Can New York City Teach Us Anything On How to Help People With Trauma?

What's your calling in life?

Is that the right way to say it? Maybe it's "to what have you been called?"

Outside of a religious context, I never really thought about that question until the last few years. I mean, I might have heard it and "thought" about it, but I certainly didn't take stock of its implication.

For most of my life, all I was really interested in was having different experiences. I wanted to read broadly, travel widely, and live lightheartedly. In other words, I was more self-centered than servant-centered.

Maybe we all go through that progression. However, I've now realized that I can't do it all; there isn't enough time to learn it all, and I certainly can't remember it all.

What interests me today is being more at peace with myself and my world, being less stressed, and being unequivocally committed to sharing the truth of what I now know significantly impacts over 40 million Americans alone: trauma.

I want to share with people the truth that we are all wired to need and want relationships with other people; that trust is vital to those relationships; that trauma can undermine those relationships; and that hope can help restore those relationships.

That’s my calling. That’s my passion. That’s my goal.Today, be sure of your calling. The calling that benefits others and provides them an opportunity to live a meaningful and content life in a safe and nurturing environment. Today, be humble, gentle, patient, and loving.

Today, be the gift of life.

This Week’s Highlighted News Article

Depending on where you live, it’s possible that your local police force is overwhelmed with mental health assistance calls in addition to the normal calls for service. Oh, not to mention the constant barrage by some calling for the defunding of the department.

What if there was a way to get people the mental help they needed while at the same time reducing the need for police engagement or the worry that people might end up hurt, arrested or unnecessarily committed to a hospital?

National Public Radio has a report highlighting a program in New York City that “dispatches mental health specialists and paramedics instead of police for certain nonviolent emergency calls.” During the pilot program, “In 95% of cases, people accepted care from the B-HEARD team, data from the city shows. That's compared with 82% for traditional 911 response teams, which include police.”

To read the whole article: Mental Health Response Teams Yield Better Outcomes Than Police In NYC, Data Shows

Photo by: Mikita Yo on Unsplash

This Week’s Highlighted Podcast Episode

This week’s podcast is a little different from most. Mike Kim is a marketing and content writer whom I met a few years ago at a small bootcamp event. He has a successful podcast where he interviews people and shares his thoughts around how to develop your own brand - especially as a solopreneur (a newer term for a one person entrepreneur.)

To listen to the podcast episode on Apple: 263. How to Deal With Childhood Trauma with Scott Aemisegger

Mike has a new book for anyone who has a brand they need to build. I like Mike and think he has a lot to share. You can find his book here: You Are The Brand: The 8-Step Blueprint to Showcase Your Unique Expertise and Build a Highly Profitable, Personally Fulfilling Business