This was very easy to make. Yeah, it was partially pre-cooked, also canned green beans, but just the same it can work. So, I did have the sticky rice microwaved, which reminds me I have fresh uncooked sticky rice, and I’m going to check how to microwave it. I am not a microwave fan, but it’s worth the effort.
As for the green beans, they were canned. I try to buy organic when canned. I like to rinse out the liquid, wash it with clean water, and then cook it. These were regular cut green beans, whih I need to cook. If they were French cut green beans I can eat them out of the can. Childhood habit. The remainder are sundried tomatoes, and then cherry tomatoes to top. I did the cherry tomatoes to add something cold and refreshing.
It’s not the most beautifully plated dish, and that’s okay. I am home, right? Believe it or not, home or otherwise, it matters to me. It was cooked with extra virgin olive oil, oregano, and garlic, no onion, and many times I do not use salt as other spices can sometimes create something more appetizing.
It was easy to make, comforting to eat, and on my list of Street-Eats in development for a date TBD.
I am not sure if what I do connects anyone else spiritually, but I have found that to find spiritual connection I need to embrace myself. In the Osha, the Yoruban religion, or as it’s considered colloquially “The Religion” when the sign Ojuani – 11 (number in cowry shells) is part of the reading, the person being consulted is told to please hug themselves. This is one of the most famous signs. By fame, it is because individuals are told to please do specific things for the remainder of their lives to help stop the sufferring they collect, and accept the beautiful things happening in their lives. This sign is of the most, absolutely most beautiful, loving person one may ever meet. The hug comes from knowing that you have done nothing wrong, that life is life, that something is happening, there is a reason why, but the way you gather water, through a, let’s say a rattan basket— those days are over. This sign, as it sometimes shows up, is saying “stop thinking as you are thinking,” “life is worth your presence,” “people need you,” “you do not go unnoticed.” And there is always more.
In an effort to understand my evening, my day, my existence right now I drew a card from a deck I have Keepers of the Light Oracle Cards. The card, which I did not draw—it was the last card I had and face up which means it’s the card—was Horus, representing a Cosmic Gateway. There is psychic awarenes, there is foresight, there is an understanding of what is real and what is not. Horus can tell the difference between ego and reality. [Your] connection to the universe is beyond compare.
Then I went on to draw a Thoth tarot card. And that was facing up as well—4 of disks, or Power. Excellent matreial power, wonderful change, but it stops there. It’s Sun in Capricorn. The Lord of the Earth. In the world of my life this is “You and I.”
It is not rare to change Sponsors. They tell you from the get-go, it’s not a marriage, it’s not X, Y, or Z. And that’s precisely what I have said about myself and to others replying “You need a more cerebral program, I get it.” By cerebral I do not mean analytical. This is Spiritual. This is put a plug on the “God-Complex” issue and listen to the issue of God or your Higher Power in [your] life comcept.
I had a Sponsor. It was Sponsorship for the sake of saying “I have a Sponsor.” It was horrible. Have you ever needed structure, steps, (all 12 of them in AA?) and found yourself doing nothing? It happens. No two people sponsor the same way. And some may work for some and others for others. I needed a lot of structure. It’s what I am accustomed to. It helps me sit, and read, and talk about, and see what I am doing. So I changed to the Sponsor who took me through the steps. That was completely different. It was “call me every day.” It was this is your assignment, if in two week’s you’re ready we’ll do step work. And that’s how it went. I changed Sponsor then as well. I remembered something, I think she may have felt confronted, and pushed me away. It went so far that I said okay, I can’t deal with this. So I tried again. This is the issue:
Between that Sponsor and the Step’s Sponsor I was Sponsorless for a week. My mother was celebrating her birthday with a dinner, they had wine glasses on the table, and I went to say hello. I have never seen my hand move towards a drink nor me be so afraid I simply start walking away so quickly in my life. Ma ny, thousands of people know relapses as “wait, I just drank that glass of wine?” It was scary. So, I sent who would be my Sponsor a text saying I am scared out of my life, I had to walk away without saying goodbye to anyone, I was saying hello… She said let me be your Sponsor at least temporarily, until you find someone who fits for you. And so.
Being without a Sponsor when that happened was the catalyst I needed to do something else. And I did. This is not to say that people are not Sponsorless. There are many who say “I have never had a Sponsor.” Other have had one for the Steps, and then none afterwards. A Sponsor’s ONLY job is to take you through the steps. Sometimes people gain friendships out of it. That’s great for them. That has never been my intention when Sponsoring, and it may be why I may not be everyon’e cup of tea. I do not send emojis after every message. I ask how you’re doing, I ask you to call me, gratitude lists possibly, and a lot of work. The work is necessary. You don’t go from Step 2 to Step 5 by having a phone coversation and saying you’re ready you gave it to God. There is a Big Book, the TEXT of Alcoholics Anonymous, for a reason. That person you hear in the rooms who says “we went line-by-line” to see what that is truly saying, is the kind of Sponsor I have needed. I didn’t do a Gratitude List until after the steps that I asked, “can I send you one, to keep myself in check?”
This may sound different than expected. It is possibly the fact that I go by “taking you through the Steps” and nothing more.
Step 5 tells me “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”
Step 5 was not difficult for me. People run away from it. Step 5 was a relief. You see, I knew exactly what this was doing—or I thought I knew it all. That is certainly not the case. I knew it would be cathartic, and would be cleansing. My steps were at times difficult, especially when needing to remember things. I had heard so many stories, worked in various ways on Step 4, and in truth there was a lot that I was scared to forget and leave out. It is, though, only the first of the moral inventories done. It is only the first time around, and it is not meant to be perfect. It wasn’t. It was full of issues with family, full of self-centered fear, full of self-serving behaviors, and all of those culminate to a huge presence of fear.
Many people burn their first 5th Step. And that’s cool. I did not. My Sponsor at the time doesn’t do that. We sat at a Panera on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables and it was hilarious because I actually thought people cared enough to hear these things. I read the whole thing, she sat, and when leaving said I’ve done worse. The same thing happened when doing the 3rd Step. We did the 3rd Step prayer at one of the parks on one of the beaches on Key Biscayne. And it was in front of other people. Come on, get down on your knees. And of course I did. I was nervous, didn’t look around consciously but certainly wondered about it, but said the prayer, got up, said okay—end of the day.
I have told Sponsees Step 5 is not for anyone to sit and analyze what you did or did not do. The person serves a purpose, and the only purpose is to create the space taken by someone, people, the world, knowing that [you] are NOT perfect. That you have done things as well. And it’s not a testament to them accepting you. It’s a testament to you accepting them and to your honesty. It’s a testament to your holding yourself accountable. To realizing that I’m not only thinking I did these things, and I’ll tell myself, and God. I’ll also cement it in time. And these statements seem dramatic, even to me writing them, but it is really important because you gain a little of insight into who you have been. It’s challenging. Then comes part, present, future—where do I stand and when do I think of these if at all? Step 5 is a huge turning point, but in Step 5 you meet yourself for the first time, and see exactly who you have been. I am not a fan of doing Step 5 with anyone. I changed Sponsors because I did not trust my Sponsor enough to do a Fifth Step with her. It says it in the Big Book, make sure you choose who you do this with. Many people, many, many people do it with a priest in confession. A part of me, that is quite traditional and orthodox, would have done it like that. Doing a Fifth Step is much scarier prior to doing it, the anticipation, the “self-centred fear” associated with it is the scary part. A Fifth Step is you being ready. They say Step 3? Not for me. For me Step 2 was more difficult. They say Step 3 is the step you take saying I am willing to take the remainder of the steps. I don’t feel that way. I think it’s easy to say “Take this.” It’s easy to make a list. For me, I had to “suit up and show up” at Step 5.
The steps are in order for a reason. But I did get to see that I was manipulating my parents as a child. Friends in high school because I had a car and my parents’ trust that they needed, and they had a social life which I wanted outside books and so sure you pay for the (I drank it too) MD 20/20 and I’ll ask someone to buy it for us. By the way, anyone who drinks MD 20/20 really should consider a Fifth Step just admitting to yourself, God, and someone else that you went there to get drunk. As for sitting with God. That as my biggest, not fear, but the most emotional part of my Fifth Step. I had blamed a lot of me on God. How dare you? Why would you do this? How can you “love” me and still be willing to see me live this way, or barely live at all? In the end I don’t know what that meant. I know to me, it meant that regardless what happened, no matter what it was or who was allowing me to be or do or experience anything I was there too. It remnains a mystery to me. If I attemopted to dicern it further right now I would place myself in the “I want to understand God” which is synonymous to I want to “control” who God is. So I had the conversation, and left it at that.
Step 5 is nothing to be afraid of. Suit up, show up, do it because you believe that in the end it’s what you need, not what anyone is forcing you to do. Believe in you enough to know that [your HP] does too. (Still working on this every day. Progress not perfection)
Have you ever faced a tricky problem and wished there was a method to find creative, practical solutions that truly work for people? That’s the heart of what design thinking is all about. It’s not just a buzzword—design thinking is a practical, people-focused approach that helps you tackle challenges, whether you’re building a product, improving a service, or driving organizational change.
What Is Design Thinking?
At its core, design thinking puts humans first. It’s about understanding real needs, and then coming up with ideas, testing them, and changing course as you learn. Rather than assuming what people want, you involve them in the process from start to finish.
The Five Stages of Design Thinking
Let’s break down the classic design thinking process. While every challenge is different, most journeys follow these five steps:
1. Empathize: Discover the Real Needs
Start by stepping into your users’ shoes. Listen, observe, and ask questions—how do they feel, what frustrates them, and what do they truly need? This stage is all about empathy and gathering real-world insights.
2. Define: Clarify the Core Problem
Armed with your new understanding, you narrow in on the most important challenge to solve. Defining a clear, human-centered problem statement helps keep your focus exactly where it should be: on people.
3. Ideate: Explore Possibilities
This is where the creative sparks fly. Bring together a diverse group and brainstorm as many solutions as possible—no idea is too wild at this stage! The goal here is quantity and variety.
4. Prototype: Make Ideas Tangible
Instead of endless theorizing, start building simple versions of your ideas. These prototypes can be sketches, models, storyboards—anything that helps people experience the idea in action.
5. Test: Learn and Refine
Finally, share your prototypes with real users and ask for feedback. What works? What doesn’t? Use their input to tweak your solution—or even go back to the drawing board. Testing is about learning quickly and improving constantly.
The Principles Behind Design Thinking
Design thinking isn’t just about the steps; it’s also about the mindset:
Empathy: Put yourself in others’ situations. Listen first.
Collaboration: Embrace diverse perspectives. Great ideas often come from teamwork.
Curiosity: Explore, challenge assumptions, and look for fresh angles.
Experimentation: Be willing to try, fail, and learn—then try again.
Flexibility: Stay open to changing your mind as new information comes in.
Why Does Design Thinking Matter?
When you start with people—not just technology or profits—you end up with solutions that matter, ideas that stick, and happier customers or team members. You’ll catch problems early, save time (and money), and create products, services, and experiences people actually love.
Bringing It All Together
Design thinking is more than just a process; it’s a way of working that encourages empathy, creativity, and action. Next time you face a complex challenge, remember: listen deeply, define the real problem, brainstorm without limits, prototype quickly, and learn from feedback.
Let design thinking guide you—you might be surprised at how far it takes you and your team.
Unlocking your potential and achieving ambitious goals—whether personal or within your organization—requires more than passion and strategy. Too often, individuals and businesses unintentionally sabotage their progress by neglecting the human side of goal achievement. For mission-driven organizations and leaders, shifting the focus from business priorities to prioritizing people is key to sustained growth and breakthrough results. Here’s how to leverage the principles of design, craft, develop, engage, elevate, and embrace to create systems and organizations that empower people, not just profit.
1. Design: Create with People in Mind
Every meaningful journey begins with conscious design. This means intentionally crafting environments, processes, and systems that put people at the center.
Map out systems that value well-being, collaboration, and creativity.
Involve diverse perspectives early, ensuring that solutions reflect the needs and aspirations of your team.
Design spaces—physical and virtual—that inspire connection and engagement.
2. Craft: Build Thoughtfully
Crafting is about paying attention to details and iterating on what works.
Set clear, human-centered goals that go beyond financial metrics.
Regularly review and refine workflows to remove friction points that cause frustration or burnout.
Use feedback not as criticism, but as material for improvement.
3. Develop: Invest in Growth
People thrive where development is both encouraged and resourced.
Offer meaningful learning opportunities at every level, from technical training to leadership development.
Develop mentorship and peer coaching programs.
Measure “people progress”—gains in skills, satisfaction, and motivation—alongside business KPIs.
4. Engage: Foster Genuine Connection
Engagement happens when people feel seen, heard, and valued.
Facilitate open dialogues where team members can share challenges, insights, and ideas.
Recognize individuals for both effort and innovation, not just traditional performance.
Foster a sense of belonging by celebrating differences and shared values.
5. Elevate: Lift Each Other Up
Great organizations focus on mutual support.
Empower team members with autonomy—trust them to make decisions and take calculated risks.
Create structures for cross-functional collaboration, allowing people to learn from each other.
Celebrate milestones and successes collectively, reinforcing the power of teamwork.
6. Embrace: Build Resilient Systems
Embracing means accepting and learning from setbacks, rather than letting them derail progress.
Implement feedback loops to continually refine systems and strategies.
Normalize conversations about challenges and failures—view them as opportunities to learn and grow.
Encourage a culture of adaptability so teams can pivot quickly and confidently in changing environments.
Building Human-Centric Systems: Practical Steps
Principle
Action Step
Impact on People
Design
Host collaborative workshops to co-create goals
Boosts ownership and alignment
Craft
Streamline processes with user input
Reduces stress and increases efficiency
Develop
Offer regular skill-building sessions
Grows confidence and capability
Engage
Recognize effort in real time
Increases sense of value and satisfaction
Elevate
Encourage team-led initiatives
Promotes leadership and engagement
Embrace
Debrief both wins and losses as a group
Builds trust and resilience
Why People-Centered Organizations Succeed
Organizations built on people-first principles experience higher engagement, lower turnover, and more innovative output. When you stop sabotaging your own goals by putting business metrics ahead of human experience, you create an environment where both individuals and the organization can flourish. A focus on design, craft, develop, engage, elevate, and embrace doesn’t just get you to your goals—it ensures you arrive as a stronger, happier, and more connected team.
By shifting your lens from “business only” to “people always,” you unlock the full potential of your organization—one human at a time.
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