#373: SPOTLIGHT: Benji Dawes in response to Richard Sugarman

I chose a different path for us this week.

I am sharing Benji's penetrating, compassionate, hope-filled response to Rich's spotlight piece from last week.

So many were deeply affected by Rich’s words.

Rich wrote a thank you to all of us.  It is also below. He never imagined receiving back so many notes of love and care.


Here is the link to Rich's piece in case you missed it. You will also find there 13 CFC responses from fall 2023 to the weekly questions Pip and I present to dear people we all wander with: Jennifer, Amber, Holly, Rudy, Irwin, Neeru, Jack, Lauren, Ryan, Jaime, Christina, Rich U., and Eric. 

LINK: Rich's Spotlight on Website

- AP 

Read More
Benji DawesSpotlightComment
#371: Quote Share from the Community

We are now four months into doing CFC "Spotlight" pieces, so I thought it would be nice to spotlight a handful of short quotes from the last few months! I have LOVED reading these writings. And now rather than having a library of pieces on the CFC website, we have a library of people. Here's the link for all so far - Library.  And the outdoor photos have all been awesome too. I've attached one semi-candid (is that a thing?) photo below of Amber and I from a much warmer time. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season! 

- Amanda

Read More
CommunitySpotlightComment
#370: SPOTLIGHT: Eric Hopkins

Question for Eric: 

Does one person first come to mind:  In your very very first “adult” job -- when you were perhaps first out of college or over the age of 21 let’s say – is there someone that pops to mind who brings a smile to your face not because of anything in your specific relationship but just because of who they were or how they moved through the world?

Read More
Eric HopkinsSpotlightComment
#369: SPOTLIGHT: Richard Uniacke

Question for Richard: 

Can you recall a moment in the past month in your work that something in it was going so so amazingly well in a deep, rich, wonderful way that you wished you could immediately and adequately and fully explain and share it with your mom or dad (be they living or having already passed) such that they might know your joy?

Read More
#366: SPOTLIGHT: Ryan Oakes

Question for Ryan: 

There is an idea that we can learn from every single person on the planet.  But there are also deeply ingrained habits we have been trained in that “teachers” have a formal designation which might limit our scope for learning.  With that thought, does someone come to mind in the past five weeks that you wouldn’t consider a “formal” teacher at all but who you learned something special from… (perhaps even someone you aren’t even fond of) ?

Read More
Ryan OakesSpotlightComment
#363: SPOTLIGHT: Neeru Garg

Question for Neeru: 

The Serenity Prayer offers:      “Grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference…”.   With this thought, does something come to mind that you couldn’t change but had (or are having) trouble accepting ?

Read More
#362: SPOTLIGHT: Irwin Kula

Question for Irwin: 

There is an idea that we can learn from every single person on the planet.  But there are also deeply ingrained habits we have been trained in that “teachers” have a formal designation which might limit our scope for learning.  With that thought, does someone come to mind in the past five weeks that you wouldn’t consider a “formal” teacher at all but who you learned something special from… (perhaps even someone you aren’t even fond of) ? 

Read More
#360: SPOTLIGHT: Holly Grant

Question for Holly: 

Can you recall a moment in the past month in your work that something in it was going so so amazingly well in a deep, rich, wonderful way that you wished you could immediately and adequately and fully explain and share it with your mom or dad (be they living or having already passed) such that they might know your joy? 

Read More
#355: Internal Time

I love the message of Jaime's writing below. It has me thinking about how it can feel challenging to detach from the natural tendency to be in hyperproductive mode throughout the day, jumping from one thing to the next. But there are ways to step out of this mindset by checking in with myself and my body more - perhaps through simple self-questioning, slowing down daily tasks a bit, or taking a minute away from everyone and everything to be in solitude. And by doing these intentional check-ins, I can welcome more presence and ease into my being, and therefore my doing too. 

- Amanda

Read More
Jaime PosaComment
#354: When Easy Tries You

NEW lead-in from Christina Posa:

A client emailed me today asking if we could have a two-hour touch base at 6am tomorrow... It is those types of emails - the kind that make it feel like time is out of my control - that I easily categorize as a pet peeve. Lisa's blog makes me think of what I do when the opposite occurs: when time is suddenly freed up in my schedule. Do I scroll Instagram? Do I eat? Or do I call my mom, go for a walk, FaceTime my nieces? Do I simply fill my time, or do I do something to make my time fulfilled? I don't know if I have the answer in retrospect, but I will definitely be more conscious, and a bit more intentional, next time this anti-pet-peeve presents itself. 

- Christina

Read More
Lisa BairdComment