Mental Wellness Basics Expand to Canada
I am so excited to see the Mental Wellness Basics platform continue to grow. Through our partnership with EVERFI we are making tremendous strides to give youth the mental wellness skills and knowledge. Excited to share news of some new partners.
Canadian Partners
Since the start of the year, EVERFI has welcomed 3 new Mental Wellness Basics partners - all in Canada!
United Way of Calgary & United Way of Vancouver are sponsoring the course locally in their respective communities.
Shaw Communications - a Canadian telecommunications company - is sponsoring MWB across the rest of Canada through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. We're excited to see our work in Canada grow!
Seeking sponsors and supporters
Sponsors are need to help ensure we can offer this program for FREE to schools and kids. If you are interested in learning more about partner with Pivotal Moments and EVERFI through the Mental Wellness Coalition send me an email: bob.morgan@pivotalmoments.org.
How Comedy Brings Everyone Together with Raj Singh
https://vimeo.com/420463175
We had the opportunity to talk with Raj Singh, Co-CEO of National Lampoon who discussed his journey from working on Wall Street to the entertainment industry in LA. Raj spoke about the history of National Lampoon and how the company has evolved over the past 50 years. Comedy is essential to people’s happiness.
National Lampoon has recently launched a new series, "The Brightside" and "Stupid Heavy", to promote mental wellness through laughter.
Raj Singh, Co-CEO, National Lampoon.
National Lampoon expands the boundaries of the comedy universe, with projects that span film, audio, live performance, television, and beyond. Like its origins, our storytelling pushes the envelope of defining comedy, and presents humor we call the “twisted mainstream”. All conveyed through voices that represent the next generation of leading artists.
Team Wellness:
Meditation and Comedy.
Personal Wellness:
Meditation and Breath Work.
Book Recommendation:
The Alchemist.
Embracing the Team + Resiliency Mindset: From the NFL to Corporate America with Michael Mauti
https://vimeo.com/417711613
We had the opportunity to talk with Michael Mauti who is a Former NFL Player and currently the Director of Business Development at Seed2System. Michael discussed his journey from playing pro football to entering corporate America. He encountered several pivotal moments throughout his career and continues to embrace the “team” mindset to move through challenges.
Michael highlights his personal mental wellness journey and use of methods such as CBD to recover from injuries and to help him stay focused.
Michael Mauti, Former NFL Player and Director of Business Development, Seed2System.
Seed2System is a full spectrum CBD product company. Their CBD products are made organically with hemp, using a Vapor Distillation extraction method to ensure the highest quality of full-spectrum CBD oil. From their seeds to your body’s system, their products help you on your journey towards better health.
Team Wellness:
Meditation and yoga
Personal Wellness:
Working out and playing the piano.
Mental Wellness Basic Reaches 340K students
So happy to share this update.
In our second year Mental Wellness Basics has already reached 280,000 students, and 2500 schools in the US. Last year, our total activation reached over 60,000, which means we have seen over 350% growth on activation.
This brings our total impact, since 2018, to over 340,000 students! I’m thrilled we’ve made such an impact.
Mental Wellness Basics is a mental wellness digital learning platform for kids in 8th - 10th grade. In 2018 we partnered with EVERFI, Inc. to build the platform. Our goal - give more kids the knowledge and skills to build, maintain and promote positive mental health.
It’s be a journey getting Mental Wellness Basics into school systems. EVERFI is doing great work. But to hit our goal of millions of students reached we need the help help of sponsors. Donations allow us to implement it for FREE to schools.
Florida progress in 2020
We are seeing incredible activation on Mental Wellness Basics thanks to a state-wide mental health education mandate. In the summer of 2019, the FL State Board of Education voted to require a minimum of 5 hours of mental health education to students in grades 6 or above. With the help of EvERFI we have been able to formally incorporate Mental Wellness Basics into the plans of some of the top districts in the state. This is very exciting news for the Mental Wellness Basics program.
New partners
Mental Wellness Basics is a key component of EVERFI’s Mental Wellness Coalition. Thrilled to see new statewide partners in EVERFI’s Mental Wellness Coalition: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. We continue to look for support from organizations who can help fund the FREE deployment to schools across the country.
Learn more about the Mental Wellness Coalition and our founding sponsorship HERE.
Nourishing the Local Community with Jeff Grass
We had the opportunity to talk with the CEO and Chairman of HUNGRY, Jeff Grass. Jeff talks about the company’s recent initiatives and his personal mental wellness journey during these unprecedented times.
HUNGRY offers extraordinary catering provided by a network of local chefs. The company has recently launched HUNGRY @ Home to deliver high quality food straight to people’s door.
Additionally – HUNGRY partnered with Pivotal Moments to enable fully tax-deductible donations to fund the purchase of healthy, local, chef-prepared meals to those working long hours, in dangerous conditions, without access to quality food. For every 2 meals purchased under this tax deductible program, HUNGRY will provide a donation to purchase an additional meal to help those who are at-risk in your community. Your donation also keeps local chefs and delivery staff employed so they can support their families.
Jeff Grass, Chairman and CEO, HUNGRY
HUNGRY provides great food for people in need and companies who want to bring healthy diets to their workplace.
Team Wellness:
We like to spend extra time sitting and relaxing with each other.
Personal Wellness:
Quality time with family and taking personal time.
Channeling Positivity and Moving Forward with Alka Dhillon
We had the opportunity to talk with Alka Dhillon, CEO of Technalink and Author of The OM Factor.
Alka discusses her mental wellness journey and how she grew a successful business while raising a family and how she continues to stay motivated and positive through these challenging times. Alka’s approach to leadership combines the mind, body, and spirit.
Learn more about Alka, The OM Factor and how to instill a positive leadership style below.
Alka Dhillon, Entrepreneur and Author
TechnaLink is a leading woman and minority-owned IT services and management consulting provider located in the Washington, DC, area.
Team Wellness:
A Harmonious Approach to Wellness to Deal with Stress and Anxiety.
Personal Wellness:
Meditation and Breath Work.
How to Lead During Unprecedented Times with Joe Atkinson
We had the opportunity to talk with Chief Digital Officer at PwC, Joe Atkinson.
Joe discussed his career journey and leadership style and how he continues to move his team forward during challenging times. The company’s mental wellness program is based around Health and Well-Being.
Joe Atkinson, PwC
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a multinational professional services network of firms headquartered in London, United Kingdom, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand.
Team Wellness:
Focused on fueling our four dimensions of energy—physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
Personal Wellness:
Spending quality time with the family and taking morning walks.
How to Trust your Intuition when You're Making a Decision
Once I gave the headphones a thorough once-over exam, I tried them on. As I mentioned, they have a classic over-the-ear style and just looking at them, the padding on the ear pieces seem adequate and the peak of the headband seemed to be a bit lacking, but you don’t really know comfort unless you try on the product. So, I slipped the headphones on and found them to be exquisitely comfortable. Once I gave the headphones a thorough once-over exam, I tried them on. As I mentioned, they have a classic over-the-ear style and just looking at them, the padding on the ear pieces seem adequate and the peak of the headband seemed to be a bit lacking, but you don’t really know comfort unless you try on the product. So, I slipped the headphones on and found them to be exquisitely comfortable.
If no one hates you, no one is paying attention. If attention is what you want for vanity, confidence, or, hell — to make a decent living — then know that it’s not instantaneous. Every single person that you’re currently paying attention to, at some point in their lives.
You need to be true to yourself
Just like every other human on the planet, I have epically awesome days and days when life just turne against me. And while I can’t stand most self-help (see: tired quotes over stock photography on Instagram), sometimes I need a little pick-me-up. And most of the time, in order to get out of a slump (because my brain leans more into math/science than anything else), I need to drop a logic bomb on my ass.
Yes, this is a long article. But here’s the thing — if you’re reading this in your inbox and are already like, “fuck this!” delete it. No hard feelings. If you’re reading this in a browser on a website, and you see how tiny the scroll-bar is because of how far you still have to scroll to get to the bottom, close this tab and go back to 140-character tidbits of advice. Still with me? Phew. Just had to weed out all the folks from points: #1, #4 and #8. Welcome friends, onward we go.
Never give up and stay strong
If no one hates you, no one is paying attention. If attention is what you want for vanity, confidence, or, hell — to make a decent living — then know that it’s not instantaneous. Every single person that you’re currently paying attention to, at some point in their lives, was in your exact position. They kept at it and worked enough so that others started listening. Also know that if no one is watching, you can experience true freedom. Dance in your underwear. Write entirely for yourself. Like there’s a going-out-of-business sale. Find yourself — not in some coming-of-age hippie way involving pasta and ashrams— but in a way that helps you draw your own line in the sand for what matters and what doesn’t. Do what you want to do, just because you want to do that thing. This will build confidence that will come in handy later.
Once I gave the headphones a thorough once-over exam, I tried them on. As I mentioned, they have a classic over-the-ear style and just looking at them, the padding on the ear pieces seem adequate and the peak of the headband seemed to be a bit lacking, but you don’t really know comfort unless you try on the product. So, I slipped the headphones on and found them to be exquisitely comfortable. Once I gave the headphones a thorough once-over exam, I tried them on. As I mentioned, they have a classic over-the-ear style and just looking at them, the padding on the ear pieces seem adequate and the peak of the headband seemed to be a bit lacking, but you don’t really know comfort unless you try on the product. So, I slipped the headphones on and found them to be exquisitely comfortable.
If no one hates you, no one is paying attention. If attention is what you want for vanity, confidence, or, hell — to make a decent living — then know that it’s not instantaneous. Every single person that you’re currently paying attention to, at some point in their lives, was in your exact position. They kept at it and worked enough so that others started listening. Also know that if no one is watching, you can experience true freedom. Dance in your underwear. Write entirely for yourself. Like there’s a going-out-of-business sale. Find yourself — not in some coming-of-age hippie way involving pasta and ashrams— but in a way that helps you draw your own line in the sand for what matters and what doesn’t. Do what you want to do, just because you want to do that thing. This will build confidence that will come in handy later.
Everyday inspired by the Beauty of the Mountains
Take your time.
I’ve got a Fujifilm X100s. It runs about $1300. It’s easily the best camera I’ve ever owned. I take care of it as best as I can, but I don’t let taking care of it impact the photography. Let me elaborate on that a bit better. You’ll get better at each section of what we talked about slowly. And while you do, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it all is and how the habit forms. The best way to get better at photography is start by taking your camera everywhere. If you leave your house, your camera leaves with you. The only exception is if you’re planning for a weekend bender — then probably leave it at home. Other than that, always have it slung over your shoulder. It would probably help to get an extra battery to carry in your pocket. I’ve got three batteries. One in my camera, one in my pocket, one in the charger.
When it dies, swap them all.
For me, the most important part of improving at photography has been sharing it. Sign up for an Exposure account, or post regularly to Tumblr, or both. Tell people you’re trying to get better at photography. Talk about it. When you talk about it, other people get excited about it. They’ll come on photo walks with you. They’ll pose for portraits. They’ll buy your prints, zines, whatever.
Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, my sunset sky.
— Rabindranath Tagore
Breathe the world.
I’ve got a Fujifilm X100s. It’s easily the best camera I’ve ever owned. I take care of it as best as I can, but I don’t let taking care of it impact the photography. Let me elaborate on that a bit better. You’ll get better at each section of what we talked about slowly. And while you do, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it all is and how the habit forms. The best way to get better at photography is start by taking your camera everywhere. If you leave your house, your camera leaves with you. The only exception is if you’re planning for a weekend bender — then probably leave it at home. Other than that, always have it slung over your shoulder. It would probably help to get an extra battery to carry in your pocket. I’ve got three batteries. One in my camera, one in my pocket, one in the charger. When it dies, swap them all.
For me, the most important part of improving at photography has been sharing it. Sign up for an Exposure account, or post regularly to Tumblr, or both. Tell people you’re trying to get better at photography. Talk about it. When you talk about it, other people get excited about it. They’ll come on photo walks with you. They’ll pose for portraits. They’ll buy your prints, zines, whatever.
Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water.
— Christopher Morley
Enjoy the morning.
The best way to get better at photography is start by taking your camera everywhere. If you leave your house, your camera leaves with you. The only exception is if you’re planning for a weekend bender — then probably leave it at home. Other than that, always have it slung over your shoulder. It would probably help to get an extra battery to carry in your pocket. I’ve got three batteries. One in my camera, one in my pocket, one in the charger. When it dies, swap them all.
For me, the most important part of improving at photography has been sharing it. Sign up for an Exposure account, or post regularly to Tumblr, or both. Tell people you’re trying to get better at photography. Talk about it. When you talk about it, other people get excited about it. They’ll come on photo walks with you. They’ll pose for portraits. They’ll buy your prints, zines, whatever.
It’s easily the best camera I’ve ever owned. I take care of it as best as I can, but I don’t let taking care of it impact the photography. You’ll get better at each section of what we talked about slowly. And while you do, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it all is and how the habit forms.
There are absolutely no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds and this is real.
— Gilbert K. Chesterton
Free your mind.
The best way to get better at photography is start by taking your camera everywhere. If you leave your house, your camera leaves with you. The only exception is if you’re planning for a weekend bender — then probably leave it at home. Other than that, always have it slung over your shoulder. It would probably help to get an extra battery to carry in your pocket. I’ve got three batteries. One in my camera, one in my pocket, one in the charger. When it dies, swap them all.
I’ve got a Fujifilm X100s. It’s easily the best camera I’ve ever owned. I take care of it as best as I can, but I don’t let taking care of it impact the photography. Let me elaborate on that a bit better. You’ll get better at each section of what we talked about slowly. And while you do, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it all is and how the habit forms.
For me, the most important part of improving at photography has been sharing it. Sign up for an Exposure account, or post regularly to Tumblr, or both. Tell people you’re trying to get better at photography. Talk about it. When you talk about it, other people get excited about it. They’ll come on photo walks with you. They’ll pose for portraits. They’ll buy your prints, zines, whatever.
How to Appreciate the Little Things in Life and be Happy
Just the other day I happened to wake up early. That is unusual for an engineering student. After a long time I could witness the sunrise. I could feel the sun rays falling on my body. Usual morning is followed by hustle to make it to college on time. This morning was just another morning yet seemed different.
Witnessing calm and quiet atmosphere, clear and fresh air seemed like a miracle to me. I wanted this time to last longer since I was not sure if I would be able to witness it again, knowing my habit of succumbing to schedule. There was this unusual serenity that comforted my mind. It dawned on me, how distant I had been from nature. Standing near the compound’s gate, feeling the moistness that the air carried, I thought about my life so far.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
Steve Jobs
I was good at academics, so decisions of my life had been pretty simple and straight. Being pretty confident I would make it to the best junior college of my town in the first round itself, never made me consider any other option. I loved psychology since childhood, but engineering was the safest option. Being born in a middle class family, thinking of risking your career to make it to medical field was not sane. I grew up hearing ‘Only doctor’s children can afford that field’ and finally ended up believing it. No one around me believed in taking risks. Everyone worshiped security. I grew up doing the same.
‘Being in the top will only grant you a good life’ has been the mantra of my life. But at times, I wish I was an average student. I wish decisions would have not been so straightforward. Maybe I would have played cricket- the only thing I feel passionate about. Or maybe I would have studied literature (literature drives me crazy). Isn’t that disappointing- me wishing to be bad at academics. It’s like at times I hate myself for the stuff I am good at.
When you step out of these four walls on a peaceful morning, you realize how much nature has to offer to you. Its boundless. Your thoughts, worries, deadlines won’t resonate here. Everything will flow away along with the wind. And you will realize every answer you had been looking for, was always known to you. It would mean a lot to me if you recommend this article and help me improve.
