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    Writer, baker, daydreamer. Lover of fries, Mazzy Star and urban fantasy. Kindness makes my heart melt.
4 Awe-Inspiring Facts Everyone Should Know About Anthony Bourdain’s Life
Celebrities

4 Awe-Inspiring Facts Everyone Should Know About Anthony Bourdain’s Life

Following news of the death of celebrity chef and travel journalist Anthony Bourdain on June 8, 2018, it's important to take a moment to celebrate a life centered around more than food. Anthony Bourdain's life celebrated people and learning.Warning: This article addresses substance abuse, self-harm and suicide.Food Was More Than Nourishment for BourdainAnthony Bourdain on Parts Unknown (Photo: CNN)From the earliest days of his TV career, Anthony Bourdain approached food in a way that was almost singular for his time.It wasn’t just about taste or presentation. And it certainly wasn’t all about fine ingredients. For Bourdain, food was a gateway into other cultures, histories and experiences. Food was a conversation-starter, a means to connect with other people, and a classroom. Food was always a story about a people’s past, present and future. It was political, social and economical. Bourdain always looked at the personal and collected history reflected in a dish or a culture’s cuisine.RELATED: 15 Inspiring Anthony Bourdain Quotes on Life and AdventureWhether it told a story of repression, a prolonged state of poverty or a deep cultural appreciation of a community before individual needs, food told story. And for Bourdain, getting to the heart of that story was the ultimate goal.Anthony Bourdain Was Never Afraid to Look at the Darker SidePhoto Credit: stock_photo_world / Shutterstock.comBourdain was never afraid to look into the mirror, recognize the error of his ways and strive to do better. He acknowledged his years-long struggle with addiction, and his complicity in the macho culture of the food and restaurant scene that allowed predators to go unpunished for years. RELATED: Solo Travel: The Psychological Benefits of a Journey of ExplorationHe also often spoke of his own privilege, and that of most westerners, compared to many of the places his travels took him. Witnessing hunger, poverty and war, Bourdain spoke of the necessity to treat local cultures with respect and humbleness, to partake when invited, but never assume, intrude or glorify. He wasn't afraid to question his own impact on places he visited, and on the people he met. expand=1 site_id=26461365]Anthony Bourdain Was an Ally in the #MeToo MovementAnthony Bourdain and Asia Argento on Parts Unknown (Photo: CNN)As the #MeToo movement spread, and gut-wrenching stories of abuse and assault emerged, Bourdain became one of the strongest and loudest male voices in support of the women who previously suffered in silence.RELATED: How to Travel the World Stress-FreeAs accusations surfaced against fellow celebrity chef Mario Batali, Bourdain immediately cut ties, and minced no words in calling out abusers.Actress and girlfriend Asia Argento was one of Harvey Weinstein’s many victims. When she came forward with her story, Bourdain stood steadfast by her, encouraging her and many other victims, showing unrelenting support.After Argento’s Cannes speech, in which she told a stunned room that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her at the festival’s 1997 edition, Bourdain told IndieWire, “I was so proud of her. It was absolutely fearless to walk right into the lion’s den and say what she said, the way she said it. I am honored to know someone who has the strength and fearlessness to do something like that.”He Encouraged Audiences Not to be Afraid of 'Others'President Obama and Anthony Bourdain, in Hanoi (Photo: CNN)Bourdain relished the opportunity to immerse himself in other cultures, or at least peek behind the door of otherness. He always urged readers and viewers to go out, unafraid, into the world, to meet and learn about different cultures. That's because, at the end of the day, we are all the same.RELATED: Intuitive Eating: A Complete Guide to Eating IntuitivelyWhether it was about enjoying a fusion dish at a five-star hotel, comfort food munched down during an Indian cricket match, or a bowl of noodles in Hanoi with President Barack Obama, the lesson at the end of a day was always remarkably simple: All of us just want to be safe, loved and happy.We all want to enjoy a good meal, drink and good conversation. There's no need to be afraid of each other. We can choose not to be afraid.Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Fareast, eating only in Hard rock Cafes and McDonalds?Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.ANTHONY BOURDAIN, KITCHEN CONFIDENTIALEditor’s Note: Struggling and feeling hopeless? You are not alone. Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).KEEPING READING: The Top 10 Travel Spots Where Inspiration Meets Destination

The First Wheelchair Performer to Win a Tony Emphasizes Our Need for Representation and Accessibility
Success Stories

The First Wheelchair Performer to Win a Tony Emphasizes Our Need for Representation and Accessibility

A Tony win, especially one for best actress, is a crowning achievement for any performer. For Ali Stroker, who stars as Annie Ado in Broadway’s Oklahoma! revival, it’s a doubly significant moment. Not only was she recognized as Best Featured Actress in a Musical, but Stroker’s early June win also marked a historic first: she’s was the first wheelchair user to win the coveted award.In her acceptance speech, she dedicated the award to children with disabilities: “This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation, who has a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena. You are.” A car crash at only 2 years old left her paralyzed from the chest down Stroker grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey with her parents and two siblings. Early on, Stroker was a driven child -- at age 7 she saw her first Broadway musical and instantly decided to become an actress. Nothing would stand in her way, and by the time she was attending Ridgewood High School, she was starring in the school’s musicals. She attended the acclaimed Millburn Summer Musical Theater Conservatory, and went on to become the first actress who uses a wheelchair to graduate from NYU’s prestigious Tisch Drama Department. Then came appearances on hit series Glee and its spin-off The Glee Project. Then Stroker broke the ultimate barrier in 2015, making her Broadway debut as the first actress who uses a wheelchair. And then of course, came the Tony, and another barrier broken.While Stroker’s win was widely celebrated for its impact on people with disabilities everywhere, it sharply brought into focus how little representation and accessibility there is on Broadway and the theater industry overall. Stroker was a big favorite for her category and yet neither Tony organizers, nor the venue itself thought of ensuring equal access for her. There was no ramp to the stageShowcasing the everyday struggles of people with mobility issues and the extra work and energy they need to expend in a world designed against their needs, Stroker had to come on stage to accept her award from backstage. After the cast of Oklahoma! performed as part of the ceremonies, Stroker had remain to backstage, behind the curtain and wait to see if she won her category. Later on, when her cast won Best Revival of a Musical, Stroker, the musical’s star, she could not go on stage with her castmates to accept her second award.As everyday people and other industry members with mobility challenges spoke up in support of her win and outrage for the Tony’s lack of accessibility, Stroker herself spoke up about the issue. She understood the logistical challenges of providing equal access, but that in itself shouldn’t be the final thought on accessibility in the theater world. “I think I had dream that maybe there could be a ramp built. It’s more than just a logistical thing – it’s saying that you are accepted here, in every part of you,” she told The New York Times.

3 Game-Changing Workplace Stressors You Can Cut Right Now
Emotional Health

3 Game-Changing Workplace Stressors You Can Cut Right Now

When summer vacation season is in full swing, it’s easy to blame tiredness, stress, and low attention span on scorching temperatures, the FOMO of your friends’ tropical vacations, and planning your own get-away. But if you’re so fried that you’re barely pushing through one day at a time at work, you might want to take a look at what’s really draining your energy levels. Irregular sleep patterns, stimulants like caffeine and alcohol, and poor diet and hydration may be the top energy zappers, but there’s plenty of hidden stressors sprinkled throughout our days, quietly draining energy levels. This is especially true for our professional lives, as technology now demands 24/7 availability, whether you’re at work or home. Cut these workplace stressors out ASAP:1. Constantly saying yes It’s great to be considered a reliable person in a professional environment. Being known as someone who’s willing to go the extra mile for great results, someone who’s there to help out a coworker in need, or someone who embraces challenging new tasks is a great way to excel.But constantly saying yes will also result in endless to-do lists, late nights and over-extended shifts, and most likely your own workload suffering. If every time you tick one item off in your calendar, two more appear, you’ll end up completely buried. That’s why you have to set firm boundaries, preferably from the get-go. When a coworker asks for help, you can still say yes, but add caveats like “I’ll be happy to help, just as soon as I finish my task,” making it clear that you’re willing to lend a hand, but your own workload takes priority.If you’re trying to get out of a constant cycle of yeses, it will take more time and negotiation to get others used to your new self-care routine — be ready for some careful negotiations.2. Uncomfortable clothingThis may come as a surprise, but clothing can be a massive background stressor, especially in a professional environment. While the rise of start-ups and the Millennial takeover of the global workforce has done away with much of workplace dress codes, many of us are still at war with our clothing throughout the day. Materials that don’t breathe will disrupt your body’s ability to regulate its temperature, while clothing that is too tight restricts blood flow and even proper breathing. Low oxygen levels result in decreased concentration and problem-solving capabilities, while overheating disrupts focus.But clothing doesn’t have to be too tight to elevate your background stress levels. An ill-fitting item of clothing can be just as disruptive: you’re either constantly pulling up your sleeves, readjusting your undergarments, tucking your shirt back in, rolling your socks back up -- you get stuck in an endless loop of fidgeting. Tight or loose-fitting shoes, high heels, or flip-flops can also drain your energy levels. Simply put, your body needs to expend more energy to get you from point A to point B if you’re perched on 6-inch heels or sliding around in flip-flops, your toes gripping the glorified slipper for dear life.3. Clutter and disorganization You might be thinking that the last thing you need is to spend time and energy you don’t have on organizing your life, but running around trying to find things, remembering meetings at the last minute and postponing projects right until their deadlines will cost you more energy, especially in the long run. If you leave all tasks and projects until the very last minute, it forces you into a work mode where you’re constantly putting out fires. Not only does this elevate your stress levels and cost you more energy, but when something unexpected actually happens, you simply won’t have the bandwidth to deal with it.But it isn't only your schedule that you need to invest a bit of time and planning into –- you should also take a critical look at your work station. You might not be consciously aware of its effects, but a messy, cluttered, or disorganized work area adds to stress, which in turn drains energy. You don’t have to go full minimalist on your work area, but even visual clutter is distracting. Try to keep only work essentials and a few personal items within your direct visual field -- everything else should be out of sight in a drawer or locker.

Learn to Love Your Stress by Turning Stress Damage Into Stress Mastery
Emotional Health

Learn to Love Your Stress by Turning Stress Damage Into Stress Mastery

It used to be that death and taxes were the only unavoidable things in life, but stress, it seems, has joined the club. As it turns out, however, stress has always been there –- and it can actually be a good thing. Or rather, stress can become something beyond good and bad. It can become a tool that, when used correctly, will give insight, teach lessons, and help you grow and evolve.Today, stress seems to be the root of all evil, from illness and burnout to beauty problems and poor sex lives. But Hans Selye, the “father of stress,” would have a bone to pick with that view. Selye, the Nobel-nominated endocrinologist who actually coined the term "stress," saw stress as a way of adapting to change. As Selye told the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, even when we sleep, our heart keeps pumping, our lungs breathe, our adrenal system reacts to dreams. “The absence of stress is death,” he famously added.The dangers of minimizing, managing, and hoping stress goes away:So, if stress is an intrinsic part of life, why do we feel like it’s such a burden? According to executive director of The American Institute of Stress, Dr. Heidi Hanna, it’s all about redirecting the energy of stress. The way we deal with stress now is disruptive. “Instead of actually looking at what’s happening in the water, we just try to build a bigger boat,” says Hanna of the typical reaction to stress. “Minimize it, manage it, and hope it goes away,” are our most common avenues when it comes to facing stress, Hanna elaborated during a TEDx Talk. We minimize it by blaming it on external factors, or hide from it, hoping it will resolve itself or just disappear, or we justify not addressing the issue since it isn't as bad as other people’s struggles. We never truly remove stress or stressors from our lives-- we just move things around until it catches up with us-- or our loved ones when we lash out at them.What if stressing really is a blessing?What if there’s another way? Hanna, a published stress expert, challenges audiences to a paradigm shift: take the energy of stress and channel it into learning. Now that doesn’t mean cracking open a 7th grade calculus book next time your manager stresses you out. What it does challenge you to do is take a look at why you’re reacting with stress to a situation. Why are these circumstances making you feel like it’s more than you can handle? Why are you in your current situation and what do you need to do get out of it, feel better or avoid it repeating?Going from feeling overwhelmed to feeling positively challenged takes time and practice. It’s a skill to perfect in time, to get to a point where stress allows us to grow and evolve. But while the typical fight, flight, faint, or freeze reactions to a perceived danger overtire our brains, especially when we’re experiencing those responses over a prolonged period of time, shifting our stress into curiosity energizes the brain.Instead of becoming exhausted and cranky under the pressure of just reacting to stress, when we shift into curiosity mode, we allow the brain to relax into discovery: picking up new information, discovering fresh patterns of behavior, observing reactions in ourselves and others, increasing our brain’s plasticity, and growing our capability to evolve with our environment. So instead of fearing stress, we can embrace it as our guiding light to growth and a better understanding of ourselves. More tips for tackling stress:3 Signs Stress is Hurting Your Relationship — and How to Deal With Them4 Female Entrepreneurs on Their Mantras for Dealing With Stress7 Subtle Signs You May Actually Be Addicted to Stress3 Key Differences Between Stress and Anxiety

Hero of the Week: He Saved a Woman's Life With a CPR Joke From The Office
Everyday Heroes

Hero of the Week: He Saved a Woman's Life With a CPR Joke From The Office

The Office's Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute are two of the most often referenced characters in TV history, spawning countless memes. Even years after cult hit series has ended, the exploits of Dunder Mifflin employees are still very much relevant to fans. And for two people, The Office expertise was the difference between life and death.Cross Scott was cruising around Tucson, test-driving a customer’s car from the auto shop where he works, w when he saw a woman slumped behind her wheel. The car was in a dirt pull-off with its hazard lights on, as the Arizona Daily Star reported. The 21-year-old shop technician immediately stopped and jumped into action. The woman’s car was still in motion, rolling gently. Scott blocked the front wheel of her car with a big rock and went to the window.The woman was unresponsive, and her lips had turned blue. Scott started banging on her window, shouting -- but she didn’t react. Scott didn’t have his phone; he never takes it with him when he’s out test-driving cars, because he doesn’t want any distractions while working on the road. Luckily, two passersby stopped and were able to call 911, but help was still minutes away. So, Scott broke a back window with a rock, opened her car, and got in. He checked for a pulse and couldn’t feel one.Scott knew he needed to give her CPR, but he’d never trained for it. And then suddenly he remembered an episode from The Office where Steve Carell’s character performs CPR on a test dummy to the rhythm of Bee Gees’ "Stayin’ Alive". He crawled on top of the unconscious woman and started giving her chest compressions while singing "Stayin' Alive" out loud. A minute later, the woman finally breathed in and then threw up. By the time emergency services arrived, Scott had been on the scene for 10 minutes. The woman, later identified as Carla, was taken to the hospital and discharged later that day. According to paramedics, those 10 minutes between receiving the emergency call and arriving were critical. If Scott hadn’t given her chest compressions, the outcome would have been very different. As it turns out, Carla had called her daughter when she started feeling ill and had passed out with her daughter on the line. The daughter had heard everything: her mother passing out, Scott breaking into the car, the CPR. She managed to arrive on the scene before paramedics took her mother to the hospital. Scott’s actions vent viral, drawing national media attention and many interview requests. But Scott turned them all down, and waved away friends’ and strangers’ congratulations on his heroism. He told the Arizona Daily Star, that he just did what anyone else in his situation would have done. Besides, according to Scott, the real heroes are emergency personnel who go out and save lives every day. But Scott did accept one interview request, months later, for Steve Harvey’s talk show. Not for fame, but to meet Carla, who also appeared with her daughter. “I’m always going to be thankful for what you did,” she told him. For Scott, that’s the only thank you he needed – he’d lost his mom to cancer 5 years ago. He quit school to help his family financially and help raise his sister who was only 9 at the time. His big regret is not finishing school. Scott still dreams of an education, going back to school, and maybe studying engineering. And he’s definitely interested in getting a formal CPR training. "Stayin’ Alive" is actually a perfect song to perform CPR to. At 106 beats per minute, it’s in the ideal range of 100 to 120 beats that is needed for effective chest compressions. It’s one of the songs that New York – Presbyterian Hospital included in their Songs to do CPR to Spotify playlist. Other potentially lifesaving beats? Justin Timberlake’s "Rock Your Body", Lynard Skynard’s "Sweet Home Alabama", Missy Elliot’s "Work It", and Gloria Gaynor’s "I Will Survive". While CPR training is the important first step in performing CPR, these songs could help save lives too!More heroic stories:Real Estate CEO Builds a Village for the HomelessDavid Attenborough Dedicates His Last Years to Saving the Planet46-Year-Old Female Amputee Runs World’s Toughest MarathonCerebral Palsy and Cancer Couldn’t Stop This Athlete From Opening Her Dream Gym

Master Chaos With Your Morning Routine -- and Supercharge Your Success
Motivation

Master Chaos With Your Morning Routine -- and Supercharge Your Success

Do you wake up looking forward to the day or dreading it? Do you roll out of bed and start your morning routine calmly, but at a good pace? Or are constantly looking for your keys, phone, wallet? While some of us are not naturally early risers and feel like we'll never wake up with a song in our hearts, there’s an important distinction to be made between being a little grumpy pre-coffee and running out the front door 15 minutes late -- and completely frazzled –- every morning. Mastering morning chaos allows you to start the day with a calm experience, which in turn enables you to focus on the day and tasks ahead -- whether it’s figuring out how to fit in a trip to the grocery store between the bank and the kids’ soccer practice, or what the perfect tagline is for the new ad campaign you’re working on. In The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life, doctors Rob and Kirti Salwe Carter emphasize the importance of setting up a morning routine to get your day started in the most nurturing way possible: “A morning routine can be as little as 15 to 20 minutes if desired, but the idea is to have time dedicated to you and habits that support you.”Here are 3 strategies for mastering your morning routine:1. Plan the night before Although plenty of things can’t be planned, creating an essential checklist the night before can help relieve a lot of morning stress. You can choose what clothes you’ll wear the next day, and make sure car keys and anything like gym clothes, dry-cleaning, or schoolbags are packed and by the door. Make a to-do list of the next day’s chores and consider grouping them. You can categorize them by how essential and time-sensitive (doctor’s appointments, any payments that aren’t automated yet, kids’ after school activities) they are. Take note of what can be pushed to another day, should anything unexpected come up. You can aksi organize your checklist by geography, grouping tasks that are on the same route together. 2. Set an early departure timeChanging your morning departure time can work miracles, even if you're leave just five minutes earlier than usual. However, 15 minutes earlier is the ideal time. That away if something comes up, you still have a comfortable buffer. It might also ease your commute, especially if you’re on the road at peak times. A 15-minute head start can mean the difference between a traffic jam and an easy drive. You will also get to know quite a few new people. The group of people that arrive at your office 15 minutes before your usual time can be a very different clique than the one you usually chat to over coffee. Alternatively, you can spend a few extra minutes outside with your morning coffee, or why not have it at your favorite coffee shop instead of to-go? Depending on how strict your work schedule is, it might also mean leaving 15-minutes early; beating traffic on the way back, too!3. Make time for yourselfIt’s easy to get overwhelmed in the morning, when a busy day looms ahead. There’s work, the kids, the commute, groceries, after-school projects, dinner, the dog needs to go to the vet-- and as soon as you wake up, all that comes rushing at you. So, to start the day with a positive experience, make time for yourself. It can be as little as 5 minutes and you can spend it doing anything you like, as long as you can stop when you-time runs out -- so checking social media is probably not a good idea. You can go outside and enjoy a cup of coffee on your balcony, meditate, set goals and intentions for the day, do some exercises, or just put your favorite song on and dance it out!

How Reaching Forgiveness Helps Us Live Healthier Lives
Self-Development

How Reaching Forgiveness Helps Us Live Healthier Lives

Everett Worthington had heard plenty about forgiveness in his life through his faith, but the scholar of psychology became professionally interested in the subject when he started counseling couples. Then tragedy struck his family repeatedly, and forgiveness – both of others and of self – took on a central role in his life. Today, Worthington is a retired Commonwealth Professor Emeritus known as a leading authority on the science of forgiveness, how it can impact mental health, wellbeing and happiness.Drawing on his studies and the emotional trauma of his mother’s violent death, Worthington worked out a five-step plan for long-lasting, healing forgiveness. Dubbed the REACH method of forgiveness, Worthington applied the same strategy to forgive his mother’s killer and bring healing into his life. How can REACH help you forgive others and lead a happier, healthier life, free of emotional baggage? To truly forgive, you need to:Recall the hurtTo forgive and to heal, you first have to admit you’ve been hurt. Recognize that you are dealing with pain and identify exactly what caused it. Acknowledge it and decide to limit its power over you by not victimizing yourself and by not treating those that hurt you like evil people. Then make the decision to forgive. You have to consciously pursue it to reach it: don’t take payback, don’t insult them, don’t be hurtful. Acknowledge those who hurt you as valuable people.EmpathizeGaining even just a little insight into another person’s life can give us great understanding for the motivation behind others’ actions. Try to understand -– without judgement -– why the one who hurt you acted that way. You can try an exercise in which you talk to the one you want to forgive as if they were sitting across you. Talk to them, tell them all the ways their actions caused pain, and how it affected your life -– be it day-to-day or emotional. When you’ve said everything you could, switch places. Now, as the other person, try to explain to yourself why they’ve done what they have done. Even if you don’t find an explanation or a motivation you understand, walking a mile in the other person’s shoes will at least strengthen your with sympathy for the other person, which makes room for compassion.Altruistic giftWhen we’re feeling compassionate, altruism is more at hand. When we behave unselfishly and compassionately toward another, it’s easier to forgive and let go of pain. Worthington compares it to a gif-- one given without any strings attached. It's a gift to be given in honor of all the gifts of forgiveness you’ve received in your life. After all, we’ve all hurt people in our lives, and no matter how unintentional the pain we caused we may have been, it was still pain. We all remember the heaviness of guilt for hurting others, and the wonderfully light feeling of being forgiven by those we’ve caused pain. CommitThe path to forgiveness may be straightforward, but it’s often not easy or smooth. That’s why you truly have to commit yourself to it. Whether it’s forgiving one specific person or forgiving everyone who’s hurt you, you must make the decision to follow this path from now on. Once you’ve forgiven someone, you can't return to hating them or to wanting to hurt them back. Try writing yourself a short message about each forgiveness, so that when you struggle, you can read a reminder from yourself that you’ve already moved on and let go of the pain they caused. Hold onto forgivenessHolding onto forgiveness must stem from commitment and a true desire to move on. Doubt can always creep in, and a new wound, even one from another person, can open up the old ones again. When you’re hurting again, it becomes easier to hate the person that caused it than deal with it head-on. You have to remind yourself you did forgive. Trust that you have worked hard and consciously decided to let go of the pain and gift forgiveness. Writing notes or keeping a diary can help with holding onto forgiveness. Reading back your own words why you needed and why you did forgive will ease your journey.

Hero of the Week: Real Estate CEO Builds a Village for the Homeless
Everyday Heroes

Hero of the Week: Real Estate CEO Builds a Village for the Homeless

Tiny homes, organic gardens, an outdoor theater, walking trails, study areas, worship places, an inn – these are just some of the highlights of Community First! Village in Austin, Texas. But they’re not found in upscale neighborhood with million-dollar listings or emerging arts district. Instead, they’re part of phase one of a massive undertaking to end Austin’s homelessness, helmed by father of five Alan Graham.More than 20 years ago, Alan Graham was a recognizable figure in the real estate industry as the founder of the Lynxs Group and Trilogy Development. However, Graham saw the growing need in Austin’s homeless community and was called to act. In 1998, he founded Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF), a social outreach ministry that initially distributed food and clothing from the back of a green minivan. Graham is the first to admit that the system wasn’t perfect. But when Houston Flake joined the team, it was a game changer – Flake had experienced homelessness firsthand. Since then, MLF has distributed more than 5.5 million meals, and the model has been replicated across the country. Although feeding those in need definitely answered the call to “love thy neighbor,” Graham saw the need for much more. After all, for someone struggling with homelessness, a warm meal may be comforting, but it doesn’t solve the root of the problem: a need for a stable and safe home. Graham started thinking of the bigger picture and what he could bring to it. The answer was simple: he had a stellar real estate career, and the men and women he met and worked with every day needed a home and a community. And so, in 2005 the idea for Community First! Village was born.Today, phase one is complete. It’s home to more than 200 formerly homeless men and women, many of whom have battled chronic homelessness and addiction. But “The True Heart of Austin,” as the neighborhood's been dubbed, is not just neat rows of tiny houses and RV homes. It’s truly a community, where formerly homeless people can find safety to heal, to rest, and place to call home. Residents tend organic kitchen gardens to supply the community with fresh produce. There’s a blacksmith and woodworking shop, as well as a car garage where members of the community work. There’s an art studio, community kitchens, study spaces, and a medical facility. The community bed and breakfast welcomes guests to some of the quirkiest lodgings in Austin. There are walking trails, a memorial garden, and spaces for prayer and worship. But snowy-haired Alan Graham is far from done. Community First! Village started phase two less than a year ago. When complete, the entire community will house more than 500 people -– close to half of Austin’s chronically homeless population. It will also include a community clinic, outdoor event space, additional community work spaces, and gardens.Meanwhile, Graham is not only involved in the ambitious secondphase of the housing development, but also runs Gospel con Carne,a podcast exploring faith and community with a Tex-Mex twist. And the initialproject that started Graham’s ministry is still running – Mobile Loaves &Fishes still serves lunch and dinner for free on the streets of Austin, 7 daysa week, year-round.

Hero of the Week: David Attenborough Dedicates His Last Years to Saving the Planet
Purpose

Hero of the Week: David Attenborough Dedicates His Last Years to Saving the Planet

An icon across four generations, he’s the voice that everyone instantly recognizes: David Attenborough has delighted, entertained, educated and inspired countless people across the world. Aged 93 now, the naturalist has turned his full attention to raise the alarm of climate change, a cause that captivated him from childhood.“The Garden of Eden is no more,” Attenborough told global political and business leaders earlier this year. Attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he added: “We need to move beyond guilt or blame, and get on with the practical tasks at hand.” That task is keeping climate change from raising global temperatures no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Anything above that, and our intricate, but delicate modern civilization will collapse. As will ecosystems around us. Even 1.5 degrees Celsius mean irreversible damage to some areas. For others, it will take far longer than our lifetimes for balance to be restored."If people lose knowledge, sympathy and understanding of the natural world, they're going to mistreat it and will not ask their politicians to care for it."Voted Britain’s #1 most trusted celebrity, Sir David Frederick Attenborough was born in 1926 in Isleworth, England and grew up on the campus of University College, Leicester, where his father was principal. The innate curiosity that children have towards natural world was much encouraged in Attenborough from a young age, by his parents, university professors and noted naturalists, scientist and conservationist who walked the grounds of the prestigious university. "I just wish the world was twice as big and half of it was still unexplored."Aged only 11, Attenborough attended a lecture by legendary Archibald Delaney – better known as Grey Owl – who fought relentlessly to conserve Canada’s wilderness, especially the beaver. That lecture would change Attenborough’s life. But the naturalist’s stellar career came about in a twisty-turny way. A stint in the Navy was followed by editing children’s textbooks, but the work did not capture him. He applied to the BBC as radio show producer. He was turned down but caught the eye of factual TV broadcasting at the BBC. It was 1950 and most Britons, among them Attenborough, didn’t even own a television set. Two years later, he was a full-time producer and two years after that, he presented a show for the first time when the original presenter backed out last minute for health reasons.Throughout the next two decades Attenborough pursued a postgraduate degree in social anthropology, continued producing and filming iconic programs, revolutionized the fledgling BBC Two into a popular and educational channel, and became the director of programs for both BBC channels. He was courted to take over completely as Director-General, but his heart wasn’t in it. He would spend the ‘70s as a freelance documentary maker on an upwards swing.Starting with 1979, the acclaimed Life series launched. It would break new ground and establish new benchmarks in documentary filmmaking. By the 1990s, Attenborough was a household name across the globe and despite being well beyond retirement age, continued to work relentlessly. Conservation themes started popping up and in 2000 the landmark State of the Planet took a hard look at man’s impact on climate and the natural world, followed by several more documentaries on the subject. The Blue Planet and Planet Earth broke further new ground and their recent follow-ups garnered additional acclaim, further raising the alarm on runaway climate change."The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?"His work recognized by countless awards such as The Peabody, the Kew International Medal, several BAFTAs, a knighthood, honorary degrees from some of the top universities around the world, multiple Royal Society memberships among countless honors. In fact, David Attenborough is the only person in the world to win BAFTA’s for shows shot in black and white color, HD, 3D and 4K. Additionally there have been 15 species named in his honor from a family of flowers, to insects, amphibians, a rare echidna, a bat and even ancient creatures from the time of and even pre-dating dinosaurs. His own words explain his motivation best: "The future of life on earth depends on our ability to take action. Many individuals are doing what they can, but real success can only come if there's a change in our societies and our economics and in our politics. I've been lucky in my lifetime to see some of the greatest spectacles that the natural world has to offer. Surely we have a responsibility to leave for future generations a planet that is healthy, inhabitable by all species."