good that’s done them.”

A blonde brow arched as lips set into a thin line, but prudence won the moment and she remained silent. Seeing no comment was forthcoming, the Magistrate fiddled with his robe before leaning forward once more to dig into her file. “Northrend. Uh-huh. Argent Tournament...working under the wing of her grace, Bishop-Confessor Morningdove...you know,” he suddenly remarked, tearing off the spectacles to rub his eyes, pausing a moment in thought. “I rather wonder how you rose to Confessorship so quickly. Not just any common arcanist or soldier can apply their brand of skill to cultivating the vulnerable minds of the Azerothian populace. Just what happened up there in the frozen North?”

She knew better than to comment, or raise objection to his tone, or to ask just how he knew all of this. His query was rhetorical, as was his pattern in this chess match. With a deep inhale, a prayer was whispered under her breath. Honestly is truth, and truth is pure. It would be her shield.

Her relief came quickly enough through his love of hearing himself speak. “Nay, please. It matters little for the issue at hand, and your station is one deserving of respect.” He sighed, his tone going conspiratorial. “It just seems the history written upon the annals our beleaguered world goes faster and faster, fate cramming as much as she can into the shortest man-measured years as possible. One war, two wars, three wars….a score of wars! One can hardly keep it all straight.” A wry hurmph is issued as he shifted in his seat. “Would that we had the long, languid eons of the past back...”

With that, the spectacles were shed, slapped to the tabletop with a clink of glass and wire. His hands wove themselves together, gathering at his midsection as he pressed forward. “Miss Silverhawk. You came here, a pilgrim to the Sunwell, and we granted your entreaty. You requested then to remain here, finding it to your liking--as many do.” His eyes sought hers. “This is a favor we do not grant easily, anymore.”

The quirk of her lips was surely visible and so he quickly continued. “Now. We understand all too well the siren call which our blessed font presents for our people; the importance it represents both symbolically and on a more personal basis.” The slightest smirk bloomed upon his face at that.

Her eyes sank downward to hide her shame. He doesn’t understand. I’m not like the others. I never sought to go to Draenor; never supped of the green crystals. I wasn’t even here when...

“We also wished,” his sharp voice cut into her internal cascade, “to display a show of good faith to your service to the stalwart Argent Crusade, in thanks for all they--and you--have done. After all, that was a very select organization, I’m told.”

“Yes, it...was.” Tirion hand-picked every one of us. Tears stung the corners of her eyes. “It still is.”

“And yet, for all the good offered the world,” and he did, to his credit, incline his head in respect, “the Crusade is just not what it once was, correct? I understand the Highlord and most of the prime force perished upon the...what are the humans calling it? The ‘Broken Shore’? And that now, the leadership has been assumed by a human paladin, a Lord Maxwell, and subsumed back under the auspices of their Order of Knights?”

A swallow. It was clear now where this was going. “Yes, that is correct.”

“Interesting.” Abruptly rising, the Magistrate recovered his glasses and wandered to his desk, fiddling with a few scrolls, fingers sliding down the pages until he found what he was looking for with a smart tap. “See here, it says reports indicate that members of this order, this...Silver Hand, have been present at the warfront of Arathi, fighting for the Alliance.” Peering up at her now, his face was void of emotion. He wielded fact with cold efficiency. “It would seem that they have chosen a side in this conflict. The side which, given the geographical location, represents a threat to the safety of the Kingdom.”

Her stomach lurched. She had wondered if and when this day would come, and...so it seems it had. Many of her new friends in the Outreach wandered in with their tail tucked between their legs, hesitant and vigilant. Is this how they felt, faced with conflicting loyalties?

Watching her a lingering moment, the Magistrate made his way to the nearby liquor cabinet, choosing a decanter of garnet hued liquid and pouring what looked to be a glass of dark port. Turning, he raised it in offerance - would she now partake, perhaps? At the shake of her head, he capped the pitcher once more and paced, robes whispering in time to the idle tapping his fingernail made upon the petite glass.

“You’ve been gone quite a bit lately,” he began again, the prior more circuitous train of thought replaced by a new level of directness. “Less and less at the clinic here, where some of our most wounded come for replenishment and renewal.” Long, pale hair shifted like melting snow with the disappointed shaking his head gave as he meandered to the window, eyeing the wide expanse of placid ocean as he sipped his drink

“Now, Miss Sunhawk, I understand completely the urge to follow one’s heart. The drive to offer your unique benediction to the far flung corners of the world, such as...salt-abraded prison islands and the shattered hamlets of Lordaeron. It must at times be practically impossibly difficult to resist.” The knowing smile he offered her with a side cant of his face made her blood run cold. “But lest you forget, you are a first and foremost, by right of birth and bloodline, belore’dorei of the Kingdom of Quel’Thalas, with all the rights, privileges and expectations that grants.

The world shrank, her vision clouding as her breath caught in her chest. With a soft clearing of her throat, she sat up straighter, mentally raising her shield to speak her truth. “Sir. With all due respect, I am, first and foremost, a Confessor of the Argent Crusade. Sworn to fight evil wherever it may manifest and offer healing wherever it is n--…”

“Confessor,” he interrupted. “Let me make this simple.” Turning toward her once more, he stood framed by the window pane, features in shadow as the light from behind streamed forward around his shape. “You will focus more upon your duties here. You will heal our wounded and you will counsel the bereaved. You will help train the Spellbreakers as needed. And you will do all of this not only because it is your privilege as one of us; but you will do this because you enjoy the proximity to the Sunwell afforded to those in Quel’Danas.”

A lead weight took up residence inside of her stomach. Her greatest failure now held her in chains. Despite all her discipline and work, the indelible mark Northrend had left on her made her vulnerable, a pawn for a war machine spinning out of control.

He must have noticed her wilt. “Oh come now my dear. Just to be clear, you are not a prisoner. No, no. However, we just wish…” He swirled the last bit of drink in his glass with a flourished gesture of his arm, casting garnets upon the wall as it caught the light. “For more of your precious time. That’s it.” Down went the dregs of the port, and so too her mood. “So. Are we clear?”

Her golden eyes meandered to the beveled glass in his hand. The intricate array of engraved facets glimmered with multidimensional promise of possibilities reflected, yet held in check by the singularly firm grip of his fingers.

“As crystal,” she whispered.

[thebutterflycharm321-blog]

Few things about the magnus archives

1. Did we get any idea of how thr rest of the Institute functions? I dont really understand how all 4 of the cast worked there for at least a decade and didnt notice anything supernatural -- jon is one thing but what about Tim? Or Sasha? Moreover, how did none of the researchers start noticing a clear distinct pattern between statements or other supernatural sightings. Its one thing for a youtube community to intentionally stray away from anything actually dangerous, as Melanie discovers, its another thing to have your entire job with resources and manpower to investigatr to not notice a link between testimonies. I have some headcanons that would explain this but im wpndering if the creators already have?

2. I headcanon that Jon could have managed his statement-feeding-addiction thing like a food addicition. For example: having designated 'feeding' times to prevent overeating, keeping himself busy with fictional stories, stuff like that.

3. Apparently Jon is *younger* than martin which is absolutely hilarious and bizzare. I would be slightly infuriated if i found out that my strict, standoffish, perfectionist boss is younger than me. I rememver how Martin in season 2 is like "yeah im extremely underqualified for this, im only 29" and i can judt imagine Jon starts sweating.

4. Does anyone struggle to come up with good qualities for Jon? I love the man to death but its difficult to discern many of his good qualities that cant be attributed to his eye powers or that arent character flaws which are now like normal human behaviout. Im probably missing something but yeah ill just have to let my brain sit on this for a while.

5. Im wondering how the world was like after the apocalypse. It seems the Dread Powers were able to displace and manipukate much of the natural world -- ie removing the sun, reducing buildings to rubble etc. However, the Camera was able to undo much of this, ie bringing back thr sun. But its ability to temporarily restore the ruined buildings is questionable -- was Mikela's mansion always untouched or the Camera restored it?. Either way, i wonder how widespread the restoration was. I would hope that peoples injuries were largely healed? Anyways, its interesting to think about how a qorld would rebuild after that.

6. I have a theory that the letting Dread Powers go into another Universe was a temporary solution. There was still nothing done about thr actual mechanisms which create them in the first place and in a world where 99% of tge population has probably developed PTSD, i woukd imagine a very quick revival. I wondwr how such a world would look like; where the Dread Powers existence is known.

[thatjwguy]

Johnny Cash The Man Comes Around with Lyrics

Does Satan Exist - Lets Get The Facts

WARNING: Heavy talk about the supernatural and other things occult related will be here so if you are frightened with these subjects i would suggest not reading any further, although it might help you to decern between reality and fiction. Much love, always. 

2 Corinthians 4:4

among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through.

So let's review what we do know, if you are a biblical person and have discernment of any kind then you should at least have some sense of who Satan is and just how deceptive he can be, i will go on record and say iv been deceived many times by the devil. It's a constant struggle every day to keep your head above water. Quite literally feels at times like you are being pulled under by some force you cannot explain. You have probably heard the expression, battling one's inner demons. Well what if that term could be used literally, one might have his or her own personal real-life demonic presence of some kind. If you have ever dove into the waters of spirituality at all you know that a higher power does exist, correct? Well if the metaphysical realm really does exist, what makes you so certain bad entities do not exist? Especially when it has be proven time and time again by not only “Christians” but by the New Age, Wicca, Hinduism etc etc.  Something more is out there that people are actively tapping into, clearing their minds and letting themselves be guided by the spirit. Some may view this as a universal energy, everyone can tap into it at any point if they want. Yes, but have you not noticed that it always seems to point you in a direction the leads you away from Gods teachings. I’m referring to 1st century Christianity before paganism was introduced and then defiled Jehovah’s original teachings. 

AWAKE! August 8, 2002

The crusaders of about a thousand years ago missed the point that living “according to Christ” means much more than simply professing allegiance to Jesus Christ. (Matthew 7:21-23) It means living in complete harmony with the teachings of Jesus as found in God’s inspired Word, the Bible. (Matthew 7:15-20; John 17:17) “If you remain in my word,” said Jesus Christ, “you are really my disciples.” (John 8:31) “All will know that you are my disciples,” he said, “if you have love among yourselves.”​—John 13:35. In truth, those crusaders had fallen prey to “empty deception according to the tradition of men.” And it is little wonder that ordinary people were deceived, when their religious leaders, their very bishops, “became renowned  as military men.” A “warlike spirit became so common among the clergy,” says the Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, by McClintock and Strong, “that whenever anything was to be gained [by it], they were ever ready for war.” 

More can be found on the internet, i choose to look at the JW.org website, they keep it clean and very simple in order to make it easy to learn about the bible and its teachings. This is almost a one-stop shop for everything bible related, but enough about that, let's get back to business. So this energy the people tap into is all around us and just at our disposal, as long as we follow the guidelines right? Well, that's funny i thought the point of true freedom was you get to do whatever you want whenever you want? Still seems like you need to follow some sort of pattern or governance of some kind in order to play ball. Laws obviously exist to keep us from going completely insane and causing chaos out there in the world. So with these New Age type practices, you still need them to keep yourself safe to some degree. 

Its funny though, cause with all of these teachings or at least the ones iv looked at. They seem to know of a dark energy as well. Something else is there, something you cannot mess with. Almost like the dark side in star wars or something, you can tap into it but you shouldn't. Okay, so they do believe in a dark energy as well... soo at least there's that. What if i told you though, that these energies could have the power to deceive you as well. Mimic anything you could ever want, sound like whoever they want, even look like whoever they want in order to fake you out. Just like the movie business, man they can really make people look like a totally different person. So what makes you think this cant happen in a spirit? 

Revelation 12:9

9So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent,the one called Devil and Satan,who is misleading the entire inhabited earth;he was hurled down to the earth,and his angels were hurled down with him.

Believe me i don't like this either, i once thought i even had powers i couldn't explain and all that business. Its harder for others im sure because much of what they have been taught throughout the years is founded in these ideologues. They don't want this to be fake, because that means undoing whatever held beliefs they have had. This could range from being reincarnated, afterlife, a heavenly hope of some sort. Its hard to do but not impossible, it just means making some adjustments that's all, not just completely uprooting yourself from everything you are doing. Take a break for a while and find yourself again, perhaps more is needed to be learned. Your journey is only over when you take your last breath, remember that. 

This might be the point where cognitive dist sets in for most people, when you have two contradicting beliefs in your head and you either shut the one out, or just simply change it to fit your narrative. I might link the video where that is talked about, people having two opposing thoughts and trying to ignore one or change one to fit what you want. Seems to be the way people tend to think, unless they just completely ignore anything that goes opposed to what they think just to keep their illusion going, cause god forbid they actually think critically right? Sorry perhaps im taking this a bit too far, could you sense the passive-aggressive nature of that?

Link to video on cognitive dissance 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y17YaZRRvY

The point of this post is to challenge your beliefs, cause i know you might be an individual who is unbelieving or just skeptical of the spiritual side of things. So from this point on i will just give you links to articles or videos that might further your understanding of all these things. If you are truly questioning this then you would do the research, insted of running away, you would do what is necessary  in order to gain more insight on the topic. Then again, i may just be wasting my time with this post anyway. Though i see it as a postive, iv at least caught your attention long enough to read this entire thing. The seed might have already been planted and now you might be questioning your reality. I wish you all well on your endeavors fellow bloggers and internet people. 

Link Bombs

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-study/angels-in-the-bible/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TB9PaZBdGY&index=33&list=PLzcSerCuk3W70XCYLA0PQs4NGtBA7OdVZ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyaHgawWgNM

http://dismythed.blogspot.com/search?q=demons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyYStHGxjFk

[coffeeandmoonthoughts]

04.05

It feels like it’s so easy for me to fall right off the side of the planet. Which leaves me feeling like I need to death-grip the whole thing just to stay afloat. It’s so easy for me to get distracted. Or my mind to fill with the wants, needs, opinions, the clutter of others’ ideas. I don’t want that. I want to feel crystal clear with myself. I want to listen carefully and hear my own intuition. It’s so effortless to get caught up with literally anything else. That tiny little whim can be so easily drown out behind the clutter of everything else I’m picking up on (a highly controversial subject of something called mirror-neurons and emotional contagion, among other things). And when I can’t hear myself, I become afraid. It’s scary to soak up everyone else, until there is no room for you. At least, it feels that way. It’s hard to recognize the difference between something stemming from roots deep within myself, or from someone else near me. It forces me to defensively cling to myself. Which, after a while, doesn’t always feel good either. I don’t want a death grip on life. Lightly, lightly. Life is too easy for it to feel this hard. Easy and lightly. It seems I can go weeks before I finally find a way to shut out everything and sit in singularity. Shut out… that’s not the right word. “Shut out” hints at closing a door, putting up a wall or tightly boarding up windows. No, it’s more of a clearing out. The sweeping out of some unwanted, unasked-for clutter. Everyone else’s mess. But, I’m not boarded up or sealed shut. I’m clear with myself. I guess that would be the word to use… It sounds so strange to talk about. Feelings. Because it requires a leap of the imagination into the unknown or unknowable. It’s a risk of sounding stupid to someone who cant think more abstract. Something science can see, but not see. I (with all my facts and scientific brain) am still learning to be okay with it. My right brain and left brain wrestling with each other when they should be working in unison, fusing different vantage points into one idea I can actually work with. I think, this is what you call surrendering to life. I can understand it, barely wrap my head around it but see it crystal clear. And instead of fighting it, find a way to work side by side with it. Flow with it. Stay clear with it. Embrace it. Rework it in a way that benefits me, or allow it to rework me in a way that benefits my life. Understanding that there is so much that I do not understand, but by having faith, it will simply be. Eventually, when I’m able to feel clear, I wont feel like I want to jump out of my skin anymore. Yes, sometimes it feels that way. When my neurons are firing so fast that all I want to do is jump out of my brain, my body, that for some reason was built/wired this way, fine-tuned and developed over time. But if I can learn a way to work with it, to bend not break, to have more flex and give, it will make things easier. Less resistance. It’s kind of like a feather in the wind. The feather gets blown around but it’s so light that it doesn’t get ripped apart. It simply floats back safely to the ground, intact. This is the reason skyscrapers are built flexible. Because if they weren’t they would snap. This is why humans, in futile resistance, might subject themselves to more suffering than needed. The trick isn’t in finding a way to land on the ground, the trick is in learning how to maintain your feather spine while bending in the gusts of wind, even embracing them. I’d like to know how to do that. 

In this particular dream I was in a house. Not my house, someone else’s. I was coming over for something, with a number of people, and I was the first to arrive. In the dream I remember I was flustered because one of the rooms wasn’t clean for company. I mean, it was an utter disaster by anyone’s standards. But it wasn’t a main room. Still, I was so annoyed that the person hadn’t prepared for company or cleaned. I started cleaning myself even after the company had arrived. They stayed in a main room and I hoped they wouldn’t come into the other room while I cleaned. It felt like the more I cleaned, the messier it became. I cleaned the floor and for some reason (it’s a dream- it doesn’t have to make sense) the floor was paper thin and started peeling off. It came apart. And under it was broken strips of wood. The strips of wood were splintered and there were massive holes between beams. I tried to fix it as best I could. I even moved something over the hole to cover it but it just got worse, until everything came in swirling around the room. It was like a black hole except I was in it. Debris came in through the hole in the floor and it was utter chaos. Paper and things came flying into the room in a whirlwind and I couldn’t stop it. Eventually I gave up. I got the host and told the host that this was on them. I did what I could. It wasn’t my fault and any unfavorable opinion from the guests (three men sitting at a kitchen table) was on them, not me. I washed my hands clean of it, even though I was a mess and practically furious from frustration. Like I said, its a dream. It doesn’t have to make sense. Usually in dreams, none of it makes sense and its all a bit wonky (our vision is spotting, sometimes actions are just mere flashes or feelings, sometimes the whole dream takes place in a matter of a couple seconds and in order to remember it we need to run through the feeling and flashes immediately after we wake up). But we always remember the feeling. Because despite the facts, however exaggerated or omitted they may be, the feeling is what remains with us - you cant fake it. It sticks around with us even after the fact. That feeling of uncontrollable flying debris. The feeling of trying to damn up a gaping hole. The feeling of being the black hole. Even right now it’s making me want to crawl right out of my own skin. 

Me: Well, seems that during this time Neptune was on top of Mercury. Neptune being the planet influencing our dreams and Mercury being the planet of communication. Makes sense. Everything feeling so water and foggy. This all taking place in Pisces, which is the opposite of Virgo which rules our logic and rational mind. Opposing sign. Which may mean our logical mind isn’t working the way we like and may send us inward to listen to our intuition. Needing us to be able to discern between what is true, rooted in reality and what is coming in through intuition or what is based in fear or old patterns, programming or reverting to the past because it’s what is comfortable. And Venus (planet of love) and mercury will be moving out of Pisces and moving into Aries which is way more direct and fiery and even playful. So, thank god that watery abyss is over now.

Also me: Astrology isn’t real. You’ve had a migraine for two weeks straight. I think thats foggy enough. But good news, girl, you finally broke through your migraine. 

04.09

I was walking down a pathway. A sidewalk of sorts. It was between shops and brick buildings and I was walking with my dog and my sister. The concrete was old and cracked and weirdly poured and shaped. I remember telling her about a way to make caramel cake that I saw someone doing and I tried it myself. Then, I remember the sidewalk slanted rapidly and twisted around a tree. Part of it was broken and you had to let yourself down and then jump over something. I tried it first and was explaining to my sister how to do it. Then we kept walking. But all of a sudden I was on an old street I used to live by. I was walking down the sidewalk by myself. A truck came up behind me, still a distance away, and I turned around to get a look at it. It was an old white ford and it was swerving back and forth. The driver was drunk. He could barely keep his eyes open. I thought to myself, oh no I have to get out of his way. He wrecked his truck into a building and stumbled out with a shot gun and started walking. Oh my god, I thought. This looks really bad. He didn’t look like he was going to shoot someone up though. He looked like someone who was two sheets from the wind and trying to save the shotgun he didn’t want to leave in his truck. He carried it around and stumbled into buildings like a video game character stuck in a glitch. I looked around to see if anyone else was seeing this. No one else was around, except for his equally drunk friend who was walking far ahead of me in the exact same scenario. I quietly panicked, not wanting them to notice me but felt like I had to find someone, to get their attention. Although they weren’t causing a trouble yet, no one in their right mind walks around drunk on the street haphazardly carrying a shotgun. I felt like it had bad news written all over it and then I woke up.

Last night I fell asleep around 8 pm. I didn’t mean to. I was sitting in bed working on my laptop with my dog by my side. A sense of overwhelming drowsiness suddenly swept over me. I just couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. There was no reason for me to be falling asleep that early, it just sort of came out of nowhere. I actually nodded off a few times before I let my laptop drop to the floor next to me. When I woke up from this dream it was 3:08 am. Despite my sleepy haze I noticed the bedroom door was wide open and the hallway light was glaring at me. That’s weird, I thought. I always keep the door shut when the dog is with me because he roams and gets into trouble. And I always keep the light off because it pours into the room and right into my eyes. I rolled over and went back to sleep until I woke up at 5 am and found my phone floating around in the blankets, no alarm even set. Most of the things in this dream make sense. Earlier that day I saw a large white truck that was driving too slow. I also saw a hack to making a homemade caramel that some woman put on a cake. I guess it hit me in my feels because it carried over into my dreams. The rest of the dream was just little bits and pieces I don’t remember. The thing I don’t understand is the two drunk men toting shotguns and why my door was wide open and the light was on. Most things I can usually link to mental processes, but sometimes they don’t make sense at all. 

[artistsintheclassroom9]

Wisdom 2.0: New Leader Summit | The Computer History Museum (May 2018): My Notes

Wisdom 2.0. New Leader Summit. The Computer History Museum. May 2018. Mountain View, CA

Disclaimer: As with all of my published notes from workshops or conferences, these are in no way comprehensive. Nor are they a literal summation of what was said. They are simply my notes, my interpreted, perspective-ed reflections, photos, and jottings, that occasionally combine my own records & thoughts with those of the speakers. There might be some typos.

Good Morning! ☀️

The Vision of the New Leader | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

“I didn’t just want to do it for 30 minutes, it needed more breathing room.”

“Maybe instead of having all the answers, a leader knows how to ask the right questions”.

Wisdom & Compassion in Business | Scott Shute (LinkedIn):

Old wisdom is making its way into boardrooms.

Holding the tension between what’s easy and what’s right.

“You’re going to have to make that right.”

Do what you say you’re going to do.

Your work matters.

Finding our community & making the world a little bit smaller.

“Maybe they’re going to want to have you deprogrammed if you talk about this...” (on mindfulness & meditation..).

The tension between one’s authentic self, and the person we’re brining to work.

My question: How do we hold that? And how do we close that?

The Growth Edge.

Business As Community | Giving Back and Moving Forward | Ebony Frelix (Salesforce) | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

If you can’t describe your job to your Mom or a third grader, you’ve failed. (Agreed! )

Modeling starts at home, and in the community.

Stressing the value of focus.

You only have so long to burn the candle at both ends.

Battling what’s taught about leadership and the leader I was becoming.. (me too).

Balancing the drive between growth & results, and growth & vulnerability.

Something that you thought was a disaster, and failed, was actually something people admired.

Often, the meditation room is something equated with the looser room (glad this is changing ).

The opportunity to unplug at work.

Vet & EMPLOY.

Not every job needs a degree.

Equity In Tech | Shifting Power Dynamics And Reimagining Leadership | Scott Shute (LinkedIn) | (Karla Monterosso (Code2040):

Started at the intersection of poverty & health work.

“The whole next economic & social contract of the country is being built in the cloud, and no one that looks like me is there.”

Often companies do not have enough people of color concentrated in one place to understand their experience, and it’s not safe for those people to speak up.

Software creates the world ethos; you’re going to have a future developed by what’s happening right now.

AI is not machine learning, AI is pattern matching, and those patterns are being discerned / navigated by humans.

Our program is set up with the understanding that “minorities” are not the problem.

Temporary strategy? Permanent strategy? Where is it?

Failing to evaluate their own hiring processes.

You want & need data.

It’s not a feelings problem – we don’t need to feel better about having more diversity in the work place -  it’s an operations & management problem.

Setting goals that give us direction.

Evaluate your systems & processes..

“Stanford” is not a skill.

Tech Justice League.

This is not about lowering the bar; it’s about creating it (Woot Woot!  ).

By 2040 there are going to be more Latin & Black people in America than anyone else.

Affinity groups are being asked to do the heavy lifting that leadership should be doing. (Agreed. I’d say that’s true in public education as well).

We need training in how gender bias and racial bias operates at a deep level.

We’re treating inclusion as an add-on program, and that’s not right.

Leaders need to understand the experience that their ethos has created.

How do personal & institutionalized power work? (My question as well).

The flow of data, and capital.

WE COULD BE BUILD SUCH AN EXCITING WORLD!

We don’t have to take advantage of some people to make the pie bigger. (Amen! ).

Wisdom @ Work | The Modern Elder | Chip Conley (Joie De Vivre) | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

Liberating “Elder” from “Elderly”.

We’re living longer, and power is moving younger.

Intergenerational Collaboration.

A wisdom seeker as much as a wisdom keeper.

Rethinking what it means to be valuable & relevant in the workplace.

Rites of passage happen in cultures to help people through transformative places in their life.

How do we help re-value, and re-purpose people @ mid-life?

Age agnostic – valuing people regardless of age.

Re-purposing yourself at any age.

Emotional Intelligence grows over time.

Editing your identity – What is it that is no longer serving you? Let it go.

Environmental Mastery.

What & How are optimization questions.

“Why” & “What If” actually uncover blind spots.

Asking questions that uncover blind spots…. That’s wisdom.

Evolve, Learn, Collaborate.

DQ – Digital Intelligence.

EQ – Emotional Intelligence.

A confidant, is also a person that gives you confidence.

Who in the organization do you go to for advice?

Who in the organization is generating invisible productivity?

Environmental Mastery – Where are you putting yourself when you’re at your best?

On reclaiming terms.. “Queer”, for example.

Owning the term doesn’t just allow you to re-claim it, it allows you to organize around it.

Find the habitat that is going to embrace the demographic that you are.

Encapsulate your wisdom in a way that helps people “get it” very quickly.

Thinking of systems & organizational issues around a societal problem.

The system needs to be changed.

Changing the system & disrupting ______ (cant’ read my writing) in the work place.

It’s not just about the length of your life, it’s about the depth of your life.

ERG = Employee Resource Group

Less than 10% of companies in Silicon Valley have ERG’s for people who are older.

How do we find spaciousness?

Being curious enough to not know the answer in advance.

Collateral costs & benefits of decision-making.

Re: Coaching – Is this a knowledge share? Or is it creating more internal awareness, and awareness development?

Community Connections | Harnessing Group Wisdom | Scott Shute (LinkedIn):

You have one mouth, and two ears.

Lean, teach, share.

A book that was recommended to me in our breakout group: Unstoppable, Cynthia Kersey

Coaching The New Leader | Jonathan Rosenfeld (Trium Group) | Michelle Gale (Author):

Educating leaders of teams on systems theory. (YES!)

How do we need people to contribute to the room?

Being personally responsible for the success of the group.

How is this team operating as a highly complex system?

It’s the most adaptable that succeed, not the smartest or the strongest.

On Coaching – You don’t want to foster dependency, you want to come in, do an effective intervention, and then get out. (YES!)

Fostering behavior that’s in everyone’s best interest.

What serves both us & the group?

What do you notice in some of the healthiest company cultures?

It starts at the top (Indeed!).

Courage (to venture into uncomfortable spaces) & Humility (to trust the process).

Care about people.

BREATHE  

The Role of Diversity In Tech | Eddie Medina (BetterUp) | Jennifer Fonstad (Venture Investor) | Rachel Sheinbein (Lemnos):

Public trust & moral leadership.

Not just building valuable companies, building good companies.

There’s power in diversity from an economic perspective.

Teams perform better when they’re diverse.

#FoundersForChange

Flipping the power dynamic.

A lot of women & minority groups are often told “You need to work harder than anyone else..”, “Don’t stand out too much, don’t piss anyone off..”

You need to be able to take risks & fail, if you want to do anything audacious & big, and simultaneously, if you fail, you just confirm everyone’s unspoken beliefs.”

Vacillation between fear & greed.

Being committed to being a diverse employer from Day 1.

Building an inclusive culture.

Bringing diversity to a company doesn’t really matter if you’re not allowed to voice anything (YES! – Think this is a prevalent norm in student  & educator culture in Public Ed.).

The problem is treating inclusion as an HR Program vs. a business strategy (it need to be a business strategy)!

The hard thing is to be courageous in environments where you don’t feel like your voice will be valued or heard. (YES!)

(#MeToo) - that sense that we’re innocent, and then there are those bad apples… Isn’t helpful to anyone.

A reminder about the biases that everybody brings to the world.

The New Leader | Harnessing Wisdom & Compassion | Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn) |  Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

Spoke a lot about Ray Chambers

Embodied Leadership (YES ).

Walking the walk.

You need to recruit & onboard against your culture & values.

It’s not just about the What, it’s also about the How.

Transformation, Integrity, Honor, and Results.

What we’re looking for:

Steep learning curves, vertical learning curves.

People who don’t take themselves too seriously.

People who you look forward to coming in to work with everyday.

A multi-varied equation in terms of the constituents you’re trying to service.

Is this in service of our vision?

When you’re an individual contributor you tend to be more focused on the work, and more in your own head.

Awareness.

Managing with compassion.

There’s a difference between egocentricism and egomaniacism.

Expecting other people to do things the way you did is extremely uncompassionate.

It requires a lot of energy to manage compassionately, to sit with someone when they’re suffering.

There’s a difference between Managing, Coaching, and Mentoring. Rare individuals can do all three, but they’re different.

Managing = making sure the work is getting done.

Coaching = helping someone learn & grow.

Mentoring = helping someone understand what they ultimately want to do with their career, or life, and then sharing your experiences with them.

Re: Checking in with someone right away if there seems to be tension, or a misunderstanding. A certain kind of intensity – we need to address this right now.

Seeking to understand, so we need to be in conversation.

If you don’t nip it in the bud right away, if becomes way more than the actual issue, because they might speak about it with their colleagues, and then their team, and before you know it, it becomes about the team, and then perhaps the department, and eventually thousands of people.. And then all the energy goes into navigating the politics of that.

You never want to be giving your power away to things you cant control (YES!).

Education Reform, and managing compassionately.

“A Class Divided”

Compassion should be the operating system upon which we teach everything else.

Actually operationalizing the vision statement.

Creating economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.

We don’t need other people’s charity. We need access to opportunity.

There are fundamental difference between managers & leaders.

The clarity of ones vision, the courage of ones conviction, and the ability to lead from both of these places.

Who are you serving through your products & services? And even more importantly, who are you not serving?

Start Ups That Work | Investing In The New Leader | Gus Tai (Trinity Ventures) | Tim Chang (Mayfield) | Ann Crady Weiss (True Ventures) | Michelle Gale (Author):

Emotional intelligence & grit; Founding is a lonely job.

Just because someone was one way before doesn’t mean they will be that way in the future.

There’s a lot of risk.

80% of all start-ups don’t even return capital.

Venture Capitalists (VC’s) questions when considering funding / backing:

What is this person like when they’re at play?

What are they like when they’re under deep stress?

Do they know their core wound, and are they aware of it?

(On a promising founder..): They deeply know who they are and what they want to do, and what is right for them at that moment…. And how to get the resources they need.

The best way to be different is to be true to yourself.

(For founders of prior failed start ups, that want to try again): Outcome doesn’t matter, but I’d like to know what they learned from it, what was their learning.

A learning opportunity & a lack of luck.

Something that keeps you going when the times gets tough..

When you feel present & at ease, you’ll probably feel wiser.

The human mind clutches on recency.

All misery comes from over-attachment to outcomes, and if outcomes are all you talk about, well…

The narrative that’s working really well in venture capital is diversity.

Our wealth disparity is greater than ever.

Advice for a potential entrepreneur (like me  )

You’re never as good as you think you are.

You’re never as bad as you think you are.

Develop a practice of self-compassion & kindness.

Who are you really? Keep double clicking on that.

What do you really want? Keep double clicking on that.

What are you in service to? Keep double clicking on that.

On pitching: Explain why you are uniquely qualified and have an unfair advantage to do this.

Show me why now is a particularly interesting time.

Sell it.

If you don’t believe it, I’m not going to believe it.

Leadership As Alignment | Directing without Dictating | Joshua Reeves (Gusto) | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

What does a CEO do?

They’re a steward of the purpose of the company.

Doing an “all hands”.

We went from 50 people to 500 people (!), in a relatively short amount of time.

How have you navigated that growth?

How have you maintained culture throughout that growth?

No one there wears shoes. Seriously.

A program focused purely on motivation & values alignment.

Focus on “Alignment” when hiring.

It’s not about a company trying to get someone, or an individual trying to convince someone to hire them, it’s “are our paths / values aligned?” (YES! And I’d say this can only happen when neither side is desperate.).

Show, don’t tell.

Am I eager to say what I’m doing? Do I want to evangelize about it? Or am I in stealth mode?

Introspection – the why & then the how.

Entrepreneurs have to be inherently optimistic.

“It’s just really fun to fix stuff.”

Can you fix something?

Can you do it in a way you are proud of?

Wisdom-Based Leadership | Lessons In Guiding People & Teams | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0) | Karen May (Google):

Originally she was an organizational psychologist & coach.

As a leader, it’s important to own the seat that you’re in, and take that responsibility seriously, and also know that you’re not the seat that you are in.

Leader with responsibility vs. Leader with ego.

At the end of the day we’re just talking about humans trying to get things done, through & with other people.

It’s really difficult to give something up that’s worked for you in the past.

What got you here, won’t get you there – (Conditions of growth, from my perspective – the next leg of the journey requires new skills).

Watching people trying to unlearn old habits.

When we look at old successes, where we came from: luck & skill -- putting it together -- is almost worse, because you can’t help but feel like it had something to do with you.

Withholding feedback from someone is also a disservice.

Being aware of your conditioning.

You have to be self aware enough to know what your intentions are in giving the feedback.

Often people giving it really want to see the other person be successful.

Sharing that you get what they’re about is helpful.

“And I think you’re getting in your own way in couple of ways..”

“If I were you, I would sure hope that someone was telling me this.”

Check your intensions first, then think about how you’re going to deliver feedback.

If there’s a power dynamic, give choice to the receiver about how & when it will happen.

If we continue on, doing exactly what we’re doing today, we won’t be successful. Because you’re not evolving.

At Google you’re rated on your feedback giving, and it’s public.

The world is a difficult place to be in if you don’t want to hear feedback.

Things need to be taken seriously, and also not very seriously.

What gives you the most satisfaction at the end of the day?

Self-Awareness.

Being open to the possibility of working in a different way.

Compassion.

Gratitude.

Enabling others & seeing them.

Inspiration.

Bringing Mindfulness To High Performance Environments | Scott Shute (LinkedIn) | Alexis Pokorny (Mindful Millenial Leader):

Overnight, I lost 48% of my business.

People have been recognized at an operational level.

Doing an “All Hands” call.

(On mindfulness in the workplace): It’s got to be relevant to the business, and align with its’ goals.

And then just start DOING IT!

Productivity & Fulfillment

Perspective.

Results?

More thoughtfulness in hiring.

Meetings take less time.

Giving people permission to leave; Having the right people in the room.

An understanding of what’s being said that isn’t actually spoken?

Closing | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

The Universe is here to help us. It’s on our side. How do we partner with it?  😊

My Experience in Photographs: 

Related Links (17-18):

Wisdom 2.0: New Leader Summit | The Computer History Museum (May 2018): Ebony Frelix (Salesforce) | Giving Back & Moving Forward

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Day 1: My (Primarily Visual) Notes

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Day 2: My (Primarily Visual) Notes

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Day 3: My (Primarily Visual) Notes

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Mindfulness, Capitalism, and the Emerging Consciousness: Rich Fernandez (SIYLI) - I Agree! This Level of Poverty Is A Crime

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Thank You! ❤️

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Some Of My Favorite Talks - Part 1

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Some Of My Favorite Talks - Part 2

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Some Of My Favorite Talks - Part 3

Wisdom 2.0 | The Future of Mindfulness: Meditation & Apps | LinkedIn (Oct. 2017): My Notes

Wisdom 2.0 | The Future of Mindfulness: Meditation & Apps | LinkedIn (Oct. 2017): My Experience In Photographs

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