“Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it
with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”
– Henry Ward Beecher

 4 June 2020

Dear Renée,

As I write this, the world is watching in real-time the consequences of century’s worth of institutionalized, systemic injustices handed down to the minorities in the United States. I'm not proud that my hometown of Minneapolis is the epicenter. George Floyd, a black man, died unnecessarily at the hands of four seemingly uncaring policemen while being restrained with a knee to the neck while he repeatedly stated, “I can’t breathe”.  I am praying this is finally, “the straw that DESTROYs the camel’s back”.  I’ve seen comments in social media about how terrible it is that buildings and businesses have been destroyed without any mention or any clear understanding as to the reason it’s happening. Yes, it is terrible violence has erupted, that people no longer have a place to earn a living, buy food and/or medicine.  It will take years and a lot of money to replace and make the physical whole. The criminals need to be arrested, including all the policemen taking part in the murder of George Floyd. But more importantly we must start repairing the emotional and mental anguish and righting the injustices that caused it to boil over yet again.  No black parent should have to talk with their kids about “living while black” to help them survive! And if you don't understand why it's "Black Lives Matter" and not "All Lives Matter", I suggest you ask someone about it.

It’s time we look in the mirror to take an honest and hard look at ourselves and our institutions. There is prejudice everywhere, some blatant, some subtle.  Real dialog must take place – where are the problems? How can we fix them to make an equitable and just society for everyone? We cannot just say, “carry on” after the violence ends and then not take action to fix the injustices in housing, home ownership, education, healthcare, employment, access to bank loans, etc. These are human rights issues. WE MUST TAKE ACTION to fix it. “White privilege” must come to an end. There is no such thing as While Human Rights vs. Black Human Rights vs. Brown Human Rights - it’s just Human Rights!

It is time for all of us white folk to play our part to speak up and demand change. It won’t happen overnight; it will take decades to make the needed changes happen. But it has to start with us - the majority. The change has to come by demanding equality. Speak Up! Create a dialog among family and friends, and with people not like you – listen to their viewpoint, help others who don't get it, understand. Get involved in your community if you can, and get out and vote. Let’s all take a knee and a big breath for George Floyd and take action to see the change. Lend a hand – grab the “handle of faith”. The world can be a better place.  

Taking the LEAP with you!

“Action is worry’s worst enemy.” ~ Proverb 

You’ve probably done a lot of worrying of late.  Worrying has a bad rep because of all the damage it can do. Worrying is what keeps many of us awake at night, distracts us during the day, and gives our physical systems a workout we don’t need.

But what would you think if I said, “Worrying if it’s done right, can actually be helpful”?

Effective worrying can help us anticipate problems, devise artful solutions, and expand creative possibilities. According to Dr. Edward Hollowell, of the Harvard Medical School, worry is nature’s way of helping us anticipate—and avoid— danger. Good worry leads to constructive action.

When you find yourself in bed at night, tossing and turning, plowing the same field, again and again, you’re in the midst of worry of the worst kind: self-perpetuating. The more you worry, the more stress chemicals feedback to the brain, telling it to worry more. When you find yourself mired in this worry bog, the best thing to do is to get physical. Get up, move. Action will temporarily relieve the worrying. When you come back to the problem, you may even have a better perspective on it. Taking a walk, working out, going for a bike ride or a run can help relieve worry. Exercise increases blood flow, meaning more oxygen to the brain. Exercising regularly means you will probably worry less.

Keep reading to find out how to put worry to work for you, take action, and gain a stronger sense of control.

What’s your turnaround statement to your most pressing worry? Do you have an action plan?

Are you feeling emotional and raw with life’s events right now? Want to look in the mirror to determine your level of bias?

The Harvard Project Implicit Test is a powerful tool regarding bias recognition. Often we may not even know if we are biased, or how severe the bias is. As described on their website: “Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaboration between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition – thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. The goal of the organization is to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a ‘virtual laboratory’ for collecting data.”

Please consider sharing this information and discuss your results with others.  It may surprise you.  By looking at ourselves in the mirror we can initiate a positive shift in our society. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit

FREE GIFT
If you know it's time for a change in a specific area of your life, but you aren't sure how to make it happen, this is for you - Courage, Risks and Reward: Taking a Chance to Change Your Life -  a 5-part Coaching Program compliments of The LEAP Network! Click here to download the program.

COMPLIMENTARY REINVENT STRATEGY SESSION

Join me in a one-hour complimentary strategy session to help determine how you can move forward in getting unstuck, and gain momentum to move in the right direction for you.

During our session, we will go over one or two exercises and determine the one next step you can take on your own after the call to keep the momentum going. Click here to schedule your session

Renée Blasky is the Founder and CEO of The LEAP Network Ltd.

She wasn’t always the risk-taking entrepreneur that she is today. Through several important life experiences, including being an "expat" for the vast majority of her life and sailing an ocean, she learned the importance and benefits of risk-taking and how to embrace risk rather than fear it! Renée also realized capturing life’s fulfillment meant giving back to others. So, she started her second business: The LEAP Network in order to share her experiences and expertise with entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs.  This includes "trailing spouses", stay-at-home parents or elderly caregivers who have sacrificed their careers due to circumstances beyond their control.  Renée coaches existing entrepreneurs on ways to monetize their passion, revitalize their businesses, and take action to grow their businesses.  She coaches those who have sacrificed their careers, either by choice or by uncontrolled circumstances, to eliminate frustration, boredom, and loneliness while becoming more fulfilled and happy!  By helping them start their own online businesses, they can get their identity back, boost their self-esteem, and once again be financially independent!

Learn more about Renée and The LEAP Network by visiting her website here: www.theleapnetwork.coachesconsole.com.

You can also send an email directly to Renée at rkblasky@theleapnetwork.co (not “.com”)

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