Animal Welfare Professionals

Updated 9/9/24 at 4:43 pm PT: Recording now available to watch on-demand!

We hope to see you on the next Community Conversations call on Monday, 9/9/24 at 11am PT for a presentation titled,  "Burnout to Balance: Finding your Sirius" with @Marilou Chanrasmi, Founder and Way Finder of The Ahnung Way.

Sirius is known as the brightest star in the sky, but did you know it is also referred to as the Dog Star? Join us on Monday where we will introduce tools to loosen the grip of toxic achievement culture, moving from burnout to balance. We will learn about and experience embodiment. From this embodied place, we will consider questions such as: What really matters to me? How am I truly feeling? And where in my life am I off balance? In this process, we will connect to your Sirius. Additionally, we will explore how to use the wisdom within ourselves and in nature to help navigate stressful times, recover from burnout, and create constellations of support.

Maddie's Fund will also be announcing the August grant giveaway winners! 

Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConvoRegistration2024

If you are unable to make it live on Monday, this thread will be updated with the recording and resources so you can watch and share whenever you'd like.  After you watch the recording on-demand or attend the call live, be sure to complete this new September 2024 entry form to enter to win up to a $5,000 grant: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-sep24-giveaway.htm

#AccesstoCare
#Diversity,Equity,InclusionandJustice
#EducationandTraining
#OrganizationalManagement
#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)

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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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Thanks to the 151+ people and paws who joined us on today's Community Conversations call! The recording is now available to watch on-demand. Below you'll find a recap of today's call and the resources shared. 

Call Recap

• Welcome from hosts
  • @Raye Taylor, CEO/CMO, Taylor Veterinary Services; Vice President, Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine
  • @José Ocaño (he/him/el) Founder and CEO, Hatching
    
    

• Question of the Day: What does burnout look like to you? 
  • "Emotional shutdown" - Tammy Anckner
  • "Intense stress and overwhelm" - Amanda Gray
  • "Decision fatigue, irritability, illness" - Valerie Moser
  • "Apathy" - Lauren Bernstein
  • "Not feeling invested anymore" - Lindsey Knox
  • "Loss of spark... lack of interest." - Irene Chansawang
  • "Exhaustion" - Susan Leavitt
  • "When there is no enthusiasm to try new programs" - Michelle Russillo
  • "Loss of motivation and feeling of being overwhelmed" - Shelley Joaquin
  • "Numb" - Julielani Chang
  • "For me, burnout is freezing and not being able to effectively proceed." - Mary Flores
  • "Can't begin anything due to lack of focus (Ping Pong mind)" - Nancy Cullins
  • "Overwhelmed... just not wanting to do what needs to be done" - Molly Trusty
  • "No longer being excited to come to work, Negative outlook on normally positive items" - Tiffany Morrison
    
    

• Maddie's Fund Grant Announcements - August Monthly Drawing Winners
  • Community Conversations Winners of $2,500 each
    • @Virginia Brantley, Georgia Heartland Humane Society (Newnan, GA)
    • Krasi Mircheva, Daisy's Legacy (Arlington, VA)
  • Maddie's Pet Forum Winner of $3,000

    • @Sean Johnson, Paws and Claws Cat Rescue (Evanston, IL)

National Updates

• • Maddie's Insights webcast September 12, 2024: Aligning Programs with Community Needs to Support Companion Dog Retention with Seana Dowling-Guyer, Associate Director for the Collaborative (Center) for Shelter Dogs at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
  • @Jenna Riedi, Faunalytics: On September 19th, Faunalytics will host Fauna Connections, a free, remote research symposium for animal advocates. Academics and scientists from the social and behavioral sciences and related disciplines will present original research that discusses the real-life implications and recommendations for animal advocacy. 
    Register now for this FREE event: https://FaunaConnections2024.eventbrite.com
  • @Jyothi Robertson: Join me for a meditation practice this Wednesday at 5PM PT.  The Journey You Own Meditation Gathering
  • @Shelly Volsche: We are currently hiring 3 Behavior and Transfer Coordinators at Nevada Humane Society - key roles in my team (and helping me prevent burnout). Starting pay is $20/hr, but I have a lot of flexibility depending on the candidate's experience and credentials. Nevada Humane Society job post
  • @Lindsay Hamrick: We are currently hiring contract trainers to teach Adopters Welcome. You can learn more at https://humanepro.org/jobs/adopters-welcome-trainers-call
  • Maddie's Pet Forum Monthly Giveaway: Maddie's Fund® is giving away a $3,000 grant each month to one lucky Maddie's® Pet Forum member. You'll automatically be entered to win each month when you start a new discussion, reply to a new post. More info: https://maddies.fund/mpfmonthlygiveaway

  • Maddie's Fund Monthly Giveaways!  Enter here for a chance to win CA$H: 
    https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-sep24-giveaway.htm  
    Open to all who are watching live or on-demand! Be sure to enter each week you attend!
    
    

• Presentation: Burnout to Balance: Finding Your Sirius
  • @Marilou Chanrasmi, Founder and Way Finder, The Ahnung Way
  • Key Takeaways:
    • Our greatest teacher lies within us and around us in nature
    • We are what we practice and we are always practicing something.
    • There is a deeper story within each of us. When we explore with curiosity and compassion, what that story is, we begin to tap into the wise part of us we have tried to silence.
    • There is a difference between knowing and being
    • You, and only you, are the Wayfinder of your life.
  • Related Links:
    • Upcoming offerings from Marilou: https://ahnungway.com/upcoming-offerings/
    • "Heavy" - a poem by Mary Oliver
      

• Highlights from the Chat
  • "Marilou rocks!" - Tricia Sebes
  • "Beautiful intro!! Thank you, Dr. Taylor. I'm so excited for this talk with Marilou!!" - Irene Chansawang
  • "I saw Sirius last night!" - Jory Jolivet
  • Marilou asked "Who is your North Star?"
  • "My grandfather" - Chris Fitzgerald
  • "My aunt" - Sheila Segurson
  • "My grandfather" - Penny Paich
  • "My brother" - Irene Chansawang
  • "My father" - Jyothi Robertson
  • "My grandmother (mama)"- Israel Rivera
  • "My grandfather" - Julielani Chang
  • "My nana, today is her birthday" - Jose Ocano
  • "My mom" - Debra DeVries"
  • "My mother" - Tausha Haug
  • "My mom" - Cecilia Oliveros
  • "My Aunt and my Brother" - Sharon Fletcher
  • "Mom" - Jennifer Glover
  • "My dad" - Susan Bell
  • Marilou asked "What do you see in this picture?"
  • "A baby" - Mary Flores
  • "a BABY" - Geraldine D'Silva
  • "Looking over the calm of the lake" - Melissa Calhoun
  • "Until you said that I never saw it"- Israel Rivera
  • "First I saw a couple standing at a lake, then I looked for (because of the weird tree shape) and saw a baby." - James Pawlowicz
  • "tree and lake" - Sandra Parker
  • "I shop. I used to drink. I have been sober for 4 years Sept 23rd" - Tiffany Morrison
  • "Nature and walks are my therapy" - Julielani Chang
  • "My question always is - What is too much? I do not know what is my neutral line is until I to far past it to go back." -  Tiffany Morrison
  • "Tiffany, wonderful question. I hope that Marilou helps us in that journey to find out how to listen to our body and learn what that neutral line is...and the reality is that we are probably rarely on the line, but probably wiggle around it, but hopefully its small rather than large swings away from it right?!" - Dr. Raye Taylor
  • "Habit Stacking: combo with 7 deep breaths before or after--that's doable!!!" - Dr. Raye Taylor
  • "Thank you so much ❤️" - Carrie Hecht
  • "Marilou, I love the picture of your dog on your wall!!!" - Debra DeVries
  • "This one came at a perfect time as I am struggling with work life balance." - Nicole King
  • "Wow... thank you so much Marilou!" - Mary Flores 
  •  "Very good presentation." - Penny Leisch
  • "Moving and thought about provoking. Thank you for sharing!" - Amy Joshua
  • "THANK YOU, MARILOU! You shared so much that resonated with me, and I loved learning about the Dog Star and all the connections." - Irene Chansawang
  • "Beautiful, thank you so much! I appreciate your vulnerability in sharing your story. That really affected me." - Cecilia Oliveros
  • "I struggle with that....my moral beliefs make it hard for me to walk away from toxic situation.  I own things that I am responsible for, but others pouring themselves in make it hard for me to draw lines in these fluid relationships." - Nicole King
  • "Thank you, Marilou, for sharing your life struggle and the way that your overcame the suppressed grief.  Very brave and insightful." - Christine Best
  • "Thank you Marilou for allowing us to be aware of our inside." - Julielani Chang
  • "Society just puts this unrealistic expectation on people. While we know its unrealistic it does not stop people from expecting it." - Tiffany Morrison
  • "I work alongside horses teaching people to be in the moment, to breath, to reset.  I found this when I was so deeply lost in my anxiety.  I forgot myself raising my family and working so much.  Horses saved my life and showed me how to find myself again. Thank you for sharing your story." - Julie Stewart  
  • "We have to be still" - Tammy Anckner
  • "Thank you, Marilou for sharing your story. You deep listening circles are a perfect offering and have really impacted me in my practice. I am looking forward to joining your next circle!" - Jyothi Robertson
  • "Amazing, Marilou! I never cease to be amazed by you." - Anna Kucera
  • "This is the first time I have joined. Thank you so much for your story and I plan to join every week 🙂" - Susan Bell
  • "Same!" - Israel Rivera

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Sheila Kouhkan
Senior Education Specialist
Maddie's Fund
CA
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Thank you so much for the opportunity. I wanted to share a Tedx Maui video that may resonate with you, "when you feel the need to speed up, slow down'.