Reading Pip's words below sparked inspiration in me for a variety of reasons. I appreciate not only his sharing of the important realization he had about the impact of hurtful humor, but also his desire and ability to set aside ego and take time to purely self-reflect to make a positive personal change. I am seeing more and more the power of ever-growing self awareness and how it can lead to expanding compassion in both my words and actions. Thank you for your openness and genuine authenticity here, Pip. 

- Amanda 

Read More

A few thoughts came to mind, including that perhaps I might make way such that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day sits next to Thanksgiving as my favorite holiday. Currently, I have no rituals or traditions on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day to celebrate. Maybe this writing is a start.

Read More

I really appreciate the way Pip digs into the true meaning of dignity in his piece below. It reminded me of something very specific someone once said to me years ago. It was, "If you tend to be hard on yourself, you likely are hard on others too..." And that has really stuck with me. It can be easy for me to get down on myself and lose my sense of self-worth when I fail in some way, even if small. And then I've felt how it can be a downward spiral from there which isn't good for myself OR others OR the betterment of the world. But I've come to realize that when I wear a different lens and instead aim to value my own self-worth throughout the inevitable ups and downs, I can be a greater team member by moving through life with deeper admiration of others too for exactly who they are, regardless of 'who' that may be. Thank you, Pip, for bringing to light many great thoughts and ideas to ponder about dignity.

- Amanda

Read More

A couple groups of people (approximately 35 in all) in the Community for Change we have all been nurturing, gathered to explore what “Gratitude-meets-Process” looks like. These were some of the thoughts that I pulled from the discussions. I list all of these as “thoughts” as in “thoughts that arose from our exploration”. They are thoughts. They are not meant to be truisms because they aren’t! You can decide if any of these ideas quickly resonate or if you might want a deeper sense of how these ideas surfaced so you can explore more If you might wish…

You might also perhaps be interested in the podcasts Brynne released last week that included perhaps 10-12 of the voices from the group directly from our collaboration. Yell if you might like that link forwarded.

Cheers!

- Pip

Read More

I remember many months ago now, back when seeing someone in public wearing a mask still made you do a double take, our friend Joe Bruzzese said on a call that his orientation to wearing a mask changed drastically when he realized he wasn’t wearing a mask to protect himself from COVID, but rather to protect both friends and strangers around him. That orientation reminds me of Pip’s here; of giving others a glimpse into some of the parts of ourselves we may not be most proud of not for ourselves, but for them. Perhaps ironically, Pip is now sharing some of those inner thoughts with us.

-Lauren

Read More

This year, my birthday fell on one of the days of Coburn Ventures’ Sundance gathering (virtually this year). Pip had suspiciously asked me to join on the morning call with the whole group of about 50 clients, and when I did everyone sang "happy birthday” - which for me, sitting on video while over 50 people sang to me, was an act of micro bravery within itself! But indeed it did make me feel very thought of and appreciated. I have always loved Pip’s tradition of singing to people on their birthdays and I love the story he writes here of the inspiration behind it.

- Lauren

Read More

It’s hard to write a lead-in that could do justice to this piece. 2020 has shown me simultaneously how fragile and unpredictable life can be...but how also we don’t have to be strong every day. We just have to be brave. Mike seems to have embodied this - bravery looks like creating social change, slowly, one relationship at a time. The world lost this friend too soon. Thank you for your reflections, Pip - we have much to take away from this.

- Lauren

Read More

When Rabbi Irwin and I were talking about how we were going to write the piece “The Spirit of the Community for Change,” Irwin spoke about how there are so many seemingly opposite things that make up the CFC, and in a way that’s what makes it work. Spontaneity/ direction. Hierarchy/ egalitarianism. Obligation/ freedom. One of things I have learned from this pandemic is how it is the people who are, in a sense, the most vulnerable right now also hold the most strength and power - they are holding the social fabric of our country together. Another thing I’ve learned? How to be happy and sad at the same time.

Good things, as Pip points out, often come from paradoxes. Thank you, Pip!

PS - Here is my mask anti-pet peeve! I heard not long ago that some people are making masks that are clear so that those who are hard of hearing and read lips will be able to communicate better. And everyone can see people smile - such a great example of inclusive design that benefits all!

- Lauren

Read More

Last week, I had a ZOOM session with my former teaching assistant from my Australia study abroad program. She was collecting data for her dissertation by interviewing me regarding my views on global citizenship. As we were deep in discussion about this topic, she noticed (in the corner of my screen) the foreign currency I had collected over the years that were hanging on my wall... bills from different countries I had traveled to. This then led to richer ideas and other meaningful and personal experiences to be shared. I think perhaps this was a microcosm - that sometimes it's not worth worrying about creating a professional background such as a white wall or perfect shelf of books to symbolize one's life. Pip's piece illuminates the beauty of letting one's true character show through all the little nuances in their world, and truly appreciating them.

- Amanda

Read More

Pip's piece below immediately reminded me of the quote, "Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always." Sometimes I think it just takes one compliment, one hello, or one smile to make someone's day so much brighter. Last week, something funny happened. I was having a stressful afternoon, and as I was walking home from my internship, two guys were flying by on their skateboards, and one reached his hand out to me simply for a high-five as he rolled by. After I high fived him back, I heard him shout, "Yeaaaah!" to his buddy. I started cracking up to myself. Sometimes ESPECIALLY a stranger's act of acknowledgement can be just what I need to feel better about the day. Kind strangers remind me that we are all taking on this crazy world together. And even when speeding by on a skateboard and doing many different things throughout the day, there's always time to put on the brakes and recognize others, even if just for a moment. Thanks for bringing this to light Pip!

- Amanda

Read More

I have an annual practice of setting annual goals at the beginning of each new year and have come to learn over the years that I am much happier and more motivated when I can somehow see that I am making progress towards these goals. I imagine this is a pretty human thing. But this is much easier to do when my goals are, say, work towards a running PR or read more books, than goals such as ‘don’t immediately assume the worst in people.’ The two goals for the CFC below probably fall more into the second category, but I would argue that we have already seen great progress towards reaching them and I know we will continue to in 2020 – in little ways at gatherings and over virtual communications, it is pretty easy to see, as Kelly says ‘a glimpse at what is possible.’ Thank you, Pip, for all your thinking you have put into this – 2020 is going to be a great year for the CFC.

- Lauren

Read More

When I unexpectedly lost my dad, Pip said to me, "I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel right now." And I know I can't try to imagine how he felt either after losing this incredibly dear friend of his. However, I do know that it often takes so so much time to process the loss of a companion who left you with so much to remember and appreciate. And I think that the emotions, processing, and (often painful) reflecting comes in waves. Some days, the water is rough and it feels like I'm drowning as I reminisce on what's not there.. while other days I float on the surface and soak in the sun of happy memories and unforgettable life lessons and conversations. And Pip's heartfelt piece below reminds me that soon we sort of learn how to navigate through the ever-changing ocean waves from a soothing place.

- Amanda

Read More

Pip draws such a thought-provoking dichotomy here that I hadn’t previously thought of before – the difference between leaders and people in positions of power. Why do we assume that just because someone has power they “should” be a leader? Why are we telling people what to do in the first place? These are big questions I think I will be wrestling with for a long time.

- Lauren

Read More

A friend recently gave me a great piece of advice – “arguments are only productive if both people are not arguing only for the sake of arguing.” Arguments seem to finally lead to some kind of resolution when both people are able to be vulnerable and say, “maybe there is no logic to what I am feeling…but these are the things that I am feeling and I need you to respect that.” Thanks, Pip, for drawing light to this one specific pressure point – a fork in the road – where we can make a choice to shift things in a different direction and maybe even save a relationship.

-Lauren

Read More

It's people like Pip who inspire me to look at everyday things a bit differently. Like this morning, when my laptop, which is about 7 years old, was being super slow... first my frustration made me wanna slam it shut. And then I thought to myself, what an incredible man-made thing this machine actually is. And how human beings really are a rather remarkable, emotional yet innovative, and highly intelligent species whose achievements often go unnoticed. Thank you Pip for motivating a shifted perspective towards admiration for humankind.

- Amanda

Read More

This final note of Pip’s series brings together the previous two for a grand crescendo – the night where it seems like his father had perhaps the biggest impact on Pip’s life…and even on the incredible culture of Coburn Ventures and the CFC today. It goes to show the ripple effects one can have in the world, even beyond when we are no longer here.

- Lauren

Read More

I wrote a postcard to a friend from London the other week and noted how much I love the art of letter writing and how I am actively trying to preserve it in an age where email and FaceTime prevail. Digging through emails in an inbox wouldn’t have quite the same effect as finding the handwritten letters that Pip found in this piece. Pip – how special to learn about your dad through this discovery.

- Lauren

Read More

I am so excited we get to share Pip’s three-piece series about the influence that his dad had on his life with the CFC. This first piece sets the scene for the next two: the story of a good man who was dealt a difficult set of cards towards the end of his life. I was struck by the small details Pip remembers about his father and how they come together to tell such a vivid story. Pip, thank you for sharing these memories with us – it has certainly made me try to more diligently grab onto and remember the little mannerisms of the people I love – and perhaps the deeper meaning behind them.

- Lauren

Read More

I have always considered Pip to be one of the most supportive and positive people that I have ever known... now I'm sure those great qualities are very simply innate, BUT... after reading this post, something tells me Pip's encouraging personality was nurtured and inspired in large part by his mother.

Pip, although I never got to meet her, I have a feeling her wonderful & reassuring words and admirable actions live on through you each day. Thank you for sharing this piece.

- Amanda

Read More

Pip, thank you for challenging all of us with your words here. What a powerful reminder to not assume we know what is happening in the lives of others, and the hope that can spring up as a result of an open heart (even towards a drunk dude in a pub on a Saturday night) and a little courage.

- Lauren

Read More