The Flow Campaign 4/10/2011 Issue 5

4/10/2011-4/16/2011 Issue 5

Community Vitality This week we are focusing on Community Vitality which is the idea that true happiness comes from the connections and relationships we build with the people around us in our homes, our neighborhoods and our work places. Most working adults spend the vast majority of their waking time at the workplace. People who work forty hours a week spend more time with their coworkers than they do with their family and much more time than with their friends. Therefore, it is essential for us to make our work environment community a more pleasant, meaningful place. So what are some actions we can take to make our work places more pleasant and more enjoyable? Here are a few ideas that can transform the experience we have at our workplaces. Firstly, eating is fundamental to the human experience and many people working at full time jobs do not either eat properly or eat with others. Eating with your coworkers is one of the first steps to take to establish and grow a more pleasant work environment. When eating with coworkers I would first start by eating on the work campus when appropriate as this will tie the experience with the workplace. Secondly, get rid of your headphones or other personal devices that separate you from your surroundings. Audio clues are so important to relationships, but body language is even more so. The act of putting on isolating devices sends a strong signal to others that you do not care to interact and that you don’t value the ambient discussions and hubbub of office life. Thirdly, come In to work early. When you are relaxed and rested the day at work is a more pleasant experience as you do not need to be running around and catching up with duties or actions that need to be done. When you have plenty of time every other action becomes easier and with less effort. Also, when you come in early you can spend that time chatting with coworkers, getting the best coffee and of course impressing the boss. Lastly, listen more. Coworkers are starving for attention and if you are a person whom they can talk to about small, and the most important, things they will pay you back in favors, friendship and respect. Recommendations This week’s website recommendation is: Sustainable Industries This week’s book recommendation is: Not On Our Watch by Don Cheadle, John Prendergast Sign up for the weekly newsletter.

Brian Kahn: Getting Back to Our Founding Values Community, Governance, Cultural www.townhallseattle.org Monday, April 11, 2011 | 7:30 – 9pm Seattle for Japan Benefit Community, Material www.seattlegreendrinks.org April 12, 2011 5:30PM - 9PM Jane Fonda, Inspirational Luncheon Community, Culture, Health www.ywcaworks.org April 14, 2011 Noon-1:30PM

Quick update post

Just a stream of thoughts today I'm afraid. I've been so busy lately and when you are working as basically your own boss, sorta, the time really does start to become the most valuable commodity you have. It reminds me of why my work with the Flow Campaign is so important. I have really taken the lessons I've been learning from this work to heart. Time is the premium.

Yesterday I did some initial shooting of a site visit for the Sustainable Rain project for Sustainable Seattle. The location was on the corner of MLK and Union in a formerly vacant lot that was overrun by blackberries, brambles and broken furniture. Across the street is a Grocery Outlet, a cafe espresso stand, and a series of houses with no fences, dogs and comic book readers who flip through superhero hijinks while taking drags off of early morning cigarettes.

The neighbors are all behind the new project that is being lead by a fiscal sponsoree of Sustainable Seattle, Green Plate Special. The project is all about teaching youth about healthy eating, cooking and urban agriculture. It takes youth who have not had the training and examples of a well rounded diet or even the baseline knowledge of where food comes from or what it takes to bring that food from farm to table.

The Flow Campaign 4/3/2011 Issue 4

4/3/2011-4/9/2011 Issue 4

Environmental Quality Please follow the link to a repost of the newsletter as there are technical difficulties with Blogger this week for some reason. The Flow Campaign Issue 4 Recommendations This week’s website recommendation is: Seattle Public Library Events This week’s book recommendation is: The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget by Josh Dorfman Sign up for the weekly newsletter.

Steve Koonin: America’s Energy Challenge Environmental, Governance www.townhallseattle.org Monday, April 4, 2011 | 7:30 – 9pm Disaster Preparedness Training Community, Material www.sustainablewestseattle.org April 7, 2011 6PM - 7 PM Plate of Nations Community, Culture www.plateofnations.com Through April 9,2011

The Flow Campaign 3/27 Issue 3

3/27-4/2/2011 Issue 3

Cultural Vitality The definition of culture is: “the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.” Cultural Vitality is the idea that culture that is uplifting, positive or informative needs to be experienced and sought out. First we are looking at an event that explores the never ending quest for equality and fair treatment. Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller started a Youtube page called “It’s Gets Better.” This page called on people to record their struggles with homophobia, discouragement and discrimination. This week Savage and Miller give a talk at Town Hall discussing the impacts of this work. Sculpture/painter Humaira Abid presents a solo exhibition exploring the multi-faceted meanings of the color red. Red is the color of celebration, sexuality and passion in many areas especially south east Asia. Abid explores traditional Pakistani painting and weaves in her own unique style that reflects her own style and observations about motherhood and fertility. The Global Citizen Journey is a project that sends people around the globe in order to aid and assist others in the peace process. This week the practitioners and workers from the Liberia campaign share their stories, art and photographs of their work. The gathering will also look at historical decisions by policy makers, political leaders and how that intensifies and complicates lasting peace. Recommendations This week’s website recommendation is: www.4culture.org This week’s book recommendation is: A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn		Dan Savage Culture, Community www.townhallseattle.org Tuesday, March 29, 2011 | 7:30 – 9pm Red: Sculpture and Painting Culture www.artxchange.org March 27, 2011-April 30,2011 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Global Citizen Journey Community, Culture compassionateactionnetwork.com Wednesday March 30, 2011 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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The Flow Campaign 3/20-3/27 Issue 2

The new issue of the Flow Campaign is live. Please click on the image to be redirected. We are working on some technical solutions to streamline this process. In the meantime we still want you to have access to the individual actions and events coming up this week in order to strengthen your nine domains of happiness. Sign up for the weekly newsletter.

Also stay tuned for video footage of our fantastic Happiness Event. We were over capacity and had to haul in extra seating and we had to purchase additional food and supplies as the night went on. More details about the event coming soon.

Have a wonderful weekend and please check out the new projects we are launching at Sustainable Seattle.

The Flow Campaign.

Sustainable Rain.