Maine – Be Well Consulting Group

Attitude of Gratitude: There’s a Lot to be Grateful for in my Life

A favorite lunch spot along Maine's rocky coast in Bar Harbor. Uninvited seagulls never fail to join us. — A favorite lunch spot along Maine’s rocky coast in Bar Harbor. Uninvited seagulls never fail to join us.

Faceboook is overflowing with gratitude challenges. People are challenging their friends, family, and colleagues to identify those things in their lives for which they’re grateful. My friend, Maura Halkiotis, challenged me to identify and post three things I’m grateful for each day for five days. I altered the challenge a bit: here’s my list – all 15 in one day, no particular order except for number 15 (no skipping ahead).

Laughter. Listening to a child’s infectious giggle or an adult’s belly laugh stops me in my tracks and immediately puts a smile on my face.
Coffee Shops. Working out of my home as a consultant has given me a great appreciation of coffee shops – even though I’ve ditched coffee for green tea. These satellite offices provide a place for me to meet with clients; allow me to be in a room with people when I’ve spent too much time alone; and, of course, there’s always a great cup of tea or snack awaiting.
Friends and Family. There is nothing like sharing successes and setbacks with people I love and respect. I’m blessed to have family and friends who open their hearts and homes to my husband and me; and I’m especially grateful for those of you who share your children’s worlds with us.
My preferred mode of travel takes me through the marshes of Cape Cod.
My Bike. My pink bike has taken me places I never imagined I’d travel. And, yes, I’m grateful each of those 30 gears to power me over hills and through trails.
Water, Water Everywhere. Beaches, marshes, lakes are mesmerizing. I feel lucky every day to live in the beautiful State of Maine. The rocky coast is a stunning backdrop for a good life.
Second Chances. We can all use a do-over every now and again.
Living in a Country Where Disagreements / Debate Take Place. While our country certainly has its issues, there’s no place in the world I’d rather live. Disagreements can be debated publicly; political change takes place seamlessly; in spite of disagreements, there is a sense of compassion (most of the time) that transcends politics.
Generosity and Philanthropy. Working in the nonprofit sector allowed me to see on a daily basis how dedicated people are to helping those in need. The generosity of people to share their time, talent, and financial resources is truly heart-warming.
Public Spaces. Imagine a world without public beaches, parks, or museums. No thank you.
Pioneers. I’m so grateful for those bold pioneers who turn a deaf ear to the naysayers and forge a new path.
My Health. I’ve been researching the relationship(s) surrounding lifestyle and cancer for close to three years now. I’m grateful every day to be healthy, sometimes in spite of my choices, and sometimes because of my choices.
Loud Music. Whether I’m cooking in my kitchen or driving my car, a loud blast of music can change the shape of the day.
Artists. Creativity provided by artists – photographers, painters, singers, musicians, etc. – opens our eyes to new possibilities and perspectives.
Social Media. The power and ease of connecting has never been greater since social media entered our world. Personal and professional lives collide, multi-generational conversations bloom, and the world is a better place for it.
John Nelson. I saved the best for last. I’m grateful every minute of every day that John is in my life. Lucky me to have a husband who is my best cheerleader, sounding board, and friend.

This was a valuable exercise for me to complete. While it may sound a bit contrived, developing an attitude of gratitude can change the way you see the world AND the way the world sees you. So give it a shot: I encourage (or should I say challenge) you to take a few minutes and think about those people / places / things that make you smile even when you’re trying your hardest to be cranky. Don’t let anyone else write your story; it’s yours to tell.

Attitude of Gratitude: There’s a Lot to be Grateful for in my Life was last modified: September 18th, 2014 by Deb Nelson

TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race: There’s Room For Everyone at Joanie’s Run

Here it is Sunday night, the weekend’s winding down, and I’m watching the Boston Red Sox play those dreaded New York Yankees. While this is a good way to end the weekend (as long as the Red Sox win), I find myself thinking about yesterday’s TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race along the coast of Southern Maine. It was the third time I’ve run this race, and it’s the third time I’ve thanked the running gods for Joan Benoit-Samuelson.

With countless 10K races in Maine alone, what’s so special about this race? Well, let me tell you. In a word: Joanie is what’s so special about this race:

Every year for the past 17 years, Joanie has brought runners of every ability “to some of [her] most favorite training grounds.”

Every year elite runners from around the world are joined by not-so-elite-but-no-less-enthusiastic runners from around the country. 46 states were represented in this year’s race.

Every year the residents of Cape Elizabeth open their town and their homes to host elite runners visiting the Coast of Maine.

Every year the people who live along the race route create a party atmosphere that powers the runners to dig a little deeper and have a little fun as they climb that last hill.

Every year a local nonprofit is selected as the beneficiary of the race and receives publicity, a cash donation from TD Charitable Foundation, and has the opportunity to put together a fundraising team of its own for the race.

Every year at the start of the race, we hear Joanie tell us how important the runners and volunteers are to this race.

Key to why we all love Joanie and the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race is that every year Joanie puts the spotlight on someone other than herself. In 2012 when the documentary There is No Finish Line: The Joan Benoit-Samuelson Story was released, Joanie ran with back of the packers (including me) around Portland’s Back Cove. She ran with us, chatted with us as we ran, and offered up some advice for each one of us. Joanie continues to observe, encourage, and inspire the back of the packers to run every day of the year.

She and her team, which includes race director Dave MacGillivray, work behind the scenes year-round to make adjustments to the race. The rest of us wait to see how the race will be improved from the previous year – even though we thought it was just about perfect to begin with. No detail is forgotten at any stage of planning, which is something we’ve come to expect from our Olympic Gold Medalist who puts together a race that sells out in minutes and is talked about for years.

As I left the packet pickup expo, I heard several people commenting: “they’ve got this down,” “they know their stuff,” “wow – that was organized.” After the race, buses were ready and waiting to take runners back to their cars; praise all around for the volunteers and logistics. Complaints and whining? Are you kidding? The only thing that comes close to a complaint is those of us who wonder what our time would have been if we’d gone up that last hill just a little faster.

So, thank you Joanie, for bringing a race to Maine that welcomes and accommodates every runner, walker, and wheelchair participant. And thank you to all of the sponsors, volunteers, and spectators for being a part of this race. See you next year, going up that last hill just a little bit faster.

TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race: There’s Room For Everyone at Joanie’s Run was last modified: August 3rd, 2014 by Deb Nelson

Sweeping the Homeless Under the Rug

Yes, you read that headline correctly. And, yes, one of my favorite cities – Portland, Maine – is trying its very best to sweep the down and out under the rug. The Portland City Council has banned standing, sitting, parking, or driving on a median in response to the outrage expressed by the good people of Portland. Their outrage was sparked by panhandlers – the homeless and poor who had staked out territory and asked for money at intersections throughout the city.

Were the people of Portland outraged that:

Their friends and neighbors have no job prospects?

Their friends and neighbors are asking for help as a last resort?

Their friends and neighbors have nowhere else to turn?

Sadly, I’m afraid not. You see:

It’s not good for tourism to have those pesky panhandlers at every intersection of the city.

It’s uncomfortable for those of us who have a place to rest our heads every night to look those who don’t in the eye.

It’s unnerving to be reminded that so many people consider having three square meals every day an unattainable goal.

Having homeless people in the city isn’t a new concept to Portland’s elected officials. Last December at a presentation hosted by the Institute for Civic Leadership, Mark Swann of Preble Street Resource Center and Suzanne McCormick of United Way of Greater Portland shared information about homelessness in Portland. Swann and McCormick reminded us that labeling things – homeless – lets us forget that being homeless is more than statistics. Being homeless happens to people; being homeless happens to people who have worked alongside us for decades; being homeless happens to our family, our friends and our neighbors.

So when Swann wanted to know what being homeless was like, he went to the source. Here’s how Bill responded when Swann asked him what it’s like to be homeless in Portland, Maine:

Being homeless means waking up on the floor, mere inches away from a total stranger, it means hoping you can find a seat in the soup kitchen because it is frequently standing room only and you may have to eat standing up. It means walking around in somebody else’s clothes because you don’t have money to buy your own. They don’t fit right but it was the closest you could find from the clothing closet. The shelter had socks so at least your feet are dry, unless it rains and the holes in your shoes start taking in water. It means carrying everything you own, everything, in a back pack or a black trash bag, trying not to remember when it wasn’t so – the job, the apartment, the wife, the car, the sanity, try to forget the losses, except you can’t because nobody will let you forget – you’re nobody without the trappings of belonging. People will look at you with pity or disgust – hard to know which feels worse.

You feel an asthma attack coming on and remember you don’t have an inhaler because you don’t have Mainecare. You hope it’s not too bad and that you can get to the hospital in time if it is. But, who will call 911? If you’re a woman, you may have to do things your mother told you never to do because you simply can’t take one more night on the floor of the shelter.

It means if you’re a senior citizen, it means sitting between the two bathrooms at Preble St. and being fearful of leaving because you’re never sure when you’ll have to go. It means watching from the shadows as the other half lives its life out in the sunshine full of hope and prosperity. And not having either yourself.

This account of what it’s like to be homeless is one of the reasons I’m so sad about how the City Council came to pass the ordinance. While the city’s police chief referenced public safety as his motivation for advocating for the ban, enforcing this ban simply means sweeping the plight of the homeless under the rug. When a problem is out of sight, we stop talking about it. That’s not the Portland I know and love.

Being homeless in Portland and asking for help isn’t about ripping people off or taking advantage of someone stopped at an intersection. Being homeless in Portland is about trying to find your way through a really scary time in your life – an experience none of us can imagine unless we’ve been there. And more and more of our friends are there right now. McCormick and her staff investigated some of the statistics and presented them in this video, What if it were you? The statistics are sobering and highlight the fact that far too many people – our family, our friends and our neighbors – are experiencing what it feels like to be homeless.

I don’t claim to have the answers when it comes to helping the homeless, but I know we need to ask the right questions if we want to get the right answers. Thank you Mark Swann and Suzanne McCormick for asking questions and keeping the conversation going to put us on the path to identifying good solutions.

This post is one in a series highlighting good deeds. Please share examples of good deeds in your community by commenting below or contacting Deb directly.

Sweeping the Homeless Under the Rug was last modified: August 9th, 2013 by Deb Nelson

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