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Small & Gutsy features Born2Lead Foundation

Small & Gutsy

Release Date: 11/12/2023

Small & Gutsy Features Tools for Peace show art Small & Gutsy Features Tools for Peace

Small & Gutsy

Finding inner peace is a process that leads to a practice; there are important rituals that guide us in self-discovery. Derived from the Sanskrit word for “circle”, the Mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe. It is a sacred art form that connects us to our inner selves and the world around us. Their profound wisdom and tranquil messages, serve as a powerful medium to contemplate and find peace within. Mandalas are typically circles with repeating symmetrical shapes, and are considered a sacred symbol. In Sanskrit, mandala translates to...

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Small & Gutsy features Dependable Youth Initiative Uganda show art Small & Gutsy features Dependable Youth Initiative Uganda

Small & Gutsy

Investing in youth and education aligns directly with Sustainable Development Goal # 4 (Quality Education) and indirectly fuels several others like Decent Work and Economic Growth (goal # 8) and Reduced Inequalities (goal # 10). This perspective reinforces how crucial it is to view sustainability as not just environmental, but deeply tied to social and economic development. It takes a village is a common expression, used by so many to essentially mean…we all need to lift one another up to attain the most robust society for long-term sustainability Lifting up any society often begins with...

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Small & Gutsy features International Mentoring Program, StL show art Small & Gutsy features International Mentoring Program, StL

Small & Gutsy

Two very smart women saw a pattern developing in their midwestern city of St. Louis, my hometown actually, after one attended a meet-up group organized by  Susan Gobbo one of these smart women, who is Brazilian, and who experienced the loneliness of a trailing spouse, herself when she moved to St. Louis in 2008. Years later, she formed a meetup group for other foreign wives. Annie Schlafly, the other very smart woman, who is active in various community groups, heard about the meetup group through the St. Louis Mosaic Project, a regional initiative within the St. Louis Economic Development...

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Small & Gutsy features Salvation Mountain show art Small & Gutsy features Salvation Mountain

Small & Gutsy

What a beautiful and thoughtful reflection on places of connection and spiritual significance. It’s fascinating how certain spaces, whether physical or emotional, provide that sense of peace, clarity, or even healing, just like the one I described as a child under the bush in your yard. Weaving the idea of being open to the present moment, and to the connections we share with others can be spiritual in the deepest sense. There’s a profound connection between the self and nature, the present moment, and community, which can shape our personal growth. The story of Leonard Knight and...

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Small & Gutsy Features Mongabay show art Small & Gutsy Features Mongabay

Small & Gutsy

Loss is something we all experience and I think if you ask the average person about loss, you may get an answer about missing someone who was very special to them, and is no longer here, but loss can take on so much more meaning; it can be loss of an opportunity, loss of an existing relationship, because that relationship has shifted or no longer exists in its original construct; it can be loss of abilities or faculties, Loss simply means no longer having something or having less of it than before; Oftentimes, we need to process that loss and hopefully with time, the pain or the sadness...

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Small & Gutsy Features Do Something Cool Foundation show art Small & Gutsy Features Do Something Cool Foundation

Small & Gutsy

Dr. Charity Dean, the public health leader who helped guide the strategic response to Covid-19 in California and elsewhere, shared her incredible personal story of being very poor, born on the side of the tracks in rural Oregon where the kids are never encouraged to seek college or any higher educational degree; in fact, Dr. Dean shared that she should have grown up to pump gas at the local station; she was regularly discouraged from seeking her dream of being a doctor and many doors were slammed in her face repeatedly. So, what drove her to succeed? She shares that there are at least two...

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Small & Gutsy features Piece by Piece show art Small & Gutsy features Piece by Piece

Small & Gutsy

Mosaics are defined as a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass, resulting in the creation of something often ornate and beautiful. Sometimes, mosaics tell the story of what was, what is, or what can be…. Each mosaic is uniquely different and yet shares a common history - simply created from something else. As I was putting together this podcast episode,  I couldn’t help but think about our lives that resemble mosaics in that we set out to create a plan or pattern that is predictable, or so we’d like to...

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Small & Gutsy features Su Casa show art Small & Gutsy features Su Casa

Small & Gutsy

Su Casa in Spanish simply means your home - which if I take a little poetic license, could mean this space is your home or the contraction you’re, you are home - let’s go with you are home… The concept of home is something many of us often take for granted! Home can mean we can breathe, let down our hair, and be ourselves, and in general, we are in charge of our own lives, decisions we make, etc..for many, though this doesn’t exist or feels completely unattainable, not because it isn’t, but because there are life-threatening circumstances that create an almost insurmountable barrier....

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Small & Gutsy Features Girls Matter show art Small & Gutsy Features Girls Matter

Small & Gutsy

What does the phrase, “education should be a right, not a privilege” mean to you? If you believe that access to education is not a privilege, but a right as is the human rights law guarantees, then, why are  61 million children not in school, and most of them girls? Educating children no matter where they are is one of the biggest factors toward ending extreme poverty. Education is not a privilege. It is, in fact, a human right. Education as a human right means: the right to education is legally guaranteed for all, without any discrimination; simply, there is an obligation to protect,...

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Small & Gutsy features Our Community LA show art Small & Gutsy features Our Community LA

Small & Gutsy

Let’s take a moment and define community, particularly in today’s very divided and extraordinary divisive environment where community and, in many cases, democracy is misunderstood and missused. Community in its simplest form is often defined as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals; upon further elaboration, it can include a joint ownership or liability - not sure I like liability part, but I get the nuance behind it, which I think is best articulated by Maya Angelou who beautifully wrote: “If it is true that a chain is only...

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Leadership is a huge topic that is often so tough to define;  I have read articles that state that leadership can be taught; I have read articles that say leadership is something that is just inherent in you, either you have it or you don’t; - that seems quite ominous  - almost like a weeding out process - like being chosen first or last for the basketball or volleyball team in gym class - why was that practice started anyway vs, just randomly assigning two groups of kids to just play? We all develop at different rates and why be penalized by perceived popularity or early athletic ability? 

This must be so challenging for those who see potential in everyone and want to foster leadership in their communities where leadership perhaps is viewed as a privilege and should actually be an equitable opportunity like education - So, when we say leadership, do we mean the admirable qualities of a good leader? To define leadership by identifying good leaders and then trying to change our habits to improve our ability to be like that good leader…Isn’t that somewhat subjective? Do we mean the learning from leaders who have come before us and how they molded us and impressed upon us the value of being a good leader? Could those leaders be from our personal experience vs. those we may place on a public pedestal? Could it maybe foster a sense of community where leaders among us are recognized, encouraged, and often emerge as a surprise to them?

Founded in 2021, Born 2 Lead Foundation  is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing an ecosystem of support based on lifespan development. Their mission is to empower individuals at every life stage by providing comprehensive programs, resources, and services that foster personal growth, well-being, and success. By following individuals throughout their life journey, they aim to create a seamless and continuous support system that meets their evolving needs. They provide a wide range of services from Early Childhood Enrichment to Elderly Car, and have programs that focus on each stage of life. I think they have 7 programs to date, everything from financial literacy to mentorship, college readiness, parenting, mental health. I am not sure there is anything they don't offer. Their goal it to empower and mentor individuals so that they have the skills and resources they need to be successful and make a positive impact in their lives and communities.

For more information, check out their website: www.born2leadfoundation.com