Month: May 2011

adventure, books, inspiration, intelligence, karma, learning, travel, women

Beginning: Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan

Christa Avampato

“The only way to pass any test is to take the test. It is inevitable.” ~ Elder Regal Black Swan, leader of “the Real People”

My friend, Pam, was a private yoga client of mine. For her Christmas present she wanted more yoga in her life and her lovely mom graciously made that possible. Pam and I have known each other since we were in elementary school and reconnecting with her through yoga was a wonderful treat!

After our last session, Pam sent me the book Mutant Message Down Under, the story of an American woman who travels barefoot on 1,400 mile walk-about through the Australian Outback accompanied by “the Real People”. They are an aboriginal tribe who live off the land for all of their vital needs. Whether the story is true or mythical is one of the most fascinating parts of the book. Marlo Morgan describes the story as truth, though fully acknowledges that the Australian government does not believe the events ever happened because they have no record of “the Real People” and Marlo Morgan refuses to introduce the two parties in an effort to protect “the Real People” and their way of life. The result is an incredibly wise tale so mythical that we also wonder if it is really possible.

To begin the adventure, “the Real People” explain that they have decided to remove themselves and their 50,000-year history from this planet. They believe they have done what they can do to help this world along, and that the time has come for them to leave. They will not create any more offspring so that when the last of their tribe passes away, they will all be gone. They have invited Marlo Morgan to Australia so that she will share their story and their belief system with a wider audience.

Their lessons are so simple and yet so powerful. They show Marlo how there is no separation between their souls – they regularly speak via telepathy. They show her the balance they obtain on a daily basis between courage and compassion, challenge and empathy. They are not beings living on the Earth, but rather a part of a cohesive whole. The wisdom within their own minds and hearts is an extension of the wisdom offered to all of us every day by our natural world. There is no need for them to ask for guidance on anything because guidance is always with them, within them. They teach us that it’s within us, too.

The part of the book that resonates with me most is the quest and fulfillment of purpose. Not what job you’re meant to have, or place you’re meant to live, but real purpose. When you crossover from this existence in this body to the next plane, what handful of words will be used to describe who you are. This is the only work of “the Real People” – to find and live their purpose, to know, understand, and experience their one true gift. To solidify this purpose, they give themselves a new name once their purpose is discovered. Marlo Morgan, in honor of “the Real People”, gives herself the name Traveling Tongue.

It’s a notion worthy of everyone’s contemplation. When we peel away our titles, our belongings, and our accomplishments, who are we? What name would we give ourselves? What is the singular purpose that threads through our existence this time around?

choices, commitment

Beginning: Where to Begin Healing and 3 Ways to Focus on the Long-term

Christa Avampato

The Healing Mandala
“Treat the fire, not the smoke.” ~ Dr. David Perlmutter

Getting to the root of an issue is so much harder than we’re willing to admit. We throw that phrase around as if getting to the heart of the matter is child’s play. It’s a difficult, trying task. Treating symptoms of a situation is the easy way out, in the same way that doing what’s modeled instead of what we know to be right is an easier path. We can see and feel symptoms. They’re real, tangible, and can be masked. Treating a root cause of a challenge is a longer term bet, and yet it is the very best use of our time and energy. It’s a slower but more sustainable process. It requires us to take the long view.

If we are truly interested in healing, in getting to the heart of a matter and building from there, how do we bring that about? How do we maintain our belief in the long view when short-term gain is the easier road?

3 ways to focus on the long-term:
Meditate on reputation – Buddha said, “What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.” The reputation you have now is largely based upon what you’ve already done. This means that the actions you take today, tomorrow, and beyond will be the basis for your reputation in the future. What do you want to be known for? To make that happen in the future, you can start to take action against that today.

Chart your progress – what gets measured gets done. When you begin a new project or make the decision to take your life in a new direction, track your wins both big and small. This will also help you identify patterns of success that you can repeat.

Look to the stories of others for inspiration – the stories that stick with us are those of perseverance, those that describe how someone overcomes a great obstacle that seemed impossible. Nelson Mandela said that, “Everything seems impossible until it’s done.” Take heart that everyone whoever began any kind of healing, any kind of challenge faced odds that seemed insurmountable. You are in good company.

determination, teaching, yoga

Beginning: What Babe Ruth Teaches Yogis About Landing Teaching Gigs

Christa Avampato
The late great Babe Ruth - a man who never gave up

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” ~ Babe Ruth via @Inspire_Us

Last week I attended a wonderful event put on by BizeeBee, the creator of software to help yoga studios and instructors better manage their business, and the always delightful Yogadork. Poornima and Jennilyn, the gracious hosts, put together a list of questions to get our small group talking and sharing ideas of how to grow our yoga businesses and what products and services would be helpful. To no surprise my pitta nature (a.k.a., my fiery, supportive, build-your-own-road persona) was present in full force. I was surrounded by really talented yogis who have something very vital to offer this world. I didn’t want to see them sell themselves short.

One woman explained that she was trying to grow her private client list through partnership and one of the partners she wanted to work with was a flake. I’m sorry to say that some stereotypes exist for a reason, and some yoga instructors are not known for their timely responses, nor for organization. I told this very talented, obviously caring teacher that she couldn’t let a flakey partner prevent her from moving forward. That flakey partner doesn’t deserve her – time to move on and find a new partner.

Non-yogic, you say? Isn’t yoga all about sunshine and rainbows and butterflies? Sure – just make sure you can live your yoga teaching existence in la-la land. I live my yoga teaching existence in NYC, and in case no one told you yoga teachers here are a dime a dozen. Now when I meet new people I just assume they also have a 200 hour certification or know someone else who does. It’s that prevalent. I don’t make my living teaching yoga, but it’s a nice boost to my bank account and it gives me a feeling of real purpose and usefulness. When I teach I am part of something greater than myself, and that’s why I want to teach as much as I can. This means I have to hustle, network, and dedicate a lot of time to drumming up new business. All teachers, particularly new ones, need to do the same thing.

What I find unconscionable is that yoga training programs don’t tell you that piece of the puzzle. They take your money to the tune of $2500+, leading you to believe that this brand new life is just around the bend waiting for you. They hand you a certificate of completion, maybe give you a couple of hours about the business of being a yoga instructor, and send you on your way into the big wide world. It can feel like someone just stole your wallet and tossed you off a cliff. How’s that for non-yogic? It’s sickening.

There is a “traditional” path that you can follow. You pledge undying allegiance to a studio where you trained, pay an additional boatload of money to take classes at that studio or take more training, and hope you may get to sub (which can be very last-minute and at unfortunate times like 7am on a Monday), do a community by-donation class, and then land a regular gig. That works very well for some people, and by all means I applaud them for finding their success! I couldn’t take that road. It didn’t feel authentic and my schedule is too hectic to take a road that I didn’t design myself. I also have a mountain of school loans to pay. Plus, I think the system really takes advantage of new teachers and I didn’t want to feed that system.

I put together this list of ideas of how to land your first yoga teaching gigs if that traditional road isn’t for you. I hope you find them helpful or know someone whom you can pass them on to. Got questions? Leave a comment on this post or contact me via email or Twitter.

5 ways to land your first yoga teaching gigs:
1.) Offer up your teaching services for free. This will give you experience and practice. Teaching is a muscle – to get better at it, you have to practice whenever and wherever you can. If you’re interested in teaching free classes through nonprofit organizations, check out my Karmi’s Angels program that I created through Compass Yoga.

2.) Check Craig’s List. That’s how I found my first gig. New York Methodist Hospital needed a yoga teacher for pediatrics, geriatric psych, and physical rehab. I wanted to teach in a therapeutic setting to see if that might be my teacher calling. Happily, it was a match!

3.) Get your basic business building blocks in place: business cards, a website, a blog, a twitter account, and a Linked-in profile. Not a blogger? Don’t worry – just post links to yoga stories that you find interesting and of course give credit to the sources. Promoting the work of others is a great way to network that has great karmic value. Start putting yourself out there and when you meet people who are interested in your expertise, you will have a place to send them for more info.

4.) Fill a niche. Think about what you have to offer as a teacher, and then find a population that needs your skills. There is no end to the number of places and types of people who need more yoga. I wanted to work with underserved populations, people who don’t have access to regular yoga classes. Nonprofits were perfect partners for me to contact, and I sent off email after email until I filled up my roster to the point that I had to start passing gigs to other yoga teachers. It’s a lot of work, but I really wanted to teach and the work paid off.

5.) Don’t give up. Seriously. You will be tempted. You will kick yourself wondering what on Earth ever possessed you to spend all that money on teacher training. Instead, channel that energy into determination. Take a note from the late great Babe Ruth. It’s really true – you can’t lose if you never give up. You’ll find your road, I promise you. There may be some wrong turns and dead ends. Don’t let that deter you. If you really want to teach, you’ll find your students.

gratitude, love, mother

Beginning: Honoring My Mom Through The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life

Christa Avampato

I made a donation to Reay for Life in honor of my mom this Mother's Day
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms of the world, those tireless champions of ours who believe we can and will do anything we set our hearts and minds to. This Mother’s Day instead of sending my mom flowers and gifts, I donated to her favorite charity on her behalf. She asked me to donate to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. For the past several years she has done the Survivor’s Lap on her friend, Leslie’s, team. Now that she has retired and moved away, she’ll be missing the event.

My donation gave Mom a way to stay connected and support the cause. She is a cancer survivor and a number of our family members and family friends have battled the disease. It’s become so common in our society now that all of us know someone touched by it. Relay for Life gives us a way to collectively fight back – a powerful lesson my mom has taught me repeated throughout my life. There is strength in mothers, strength in being part of a movement.

Yesterday The Nate Berkus Show featured a number of stories about viewer’s moms. While the gifts and surprises that the featured moms received were incredibly generous, the most touching part of the show involved the the children of these moms explaining why their moms were so important to them. It reminded me of how much words can mean when backed by heart and soul.

This Mother’s Day I hope you’ll pick up the phone or take pen to paper and let your Mom know how much her care and support means. Love and gratitude can never be over-communicated.

animals, dogs, learning

Beginning: Phin & I Continue Our Work on Separation Anxiety

Christa Avampato

Phin practices his best "stay"
Phin and I attended our second semi-annual gathering of dachshunds at Washington Square Park. The event is put on the last Saturday in April and the first Saturday in October by the Dachshund Friendship Circle. I’m sure that parents of other breeds are equally passionate about their pups, though I’ve never seen people go ga-ga over their canine pals as much as dachshund owners do. It’s also a great place to get support and advice about the breed, which I have needed in abundance.

The way of the dachshund
They are a temperamental breed to be sure. They are born with plenty of personality despite their small stature and with that can come a lot of anxiousness. Over the past weeks Phin has had some trouble with separation anxiety. He doesn’t destroy anything in the house; he just barks a lot when I leave. It is something that he wrestles with on and off, and though he’s mostly settled in now to our home (I’ve had him for almost 8 months) on occasion he still has some tough days. Most of my neighbors are dog owners and are very supportive. One is not, and is quite vocal about it. Though I’ve apologized profusely in the past for any disturbance Phin causes from time to time, she never lets up. He sneezes and I get a text message about it – so much so that I finally blocked her from being able to text or call me. Thankfully she’s moving in a few short months.

A tough week leads to further action
I knew Phin was safe in the apartment. I just didn’t know how to get him through his latest spell of separation anxiety, which is the hardest behavior to help a dog get past. At the last Dachshund Festival we met Gregg Karl, who is a professional dog trainer who specializes in dachshunds. (He has 2 of his own). He’s become a friend and invaluable resource over the last few months. On Tuesday I gave him a call because I was really worried about Phin’s latest bout of anxiety. To be fair, we’ve had painters in our hallways all week and we went out of town over the weekend, two things that certainly set off Phin’s anxiety. Still, he seemed more anxious than he would normally be even under these stressful circumstances.

Gregg Karl, our dog trainer, comes to the rescue
Gregg was full of tips including:

– A toy called a Buster Cube and Zuke’s treats to keep him busy.

– He also had me start teaching Phin the “Stay” command and practicing coming and going out of the house many, many times. “Stay” he mastered beautifully. The coming and going exercise is not so easy. I noticed Phin’s anxiety has increased over the week after we began the training and panicked a little. Gregg assured me that this is also extremely normal. Once they begin formal training, almost all dogs will be confused and anxious until they learn that the training is no big deal. Phin is only at the very early stages.

Friends Trish and Janet lend a hand, too
My friend, Trish, an animal behaviorist, recommended that I try lavender spray to calm him down and give the apartment a relaxed feel. That seemed to help some, too. My friend, Janet, another one of my dog whisperers, recommended mixing up Phin’s walking routing to stimulate his mind and taking him for short trips around the city (like the one to the dachshund festival!) to help ease any anxiety he has after a trip. That also seemed to help him this week. I’m so grateful for their advice!

Up the exercise
I gave up running a few years ago as my yoga practice deepened. I need to have these knees of mine as long as possible and running seemed to be wearing on them. This was a big change for me as I used to run regularly and in 2001 ran the Chicago marathon. Now that the weather is getting nicer (finally!), I’ve noticed Phin has much more energy and a walk does not tire him out. One of the best remedies to separation anxiety is to exercise a dog so that he is very tired every time you leave. With all of his anxious energy gone, you’ll walk out the door and he’ll go to sleep. So, it’s back to running with Phin as my running buddy. So far this fix has worked beautifully. He loves the run and is thoroughly exhausted by the time we get home. It’s good for my health to get some more cardio and it’s good for Phin, too. Win-win.

More company
I was previously scheduling my dog walker to just take him in the middle of the day when I couldn’t get home right after work. Now, I’ve asked her to come by every day I go to work no matter what time I’ll be home. This gets him used to being with someone else who cares for him more often and he gets to see his canine pals more often which always has a very pacifying affect on him.

A new vet helps us, too
I’ve been rather unhappy with our vet. He doesn’t have much of a bedside manner and Phin is a special dog with special issues and we need a vet who understands that. In the park I met several people who recommended Westside Veterinary Clinic and we went to see them last weekend. Dr. Lewis was very happy to hear about Gregg’s tips, and she suggested that while he’s getting through this latest bout it may be a good idea to put him on a very, very low dose medicine to help ease the anxiety. I was worried about taking this step though I have to say that Phin is much calmer with the medicine and his quality of life is much higher. Plus, the dose is so low that he hasn’t lost any of his personality. The medicine cuts the anxiety without inducing any other side effects.

It takes a village to raise a dachshund
Gregg, Janet, Trish, my dog walker, and my vet continue to assure me that getting a dog through separation anxiety requires confidence and patience in boatloads. They promised me that Phin would come around, and eventually would become a well-adjusted, relaxed pup no matter what circumstances he’s in. Trauma reveals itself in stages, whether we’re talking about trauma in people or in animals.

It feels more like I’m raising a dog than training a dog, and I’ve learned so much along this road. Thank goodness for my village of advisors. No matter how much I want to speed through the process, I remind myself that in every phase of this journey Phin and I have much to learn, and we’ll both be better off for it.

love, relationships

Beginning: How I Got Over a Fear of Loving

Christa Avampato

“Your relationship needs to be a source of joy. Don’t forget that.” ~ Brian

At 35, I finally feel ready to begin a lifelong relationship. This was a long road – about a decade longer than I imagined it would be. For a while I thought that I might just date forever because it seemed like it would be much more fun than all the ways that a bigger commitment could go wrong. I’ve seen too many friends and family members have their hearts ripped apart my a romantic commitment gone wrong. It was hard enough to watch these relationships end as an outsider to the situation. I wasn’t sure I could handle it on my own. Despite my sometimes-too-tough exterior, there’s a fairly intense fear of heartbreak and disappointment locked up inside me.

I talked to Brian about this last week about my recent dating experiences. I’ve gotten quite good at figuring out very quickly if there’s real potential with a guy I’m dating. Brian had me make up a list of my nonnegotiables in an effort to build up my perception skills in dating. That’s been working well, but I just can’t believe how many frogs there are! And then he said something I had forgotten in all the hustle and bustle of dating. Meeting the right person and being with him is a source of joy. I was so focused on my list that I forgot to visualize what it will be like to be with that right guy. Focusing on the work of dating, I lost the picture of what it’s like to be with the right person.

With the idea of joy, something strange happened. The fear I felt about falling in love again just melted. The possibility of heartbreak and disappointment didn’t seem so scary anymore when I concentrated on making the choices in my life that bring more joy. Sometimes that means moving toward something or someone and sometimes that means moving away. It’s all just a pursuit of what creates the most joy. And yes sometimes those choices are tough and are cause for compromise or change, but in the end they all serve the same purpose. We’re just trying to make our days as meaningful as they can be.

books, business, communication

Beginning: Book Review – The Language of Trust

Christa Avampato

“Are you really listening or are you just waiting for your turn to talk?” ~ Robert Montgomery

Do you remember a time when trust was where a relationship started? I have trouble remembering those times. I’m sure there was a time when trust was the norm, in the same way that our legal system once started with “innocent until proven guilty.” Now, we are a society of skeptics and cynics, but can you blame us? We feel cheated and lied to by companies, by our government, by our employers or former employers. The recession exposed a very sad and dangerous truth – we participated in an economy and a way of doing business that really was too good to be true. Double-digit positive returns are tough to sustain. We knew that, but we went along for the ride. In Margaret Heffernan’s words, we willed ourselves into blindness. We feel let don and disappointed and we have no one to blame but ourselves, which is too much to bear so we blame everyone else.

Enter Michael Masloansky, Scott West, Gary DeMoss, and David Saylor with the book The Language of Trust: Selling Ideas in a World of Skeptics. In all of our economics mayhem, we forgot how to talk to people in an authentic way. We forgot how to put others first. We’ve been so busy making excuses that we forgot to take responsibility. This book is meant to help us get back on track in the post-trust era (PTE).

It’s got some tough advice for us that is not going to be easy to hear, though not as hard to act upon as we might think. It gives us language guidelines under the very simple yet priceless principle that people believe what they understand. In other words, “Don’t be a wonk.” Drop the jargon and communicate in real language, not language that you think gives you some kind of desired image. And no one is interested in why you did something that was not in their best interest so drop that game altogether; it’s a battle that’s lost before it’s even started. Take responsibility and do better going forward.

The book lays out real world examples of communication gone right (Jetblue and Conservation International) and communications gone wrong (Toyota). It breaks down what worked so beautifully in the successful examples and how the unsuccessful examples can be improved. These examples give marketers (and that includes all of us who work on our own personal brand as well) a way to compare our current communication tactics against these examples, essentially creating a map for us to communicate more authentically with our audience.

This book should be well-worn after continuous consultation by marketers of all stripes. We’re living in a new age where trust must be earned at every moment. It’s a world of missteps from well-intentioned actions. In some ways, we may feel like we can’t win in this world of skeptics. Don’t throw in the towel. You can win – it’s just going to take a whole lot more work that it did prior to the PTE. The Language of Trust can help. Available in bookstores starting today.

community, philanthropy

Beginning: How to Help the Rebuilding Efforts in Alabama

Christa Avampato

Devastation in Tuscaloosa. http://www.stamfordadvocate.com
Last week a horrifying set of tornadoes ripped through Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Arkansas. The pictures devastating, to say nothing of the stories behind those images. There were a lot of resources available for other recent natural disasters so that all of us not effected knew how and where to lend a helping hand and our dollars. I’ve seen surprisingly few for this latest disaster, and decided to share what I’ve been learning. Here’s how you can help:

– American Red Cross: The Red Cross is providing relief to people across the hardest-hit states, providing shelter and relief to survivors. To support these efforts, donations can be made to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Visit Red Cross’s website, www.redcross.org, or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make a donation. Checks can be sent to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013.

– Convoy of Hope: Convoy of Hope disaster response team members, aided by volunteers who have contributed more than 3,000 hours, are operating a distribution in Birmingham, Alabama. Two additional points of distribution were activated Saturday, April 30, 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, including a site at a Baptist church on the University of Alabama campus. Convoy of Hope distribution sites will provide food, water and supplies to those affected by the disaster. So far, over 1 million pounds of product have been provided or slated for delivery to the affected areas. To learn more about their work and how you can support their efforts, visit their website.

– Salvation Army: The Salvation Army has provided food, hydration and other services to more than 6,000 survivors and first responders in the southeastern United States since the April tornadoes. The Army will continue to do so in the hardest hit cities, including Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, AL; Cleveland and Chattanooga, TN; Kemper County, Webster County, and Oxford, MS and others. To support the challenges facing survivors, The Salvation Army’s Florida Division deployed 10 mobile canteens and a team of 30 volunteers and staff to assist in the relief efforts in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.

You can donate to the Salvation Army by going to their website, disaster.salvationarmyusa.org, or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Text “GIVE” to 80888 to make a $10 donation to assist the organization’s disaster response efforts. Or send a check to: The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 100339, Atlanta, GA 30384-0339.

– World Vision: World Vision’s domestic relief team is preparing to deploy this Saturday morning from the Dallas area to Alabama and nearby states hardest-hit by last night’s storms. They plan to work with local churches and other organizations to identify families with limited means, families left destitute, or people who may have difficulty accessing other assistance. To support these efforts, visit www.worldvision.org to donate to call 888.56.CHILD (24453).

Alabama Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund: The Fund, part of the Alabama Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, provides additional recovery assistance to Alabama residents who have exhausted all other coverage provided by relief organizations, government programs and insurance. To donate, visit their online donation page.

Roll Tide Relief
My friend, Preston, sent me a link to this site that was sent out by the University Alabama and a link to donate to the UA Acts of Kindness fund that helps out students affected by the tornado.

Tzu Chi Foundation
MJ, an active and generous reader of this blog, sent me this link. Tzu Chi Foundation for Compassion and Relief helps victims of natural disaster all over the world in addition to their work within the U.S.
http://www.us.tzuchi.org/usa/home.nsf/home/index?OpenDocument

Do you know of other ways we can help? If so, please leave a note in the comments section. Thanks!

peace

Beginning: Preparing for Peace in a Time of War

Christa Avampato

The evening of May 1st at Ground Zero
A number of year ago I had a boss who would routinely consult her copy of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War in our staff meetings. Her favorite saying was, “In a time of peace, we need to prepare for war.” And we worked for an environmental nonprofit. Her perspective bugged me because I always thought Sun Tzu got it wrong; what we really need to do, particularly in this day and age with fighting seemingly everywhere, is to prepare for peace in a time of war.

With Osama bin Laden now gone, we can finally turn our sights to preparing for peace. To be sure the war is not over, not by a long shot. As good as it feels to celebrate the end of Bin Laden’s reign, there are still too many others who wish to do us harm. We still need to remain vigilant, on guard, and careful. That, sadly, may never change.

What we can do is turn our sights toward our sights toward the Middle East and begin to truly rebuild relations. Justice has been served, and with justice comes the beginning of the healing process. Though we have been celebrating the end of bin Laden here for over 24 hours, we must remember that many people in the Middle East, many Muslim Americans are also celebrating. They too can begin healing – this war has happened to them, too, and that was not of their choosing. It was the choosing of a vicious, sick man who thankfully is no longer among us.

My sister, Weez, put up a Facebook status yesterday that really struck me as the most beautiful set of words I heard about the situation and our emotions surrounding it:

May 1st Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep
one less terrorist this world does keep
with all my heart I give my thanks
to those in uniform regardless of ranks

You serve our country and serve it well
with humble hearts your stories tell
so as I rest my weary eyes
while freedom rings our flag still flies

You give your all, do what you must
with God we live and in God we trust

Amen

religion, television

Beginning: 4 Reasons to Admire and Watch the New CBS Show Blue Bloods

Christa Avampato

With all of the rainy weather we had after all of the snow we had, I got the opportunity to take in some new shows this Winter / early Spring. One of the shows that really struck me as a stand out is Blue Bloods, a unique law enforcement / family drama starring Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan,Will Estes and Len Cariou. In addition to the fine acting, interesting plot twists, and complex relationships, the show takes risks that are both admirable and thought-provoking.

Strong male characters deeply invested in the their families
Len Cariou plays the grandfather of the Reagan family and the retired Police Commissioner. Tom Selleck is his son and the current Commissioner who carries himself with grace and dignity, both in his role as Commissioner and as the head of the family who deeply loves his children and grandchildren. Both of their wives have passed, leaving them as widowers to care for their family. Donnie Walhberg plays a veteran-turned-detective and family man, equally passionate about both of these roles. It’s refreshing and inspiring to see men taking such a nurturing role in their families that in no way compromises their serious commitments to their careers. The writers could have taken an easier route and written out-of-balance male characters who were so entrenched in their jobs that their family lives suffered. Instead, they wanted their male characters to be good role models for how difficult and how gratifying it is to have balance.

Religion is not taboo
The family is deeply Catholic. Religion is too often a taboo subject, in the world and on the screen. The show makes a decided decision to talk about religion and illustrate how people can reconcile very old traditions with a very modern world. It provides an interesting depth of character and storyline.

4 generations explore the changing times of law enforcement
Law enforcement in New York City is a complicated, multi-limb system. Blue Bloods gives us the opportunity to see a single case and the whole system from a variety of angles, within the police force and from the DA’s office, through the eyes of someone retired from the force, someone who now heads the force, a seasoned detective, a newly-minted officer, and a top-notch attorney. Their opinions and roles often put them in conflict professionally, which forces reconciliation personally around the dinner table. We get the chance to see just how difficult it is to secure justice in this city, and show up every day to try again no matter what happened in the last case. I also enjoy the dimension of the youngest generation who may likely enter careers in public service as adults due to the influence of their family.

A different side of New York City
New Yorkers take pride in knowing their city. Staten Island is the borough people are most unfamiliar with, myself included. I’ve never even set foot on Staten Island. The Reagan family lives there in a beautiful old home, reminding me that there is always another side to New York that I have yet to explore.

This season has two more episodes you can catch (thanks to Kelly for that info and comment!) and some of the previous shows are on the CBS site. I’m sure the full season will soon hit Netflix and Hulu. When it does, you’ll want to make sure to catch up before next Fall. The show airs on Friday nights at 10pm EST / 9pm Central on CBS.