This boy trusts his father completely. Photo by Filios Sazeides, www.unsplash.com
Basic trust that develops through interaction between parents and children is the foundation of a purposeful and content life. Without trust life is not worth living. When children are in a trusting environment they learn to relax, count on the people around them, trust in themselves and trust in their ability to overcome obstacles. For that reason it is important for kids to learn to trust in the people around them. This is also the reason betrayal of basic trust, or interruption due to abandonment during early childhood while the essential first trust is build, is so very damaging to the psyche.
Father-daughter duo Dave and Claire Crosby
In our modern lives people are not always available to children. There is work, travel . Experts know that being responsive to children’s needs is the Nr. 1 important thing that can done for them. Their psychological make-up and their outlook during the rest of their lives depends on their ability to know that when they reach their most trusted adults and that they we will be there when needed. Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget to of the most formidable child psychologists teach that trust in self cannot happen without this basic trust. When kids are able to trust that their parents will respond to their every need they develop this “basic trust” or ‘Urvertrauen” is formed. Without this basic trust a person will develop “basic mistrust.”
The only way a parent can help a child find that basic positive outlook on life it to respond to their children in realtime. Technology can have a positive or negative effect on our lives. We can become distracted or we can use the technology the be there for our kids. The choice is ours.
Smartwatches are a solution that will allow us to stay in touch with those who are most important to us. We can created phone trees of trusted adults and create a digital circle of love with Family Assistant Apps and Vigilints Kids Smartwatches are a potential for parents to stay connected, regardless of how busy life gets.
Former CIA Director John Brennan’s tweet after watching Trump’s Helsinki news conference where Trump chose not to condemn Russia for it’s cyber operation to meddle in our elections, and chose instead to condemn the FBI for investigating it.
¡Hola, Mi Gente!
Well, America voted for a man who would shake things up. Mission accomplished!
Now seasoned veterans on both sides of the aisle seem equally enraged by his actions and words. We’ve known for some time now that the democrats have been short of spine, voice and message. Concurrently, the republicans have been scrambling to “explain” his words and actions and remained in lock step support with his actions and increasingly questionable policies. Party first, country second.
Where are the real patriots? Isn’t it time we all say enough is enough? Isn’t it time we all acknowledge he doesn’t really care about putting America first? He really only values himself. Even when confronted with undeniable evidence of Russian interference, he perceives only that it threatens the legitimacy of his own election win, despite the report saying there was insufficient evidence that the meddling affected the election outcome. There’s a big, black hole in him that he just can’t fill.
The world was replete with memes and cartoons that touched on the events of the last couple days. Pretty good ones, too! The one I posted here is comparatively tame and artful against so many of the angrier, bawdier ones that are so prevalent.
Through it all, I’ll keep pushing forward with my music, bringing what I hope is an uplifting, personal experience we can share together. I won’t be doing as many public shows the rest of this month, but I do have a great one happening this Saturday July 21st from 8-11pm at The Vine in Danville, when I’ll be playing with the great violinist Carlos Reyes. We don’t do this often at this venue, so don’t miss it! Details below.
There are a few more things happening, including my rare duet with Latin rock guitarist from Carlos Santana, Carlos Hernandez, making his debut at Havana in Walnut Creek on Friday July 27. Details below.
See you at the show!
Ciao,
Rolando
Carlos Reyes joins Rolando Morales at the Vine at Bridges, July 21 2018
PUBLIC PERFORMANCES FOR JULY 2018
Saturday July 21, Vine at Bridges, 480 Hartz Avenue, Danville, 8-11pm.The Rolando Morales Duet returns to this cool winery and nightspot. Enjoy a wonderful selection of wines, superb dinners and tapas while grooving to this powerful duet. This time Rolando welcomes the astounding Paraguayan violinist who plays with Arturo Sandoval and Steve Miller,Carlos Reyes; and on guitar, voice and his pedal board of magic, the passionate Rolando Morales. Together they’ll create an exciting and unique musical alchemy. Don’t miss it! www.thevineatbridges.com, (925) 820-7210.
Tuesday July 24, Maria, Maria Cantina,1470 North Broadway, Walnut Creek, approx 6-9pm.Rolando returns to Carlos Santana’s Walnut Creek restaurant for Taco Tuesday. $1 tacos, baby! Enjoy Rolando on solo guitar and voice with his huge repertoire and big sound out on the front patio. He may be joined by a special musical guest. www.mariamariarestaurants.com, (925) 946-1010.
Rolando Morales- Carlos Hernandez joins Rolando Morales -July 2018
Friday July 27, Havana Cuban Cuisine,1516 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek, approx 8:30-11pm.Rolando returns to this fine Cuban restaurant and live music venue. Tonight will feature the electric rock guitarist from Carlos Santana, the exciting Carlos Hernandez; and on guitar, vocals and his pedal board of magic, Rolando Morales. Together they’ll rock Havana through the night. www.havanarestaurant.net, (925) 939-4555.
Janice Maxine-Reid joins Rolando Morales at Havana, Walnut Creek Friday
¡Hola, Mi Gente!
What a whirlwind of a week!
After doing my last gigs of June, I flew down to So Cal for a few days to see my mom and visiting brother and family from Michigan. There I closed some last-minute gig offers.
Last Thursday I flew back in time for The Vine. The following morning I said goodbye to my friend at her funeral who I wrote you about last week. It was a beautiful, heart-felt service.
From there, I went to the Mission in San Francisco to play with old and new friends at Cafe La Taza. It was a wild scene and our quartet blew the walls out of the packed house. They were watching from the sidewalk through the windows because they couldn’t get in.
Then on Saturday I learned of more life-threatening issues impacting more close family in Southern Cal. Then that night I kicked it strong with saxophonist Sonya Jason at Havana. By the end of that day, I was emotionally drained.
Sunday I slept. I could finally go to the store and then did a challenging, healing hike at Lake Chabot, where I confirmed yet another last-minute gig.
And that one is today, Monday. I’m off to play with Carlos Reyes and the band for a great private concert in Moraga.
And two more last-minute shows happen on Tuesday July 10 at Maria, Maria in Walnut Creek, and then my surprise return to Piacere in San Carlos on Thursday July 12. All the details are below in the Calendar.
And remember I’m finally reuniting with the amazing keyboardist-vocalist Janice Maxie-Reid who makes her debut on Saturday July 13 at Havana in Walnut Creek as I continue my new duet series at that venue. All details below.
Plenty more coming up in the month including a duet appearance featuring the great violinist Carlos Reyes at The Vine at Bridges on Saturday July 21 from 8-11pm in Danville. Details below.
Please join me as we continue to celebrate our journey together.
Ciao,
Rolando
PUBLIC PERFORMANCES FOR JULY 2018
Tuesday July 10, Maria, Maria Cantina, 1470 North Broadway, Walnut Creek, approx 6-9pm. After over a year, Rolando finally returns to Carlos Santana’s Walnut Creek restaurant for Taco Tuesday. $1 tacos, baby! Enjoy Rolando on solo guitar and voice with his huge repertoire and big sound out on the front patio. He may be joined by a special musical guest. www.mariamariarestaurants.com, (925) 946-1010.
Thursday July 12, Piacere, 727 Laurel Street, San Carlos, CA 94070, 8-11 pm. After more than 1½ years away, Rolando finally returns to this fine Peninsula restaurant that takes you on a culinary tour of Italy. Rolando will take you on a sensory tour of the Americas and beyond on solo guitar and voice in the fun, lively bar area. www.piacererestaurant.com, (650) 592-2040.
Friday July 13, Havana Cuban Cuisine, 1516 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek, approx 8:30-11pm. Rolando returns to this fine Cuban restaurant and live music venue. Tonight will feature the delightful keyboardist and chanteuse Janice Maxie-Reid, who has shared the stage with Sting and Stevie Wonder; and on guitar, voice and his pedal board of magic, Rolando Morales. Together they create irresistible blends of Latin, classic R&B and soulful jazz for the first time at this venue. Don’t miss it! www.havanarestaurant.net, (925) 939-4555.
Carlos Reyes joins Rolando Morales at the Vine at Bridges, July 21 2018
Saturday July 21, Vine at Bridges, 480 Hartz Avenue, Danville, 8-11pm. The Rolando Morales Duet returns to this cool winery and nightspot. Enjoy a wonderful selection of wines, superb dinners and tapas while grooving to this powerful duet. This time Rolando welcomes the astounding Paraguayan violinist who plays with Arturo Sandoval and Steve Miller, Carlos Reyes; and on guitar, voice and his pedal board of magic, the passionate Rolando Morales. Together they’ll create an exciting and unique musical alchemy. Don’t miss it! www.thevineatbridges.com, (925) 820-7210.
Rolando Morales with fans by the hot fire at Maria, Maria
Tuesday July 24, Maria, Maria Cantina, 1470 North Broadway, Walnut Creek, approx 6-9pm. Rolando returns to Carlos Santana’s Walnut Creek restaurant for Taco Tuesday. $1 tacos, baby! Enjoy Rolando on solo guitar and voice with his huge repertoire and big sound out on the front patio. He may be joined by a special musical guest. www.mariamariarestaurants.com, (925) 946-1010.
Friday July 27, Havana Cuban Cuisine, 1516 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek, approx 8:30-11pm. Rolando returns to this fine Cuban restaurant and live music venue. Tonight will feature the electric rock guitarist from Carlos Santana, the exciting Carlos Hernandez; and on guitar, vocals and his pedal board of magic, Rolando Morales. Together they’ll rock Havana through the night. www.havanarestaurant.net, (925) 939-4555.
Vigilints and School Districts work together to increase school safety.
San Jose, California – June 26, 2018 – Vigilint Biosensors, leading supplier of Family Assistant Parental Services through smartwatches, is extending its Educational Support Programs which increases school safety, helps child learning and raises money for Educational Foundations, Schools, PTAs, and Booster Clubs. After successful pilot programs in San Ramon and Sacramento California school districts, Vigilint Biosensors is offering the program to qualified organizations in all fifty states.
“Vigilint Family Assistant Services provide parents with life-altering insights collected from the kid’s smart watch that can inform parents of a child’s location and allows them to speak when needed,” said Kris Narayan, Chairman of Vigilint™ Biosensors. Mr. Narayan continued, “I am grateful Vigilint Biosensors can get our smart watches to the children, parents and schools that want the help kids with deal with stress and adversity to improve our children’s emotional resilience.”
Vigilint Biosensors Education Programs allow school districts to raise money while they provide kids smart watch phones and software to parents and their children which increase school safety. Modern tools like Vigilint Family Assistant help working parents stay in touch with their kids via calls, chat and the ability to guide the kids 24/7. Kids have access to parents each time they need their parents’ input and feedback. Hawkeye kid’s smart watches and the Vigilint Family Assistant app allow parents to create custom SafeZones™. School safety is increased when at the moment the child moves out of the SafeZone™, parents are alerted.
Knowing exactly where and how our children are is a major comfort for parents and kids. Each kids smart watch holds up to 20 parent-selected numbers that children can call. Kids are able to speak to their siblings and close friends through a direct kid-to-kid “walkie-talkie” connection. The more parents and kids communicate the less stress they have due to wondering and worrying. Relaxed parents enjoy happier and more confident kids that have a better, healthier and smarter life thanks to increase emotional resilience as recent studies by the Harvard Child Development show. For more information regarding kids smart watches and child learning, please click here.
Tonja Jarrell, Principal of Paso Verde School, in California’s capital city: “Partnering with Vigilint Biosensors provides a valuable resource to our school community. We work with families and the community to offer solutions that increase school safety, allows our staff and scholars to focus on teaching and make our students feel safe enough to learn thereby increasing their outcomes.”
The improved communications via kids smart watches help teachers deal with children’s and faculties’ anxieties about the fears regarding school safety related to the recent increase of shootings at schools: “My experiences in the educational community, have shown that these tragedies affect all of us, not just the families involved,” said Nancy Phelps, President Coyote Creek Learning Fund. “Vigilint Biosensors software and smartwatches help protect our kids while providing parents peace of mind.”
Every school, school program, non-profit or educational program manager is invited to join the Vigilint Biosensors Education Program, thereby increasing funding for vital programs, raising awareness of how to help children learn better and increase school safety.
About Vigilint Biosensors
Hawkeye kids smart watches from Vigilint Biosensors provide fun and safe solutions to families and younger children: communications and learning for children and peace of mind for parents. The combination of the best location technologies (GPS, GNSS, A-GPS and sensors) will easily locate your child, anytime and anywhere. Visit http://www.vigilint.store/ for complete product details.Vigilint Biosensors is dedicated to improving the quality of care that parents and senior caregivers provide through a complete 360o intelligent family care assistant, that connects family members together via wearable devices like Hawkeye. Vigilint Biosensors provides the family/caregivers with a cloud infrastructure of devices and software services, which strives to improve time management and reduce stress by improved non-intrusive care for kids, seniors, and other loved ones in need. This is achieved through the most modern application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies to life data that provide alerts, if and when needed. “When those we care about are well, we can relax and focus on our day.” www.vigilintbiosensors.com
Lines are 20 feel long for free food in San Francisco, May 2018
Children who are pregnant because they were molested and raped; young teenage mothers who are not equipped to raise a child – since clearly they are too young to take responsibility for themselves; impoverished mothers who have a hard time raising the kids they already have; they all no longer have a right to fact-based information.
The conservative leaning Supreme Court ruled that withholding information about options available to people who really may benefit from an array of information will now be misled, misinformed – legally. There are a lot of women who are not equipped to be a parent they need options with help, not judgment and misinformation. www.kidscount.org
Brave New World: 2018 US Supreme Court decided it is okay to mislead pregnant girls and women base on “religious” grounds.
The youngest person on record giving birth after being raped was Linda Medina who gave birth at six years and five months. It is not unusual for 11 to 12 year old girls to ovulate. If they are raped or their sexual explorations end up in pregnancy they are faced with a very challenging life.
Now in 2018 the Supreme Court decided that religious extremists have the right to mislead and misinform and lie to women who really need information more than anyone else. If they were informed they would not be in the plight they find themselves in. They would not seek help from religious extremists who want to impose their apocalyptic views onto any miserable person that falls into their clutches.
Already without this debacle 1 in 4 women will go on a welfare benefit program within 3 years of their child being born. Who will care for unwanted children who are a result of misinformation? It is clear the Supreme Court doesn’t care nor is that in their job description. Religious extremists want to abolish insurance, privatize welfare and they want to mislead people who are ill equipped to be parents to have children. 60% of unwed mothers live in poverty.
14 Million children in the US go hungry every night. There is no care for that clearly. The religious extremists voted for a philandering president who had sex with porn stars. Michael Cohen handled his behavioral issues of the president and those of his friends. Mistresses were paid hush money and to have abortions.
The religious extremists clearly don’t have any consistent value system. They want to control and impose their will on the victims who need help more than anyone. No one is more vulnerable than a pregnant girl or women recovering from rape or sexual molestation, or even just a mistake.
The president is friends, with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child molester who was convicted for soliciting underage girls for prostitution. Religious extremists voted in a friend of a convicted child molester and human trafficker. They mislead people just as their chosen leader enjoys to do. Important information about options are withheld. The centers lie to and mislead victims. It’s official:
The use of the freedom of speech laws is now used to protect liars. This is yet another low for the US. This is a country of laws, and now:
National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra, No. 16-1140 has been decided. The conservative Supreme Court voted for misinformation and is against California’s State Rights to handle their own affairs.
Europeans are starting to accept that they will have to go it alone and figure out how to deal with their own issues – now that the “Partners in Leadership” pact that lead the world is dead and gone. Since the end of World War II – Germany gladly tamed its own internal monsters by relying on this partnership with the US. Germany has followed the US, partnered with the US, implemented US strategies, fully trusting that the promises Reagan, W.H.Bush, Bill Clinton, W. Bush, and Obama made to the Germany and by extension to the EU. Now the world has to come to grips with the current change of direction that sometimes feels like a betrayal by the US. As Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff explained to Juurd Eijsvoogel, in the NRC News.
“Now Germany is faced with the horrible truths as Germany has no nuclear weapons. The country is completely dependent on the American security umbrella. That awareness was of course there earlier, but only in abstract. Trump’s harsh attitude here has caused an acute sense of complete powerlessness in Berlin. The world is no longer about Europe. The problem why America engages here dates back more than seventy years ago. In itself it is understandable that America wants to shift its attention to other parts of the world. We could have seen that coming. You also saw it with previous presidents.”
Trump’s wishes to focus the US inward. He wants to cut the country off from the world and seems merely eager to please Putin, Kim Jong-Un, Xi JinPing, and the Saudis. He welcomed Duterte and Erdogan, and the right-wing leader of Poland and Hungary. He disregards all the leaders of democratic nations and voices his dislike of most European, NAFTA leaders and Australians.
The West is floundering. Blaming immigrants, closing borders will not be the most constructive way to run a country or economic region. It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about the US or Europe. The US wants to close its borders to immigration instead of strengthening the middle class. This policy will not succeed regardless of whether the US succeeds in offending the rest of the world and shutting itself into its tiny fortress. Without a growing population and without international trade every country will move backwards. The policy of breaking promises and committing inhumane and egregious acts will backfire for many years to come regardless of whether it is carried out in the US or in Europe. All we have to do is watch the Middle East and Africa to see that conflict doesn’t pay many dividends, except to weapons’ dealers, mining operators and eventually construction companies.
Similarly in the EU, the ill-fated Dublin-Agreement burdens Greece and Italy as the point of entry states with all the problems of integrating immigrants. Naturally this doesn’t work, it could never have worked. Without a healthy immigration policy the EU will suffer terrible economic consequences. It is already a tiny region when compared to China, India, Latin America and North America. Without immigration, the population and therefore the economy will shrink, burdening the ever fewer young with the cost of caring for an expanding older population.
Ronald Barazon states in his article in the DWN: ” With a realistic attitude that emphasizes the need for immigration, meets foreigners positively, but does not close their eyes to problems and needs, a constructive policy should be possible.
The US and Europe are partly responsible for the prevailing chaos. The interventions of recent years – from Afghanistan to Iraq to Libya – have been driven by a very positive effort to eliminate brutal dictators in these countries. However, not a flourishing democracy followed, but the abolished rulers were replaced by numerous other brutal actors who are now triggering the waves of refugees. Currently, too many politicians are misusing immigration as a means of concealing their many failures in other areas. “
Strengthening the middle class works wonders for stability. That role falls on investors and business leaders. Politicians are too dependent on donors and simply carry forth policies that are in the best interest of a few wealthy donors. Only when global business leaders realize that an eroding middle class erodes ROI, will the world move in a better direction. Perhaps things have to get quite terrible in terms of ROI before business leaders and politicians get personally affected enough to choose change. In Europe that time is now.
Trump Supporters are exhilarated about their US created global trade wars
Trump supporters approve of the US presidents actions, words and attitude at historic levels. 90% approve of everything Trump does or says, not everyone agrees. Yet, many wonder whether the GOP actually is following a plan:
European’s, especially Merkel, are frightened by the changes imposed on the EU. The situation depends on the individual global companies business strategies. Many European and Asian companies are baffled by Trump’s strategy. For many decades they have listened to many US presidents and their “Partners in Leadership” promises and in the spirit of collaboration have created hundreds and thousands of jobs for Americans in the US.
Das Handelblatt’s, Lukas Bay, reports: “The US president has threatened European automakers such as VW, BMW and Daimler with a levy. He’s forgetting that the Germans have huge plants in the US. At the time, he warned that BMW and other carmakers could face a 35 percent import duty for cars not built in the United States. He targeted BMW because it is building a new plant in Mexico. Trump doesn’t seem to realize that the BMW plan in Mexico is there to meet rising demands for cars in Latin America.” BMW actually exports cars made in the US by American workers. Source: Das Handelsblatt
Der Spiegel reports: “Executives at Siemens, the global engineering giant, are still relatively relaxed at company headquarters in Munich. Siemens operates its own plants in the U.S. for products with high steel or aluminum content like trains, gas turbines and ultrasound equipment. In theory, at least, its subsidiaries could buy raw materials or semi-finished products locally to circumvent the punitive tariffs. But that does not apply to special alloys that are not produced in the U.S. They would have to be imported from Germany and would be slapped with the additional tariffs. The biggest concern is not the impact the trade tariff’s have on the US – German trade – it is only 4% for many companies so they can withstand that comfortably.
The bigger issue that companies and countries are grappling with is cheap steel that is now diverted from Russia, India and Turkey. Since these companies were not given a temporary exemption they have dumped their inferior products in the EU for super low prices. The EU is more worried about the effect these inferior steel will have on the EU brand around the globe as cheap inferior products are making it on the market. It will not affect the US either in trade nor in taxes.
In Germany for instance 95% of all wealth is created by small and midsize firms. This is the reason why Germany is thriving and able to withstand economic upheaval. Germany has a very strong middle class that has been growing jobs. In the US the Middle Class has been eroded by corporate welfare laws that favor large global conglomerates.
We all want the best for our kids. Photo Credit: Creative Commons
Our job as parents is to prep our kids to live happy and successful lives. We want them to succeed to allow them to enjoy a life without financial stress. We want them to find love to allow them to have healthy and fulfilling relationships. We want them to feel confident and able to achieve their very own dreams. So how can we protect the kids, while prepping them to become peak performers?
Step 1 – Build up their confidence.
One way to build confidence in our children. When children feel loved, heard, and held in esteem they feel confident that they matter. The child eventually knows that she is important to us. This also means parents have to avoid any prolonged absences. Small children don’t understand why the parents are not there, even if it feels unavoidable to the parent. The child needs to know that it can reach us and count on us to be there for them. We want the children to know they are important to us. We also teach the child that we are in charge of our own life. We have the freedom to set priorities. We choose to be there for the child. The child learns by observing. If we are there for them, they will feel that it is natural to care for themselves and to care about themselves. They learn to trust not only the parents but also themselves.
Photo by Caleb Mullin via Unsplash.
Step 2 – Honesty is important for realistic self assessment and leads to follow through.
Life has challenges and it has ups and downs. When we are honest with our children they don’t always like it. Yet, this is how they learn that sometimes the truth is difficult. They also learn to trust us, when we give them genuine compliments. Genuine compliments are worth so much more than indiscriminate praise. The child learns that honesty is ok. If we tell them they didn’t seem to have given their personal best, they learn they could try harder and get better. Then when they do well after they really practiced and succeeded, the praise feels wonderful. Additionally, if they try something that isn’t realistic, you can plan with them what they may wish to do instead, or what they may have to do to carry out the desired task. They learn to research, analyze and make plans. The also learn that plans without action will not yield results. Honest with children leads to self honesty by children, which helps them to keep a clear mind rooted in reality.
Step 3 – Responsibility helps us feel in charge of our own destiny
When we take responsibility for our own actions we model behavior to our children. The sooner we teach kids that they are responsible for their own actions and words, the sooner they will feel in charge of their own life. They learn while they cannot influence everything that happens around them, they are in charge of how they react to the circumstances. They are in charge of how they act, speak, follow through, commit themselves and equally important take care of their health, both mentally and physically. By taking responsibility they will learn fast that they have choices in life. They are free to choose how they want to live their life. Do they want to study and get good grades, do they diligently practice their work outs. Naturally as they responsibly work on improving themselves they perform better and better. The children feel in charge because they learned they are responsible for their own actions and words.
Peak Performance is a result of hard work, a good attitude, and the willingness to do what it takes. We can start our support for children by providing them with the basis of success. We let them know they are important, valued and adored by us. We are available when they need us.
www.vigilints.com – Hawkeye Smartwatches for kids
In the digital age, this means we are there to guide and coach them. One valuable tool is a Hawkeye Smartwatch which is designed for 3 to 7-year-old kids. The Vigilint Parental Assistant app provides the function to check their child’s friends. Parents can talk or text (emojis) allowing to share in their life. The app has a listening function and an SOS button. This allows parents to coach the children and advise them when the child needs help dealing with other kids. A parent can share responsibility with three other trusted adults and link up to 8 people into a phone tree of trusted care takers. Additionally the child can have up to 20 friends in their phone. The Hawkeye Smartwatch has a roll over function which can be set to call the father if the mother is not available. It rolls over to the babysitter, aunt or the child’s friends parent. Being there for our kids matters and it is the foundation to a successful life.
West Jordan, Utah, June 11, 2018 EagleONE Insights signs Griffin Motivation to expand Corporate Incentive and Empowerment Programs
Mike Hutzel, CEO is excited that Griffin Motivation has signed up EagleONE Insights: “Jeff Griffin and I fully agree that Griffin Motivation’s offer matches up nicely with EagleONE Insights’ and our core values. We create programs to penetrate our clients’ specific marketing venues. Our methodologies focus exclusively on a quantifiable ROI for our clients.”
Griffin Motivation provides a pathway for fast growth companies to embrace exponential growth with enthusiasm. Jeff Griffin empowers companies to achieve success faster by teaching a practical and doable way to tap into their companies’ own teams hidden strengths.
Mark Jenkins, the CEO of Petersen Inc., asked Jeff Griffin to come and present at their mid-year company meeting. Petersen brought all the welders, their executive, and sales team together in one of their hangars. Before Jeff presented his transformational message and life-altering experience Mark Jenkins reviewed the vital signs of the company and reminded the team of their year-end goals. One number stood out to Jeff Griffin because it was both big, bold, and exciting! It was also the main reason for his invitation to speak. Petersen committed to bring their sales up to 80 million dollars. They were at 33 million mid-way through that year. A 47-million-dollar gap! Jeff Griffin delivered his transformational message and received a standing ovation from a group of blue-collar workers. Petersen’s VP of Sales told Jeff Griffin after his speech: “This is exactly what we needed.” By the end of that year they reached their goal AND exceeded it by 10 million dollars.
Jeff Griffin knows all about what it takes to build self-motivation, discover new strengths, even during moments of despair, and turn it into an action plan that works. With his thrilling life story, which he shared in his popular book “I’m Possible” he shows how he overcame despair in his own life as a paraplegic and turned his handicaps into a system of motivating factors that work. Unlike more “traditional” management workshops claiming that a team is only as strong as its weakest link Griffin Motivation teaches that each person can move from “it’s impossible” to” I’m Possible” and tap into the amazing hidden strength each person already has inside. Corporate Managers are raving about the impact Jim Griffin’s workshop had not only on their workers self-esteem and team spirit but also measurably on their bottom line:
“Jeff’s story is amazing, he shares his experience in a manner that has you laughing at one moment and tugging at your heartstrings the next. I highly recommend Jeff as a motivational speaker especially if you are looking for a powerful message of courage, positive attitude, faith, hope, dreaming big, hard work and never giving up. Listening to his story is amazing but “seeing” his story is even better!
– Mark Jenkins– Chief Executive Officer, Petersen Inc. + 500 employees
EagleONE Insights provides access to more companies to Griffin Motivation’s powerful messages. Mike Hutzel’s team meets clients where they are and goes on the journey with them to where they want to be. The teacher, Jeff Griffin, is now listening to his own advice and is stepping it up own enterprise. EagleONE Insights is ready to show the world what happens when each of their team members act on the inner strength of: “I’m Possible!” and moves to the “We’re Possible!”
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About Griffin Motivation
Jeff’s real-life results and professional training gave rise for speeches, customized workshops, and personalized training sessions. Now Griffin Motivation brings these hard-won insights to corporations who want to tap into the inner hidden strength of their employees, foster a strong can-do team spirit. The Griffin Motivation workshops have been tried and tested in the sports world for many years and are now available to companies. Jeff Griffin was given a life sentence to live life from a wheelchair. He has accomplished some extraordinary things. He played in the 2004 Paralympic games in Athens, Greece, and is a silver medalist in Wheelchair basketball. He’s a (NWBA) National Champion, and a four-time All-Star MVP. He also won the St. George Marathon, has two Guinness Book of World Records, and wrote an award-winning book titled I’Mpossible: Desire. Dream. Do. He recently ran 5 miles on the elliptical bike! His company’s message is compelling since he captivates his audience with authenticity and humor. www.griffinmotivation.com
About EagleONE Insights
We help our clients build trust by respecting and truly understanding their customers. EagleONE Insights’ proprietary sales and sales support process of the 3-E Impact?, ENGAGE, EVOLVE & ELEVATE, gives our clients our 3-E ImpactSM in every mission. Our strong professional team of subject matter experts collect data, analyze it and provide our clients with deep strategic insights. We deploy the latest technology to get the job done on time, on budget, with precision. We take great pride in understanding our clients’ needs and helping them to grow their revenue streams and the reputation of their brand. This allows our clients to focus on keeping up with market trends while we grow revenue and add revenue streams. We believe that by working with our team, people of integrity, we have a strong foundation by which to facilitate our client’s success. Our joint effort improves our clients’ ROI on a consistent and long-term basis. www.eagleoneinsights.com
Smart watches for Kids from www.vigilintbiosensors.com
Wearable technology offers a wide array of choices. Keeping track of the options is a daunting task. Here are some quick tips.
Does it work with your smart phone?All Smart Watches for kids are tethered to the parent’s smartphone, but you need to know not all watches work with every mobile network plan. as
Does the watch come with a SIM Card installed? All smartwatches that receive text, calls and data require a SIM Card.
Does the SIM card on your watch work with your mobile carrier? Many smartwatch providers sell to customers without explaining whether their mobile carrier supports the watch in their local area. Most smartwatches are sold without a SIM card plan, leaving you, the customers, to tackle the issue.
How long does the battery last and can you reload with via USB? Many smart watch customers (and their kids) complain about short battery life, often running out in mere hours. Make sure your batteries last for a full day or more. This way you can reload the batteries every night while you sleep.
What are the important features on a watch for your kids and which do you really need? Simple, reliable, trusted communication with your child is paramount. Many smartwatches sell a catalog of games — but your kids already have access to games on a tablet or computer at home. When they are on the way to school or outdoors playing, they shouldn’t get distracted. Wouldn’t it be better if they paid attention to their safe travel or playing with other kids?
Is your watch water-resistant or waterproof? Most smartwatches like most watches are water-resistant, but not waterproof. Make sure you buy a watch for your specific needs.
Can you communicate with the smartwatch? Many smartwatches are only glamorized pedometers. So carefully read about all the features when you choose a smartwatch. There are only a few companies that actually want you to be able to communicate via the watch. Apple Watches run from $1,299 for their top products all the way to $139 for their Walmart specials. Naturally the features from each smartwatch vendor vary greatly.
Some are specifically designed to keep families together, Vigilint Biosensors’ Hawkeye Smartwatches inform parents, babysitters about the children in their charge. Hawkeye Smartwatches link and work with every major U.S. mobile carrier: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, unlike most other kids smartwatches, that only work with one or two. This is due to the fact that Vigilint Biosensors offers Hawkeye smartwatches with SIM cards pre-installed and ready to use and compatible with all major smartphone carriers for $10 per month. Vigilint Biosensors customer service test it for you before it is shipped after you fill out the COPPA compliance form. Keeping kids safe is a top priority.
Vigilints’ Hawkeye GPS keeps a close eye on where your kids are, and if there is an emergency, allows others you designated to text or speak with them directly. Hawkeyes run on the proprietary SIM cards and are fully functioning right out of the box, unlike many of the very inexpensive watches that need assembly and are not out-of-the-box ready found on Amazon and other retailers. Many come without a SIM card or a service connection to the parents’ smartphone. This is frustrating for parents who don’t have the time to become watchmakers before their kids smartwatch works. So check the fine print before you buy.
Buying a smartwatch for your kids may be a bit confusing and overwhelming. Choosing well is worth the time and effort. Just do a bit of homework and compare features. When you want to keep a family together by sharing parenting and babysitting with up to 3 adults and a total of 8 connections, Hawkeye smartwatches are a great solution for your young child. They stay on their little wrists. Thus they are a great alternative to buying smartphones and plans for each your 3 to 6 year olds. Phones are too big of a responsibility for young children. Put a Hawkeye on their wrist and relax. Affordable, ready to use, and designed with the parent / child relationship in mind.
Brandi Carlile has a most amazing voice with perfect elocution. Her voice is beautiful and haunting. It stays with you after you heard it. A bit of a siren call like Joan Baez. You can’t unhear their voices. Once you did you know that voice.
Another way that Brandi is impactful like Joan Baez use to be is that she sings ballads that actually talk about things that we care about. Feelings and issues. Relationships gone wrong and the feelings we may experience as we work them out.
When you are depressed, get help. People care! Many more people than you may realize, care about you. (Official version… click on photo to play)
“By the way, I forgive you.” is related to a friend of Brandi’s who committed suicide when they were in High School. “Hold out your hand” is about gun violence. Brandi supports the effort by Seattle school children who don’t want to get shot. The students behind “March For Our Lives” in Seattle made a video and Brandi decided to support their effort with her song “Hold out your Hand.”
On facebook Brandi exclaims:
“These young people are asking for a change – are you listening?
Responsible gun laws are on a spectrum and as much as we’d like it to be, it isn’t black and white. Some of these kids hunt with their parents, some of them are enlisting into service and will carry a weapon in defense of your way of life. Don’t make the mistake of broad brushing what they’re asking for.
We can’t allow ourselves to be divided and conquered any longer by organizations that profit from our division. There can be and there IS a way that we can create change from the center of the debate.”
A singer songwriter activist who is also amazingly talented like Brandi, doesn’t come along very often. Let’s support her by purchasing her new album.
Or, even better go see her live. It surely will be an experience that stays with you. You can catch her at the Mondavi Winery in Napa, CA on July 14th, and at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA on August 22nd, 2018. She is actively touring the entire country. Check her website for dates near you.
You may also enjoy her YouTube channel. Or say hello to her on facebook.
Stay connected with your kids. Let them know they are important to you. Give them ideas on how to feel good about themselves. Sit down with them to make a list about all the things that makes kids unique. Help them become self-aware of their wonderful qualities. This will help their self-esteem.
Remind them of their own unique qualities when they have a hard time with other skills. Model non-competitive behaviors with other. If they see the parent compete with the neighbors, it will make them think they have to become competitive whether they wish to or not. Instead point out that everyone has different qualities and that is ok. Finding the good in oneself and in others is a great practice and can become a fun game.
This will help the child become more resilient. If they have a hard time with one thing, they and you can remind them about something that they are naturally talented in. Remind them of a skill they acquired through practice.
Share with them if there is something is hard for you, so they know that it is normal that we have good days or bad days. This will help them cope when thing are difficult. Self-esteem is closely related with a realistic self-image.
Also listen to them and pay attention to them. If you are separated from your kids all day because of school and your work, you can connect with them through their Hawkeye Smartwatches and your Vigilint Family Assistant app.
In America, we grow up with a romantic vision of being explorers who conquer the wilds and create new homes and lives in the wilderness. During the frontier days Americans hunted for food. They sustained themselves and lived off the land. Beautiful vistas, wide open grasslands, forests, and log cabins by the lake were a fact of life, not such a very long time ago.
Shooting dear, rabbits, or even wild boars, geese and ducks was a way of life. Hunting was a necessary part of sustaining the family in a land that had few stores. It was romanticized in literature, in TV Shows and the movies.
Fast Forward to Parkland, FL and Santa Fé, TX in 2018
“I’d be comfortable with our teachers having guns,” said Tessa Ybarra, 15, a sophomore at Santa Fe High School. “If Ms. T and Ms. Perkins had guns, maybe they could have protected themselves,” she said, referring to Cynthia Tisdale and Glenda Ann Perkins, the two teachers killed on Friday. NYT
Do you agree with Tessa Ybarra? The gun lobby agrees with her.
The NRA, a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization, claimed that they provided a means to raise millions of dollars to fund gun safety and educational projects of benefit to the general public. While they certainly succeed in influencing Congress and have over 5 Million members, and a supportive group of wealthy individuals who support assault rifle sales to 18 year olds, the gun safety part of their proclaimed mission is failing miserably. Now they practically promote gun violence.
“I don’t understand why I could still go in a store and buy a weapon of war,” said Sam Zeif, 18, sobbing after he described texting his family members during the attack. “Let’s never let this happen again, please, please.” Reuters
Why is it that Americans as a whole, can’t understand that guns are used to kill innocent children and adults?
With school shooting on the rise it actually is not romantic any longer. Good Housekeeping reported that since the beginning of 2018, 20 people were killed at school to do gun violence.
Recie Tisdale, son of Cynthia Tisdale, who was a substitute teacher at Santa Fe High School. told the Washington Post, “She started substitute teaching because she loved to help children. She didn’t have to do it. She did it because she loved it.”
Gun violence is not romantic. Letting go of the Frontiers’ men fantasy will take a long time. It is so compelling. Meanwhile stay in touch with your kids and parents. Talk to them, stay aware of what they are going through. The Vigilint Parental Assistant App is designed to allow parents to communicate via Hawkeye Smartwatches with their elementary school children. Harvard research shows that stress affects brain development. The damage caused to the next generation goes way beyond the gun violence.
Protect, Encourage and Communicate with Your Children Always
We fall in love, get engaged and get married. When we have kids we start to genuinely reflect about our own heritage and value system.
Immigrants experience culture shock when value systems clash with those of others.
When our kids arrive we naturally remember our own childhoods. We want our kids to enjoy their childhood and grow up to have a wonderful life. As parents with want to prepare them in the best possible way. When kids go to school they experience new attitudes by their teachers and especially by their peers. Often, these attitudes might raise issues that we never really consciously contemplated.
To keep them our kids emotionally safe, we want the ability to communicate with them. We need to allow them to ask questions, as they arise. We do well to genuinely try to answer as many questions our children ask, as possible. We want to admit that we may not have the answer ourselves. We also need to acknowledge that there are differences between the way we live at home and the way society shapes our attitudes and value systems.
Other parents may have raised their kids with entirely different value systems. They may think it is adorable when a child doesn’t worry about soiling their clothes, touching doorways with muddy or sticky hands, rough-houses, or throws rocks. “Kids will be kids.” is often the prevailing attitude. In other cultures the prevailing attitude maybe: “Kids are seen not heard.” Straddling the differences is a challenge for all families who wish to raise kids who develop situational awareness.
I believe that being polite, considerate, and honest helps to foster self-respect. These are traits that help us to get along with others and ourselves. Regardless of the setting, it fosters friendships and good will. Most people greatly enjoy being treated in a considerate way; being heard and listened to politely; being able to rely that they are not lied to or deceived; that they are not being taken for granted.
Most people regardless of their background love being treated with respect.
Parents often struggle to find a healthy balance between the ways they wish to pass down to their children, and the need to allow kids to adapt to their surroundings. Children need to get along with others, even with kids who encouraged to be tough and and mean.
Communicate with your child, and perhaps even listen in with the Vigilint Family Assistance app. By empowering the child to share with you in real-time, what they are dealing with, as it happens, helps parents to better guide them in practical ways.
Your real-time advice helps your children feel safe and cared about. At the very least kids will know, their parents care about them deeply. This fosters self-esteem and helps children to develop a solution-oriented attitude and to seek advice when needed. They will not feel alone. They feel supported by their families.
We are apparently living in a loneliness epidemic. Over the past 80 years our culture has changed a lot and over the past 30 years industrialized nations may have lost our cultural bearing.
I learn recently of a lady in Japan who died and only after her corps smelled terrible did the neighbors realize that she had passed. In Japan they have a word for “dying alone,” they call it Kodokushi. Several hundred thousand people pass away, without a relative or friend who cares about them. I thought it was terrible and I was shocked that a nation of over 100 Million people would not care for their families or neighbors. Then I found out that over 45 Million people in quasi “First World Nations” are lonely. That doesn’t sound very “first world.” It is embarrassing and a sign we need to rethink our lives.
Recently I joined the marketing effort of Vigilint Biosensors, a company that has designed affordable smart watches that allow parents to check in on and communicate with their children and loved ones. The Vigilint Family Assistant is an app that you can download that links to the kids or elderly parents Vigilint Smartwatches. When I started reading up on the topic I couldn’t believe it. OMG. It is a world wide epidemic. Apparently over 40% of people in the US report that they are feeling lonely. And experts think that the actual number is higher. How can that be?
Loneliness is deadly. Literally. First of all it doesn’t feel very nice. Remember how you felt when your first girl friend or boy friend didn’t call you back for several hours, when you first started dating and you were not sure whether they really loved you yet? That feeling. It feels like that. Most unhealthy.
Apparently it is genuinely unhealthy to feel lonely. Vivek Murty, who served as the 19th Surgeon General in the US, shared that one of his more shocking experiences as SG was loneliness: “I met middle and high school students in urban and rural areas who turned to violence, drugs, and gangs to ease the pain of their loneliness. I sat with mothers and fathers who had lost sons and daughters to drug overdoses and were struggling to cope alone because of the unfortunate stigma surrounding addiction.” He went on to say: “During my years caring for patients, the most common pathology I saw was not heart disease or diabetes; it was loneliness. The elderly man who came to our hospital every few weeks seeking relief from chronic pain was also looking for human connection: He was lonely. The middle-aged woman battling advanced HIV who had no one to call to inform that she was sick: She was lonely too. I found that loneliness was often in the background of clinical illness, contributing to disease and making it harder for patients to cope and heal. ” (1)
Vigilint Biosensors has been created by a bunch of highly successful Silicon Valley Semiconductor engineers, who created microchips for mobile phones that measure vital signs. Is the person moving, is the person where they are supposed to be? It also allows you to talk to them through their affordable VB wrist watch. They will not lose their phone, since it is tied around their wrist. Brilliant I say!
And apparently it not only reduces the stress of the parent, it also reduces the stress in the kids and the elderlies. Social connections are so vital to our health. Apparently stress increases the cortisol level which is some kind of hormone in our bodies. Loneliness increases the stress hormone called cortisol very much. This causes inflammation which according to Time Magazine is responsible for stress-related difficulties including obesity, diabetes, metabolic disorders, heart diseases and other disorders. (2)
So this weekend, hug your mom, your grandmother, your dad and your kids, and make sure you check in with your neighbors. Apparently for young and old loneliness is an epidemic and nearly every second person feels lonely. Smile, say hello and ask: “How do you do.” And mean it. Increasing your social circle may be the best medicine against: “Kodokushi.” And I am sure you agree, none of us want to have that.
Instead talk with your family regularly. Even if they are all grown, talk at least once a week, but more often if possible that is the only way you have enough time for a genuine relationship. Only regular contact let’s you know what is going on in their lives and for them to know what is going on in yours. Bob Black once wrote a great tagline: “Reach out and touch someone.” If you can’t do it physically, do with via a text and even better a conversation.
There are plenty of people to call. The New York times claimed that about one-third of Americans older than 65 now live alone, and half of those over 85 do. Loneliness can be fixed. We need to reintroduce the concept of TLC and talk to each other. I love the quote that Vigilint Biosensors execs use:
Vigilint Biosensors is about moving people from the Internet of Things to the Internet of Caring.
Love that! Happy trails and if you feel lonely reach out. Call someone you haven’t talk with in a while. Remind them of the good times you had. You will be surprised how happy it will make them to get your call after all these years. Tell them you remember them and you feel good about your memories. It works.
Photo by https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/gun-deaths-wars/
