Hippie Hounds Treats’ Post

This afternoon, as I sat watching everyone entering the chapel. I saw a young mother carrying her small baby walk past, one of the booties fell from the child's foot unbeknownst to the mother. Me, being the people watcher I am and I love to study behaviors, decided to hold back and watch how each person would react or even notice. Immediately a few people saw the article and passed it by, one even adjusted their gate to avoid stepping on it. One woman pointed it out and loudly exclaimed, "Someone lost their shoe," but made no effort to pick it up and past over it. Many didn't notice even after stepping on it. Finally, the father of the child recognized the booty and stooped down and collected it as he entered to join his family for the services. As I pondered what I witnessed, my thoughts were turned to who are we in life's experiences. I understand that we are not the same in every situation but we have a choice to how we will respond and what role we choose to play. Will we be the person that holds back and watches? Perhaps the many that were unaware of their surroundings and the events unfolding or those who noticed but didn't care or even causing more harm? What about those who point out fault or the problem but quickly avoid the solution and fail to help, expecting others to fix or deal with it. Maybe even the young mother or the child that kicked the shoe off? When we decide how we will act before the situation, we are more likely to respond in the way we desire. #AddToYourTools

I believe that beauty is love in the face of anger. I believe that beauty is recognizing the bigger picture and understanding how when we relate to the people we love kindly - even when we’re mad, we create trust, security, and trauma resilience. It is in these small private spaces, the ones that seem tiny on the global stage, that we can change the world. Read the full blog here - https://lnkd.in/gfqxkYf6 #partnership #parenting #newstory #bethechange Friends of Charles Eisenstein - thanks for the inspiration for this short essay.

💡💡Shoutout to everyone kicking off November feeling alright 💡💡 As we start another Movember, we have an opportunity to focus on men’s health—especially men’s mental health. Brené Brown, a researcher known for her work on vulnerability, once shared a story where a man told her that his wife and daughters would rather see him “die on his white horse than fall off of it.” This simple sentence holds so much meaning, and I’d like to unpack it from my own perspective. If we look at data from WHO, the APA, and other trusted sources: 💀 Men experience higher death rates across various areas, from workplace fatalities to military-related deaths and suicide. 🥹 Depression, while diagnosed more often in women, is likely underreported in men, who may face barriers to seeking help due to cultural stigma. Men also exhibit different depression symptoms, such as irritability, aggression, or risk-taking behavior, which often go unnoticed. 🪦 Tragically, untreated and unrecognized depression in men can escalate to severe outcomes, contributing to the high suicide rates. Showing vulnerability as a man is challenging. Society often rewards traits associated with "strength" or "stoic resilience," which can prevent men from seeking support. Many behaviors criticized as “toxic masculinity” stem from the same place where society defines what it means to be successful, “alpha,” or “fit for purpose.” In my view, these pressures lie at the heart of many challenges men face. They sometimes lead to negative outcomes, from unhealthy workplace cultures to violence. ☀️ So, if you're feeling alright and want to connect over coffee, just DM me. We don’t have to navigate this alone. ☀️ #Movember #MensHealth #MentalHealthMatters #EndTheStigma #Vulnerability https://lnkd.in/dJzja_Gj

If you have teenagers or younger children in your life, please read Tiffany Krumins' post below for some of the wisest advice and wisdom (and results) I've seen about raising kids in a very long time... I think it'll be greatly worth the short time it takes.

Only 2 sessions left on this offer. If not taking criticism well, avoiding difficult conversations and taking things personally are a big part of your life then this is for you. Whether you recognise yourself or someone close to you this will benefit your life. It'll help you understand what's going on and why. It'll help you notice what's emotionally healthy and what's not. It'll help you help your children to develop emotional intelligence, whatever their age. This one hour support session is only £49 today for Black Friday, usually £99. To secure one of the last 2 sessions at this price, the offer link is in the comments. The session can be booked for any time in December or January. Breaking the cycle of emotional neglect will be one of the best things you ever do. Become part of my 'Emotionally Healthy Wealthy' Mission, you'll LOVE it! 💎

Mom guilt—two small words, but they carry the weight of the world. We’ve all felt it, haven’t we? When you’re at work, you feel guilty for not being with your kids. When you’re with your kids, you feel guilty for not giving 100% to work. And let’s not forget the guilt for taking five minutes to breathe or, heaven forbid, scroll Instagram with a hot cup of coffee. But here’s the thing: guilt thrives when we believe we’re falling short, even when we’re doing enough. I once read something that stuck with me: “Your kids don’t need a perfect mom—they need a happy one.” That hit hard. Because the truth is, guilt doesn’t make us better parents. It makes us tired, frustrated, and disconnected. So, how do we quiet that voice in our heads that says, “You’re not doing enough”? 1. Shift the Perspective: Ask yourself—would you ever judge another mom the way you judge yourself? Then why are you holding yourself to impossible standards? 2. Celebrate the Wins: Did you hug your kids today? Did you show up, even if it wasn’t perfect? That’s enough. 3. Let Go of Perfection: Your kids don’t remember the spotless floors or gourmet meals. They remember how you made them feel. Mom guilt is sneaky, but here’s the good news: it doesn’t define us. What defines us is showing up, even when it’s messy, and loving fiercely, even when we feel stretched thin. To all the moms out there carrying that guilt—breathe. You’re doing better than you think. What’s one thing you do to overcome mom guilt? Let’s share and support each other. #ParentingWithPurpose #OvercomingMomGuilt #YouAreEnough

A woman died in her cubicle at a bank in the U.S., and no one noticed for four days. Beyond the dark humor or sadness this might bring up, the real takeaway is what it shows us: a huge part of the work we do every day is pretty much irrelevant, and most of it is just a way to make us feel important. You can use this extreme example as a new mental framework to measure the importance of what you’re doing: if I died doing this at my computer, how many days would it take for someone to notice and actually care? This can help you figure out what only seems important (because it’s marketed well, screams urgency, or just looks that way) versus what’s truly important and strategic for the long term. Much love. And seriously, no dying. —A.

Once a month on a Friday night I go out for a meal with my old mate Craig. We find an old country pub somewhere in Yorkshire and head off for a decent meal, an Appetiser or two (I'm teetotal and he's addicted to it) and a chinwag. We've done this over 10 years and we've only missed it 6 times in those 10 years. We have four rules of engagement: 1. The pub we go to must serve proper country pub grub 2. It must be strictly within 40 minutes of both of us 3. We cannot have visited the pub before 4. Phones are left in cars We do it for one simple reason: Not to get leathered Not to get away from our wives (don't raise that eyebrow) Not to fill our faces full and fall asleep until last orders But because disconnecting from the world and just having a chat with someone about nothing in particular is very liberating. Because we're in SUCH a fast-paced world and always on that sometimes your brain needs some time off. A bit of good old-fashioned nonsense. And because a good old chat solves many things to be honest. And it's a worthwhile reminder that if you run a business it can be a very lonely place to be and at times it can be very consuming. Mentally, financially, emotionally and all other. So rather than slog yourself to the bone and end up a wreck (guilty as charged at times), remember to make a bit of time for you first. Because if you're wrecked yourself then everything else can't be in good shape, can it? And there's likely a lot of things that depend on you being in a good place. Happy Sunday.

Have you ever dealt with a mommy friend who's been acting toxic or hurtful? 🤔 You’re not alone, mom! Learn how to handle difficult situations like these and protect your peace of mind. 💖 https://lnkd.in/gKZXA2Yp #MomLife #SupportEachOther #MomTribe #SelfCareForMoms #MentalHealthMatters #ParentingJourney #StrongMoms #HealthyFriendships #MomAdvice

A month ago, my wife and I welcomed Baby #3 to the family. Our oldest is 5 years old, with a 3 year old filling out the team. I had been warned numerous times about what Number 3 would do to our family ("You and your wife are outnumbered"), so I thought I was appropriately prepared to not be surprised at how difficult it would be. Now that I am a month removed, I have come to recognize what has been the biggest hurdle for my wife and I: What type of parents we "should" be. It feels like every discussion or struggle we're having isn't a fight with each other or with the newness of a baby. It is with what we "should" or "shouldn't" be. Some common one's: - I should have a cleaner house. - I should spend more time with my other kids. - I should have the baby on a schedule. - I shouldn't be this tired. - I should have been prepared for that. - I should have known how to respond to that. - I should be able to get back to work more seamlessly. - I should miss being away from them. The list honestly could go on and on. I am really wary of the word "should." It is a trigger that we have left reality and are now operating in a new fictitious universe with all the benefits of hindsight. We need to be on our guard when the conversation shifts to should--because it is a place where time stands still. It can become crippling with all of the things we should be. So what do we do about it? We challenge the "should" with the things that ARE. When you're sitting in a staff meeting and the conversation begins to go in a circle around how staff "should've" acted, or what the market "should've" done--respond with a quick refocus thought of what you ARE going to do. "We ARE going to learn from this." "We ARE going to prepare better." "We ARE doing the best we can." ARE>SHOULD