Thank You More Please!

by Daniel Jacob, MSW: Founder of Can You Hear Me?

Thank You More Please!  I learned this phrase sometime ago, passed on by one of my most loyal supporters.  It's interpretation is rooted in the awareness that needs to be present when we are once again reminded that there is always something to be thankful for.   As we approach this time of the year with an opportunity to slow down, I thought it was fitting to share my thoughts with all of those that can hear me...  Thank You More Please!

I am reminded at this time of year that is very easy to get caught up with the idea of running towards time off.  You know how it goes "I can't wait till...  No work, time to..."  Yes, having the opportunity to break away from the rigors and responsibilities that we must oblige to is welcomed.  However, my thoughts move me towards that space and place that allows us to slow down this process, while moving into an awareness that clearly helps us help ourselves.   

As I reflect on what I have in my life... I can see it, feel it, and truly recognize that my life is so much better because I have made a choice, one that does not always come with comfort. What I have been able to gain is wellness and perspective.  What I now know is that when you commit and persist while trusting the process you eventually get there.  It is here where change becomes transformative, and where life just opens up the door to endless possibility and opportunity...
Thank You More Please!  

So, as you move towards this day of thanks, may you find your own opening as your hand reaches for the door.  What lies on the other side will be entirely dependent on how you interpret your choice+change+opportunity+commitment.  What I will continue to share through my experiential lens is the life that you strive to have is not possible if you refuse to confront what you need to, it can't and won't happen.  Furthermore, when you get to that place that needs no explanation, the outcome far exceeds what your original expectation once presented.  Thank You More Please! 

May this time of year with family, friends or just the company of yourself find you breathing well.  As you are reminded that there is always, always, always something to be thankful for!

  About Author

Daniel Jacob, MSW Email
Founder of Can You Hear Me? External Field Instructor at University of Southern California School of Social Work MSW@USC.  Daniel has a Masters in Social Work (Families and Children Practice/School Social Work).  He is currently nearing the completion of the LCSW testing process as he continues to work towards progress!  More about the man behind the mission⇢

The Flame Within Us...

by Daniel Jacob, MSW: Founder of Can You Hear Me?

The Flame Within Us...  Our flame may extinguish from time to time, but there will always be an opportunity to reignite it with some gratitude by our side.  I pass this lesson on to you as another opportunity to help you help yourself.  May this find you well out there, keep doing that self work that will always support you as you strive to support those in need!

About Author

Daniel Jacob, MSW Email
Founder of Can You Hear Me? External Field Instructor at University of Southern California School of Social Work MSW@USC. Daniel has a Masters in Social Work (Families and Children Practice/School Social Work). He is currently nearing the completion of the LCSW testing process. More about the man behind the mission⇢

Let It Rain!

 by Daniel Jacob, MSW: Founder of Can You Hear Me?

You ever heard that saying "when it rains it pours?"  Yesterday was an example of one of those moments for me.  The early part of the day began with a little rain, then the sun shined through, but by midday it was pouring!  This made me reflect back to a time when I should of been moving into the field of helping others, but little did I see the rain was coming, and it was pouring.  I was a month away from completing my Master of Social Work (MSW) degree.  Something I was so proud of.  My MSW represented so much to me, and in all honesty it helped to change the quality of my life.  I embraced this time with an open heart and mind, amongst the busy time in my life that it was.  I learned so much about helping others change for the better.  However, what really changed for the better was me, and in a manner that I never expected when I decided to go forward and into this endeavor.

As the sharing unfolds I'm so close, just about to achieve this major accomplishment in my life.  I was gearing towards the transition from the classroom into the field as a professional.  I was looking into potential employment opportunities, sending out resumes, going to job fairs and all the rest.  Did I mention that I was also immersed into a unhealthy, unstable long term relationship?  One that began with the attachment and connection that wants to believe that this could be the one, although deep down within in your gut, you know its not going to work out.  It was a very difficult and challenging period in my life, all while I was immersed into completing my MSW degree and looking towards finding a job.  I take full responsibility and ownership for my part, and to this day I hold no anger or pain towards the other half, but at the time it was raining, it was coming down!  I had been through this before, a much longer relationship in terms of time and I didn't want to go through the back and forth, can it work, will it work, etc., when you know it's just not meant to be.  

So, with a month left we called it quits.  It was a tough time as you would imagine. However, interesting enough I ended up doing really well academically my final semester, the best yet!  Adversity sure has its way of pushing you through when you may feel there just is no way!

My mindset quickly went from getting a job to leaving town.  I had nothing holding me here and I sure could use some time for myself.  I stopped sending out the resumes and instead I packed up all my personal belongings and put them in storage and I left the United States.  Instead of walking in the commencement ceremony to honor and celebrate this great accomplishment I had just achieved, I boarded a plane set to land in countries and locations that I only dreamed of going to.  This journey was an amazing opportunity to breathe and exhale after nine years of working, getting a couple of degrees, being in some toxic and dysfunctional relationships, and the learning and challenges that life can afford.  

My time away was wonderful, it was exactly the right decision to be made.  I had no regrets then and I surely do not now.  I was immersed into the ultimate learning experience that traveling abroad can and does produce.  I learned so much through the eyes of others when we came together so far away from our own homelands.  I wrote, read, and decompressed.  I traveled by foot, bus, boat, train, and plane.  I slept in parks, hostels, bus stations, train stations, and airports.  I even ran with the bulls in Pamplona Spain, one of the most exciting, scary, cathartic moments of my entire life!  This journey by far changed the quality of my life in a way that will always stay with me.

I returned after many months away.  I was cleansed, my mind and heart were in the right place.  Did I mention I came back with no money, no job, and my life belongings still in storage?  That was okay because all that I gained while I was away was well worth it!  I knew that I would eventually get back to that place I needed to be in order to start my career.  My passion to help others change for the better was within me, that never changed.  In fact it never has, no matter how much rain comes my way.  I honestly believe that I am better off in my career and life as a result of what I have weathered, always learning and growing from the experience of.  Let it continue to rain, I got these dance moves down!  

May this weeks writing find all of those that can here me with opportunity and choice, as you continue to breathe well in the process!

I'm dancing in the rain...

 About Author

 
Daniel Jacob, MSW Email
Founder of Can You Hear Me? External Field Instructor at University of Southern California School of Social Work MSW@USC. Daniel has a Masters in Social Work (Families and Children Practice/School Social Work). He is currently nearing the completion of the LCSW testing process. More about the man behind the mission ⇢

Helping Professionals with Gratitude!

by Daniel Jacob, MSW: Founder of Can You Hear Me?


Helping Professionals with Gratitude!  I'm pleased to be back and as my fingers glide across the keys, I'm connected to my internal drive to help others change for the better.  This week I'm inspired by the gratitude I embrace as it pertains to my model of support, helping those that help others in need.  Helping Professionals are either working for, training in, or learning from organizations whose mission is to help others change for the better.  The support that I have chosen to provide gives me purpose.  As I move through opportunity I'm  investing myself into the emotional states that motivate, inspire and empower me to accomplish my said goals.  It is through challenge and the process of overcoming such that I have been given choices.   As with all moments that cause us pain we can choose to understand it and accept it.  I honestly feel that we are all capable of embracing our own suffering in a manner that can educate us, inspire us and ultimately motivate our will and ability to change for the better.  Helping Professionals with Gratitude affords me this opportunity, one that not only empowers others, but also provides me with much opportunity as well!

In the field of helping others change for the better one may become solely focused on the person/population you are trying to reach.  Yes, this is the nature of your work but what goes into this work is so greatly influenced by your availability, sense of self and what you are able to give to the process.  So I ask, what about that helping professional?  What about their well being?  What about their working environment/system, support network, etc.?  What about their capability and ability to effectively provide positive support and services to those in need?  Many in the field of helping others choose to suppress their pain and suffering as it pertains to their role as and career of.  Think about it...  You are a trained and educated professional in the business of helping others change for the better,  the expectation is not to show your own vulnerability.  So, how do many cope with this?  Many will suppress, avoid and resist, moving closer into that "survival mode" and a way that just gets one through the day...  They will lose sight of (or just not have the energy for) positive self-care and well-being support.  They will increasingly break down while venting to their co-workers, friends, spouses, etc. in a manner that only demonstrates their frustration, anger, apathy, and complacency within a situation that feels as though no solution is in sight.

Helping Professionals with Gratitude is where my support services come in to action as I strive to empower, educate and support these professionals.  To be able to inspire others through my own plight, my own challenges (in and out of the career), while promoting one's ability to stay available and present is a truly rewarding opportunity.  It is through this mutual process that I am able to help my fellow professionals identify, understand, and thus address the challenges they are facing in the field of helping others change for the better!  I don’t always get the opportunity for feedback, so when I share it is always an opportunity to reflect, process and embrace that I am exactly where I need to be.  What I do know is that it is my true desire to support Helping Professionals so that they can move closer to helping others change for the better.  If I can accomplish this I am able to impact two different populations; the helping professional as well as the clients they serve, both of which are in need of support! 

This in itself is what I see every day with intention, purpose and action!  If you are a helping professional and you are suffering, you can not be available and present for those in need in a positive, effective and sustainable manner.  It is a reality within an already difficult field that usually begins with immediate challenge.  So, I ask you, why create more challenge if you can choose not to?  It begins when you start, while committing to the necessary work so that you can change the outcome, one that will be a truly transformative process...

I'm just gonna keep putting it out there to the universe, and if my efforts open the door towards change for the better I am Helping Professionals with Gratitude!  Until the next time my words meet your availability you breathe well out there!



About Author
 

Daniel Jacob, MSW  Email

Founder of Can You Hear Me? External Field Instructor at University of Southern California School of Social Work MSW@USC. Daniel has a Masters in Social Work (Families and Children Practice/School Social Work). He is currently nearing the completion of the LCSW testing process. More about the man behind the mission ⇢

Being A Big...

by Daniel Jacob, MSW: Founder of Can You Hear Me?

Proud I am...  Being a Big (that's the term we use as big brothers or sisters who have the opportunity to positively impact a child for the better!) is by far one of the greatest decisions I've made http://www.bbbs.org.  Being a Big has rewarded me in so many wonderful ways, one of which transpired yesterday as I witnessed my little brother graduate from middle school, on his way to high school and beyond. So, today I am inspired to write and share a little bit more about my experience being a Big!

I met my little brother almost four years ago; I remember our first meeting quite well in that downtown Los Angeles office building, a grown man and young boy coming together for different reasons, but ultimately the same outcome. My little brother to be could barely look me in the eye, his body language clearly indicated that he had suffered before, let down and disappointed along the way, and his ability to trust had been fractured.  At this moment in time there was no doubt that I was exactly where I needed to be, wanted to be, and truly believed that in time my little brother would be able to lift his head up, look me in the eye, and show me his true self.

Over time and our visits together I was able to witness the kind, sensitive, and thoughtful young man I was beginning to understand and get to know. This in itself is not usually behavior that is rewarded when you are immersed into an at-risk environment, one that does not always recognize doing the right thing without thinking, even if it is coming from a young boy. Therefore, I was pleased to hear when his mother shared with me that the family was moving to a new neighborhood many miles away, an opportunity that would end up serving him well.  My little brother was now in a position to grow and develop in ways that would see him thrive, leaps and bounds.

His academic performance (and behavior) changed for the better, demonstrated by the grades he was now getting that far exceed his previous school years.  His participation in youth football (his passion is that game!) gave him a positive outlet while showcasing his athletic ability.  Sports has provided my little brother with a support system that lets him know that he is right where he needs to be, while giving him a great opportunity to be a positive role model to the many teammates that look up to him. His passion (and interest) raising and caring for his birds has helped him develop several positive attributes (i.e. responsibility, work ethic, compassion) that have served him well as he moves into adolescence. He always lends a hand to help his mother when asked upon, doing his best to model to his younger brother what it means to be respectful and responsible. The boy I met some time ago has become a young man, and it has been wonderful to watch his dreams and goals develop!

In life you are given opportunity, what you do with this opportunity will always be dependent on the choices one makes. I am truly happy that I made the choice to be involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and in turn my little brothers life. I have received much from this relationship, and I only hope that I have given back in return, as I will always strive to give him the support and guidance that he deserves. Being a Big always puts a smile on my face and strength in my heart.  I hope my sharing this week reaches you in that place and space that has you well, as you strive to help yourself while helping others in the process!

 

About Author

Daniel Jacob, MSW Email
Founder of Can You Hear Me? External Field Instructor at University of Southern California School of Social Work MSW@USC. Daniel has a Masters in Social Work (Families and Children Practice/School Social Work). He is currently nearing the completion of the LCSW testing process.
More about the man behind the mission ⇢

The Interview...

by Daniel Jacob, MSW: Founder of Can You Hear Me?


When you move through your day supporting others, there are always opportunities to inspire and empower.  When the role reverses itself I am given the same in return, a humbling experience I embrace, while reinforcing that I am exactly where I need to be.

I was contacted recently for a interview by a freelance writer working on behalf of SociologyDegreePrograms.org an online resource that provides insight and information to those interested in pursuing a career in social work.

I welcomed the opportunity to further advocate for and share my thoughts about the profession (and career) that I am proud to be a part of.  Furthermore, I am thankful for being given an additional platform to share a part of my history that doesn't always present itself.  I want to personally thank freelance writer Tricia A. Mitchell for finding me while facilitating my words into a format that I truly hope opens a door for someone searching for their own passion, as well as someone in the profession who is searching for the kind of support that Can You Hear Me? represents and strives to provide!

Interview with Daniel Jacob

Until we meet again may the day be well to you and may you be well to your...  As I strive to reach those in need may my intention, action and purpose inspire you to make any necessary change that will impact the quality of your life in a wonderful way!

Thank You More Please!

by Daniel Jacob, MSW: Founder of Can You Hear Me?


Thank you more please!  This is what I tell myself when gratitude comes my way, often reminding myself that I must say it more... You see, when we stop and pause (as we often should) we can easily remind ourselves of all that we have, the every and any that can truly pick us up, while once again supporting our work in progress. This is exactly where my thoughts are as I recently had the opportunity to disconnect for several days, thank you more please!

Along with several of my brothers I ventured to Death Valley National Park to explore and breathe easy, while disconnecting from the attachment that consumes us all from time to time.  I had never been to the valley with death in its name or had any real knowledge of this land that I came to embrace.  As many do, the association to the desert is often; hot, dry, sand and factors that don't necessarily equate to comfort.  However, what I was exposed to was perfect weather, amazing landscapes and the kind of peace that permeates gratitude.  My experience may have been a little different as our group ventured off the grid (an hour off the main highway in the park) accessible only by vehicles equipped to make this kind of trek.  Therefore, the remoteness of our camp provided all of us with a welcome that you just can not always receive when you are in the midst of it, thank you more please!  For example, it was so so quiet and thus the senses were not negatively affected by the noise that one would receive being immersed into the kind of activity (and movement) received in the cities one resides within.  As I write I reflect on how fortunate that I am to have these kind of opportunities, with a support system that is and wants to be on the same page adding to their own individual works in progress, while helping me support my own.

Thank you more please!  As I have transitioned back into my reality this week there was an adjustment period.  After all being away from all devices and communication efforts, not to mention the contact with others, interchanging systems and all of the moving parts that can distract and persuade, I made sure of being mindful and aware.  This is something that we all must make time for, the opportunity to detach and disconnect.  It doesn't have to be a grand plan complicated by time and money. It can be as simple as the experience I had, or the one that YOU come up with that fits into your reality.  However, the most important factor here is- that you make the effort and do it!  When we choose to live the quality of life that fully supports our self-care and well-being we are able to move forward and toward a better day.  Here are some healthy habits to support this process, ones that can and will help you help yourself, thank you more please!

Until we meet again, may these words find you well with opportunity and gratitude on your side.  The life that you want to live is always influenced by the life you choose to live, the difference between the two is how you...



About Author

Daniel Jacob, MSW Email 
Founder of Can You Hear Me? External Field Instructor at University of Southern California School of Social Work MSW@USC. Daniel has a Masters in Social Work (Families and Children Practice/School Social Work). He is currently nearing the completion of the LCSW testing process.  
More about the man behind the mission ⇢