Be Better Today

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 67) – Racial Justice: Ta-Nehisi Coates Today’s show notes are a near-verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. Welcome to the Be Better Today quickcast, I’m your host, Pete. Today’s quote is a deep, candid look at how it is difficult to find the right phrasing when talking about race and racism, especially in the United States, because of the total destruction it entails. The quote comes from author Ta-Nehisi Coates who said: “But all our phrasing—race relations, racial chasm, racial justice, racial profiling, white privilege, even white supremacy—serves to obscure that racism is a visceral experience, that it dislodges brains, blocks airways, rips muscle, extracts organs, cracks bones, breaks teeth. You must never look away from this. You must always remember that the sociology, the history, the economics, the graphs, the charts, the regressions all land, with great violence, upon the body.” Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 66) – Racial Justice: Chris Rock Today’s show notes are a near-verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. Welcome to the Be Better Today quickcast, I’m your host, Pete. Today’s quote on racial justice comes from actor and comedian, Chris Rock. Mr. Rock’s take uses vivid imagery with his trademark wit to get his point across. And I quote: “We treat racism in this country like it’s a style that America went through. Like flared legs and lava lamps. Oh, that crazy thing we did. We were hanging black people. We treat it like a fad instead of a disease that eradicates millions of people. You’ve got to get in a lab, and study it, and see its origins, and see what it’s immune to and what breaks it down.” That is something to think about. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 65) – Racial Justice: Ibram X. Kendi Today’s show notes are a near-verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. Welcome to the Be Better Today quickcast, I’m your host, Pete. Thinking about racial justice can be uncomfortable. The usual narrative around racial justice must change – and change is also uncomfortable. One voice that is rising with new perspectives around racism is that of Ibram X. Kendi. Mr. Kendi offers up a different perspective with this quote from an article in The Undefeated: “We have been taught that ignorance and hate lead to racist ideas, lead to racist policies. If the fundamental problem is ignorance and hate, then your solutions are going to be focused on education, and love and persuasion. But of course [Stamped from the Beginning] shows that the actual foundation of racism is not ignorance and hate, but self-interest, particularly economic and political and cultural.” That is something to think about. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 64) – Racial Justice: Barack Obama Today’s show notes are a near-verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. Welcome to the Be Better Today quickcast, I’m your host, Pete. Today’s quote on racial justice comes from the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. Here he is helping to put context around the phrase and movement of Black Live Matter. He says: “It’s important for us to also understand that the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ simply refers to the notion that there’s a specific vulnerability for African Americans that needs to be addressed. It’s not meant to suggest that other lives don’t matter. It’s to suggest that other folks aren’t experiencing this particular vulnerability.” Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 63) – Racial Justice: James Baldwin Today’s show notes are a near-verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. Welcome to the Be Better Today quickcast, I’m your host, Pete. We continue our path of exploring racial justice quotes. Today, we listen to the words of American novelist and activist, James Baldwin, who wrote: “Well, if one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one does not question the policemen, the lawyers, the judges, or the protected members of the middle class. One goes to the unprotected—those, precisely, who need the law’s protection most! —and listens to their testimony. Ask any Mexican, any Puerto Rican, any black man, any poor person—ask the wretched how they fare in the halls of justice, and then you will know, not whether or not the country is just, but whether or not it has any love for justice, or any concept of it. It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 62) – Racial Justice: Martin Luther King, Jr. Today’s show notes are a near-verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. Welcome to the Be Better Today quickcast, I’m your host, Pete. Every day this week I have thought about the great Martin Luther King, Jr. And every day I have thought about his famous, groundbreaking, and ever-relevant “I Have a Dream” speech. Today, I want to read two excerpts as reminders that the work we must do is difficult and necessary, and that hope for a better future rings as true today as it did on August 23, 1963. The first quote says: “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” And the second quote says: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” With that, I say, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 61) – Racial Justice: Sally Kohn Today’s show notes are a verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. Today’s topic is about the role of white people in racial and social justice. To explore this aspect, we turn to a quote from political commentator and community organizer, Sally Kohn, who said: “I think racial justice - and addressing the sick and enduring legacy of structural racism - remains one of the greatest challenges of our time, and one that's particularly important for more and more white people to speak up about.” Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 60) – Racial Justice: Ijeoma Oluo Today’s show notes are a verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. Today’s quote on racial justice is a modern take on the subject. It is important to bring the concept of being an anti-racist into the discussion. To do this, we turn to New York Times best-selling author, Ijeoma Oluo, who said: “The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it’s the only way forward.” Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 59) – Racial Justice: Martin Luther King, Jr. Today’s show notes are a nearly verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. As we said in previous episodes, this week’s quotes on racial justice will largely stand on their own. There is nothing we can offer to enhance these powerful words. Today, we return to the greatest voice in civil rights of all-time, Martin Luther King, Jr., who said: "With patient and firm determination we will press on until every valley of despair is exalted to new peaks of hope, until every mountain of pride and irrationality is made low by the leveling process of humility and compassion; until the rough places of injustice are transformed into a smooth plane of equality of opportunity, and until the crooked places of prejudice are transformed by the straightening process of bright-eyed wisdom." Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 58) – Racial Justice: Michelle Alexander Today’s show notes are a nearly verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. We continue our examination of racial justice quotes today. As stated previously, I will refrain from any opinion or insights, letting the quote speak for itself. Today’s quote comes from writer and civil rights activist, Michelle Alexander, who said: “The fate of millions of people – indeed the future of the black community itself – may depend on the willingness of those who care about racial justice to re-examine their basic assumptions about the role of the criminal justice system in our society.” Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. This episode’s sponsor: Anchor Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 57) – Racial Justice: Martin Luther King, Jr. Today’s show notes are a nearly verbatim transcript because we believe the subject warrants it. We had some time off due to the needs of our family during the pandemic. We hope you and your family have stayed safe. Given the events of the last week, we decided to return and focus our quotes on racial justice. As a white male, I am aware that what I say here is likely going to be wrong. I accept that. I also accept that silence is not an option. My goal is to share the quotes this week and very little of my insights. I think the words themselves are important to share. We need dialogue to find solutions to individual and institutional racism in the United States. This little podcast is not the place for those critical talks. Instead, we will share the words of great leaders in history. The subject is not easy, and the words will not fix the problem. The goal here is to take in the words and let them inspire us to go learn, listen, and be part of the solution. We start today with a quote from the great civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., who said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” A powerful and critical sentence from a great man. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. This episode’s sponsor: Anchor Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 45) – Humor: Jimmy Buffett I originally attributed this quote incorrectly to Bob Hope. My apologies. This quote about humor is awesome, and it comes from Jimmy Buffett, who said: “Humor has bailed me out of more tight situations than I can think of. If you go with your instincts and keep your humor, creativity follows. With luck, success comes, too.” These words coming from Bob Hope may make more sense, but they somehow have more meaning coming from songster Jimmy Buffett. Work on your humor and watch your luck increase, and your success, too. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. This episode’s sponsor: Anchor Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 47) – Humor: Edmund Hillary Today’s quote about humor comes from Edmund Hillary who, along with Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, was one of the first confirmed people to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, who said: “Good planning is important. I've also regarded a sense of humor as one of the most important things on a big expedition. When you're in a difficult or dangerous situation, or when you're depressed about the chances of success, someone who can make you laugh eases the tension.” These words convey the power of humor. Embrace humor in every situation so you are ready to use it when you really need it. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. This episode’s sponsor: Anchor Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 43) – Humor: Audrey Hepburn This week's theme is humor and we kick it off with this quote from the legendary actress, Audrey Hepburn, who said: "I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person." Laughter is balm for the soul. Make yourself and others laugh every day and find life's joy. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Be sure to check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. This episode’s sponsor: Anchor Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 30) – Calm: Lao Tzu Continuing our theme of calm, we have this incredible quote from ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, who wrote: “Make your heart like a lake, with a calm, still surface, and great depths of kindness.” Stay calm in the chaos and practice consistent – no, make that persistent - kindness. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! Come check out The No Fear Project on Facebook. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! This episode’s sponsor: Anchor Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 24) – Change: N. R. Narayana Murthy There is nothing easy about change. Today, we have a quote from N. R. Narayana Murthy that drives this point home: “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” Facing those fears will not be easy. Find a supportive place to help guide you. Get a therapist if you are in a situation that demands change and you cannot move forward. I mentioned The No Fear Project yesterday and we end every episode with this – “The way forward is together. The time to conquer is now.” Remember those words as you face the necessary changes in your life. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! This episode’s sponsor: Anchor Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Episode Notes Be Better Today (Season 2, Episode 22) – Change: George Bernard Shaw This week we reflect on the theme of change. We start off with this profound quote from Irish playwright and political activist, George Bernard Shaw: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” It is not only our right to change our minds, but it is also a necessity. Changing our minds is the only path to progress. Now, let’s get out there and #bebettertoday! This episode’s sponsor: Anchor Check out our other podcasts: The No Fear Project That Wine Pod FatMan Chronicles SUPPORT the Be Better Today podcast through The No Fear Project on Patreon! The Be Better Today podcast, The No Fear Project, and Paragon Media are committed to helping those with mental illness get help and to defeating the stigma. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline for help now at 800-273-8255. Remember, you are not alone. Be Better Today is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

Today's quote comes from author, and fellow podcaster, Tim Ferriss - "'Someday' is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you." Do not let "someday" infect your dreams. Take action today. Now, let's get out there and #bebettertoday!

Today's quote comes from John Wooden, arguably the greatest coach in men's college basketball history, who said - "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." Concentrate on your strengths and get "can't do" out of your vocabulary. Now, let's get out there and #bebettertoday!

Today's quote comes from the legendary artist, Pablo Picasso - "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away." Find your gift, give it away, and your life will have purpose. Now, let's get out there and #bebettertoday!