Fill To Capacity (Where Heart, Grit and Irreverent Humor Collide)

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Fill To Capacity (FTC) “in-btwns” are quick insights at the intersection of art & life! Under 3 minutes, they put the zippity in the doo dah, and appear in between regular podcasts!

Please Note: The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcaster.

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In this episode, Paul Gavrilyuk, president of REBUILD UKRAINE tells how the constant bombardment of Ukraine's cities, and civilian infrastructure does not stop their network of volunteers, businesses, and social media to get medical supplies, protective gear and humanitarian aid into war-torn Ukraine.

With touch points in Lithuania, their quick response, front-line work is saving thousands of older adults, families, orphans, and the sick. They have make-shift schools for refugee children in Montenegro, Lithuania and Ukraine.

Paul sums up the spirit of this work: “the determination is there and no bombing, no tragic and horrific criminal bombing of the cities is gonna stop that determination.”

Paul L. Gavrilyuk, PhD is the Aquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy at the University of St Thomas, St Paul, MN. An internationally respected public speaker, he has five years of experience in the non-profit sphere and is the founding president of the International Orthodox Theological Association.

QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS

PAUL: “The reason we created the organization is precisely because we could help within the country...Most of the people that are affiliated with us...have businesses of their own, and at the same time they're volunteers. So they think about what we do really as one would run a very good small business. Only the outcome is not profit, but actually, a life saved.”

PAUL: "And I've made a moral choice. And it just had to do with the fact that I simply did not have the luxury of just...sitting and doing little or nothing."

PAUL: "...it is a story of Ukraine. And the real heroes, of course, are the ones who are presently willing to ultimately sacrifice their lives...for Ukraine's sovereignty, for its future, for its independence, I mean... it's the American Revolution type of moment for Ukraine. Yeah... it's also defending really core values like...human dignity and freedom."

PAT:  "I was thinking about the way Ukraine has captured the hearts and imaginations of people. And...maybe it's because the world is media weary of bullies, thugs, and grifters not having consequences for their actions. And Ukraine looms large in our collective imagination as the proverbial David stopping the giant Goliath."

LINKS

REBUILD UKRAINE  Paul L. Gavrilyuk, PhD Udemy Course: Ukraine: History, Culture and identities

Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift!    Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com

Please Note: The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcaster.

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In this episode, Dr. Scott Taylor, Ed.D talks about his own shared death experience, and the powerful,  life-changing aftereffects from this event.  He explains the difference and similarities  between near-death (NDE) and shared death experiences(SDE).

Through years of research, working with NDE and SDE experiencers, he highlights stories of transformation, changed behaviors, and heightened awareness of time, purpose and meaning.

Dr.Taylor has explored NDE's for over 30 years. He is the former president, and executive director of the Monroe Institute. He is a spiritual teacher, speaker, and has 6 best-selling guided meditations on NDE’s. Dr.Taylor Is currently president of the Expanded Awareness Institute- (EAI) in Nellysford, VA, which helps people with near-death and shared death experiences.

Quote Highlights

SCOTT:  "Because an NDE in includes transcendental and mystical elements. It is a powerful event of consciousness."

SCOTT: "...the rules of the physical universe are determined by the words “either-or.”  ... It's either you or me. And we are separate....In the nonphysical universe, it's run by  the words “both-and,” so you are you, and I am me and we are separate. We have our separate consciousnesses and we are also tied together. We are made up of the same stuff. We are hooked together consciously."

SCOTT: "However, everybody that comes back from a near death experience or comes back with a shared death experience, or frankly just has a spiritually transformative experience...Talk about ... what's our role here? What are we really all about? And it boils down to love, and learning how to increase our capacity to love."

LINKS

Near Death Meditations Scott M. Taylor, Ed.D 

Are Near Death Experiences Real? With Dr. Scott Taylor September 8, 2022, Next Level Soul

Monroe Institute

Life After Life, by Raymond Moody

At Heaven's Door: What Shared Journeys to the Afterlife Teach About Dying Well and Living Better  by William J. Peters

Dr. Pim van Lommel  

A Cardiologist and Life after Death | An interview with Dr. Pim van Lommel, YouTube

Dr. Peter Fenwick
What Really Happens When You Die | Peter Fenwick's Studies of End-of-Life-Phenomena
The Art of Dying, by Peter Fenwick and Elizabeth Fenwick

After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond, By Bruce Greyson, M.D.
Gold Rumi, Translated by Haleh Liza Gafori   

Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift!    Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com

Please Note: The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcaster.

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In this episode, Diana and Todd Burns talk about their labor of love to rescue and rehabilitate animals in need.  They jump in to save horses and donkeys from a terrible fate and an unknowing public. This is truly a love story with an ornery mini pig, noisy prairie dogs, romping alpacas, and meandering tortoises- truly a cast of creature characters! At the heart of this story is Diana and Todd’s fierce determination to care for each animal as best they can.

Diana and Todd Burns own and operate DT Ranch in Marlow, Oklahoma. It is a rescue and rehabilitation farm and petting zoo with over one hundred animals big and small! You can follow DT Ranch on Facebook because things there are never dull!

QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS

DIANA:  “I don't wanna be one of these people that sit at home and say, you know, I wish I could have something like that or ...I wish I could do that. I wish I could help these animals. I don't wanna be that wishy washy person. I want to help. Yeah. No matter what I want to help.”

DIANA: “I think the best part is when I get donkeys in that I've never had human contact that has never had a brushing or a hand just stroking its main, to look in their eyes and from going from mistrust...and fear to loving and wanting that right there... Okay. And that's what drives me to keep doing is yeah. When I look into their eyes... the mistrust is gone...You see a trusting donkey. You see a donkey that wants to be loved. Yep. And that wants to give love. “

DIANA: “My biggest dream is to go to the livestock auctions, the sales barns get the donkeys before they get into the hands of the kill buyers, then have soldiers that have PTSD come out and work with the broken rejected donkeys, taking two broken souls, putting them together to mend. “

( DONATIONS for the care and feeding of animals can be made at Paypal! To:   [email protected]  and click:  "friends and family"   Thank you! )

LINKS

DT Ranch, Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation 

DT Ranch Facebook

Stroud Oklahoma Kill Pen Horses- Rescuing Kill Pen Horses

“A Silly Little Ranch,” by Todd Burns

Todd R Burns, Music on Spotify

Fort Sill

Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift!    Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com

Please Note: The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcaster.

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In this episode, Carina Ghionzoli shares her terrifying story of being handcuffed with leg irons by ICE agents for overstaying her visa. From caged van to 8 ½ months in a California detention center where only Spanish, a language she did not know, was spoken. Carina endured self-recrimination, confusion and worry from day to day and a cancer diagnosis.

This is a journey from paralyzing fear to the soaring heights of an inner self finding freedom. Carina candidly shares insights and discoveries about detention life and her struggle to not only survive but nurture and celebrate her unbound self.

Carina Ghionzoli, author of The Clank of Chains, life coach, podcaster of Break Fear Find Freedom lives in San Diego, California.

QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS

CARINA:  “I am in detention and my mind, body and soul are in prison. My body and mind are pushed into this box and I am watching them die. When we watch and listen to ourselves, we see our beliefs shine through.”

CARINA:  “...there's so many beliefs about how you are not important. The other person's always more important than you and all those kind of things. And, you don't deserve things. The other person always deserves more things. So, it's always about self-worth, self, self-love.”

CARINA:  “...this sounds really ridiculous, but the whole experience was actually a blessing in disguise because it's made my life richer. I made a lot of friends in detention, and I learned sisterhood. I learned how you can have good friendship with someone, you know, like you can be connected on a, on a platonic, I mean, not, not any romantic or anything, but you can be connected to another soul. That's totally different to you. Yeah. And you can trust each other."

CARINA:   “I went in as one person. I came out as another.”

LINKS

Breakfear...FindFreedom Podcast

The Clank Of Chains by Carina Ghionzoli

Author Interview – Carina Ghionzoli – The Clank Of Chains,  The Table Read, by JJ Barnes, April 9, 2022  

Break Away From Fear With Carina Ghionzoli

Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift!    Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com

Please Note: The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcaster.

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In a time of pandemic, older adults were hit hard and yet rose to the occasion.  In this episode, Lynda-Monick-Isenberg  takes us on a journey into the world of “Creative Aging.”  What is “Creative Aging?” Why is it a global movement? How is creativity linked to longevity?

In Lynda’s Zoom class, older adults explored the art of collage, personal themes and visual storytelling.  “It was this way of opening up their arts experience to their lived experience.” 

Lynda Monick-Isenberg is a visual artist and Professor Emeritus at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. Her work is in museums, private collections and she has large-scale tapestry commissions nationwide.

QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS

LYNDA:  “These are professional artists...who come in to work with older adults. These are professionals that teach in a professional modality that teach professional skills and believe deeply in the ability of everybody to learn and to make, and to be creative."

LYNDA: “... They began ...to look back into their life and create a collage about their life. And they started to remember stories about their lives that they had totally forgotten because you know how it is, it's a smell that comes or it's a, a color that hits you, or it's the way the light connects where whole stories of who they were unfolded in a collage. And then we would look at it... And we could see it and we would say it and they would shine.”

LYNDA:  “...To all of us that have given so much and cared so deeply about, about what an artful world is. That human beings are creative problem solvers, no matter how they think of themselves. Every human being is a creative person. It's part of our DNA to be a creative human being. And to acknowledge that, that's what teachers do.”

 LINKSLynda Monick-Isenberg 

Lynda Monick-Isenberg, Professor Emeritus at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design 

CommonBond Communities 

Piece By Piece: Connection Through Collage by Hannah Swanson

COMPAS (Community Programs in the Arts) 

Lifetime Arts -NATIONAL LEADERS IN CREATIVE AGING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

E.A.Michelson- Philanthropy:  Inspiring Creativity for ages 55 and better

Ted Talk:  Let’s end agism/ Ashton Applewhite (Youtube)

Lifetime Arts:  Examples of work we do for training teaching artists

Lynda Monick-Isenberg created Teaching Artist Program for the College of Visual Arts, St. Paul, MN, but the college closed in 2013. She found a new home for the program at the Minneapolis College of Arts & Design (MCAD).  This Program is one of the first of its kind to be offered in higher education!

Creativity may be key to healthy aging. Here are ways to stay inspired, Washington Post, By Matt Fuchs, July 12, 2021

Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift!    Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com

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In this episode, Helen Salfi Gorday candidly shares her often frustrating and sometimes scary journey medically advocating and caring, for her mother and then her husband. This is a remarkable story of back-to-back catastrophic events and Helen’s indomitable spirit to come through with her joyful heart intact.

Helen and her husband Jim Gorday and 2 daughters lived in St. Catharines, Ontario. In early 70’s her mother got ill and had brain damage with no short-term memory. She cared for her mother for 27 years. The year her mother died, her husband became blind, had several debilitating medical events and his mental health deteriorated until his death in 2019- and Helen had her own fight with cancer.

Helen had to navigate the health care system, multiple hospitals, doctors, appointments,  tests, conflicting diagnoses, finding care facilities, and dealing with her husband who is no longer himself.

QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS

HELEN:  “ What I learned through my mother's illness was you cannot think of the person- the way they were, because it would destroy you when you saw how they had become.”

HELEN:  “And what was really scary, was a time in the hospital when the neurosurgeon was telling me what the prognosis would be. And it was in the same room where we heard this, a different type, but still related to the brain, a prognosis from my mom, 25 years later. I thought, oh this can't be happening again. But it did.”

HELEN:  “I would say you have to keep your faith, keep your friends close and don't be afraid to tell them what's in your heart. Don't be afraid to cry... You can't do it all by yourself. Don't be afraid to reach out.”

Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift!    Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com

Please Note: The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcaster.

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In this episode Anoo Kulkarni shares how one decision morphed into a transition of possibilities. What some might call midlife crisis, for Anoo it was midlife clarity.

When she realized that it wasn't that she didn't like her job, it was that she didn't like it enough, she began her journey to become a masterful woodworker, creating beautiful, hand-crafted lamps. She candidly shares the ups and downs of her road less traveled.

Anoo Kulkarni is a designer and creator of hand-crafted lamps and owner of A Gentle Light. She lives in Bangalore India

QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS

ANOO:   "...I've learned to respect the wood, to respect the tools. You have to bend yourself and curve yourself and...shape yourself around the wood and the tools and not the other way around."

ANOO:  "I think perfectionism has a certain rigidity to it... you ... limit yourself to just that one possibility, the moment you say that something has to be perfect...there's nothing fluid. There's nothing easygoing about it. There's nothing relaxed. There's a certain tension to see... imperfection."

ANOO:  “... the biggest part...will be how I feel about what I'm doing and how little dissonance there is inside me in what I'm doing.  For me, that would be a measure of success. The more dissonance there is inside me, the less happy I am on the whole. “

LINKS

A Gentle Light  

INDIA GoodHomes

ISSUE:  DESIGN INDIA 124 

A Hundred Hands (Facebook) “In the words of woodworker Anoo Kulkarni

101 Things to Make by Janet Slingsby and David Mostyn

Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift!    Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com

Please Note: The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcaster.

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In this episode Alex O’Keefe talks about what the “self made mind” means to not be defined by labels and be open to new possibilities. His passion to tell stories of people “who came from nothing and created a great life” are what drives his need to “taxi this information to other people’s brains...”

Alex O’Keefe lives in Halifax, England, runs a business, is a footballer, proud dad and host of the podcast: “The Self Made Mind.”

QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS

ALEX:  “... the most debilitating thing you can do is give yourself a label cuz ... that restricts you from ever adapting as a person...You know...people might stay with that for their whole life and have that identity as one thing. Whereas I think you should be open to new possibilities.”

ALEX:  "I just feel like there's such an injustice that people don't don't hear this stuff... in everyday life. I kind of had to go out of my way to hear these stories. And I think ... it's so important to hear that things can go wrong in life. But as long as you learn from the mistakes you learn from the failures, you can go on to do anything you want."

ALEX:  " I know that people can relate to someone who's come from nothing and created a great life and existence for the self."

LINKS

The Self Made Mind Podcast

EP005: Getting Out Of Your Own Way’ With Golden Globe Winner & Two Time Oscar Nominee, Ross Katz 

S2 EP05- Staying At The Top With Rugby League Legend Jamie Peacock MBE

The Man Who Thinks He Can by Walter D. Wintle

Andy’s Man Club  

Andy's Man Club- "a men's suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online.  We want to end the stigma surrounding men's mental health and help men through the power of conversation."

Luke Ambler (Co-Founder of Andy's Man Club)

Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift!    Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com

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In this episode Shivali candidly talks about navigating our way through uncertainty by creating emotional space that is responsive and not reactive.

How we celebrate the full spectrum of our identity; from simple joys, foibles to sitting with discomfort is “where we can find the pull, the momentum to take us forward in life.”

Shivali Beakta is a management consultant, life coach and hosts the podcast, Unbox Yourself. She lives in New York City.

QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS

SHIVALI:  “As kids, we're socialized into the world for a good reason, we're taught what's right... wrong. What's good. What's bad just to keep us safe. . but I think ...that we get to a point in life, maybe in our late teens, early twenties, where it starts to restrict... how we want to show up in the world. And so we have to unlearn certain behaviors, unlearn a way of thinking to then become whoever we're supposed to become.”

SHIVALI:   "...you're in uncharted territory...You don't know if you have it in you to navigate your way through that. But surprisingly, we all do...We may struggle through it, but we'll find a way to navigate. And I think that the idea of the whole unraveling...that moment of something happens, something breaks down and you feel this need to find a way back to yourself..."

SHIVALI:   “I see... in my mind... a huge boardroom. There's a table, multiple chairs. And  I'm the chairman of the board and all the voices in my head are my board of directors. ... Everybody has a seat at the table and...  for a very long time, I didn't allow certain emotions, certain identities in the room, especially...the Shivali, who's sad, the Shivali who feels weak. Yeah- Not allowed ....but now everybody has a seat at the table, which means they can say whatever they want, but I get to make the decision.”

PAT:  "... the word “uncertainty,” ... I've always thought of it as tap dancing on quicksand... if you stand there, you're gonna sink....But the idea that uncertainty is not... something we should dread ... Once we figure that out, it opens that beautiful gray area of contradiction and change. And  it just seems to allow some breathing space for discovery." 

LINKS

https://www.shivalibeakta.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/unbox-yourself/id1608846133

Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Today's episode is brought to you by the Joan of Arc Scroll Medal, a beautiful brass alloy medal, designed by award-winning artist, Pat Benincasa. This uniquely shaped medal is ideal for holiday or as a special occasion gift!    Visit www.patbenincasa-art.com

Please Note: The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcaster.

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