Kindness — Podcast — 12 Geniuses

The Future of Political Healing with Bill Doherty of Braver Angels

In this episode, Don MacPherson is joined by University of Minnesota professor and family therapist Bill Doherty. He’s the co-founder of Braver Angels, an organization that aims to help Americans with differing political beliefs understand each other beyond stereotypes. Don and Bill discuss how extreme the political divide has become in recent decades, the methodologies used by the Braver Angels in workshops and events, and the benefits that American citizens and politicians alike can gain from learning to communicate better with those who align themselves differently on the political spectrum.

Leadership Moment - A Giving Spirit

There is something beautiful about selflessness. With a simple gesture, a little kindness, or an act of generosity, we can make the world a better place. This is a four-minute story of someone who exemplified the spirit of giving and never cared that no one was watching.

Leadership Momentdon macphersonApril 29, 2020Leadership Moment, Kindness, Empathy, Wisdom, Cancer, Family, Giving Back, generosity

Leadership Moment - Extraordinary Acts of Heroism from Ordinary People

The last few weeks have rocked the world in ways that most of us have never experienced. We are self-quarantined, restaurants and shops are closed, school children have been sent home, events we have held sacred are canceled. Whatever normal was seems like a distant memory. Our souls are being tried.

Times of uncertainty have a way of unifying us. They also create extraordinary acts of heroism from ordinary people. Bill MacDonald and Richard Seale are two of those heroes. When Hurricane Sandy rocked their community in 2012, they decided to step up. This is their story.

Kindness and Empathy in Berlin 30 Years After the Wall

Following pressures from international powers in the 1980s, the deconstruction of the Berlin Wall began. This month, the world celebrated the 30th anniversary of the wall’s demise. The fall of the wall symbolizes a series of events that led to freedoms and opportunities for hundreds of millions of people around the world.

For a year, I knew I wanted to join the celebration in Berlin and I wanted to share the celebration with my three-year-old daughter. Together we spent a week in Germany. I was certain I would come home with a story about how Berlin and the demise of its wall was a microcosm of the world today. It turns out the story is a lot more complicated than I expected.

Flying back to the United States, my daughter slept next to me as I jotted down three lessons I took away from the trip. It’s these three lessons I want to share with you today in this bonus podcast episode.

From Active Addiction to CEO - Jim Geckler’s Story of Recovery

Since overcoming his own addiction, Jim Geckler has spent his life helping others battle drug and alcohol abuse. There are tens of millions of people in the United States alone who struggle with addiction. They, along with their families and friends, can listen to this interview and walk away with a sense of hope.

Part One - Jim’s Personal Journey Through Recovery

At the age of 13, Jim Geckler drank beer and used marijuana for the first time. From that moment and for 20 more years, he was crippled by drug and alcohol addiction until he hit rock bottom. For Jim, rock bottom was an arrest that proved to be the catalyst to help him overcome his addiction. From there, Jim got a job in a coffee shop and has risen through the recovery community to become CEO of Harmony Foundation in Estes Park, CO. This incredible story will give hope to people struggling with addiction, in recovery, or supporting someone who needs help.

Part Two - Advice for People Struggling with Addiction…The Addicts, Their Friends, and Families

In this part of the interview, Jim discusses:

The root causes behind the opioid epidemic in the United States
What people struggling with addiction can do to find help
How families and friends can provide support to people with a history of alcohol and drug abuse
The difference between pain and discomfort and why understanding this is important
Technology advances that are assisting in successful recoveries

Organizations, people, and resources mentioned: Dr. Christopher Reveley, Jeff and Debra Jay, Love First, The Way Out, Soberlink, Dr. Mel Pohl, The Intervention Show, The Minnesota Model, Harmony Foundation

“What we don’t always look at is the effect it has on the family, the effect it has on society, on the workplace, on safety in general.”

Jim Geckler, CEO of Harmony Foundation, discussing the ripple effects of addiction.

Changedon macphersonDecember 3, 2018addiction, recovery, drug abuse, hope, opioids, Kindness, LGBTQ+, Empathy, Reinvention, rehabilitation, Leadership

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