Walkabout Talkabout Book 2017/BlogtoBook

It's been a labor of love for community, and a community-relationship building experience to create the new (third) 2017 version of The Walkabout Talkabout Book.  The book originally was written and designed in 1988 by The Maverick Institute co-founders Leslie Johnston (graphic artist) and Anita C. Fonte (writer) and funded by the Arizona Humanities Council. It was reprinted by the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension and 4-H and used by 4-H Groups throughout the State.

In 2016, as part of the collaborative effort to Build UP^ Tucson & Beyond, others came into the process of envisioning how a revised version could benefit various community-building efforts.  These groups include:  the Southwest Fair Housing Council, the Pima County Ending Poverty Program, the Geospatial Collaborative LLC, the Limberlost Neighborhood Association and Feng Shui Planning.  

In 2017, Leslie Johnston/What We Think Design, created a new cover for the book which features a water-harvesting element.  Content suggestions from the City of Tucson's Trees for Tucson Program, the Pima County Ending Poverty Program, and Feng Shui Planning were added under the authorship and coordinationa of Anita C. Fonte/Community Renaissance & its pro bono program, The Partnership for Equity and Civic Engagement (PECE).

The Walkabout Talkabout Book is free and available to download at www.geospatialcollaborative.org.  It is a book that is friendly to children as well as adults.  Limited hard copies are printed by the Pima County Ending Poverty Program and the Geospatial Collaborative LLC.  

Please use the Walkabout Talkabout Book and let us know how it helped you and your neighborhood at anitafonte@gmail.com 

www.publicdomainpictures.net

Collaborations Continue

We will have new info soon on continuing and expanded community collaborations as we continue to BuildUP^ Tucson & Beyond and create thriving communities.

Snapshots from 3/20/17 International Days of Happiness in Tucson

Our events kicked off at Cafe 54 with Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild reading the City's Proclamation for Tucson's 3rd International Days of Happiness.

#HappyActs and Do Happy Today Happy Wall at Cafe 54.  This is one of thirteen Tucson Happy walls!

Columbus Library launched 2017 with their Happy Wall.  Photo by Tima Farhat, librarian

The Tucson Jewish Community Center started their Happy Wall during Rodeo Week (picture is from that week by Andrea Wright, JCC staff).  It continued through 3/20 and was an activity that helped boost happiness during bomb threats when the building was locked down for safety.

Limberlost Neighborhood Association serves as the 501-c3 for Do Happy Today and their event (with City of Tucson staff, Irene Ogata), took place on 3/19 at Limberlost Family Park.  City funded improvements to that park, including a FengShui Well-being Walking Path first featured in the 2016 Do Happy Today Celebration, will be dedicated in Fall 2017.

An example of one of 359 posts from the Downtown Pima County Public Library Do Happy Today and Live Happy #happyacts Happy Wall.

Each post was thematically counted by Community Renaissance in the Community Room, City of Tucson Ward 3 office which also hosted a Happy Wall.

A summary report of the data gathered from all of the Happy Walls will be available in May at www.communityrenaissance.biz

List of events 3.12 for Do Happy Today/Intern. Day of Happiness 2017

Do ‘happy’ in March

Series of Do Happy Today events held during March

The third annual Do Happy Today series of events will be held during March and culminate with Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild signing a proclamation at noon on March 20 at Café 54. March 20 is the International Day of Happiness.

Do Happy Today is an all-volunteer collaborative community effort dedicated to encouraging personal and community happiness and well-being, as well as engaging southern Arizona communities in positive change. DHT is coordinated by Community Renaissance, a locally owned community development business.  This year Do Happy Today is partnering with two national efforts: Happiness Alliance www.happycounts.org and Live Happy Magazine’s #happyacts and Happy Walls. The Happy Walls are popups, and content shared will be collected and thematically summarized by Community Renaissance and share via social media.

Do Happy Today Partners Weekend, March 18 and 19

·       7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 18: Tucson Habitat for Humanity Do Happy Today “Rainbow Build” at Copper Vista II, 5761 S. Copper Plate Drive. To volunteer, contact Joseph Howell at 520.260.9959 or joseph@habitattucson.org

·       10 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 18: DHT at Rillito Bend Neighborhood and Tucson Valley of the Moon Home/Garden Art Tour and Live Happy Wall, 2544 E. Allen Road. Bring your Walkabout Talkabout Book. Free download at www.communityrenaissance.biz .

·       March 18-20: 10:30 a.m., March 18: Storytime on Happiness at Himmel Park Branch, Pima County Public Library, 1035 N. Treat Ave. March 18-20: People can fill out a blank flower-shaped paper available at the library’s information desk and answer “What makes me happy?” or “How do I share happiness?” (520.594.5305 or www.library.pima.gov/himmel)

·       10 a.m.-2:00 p.m., March 18: Celebrate Historic South Park Community at Park Ave. Between 27th Street and 31st Street. Family activities, food, music and more. Contact Glenn Davis (520) 870-8109.

·       4 to 6 p.m., March 19: Limberlost Neighborhood Association Community Fair, Limberlost Park, 4255 N 4th Ave.  Café 54 Food Truck (invited), Live Happy Wall, Architectural Design Display for City of Tucson first feng shui well-being path, Limberlost Little Free Library and info from various community groups. Bring your Walkabout Talkabout Book. Free download at www.communityrenaissance.biz/happyu. City of Tucson’s Do Happy Today Proclamation will be featured at the event.

March 20: Official International Day of Happiness

·       Noon to 2 p.m., March 20: Café 54, 54 E. Pennington St., DHT and TENWEST – Live Happy Wall available to share personal happy thoughts; featuring Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild reading Proclamation at Noon. (www.cafe54.org or 520.622.1907)

·       March 20: DHT Flowers – Southwest Fair Housing Council to deliver to participating partners

·       March 20 to March 25: Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea, 1730 E. Speedway: Live Happy Wall available to share personal happy thoughts. (www.bentleyscoffeehouse.com)

·       March 20 to 24: Happy Wall at Connect Coworking

·       March 20 to March 24: Make Way for Books, 700 N. Stone, Happy Wall; story time on March 24 at 10 a.m. will focus on happiness (www.makewayforbooks.org)

·       March 20, noon-3 p.m.: Himmel Branch Library, 1035 N. Treat Ave. – Mah Jong, Healthy Brain and Happiness; 5 p.m. – UA Master Gardener Presentation on Warm Season Vegetable Gardening/Eat Healthy and Happiness

·       March 20, 4-6 p.m.: Girl Scout Resource Center, 4300 E. Broadway Blvd.: Girl Scouts Troop 1934 “Science of Happiness” Merit Badge Activities, including Happiness Survey, Making a Happiness Journal, Gratitude Cards and Bliss/Happy Bags

·       March 20: Live Happy Wall for Tucson Medical Center staff and visitors only

·       March 20: Tucson Downtown Partnership will host an outdoor Live Happy Wall, time and location to be announced.

·       March 20: Woods Memorial Library, 3455 N. 1^st Ave., will host a Tree of Gratitude. Patrons can add their thoughts about what makes them happy www.pima.library.gov/woods .

·       March 20: Joel D. Valdez Library, 101 N. Stone Ave., will host a Live Happy Wall in the lobby.

·       March 21, 6-7 p.m.: Tucson Tuesday Laughter Yoga, Friends Meeting House, 931 N. 4^th Ave., (520.449.0213 or http://laughteryoga.org)

·       March 21, 4-7 p.m.: University of Arizona Village Farm, U-Pick, 4210 N. Campbell Ave., (https://tucsonvillagefarm.arizona.edu)

More information about Do Happy Today is available at www.dohappytoday.com, www.facebook.com/dohappytoday or   www.communityrenaissance.biz .

Happiness Alliance Blog: Big Data for Bigger Happiness?

Happiness Alliance Blog: Big Data for Bigger Happiness?: Big data officially hit the happiness movement at the World Government Summit mid-February in Dubai. This blog post is the third that repo...

Tour of Zappos and more

Last week, as part of my continuing research on happiness and well-being (part of #dohappytoday), I was in Las Vegas (my hubby was attending a motorcycle auction).  We scheduled a tour of the fulfillment center, Zappos, (http://tours.zappos.com) and met with a Happiness Alliance colleague (www.happycounts.org) about the work she is doing through Lift Up Las Vegas.  I learned a lot from both the Zappos experience and the conversation with Alice Edwards.  Here's my quick summary:

From Zappos--where the WOW! culture is working to deliver happiness via a happy workplace.  I think many of these elements could be implemented in any workplace!!

• Inspirational quotes from diverse thought leaders are on walls and elevator doors.  NOTE:  Zappos is located on an eight acre campus that was formerly the Las Vegas City Hall and jail.
• The jail has been transformed into a 24/7 work out/fitness center with "mother care" rooms nearby where new moms have access to free breast pumps.  Child care is not provided, but kids and pets (pets are vetted through a work team) are welcome.
• Three full-time Life Coaches offer paid for 6 week life coaching classes for all employees.
• Walls are splattered with plexiglass work design boards, book covers (recommended as part of their company university.  See www.deliveringhappiness.com/zappos-core-values
• "Funengineers" help plan "dream experiences" for employee teams.
• Customer Loyalty Teams (CLT, i.e. call center employees) are encouraged to have unlimited customer call time and promote "personal emotional connections."  Based on the customer call, an employee can send Zappos gift cards, various freebies, even arrange a Zappos party for the customer if the employee feels the customer needs some extra happiness in his/her life.
• Compared to the average one year term for call center employees, Zappos CLTs average five years.
• It can take up to 84 days to "hire" employees; they complete a 5 1/2 week training course (IT folks also learn how to be a part of a CLT) and, upon graduation, new employees are greeted into the company with a "parade" hosted by other employees.
• All employees are full-time.  Hourly earnings are $10.00/hour during training; $14.00/hour after graduation and pay increases are decided by the teams/circles as part of their management approach:  holacracy www.holacracy.org
• Benefits include complete medical, dental, workforce housing benefits, health management and wellness education and training.
• There are multiple ways to earn Zappos dollars, purchase prizes for doing WOW, giving coworkers monthly WOW bonuses.
• Free snacks, free ebook downloads (for participation in the company university).
• Lunch areas have free or less than $5.00 healthy menu choices with ping-pong, miniature golf, and bikes to check out (with helmets provided) to do meals in the city.
• Self-management and peer-training are the tools for team-building.
• Work cubicles are decorated per each individual and employees are identified by Zappos-styled "license plates" that mark years of employment.
• Work areas have designated local charity donation boxes that are determined monthly by circle teams.  Teams get bonus points for volunteering in the community.

From my conversation about LiftUp Vegas:

• Though the Vegas survey (via the Happiness Alliance) has been promoted since November, few have responded.  I suggested the "donation" button may be suggesting a donation is needed to do the survey--which it isn't.
• Although the survey produces a happiness profile (I have done it twice), and offers links to PPT slides on how to increase one's happiness, there may need to be a quicker "gift" in response to doing the survey--maybe an emoji sticker.
• Alice is hoping Las Vegas can become a Blue Zone City.  This was the biggest "aha" for me--I think Tucson, our region, other parts of Arizona can become part of the Gallup-Healthways Blue Zone Project www.bluezonesproject.com 
• Alice has a strong technical background and is familiar with the holacracy software.
• Her ideas include setting up a platform for a web-based "white labeled" well-being and happiness app.  While much of this info is beyond my understanding, I wonder if folks at StartupTucson  might be interested in this www.startuptucson.org
• NEXT STEPS for LiftUp Vegas--build up the current survey, expand well-being classes, increase online technology, partner with other happiness and well-being groups.

So, yes, there is more to do, see, and learn about in Vegas than poker, fancy food, or expensive celebrity shows!!

Goodbye 2016 Hello 2017

Near the end of the year, 2016 as partial response to the poetry prompt from Poets & Writers, 11/17/16 edited 1/1/17

Sports:  Cubs win, Olympics in Rio are a bust.

Politics:  Bernie’s tufts of white hair, Hillary’s white pantsuits, Trump’s “Make America White Again”.

Home:  New carpet is a mottled cloud, Gray (the cat) helps us play quiet, neighbors come and go, wave their hands, avoid making eye contact while dead palm tree fronds clutter the pool.

Work:  Like a kid struggling to ride a bicycle, I fall off TENWEST, pick myself up with TEDx, bump into BuildUp^; and coast through do happy today.

Writing: Mostly stuck in 2^nd gear and shifting slowly into third.  Poetry is my harbor; fiction is my reading compass; non-fiction is my bread and butter.  Blogs are bittersweet.

Travel:  Too brief a time in Maui where the water is warm, the sand pillows around my toes and wind blows flower petals across my eyes. I learn hula and let go of my hips, eat homemade granola for breakfast, and am delightfully dampened by mist at a luau.  My husband and son learn to play together again. We go to California to say goodbye to Auntie and play in Harry Potter World at Universal Studios.  In between we travel to Phoenix and watch Diamondbacks play ball.