Thanksgiving 2022 Message to our neighbors...

Wishing everyone happiness and good health to all on this Thanksgiving holiday. As I reflect on so many things to be grateful for, the very words thanks and giving strikes true to the heart of what can positively change your life. It is no secret that when we make the daily conscious effort to choose and count our blessings, it fills our mind with gratitude. In this frame of mindset, it opens up the infinite source of positive energy that is flowing from our universe. Just as you diet and exercise your body to be fit, so goes the mind when you exercise your choice in thought and directed focus. This is how we feed the ego and build the world around us. Quieting the ego requires us to have a discipline of mind that believes in something bigger than ourselves. Platitudes are an easy front and the elements of gaslighting one’s way through life are clearly evident everywhere, especially as social media algorithms continue to box us into our own little worlds of attention. It is a fascinating science that requires inquiring minds to consider the consequences of failing to recognize the humanity in all of us.

Let our minds go to the thoughts of being selfless in our day. I think everyone in this neighborhood is like starlight. We shine through the expression of love for each other and having respect for the process of community action. Thank you to everyone who donates time toward causes that help others in need. It has been said the best way to help yourself is to help others. Our neighborhood effort for the St. Mary’s Food Drive successfully delivered 900 pounds of goods this week and I’m certain there is anonymous help from neighbors that continues to flow to this and other causes. I just learned of another example of this; an outreach program to aid the homeless being led by a Fairview neighbor which has support from residents in Del Norte.

In gratitude, I am reminded of a person by the name of Wayne Dyer. One of his most profound statements he shares is “There are no justifiable resentments”. Wayne wrote his first book in 1976 called “Your Erroneous Zones”. It continues to be one of the best-selling books of all time in the self-help genre with an estimated sales of 100,000,000 copies sold so far. His evolution continued until he passed away in 2015 and I’ve always found his talks about ego and spirt very enlightening and helpful. I encourage everyone to search his You Tube videos. If we would, as a world, find a way to embrace our humanity in communal acceptance there’s nothing we couldn’t do. There is truth in the saying “There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn't matter who gets the credit.” Ironic that we don’t know who to credit for saying this, and in its essence, it doesn’t matter - does it?

Lastly, as I look at my short 35 years of living in Del Norte, I think of and appreciate all the neighbor friends we’ve worked with. I will continue to reach out and re-acquaint myself with many more of you. This takes some time. Feel free to contact me 602-999-5757, as my door is open for constructive discussion. If I knock on your door, it is an open arms invitation to engage your talent and understand your personal story. Some will answer the door; some may not. I know we all have busy life and work schedules; fitting community service into all this is an understandable challenge. I do appreciate everyone who has made contributions to serve Del Norte over our 32 years of historical designation, along with Neighborhood Association leadership work. It ebbs and flows as we row this boat. I know we can get more done when we row in the same direction. It takes every one of us to be a neighborhood. Being a friendly neighbor is a gift of gratitude. Let there be peace today and every day.

I have personally chosen not to subscribe to the Next Door corporate commercial social media website. There is something about virtual porch talk that on the surface seems reasonable, but often regresses into unproductive gossip. If I’m interested in what’s going on in Willo or FQ Story, I trust their website is going to be much more positively centered on their mission to promote the best interest of the neighborhood and the majority of residents. I’m sorry, but there is a new level of trolling that is just too easily accessed in the social media markets.

I suggest this very good source to factually dig into the nature of our social media dilemma: click here to go to the Center for Humane Technology (CHT) which is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Tim Smith
President
Del Norte Place Neighborhood Association