character
An “August” Trilogy
Recently, we posted the broadCAST for August, on magnificence. It is worth a read, we contend. In it, 
and at its beginning, we say “The word august references ideas such as deep respect, reverence, awe, dignity, wonder and magnificence.”
With that in mind, and the Benny and Jarry blogs to date… we begin a trilogy of sorts; three blog posts for August 14, 21 1nd 28. The first is simple, short and 
hopefully sweet. Here, we will briefly chat on a friendship retreat we and another great friend, Karen, are taking over the coming few days. The second will be a deconstruct on thoughts and even revelations after such. The third will be a launch into a whole new era with the Benny and Jarry blog, around which we are very excited.
So and first, yes over these next few days, we engage a full on retreat, as great friends. There promises to be music and fires and food and great conversations with so very little planning. There promises to be soulful conversations and laughter. There promises to be a retreat and advance. The retreat is physical and mental, getting away from the patterns of life we all find ourselves in to one extent or another. The advance is in advancing deeper, cooler friendship and dreams.
That is the beautiful promise of this time ahead. Stephen Covey once asked, “Have you ever been too busy driving to stop for gas?” We suggest that this is a poignant, powerful little question. Life is life, and we must live it at life’s speed. It is the ultimate role play and impromptu. Still, it is vital to disconnect and step outside of the play that we are in… to almost become an observer… to connect soul to soul. Why? Well, there are many thoughts on same. We suggest, therein, we find a deeper joy. We can get real and raw. Therein, we connect with our dreams. Therein, we find our gas stop. Therein, we get to Soul; the spiritual odyssey understanding life. 🙂
For us, this gas stop will probably involve singing and dancing, soulful and beautiful conversations around the fire, (God willing ) starry nights, good food, wonderful smiles, dreams, lots of laughter, the odd (or maybe more) selfie, and the best of friendships. It will not involve agendas and itineraries nor excessive expectations. It will involve three friends being friends, trusting in the safety, synergy and simplicity of our friendship. We look forward, but will live present. And, we will share on the memories created and ideas born.
Our question to you is “When is the last time you truly retreated with great friends?” A follow up might be “When and how can you plan your next?”
See you soon, and after. 🙂
Peace, passion, prosperity, and a whole bunch of Love
Benny and Jarry
Peace, passion and prosperity…
- broadCAST: Magnificent
- Plead the 5th, July 2019
- AukWords: Clarity and Conviction
- Deliver: State Your CASE
- Leaducator: Another “DC”
- Developing Character Leadership
- The Character of Leadership
and our MULTIVERSE of online forums and offerings
Benny and Jarry
Jenny Dearing speaks to love in action. She brings talent, experience and learning around love, 
trauma and care. With a passion for Child and Youth Care and Addictions, and a background in same, she connects, and memorably so. Her work spans children and youth care with addictions, personal and senior care, respite work, and business leadership; delivering on all. Jenny is a Certified Virtues Project™ Facilitator, with professional training in child and youth care with addictions support and home support services. With certification in ASIST Suicide First Aid, Autism Awareness and Understanding, Trauma Information Care and Child and Youth Care Practice, Jenny brings it, with zeal. On top of all that, she loves singing, and is an accomplished multi-media artist … and brings both to her work. Artistry is a path to love and healing. Jenny knows it. She believes in it. She drives it.
Barry Lewis Green moves the needle on character leadership and unity building with joyful ferocity and thoughtful zeal. Barry helps leaders forge strong, united cultures at school, work, business and community. Joe Calloway says, “I had the distinct pleasure of being in an audience in Montreal with Barry Lewis Green on the stage. Quite simply, Barry absolutely captivated us with his talent, his message, and his heart. The feeling of unity that Barry created in the room that day was extraordinary.” With 39 years in education and leadership training and development … and work in the private, public and community sectors across Canada… and as a speaker, educator, master facilitator, coach, writer, singer, dancer, and cartoonist, Barry stokes the fire on together strong.
The Practice of Love
We have started a new chapter with Benny and Jarry. With that, we have already shared on From Jenny, with Love and then Love and Character. Indeed, and over the coming months, we intend to expand into PODcasts of what we are affectionately calling the Benny and Jarry Show, exploring real and raw on love and character and how they make for better living, working and playing. Stay tuned. 🙂
As a conclusion to the opening 4 rounds of this new blog adventure (with much more to come), and for this week, we thought to share on practice.
Jenny on Practice
With practicing self-love comes health benefits. You will see that self-love is simply about owning our 
own power and acting from a place of kindness toward ourselves. It helps us let go of blame, shame, and anger. We invite ownership and power into our lives, while becoming completely responsible for our own lives; along with recognizing that we are the source to our happiness… the source to the power to change our futures, careers, relationships, passion, compassion, empathy, and authenticity.
It’s then that we begin to believe in our power. What matters is how we feel about ourselves, rather than others’ opinions. Practicing self-love puts us at peace. We accept our strengths and weaknesses. Unconditionally. All the self-love that we are now providing ourselves, allows us to show up and live our destined purpose… thus allowing us to let go of loneliness and embrace a deeper connection with the world… and attracting harmony, peace, spaciousness, and significance in relationships.
The more we look at ourselves with love, the more we practice love and acceptance towards others; accepting mistakes and failure and inviting vulnerability into our lives. We accept that we are enough. That there is no room for comparing ourselves to others.
When we love ourselves, we give birth to creativity, inspiration, and openness. Reality is accepted rather than blaming and fighting it, while, accepting failure knowing that it is one step closer to growth.
Allowing ourselves to grow gives us more energy to spread love and joy. Your positive love for yourself shines naturally and good things gravitate towards that energy. Lastly, we feel safe knowing that we will always be there for ourselves (Cynthia Belmer, Mind Body, Jan 2014).
Jenny Dearing speaks to love in action. She brings talent, experience and learning around love, trauma and care. With a passion for Child and Youth Care and Addictions, and a background in same, she connects, and memorably so. Her work spans children and youth care with addictions, personal and senior care, respite work, and business leadership; delivering on all. Jenny is a Certified Virtues Project™ Facilitator, with professional training in child and youth care with addictions support and home support services. With certification in ASIST Suicide First Aid, Autism Awareness and Understanding, Trauma Information Care and Child and Youth Care Practice, Jenny brings it, with zeal. On top of all that, she loves singing, and is an accomplished multi-media artist … and brings both to her work. Artistry is a path to love and healing. Jenny knows it. She believes in it. She drives it.
Barry on Practice
Character is about practice. We are not born with Patience. We practice it. We are born with all virtues, in potential. Potential becomes practical when practiced. Courage and Confidence can be practiced. Empathy and Compassion can be practiced. Discernment and Creativity can be practiced. Love can be practiced. Indeed, in our last post, I suggested:
- … that L.O.V.E. is about the practice of character. LOOK inside yourself for your strengths of character. Identify them. Name them, Claim them. Then, seek out OPPORTUNITIES where they are most needed. Discover what work, jobs, careers and vocations require them. Discover what services and hobbies demand them. Yes, identify your strengths of character and to where they are most called. Then, have a VISION in your head and heart as to how the world, or your corner of it, will be better when you do apply your strengths to those opportunities. Then, simply ENGAGE. Do it. That is how we L.O.V.E. our work. That is how we L.O.V.E. our service, and play and school and community and life. We look inside for our strengths of character, seek out opportunities where they are needed most, have a vision of their impact, and engage.
The late, great Stephen Covey suggested that love is an action. I suggest that it is a virtue, accessible to us all; and that it is accessible to us in our actions, through practice. When we look inside ourselves for our strengths (virtues, knowledge, skills, abilities) and then find opportunities to serve the world (or our corner of it) with those strengths, while having that vision of service in our head and heart… and we engage the process… we LOVE. We LOVE our work, our business, our school, our family, our friends and ourselves. We LOVE our life. And it is a practice.
Jenny provides examples of that above, and the benefits of doing same. I suggest that practice makes permanent. The more we practice, the better we get. The more we practice any virtue, the more body memory we create in knowing how to live it. In the days and weeks and months to come, I will continue to share on the art and science of character, and it’s relevance to L.O.V.E.. And I will be practicing, for life. I need it.
Barry Lewis Green moves the needle on character leadership and unity building with joyful ferocity and thoughtful zeal. Barry helps leaders forge strong, united cultures at school, work, business and community. Joe Calloway says, “I had the distinct pleasure of being in an audience in Montreal with Barry Lewis Green on the stage. Quite simply, Barry absolutely captivated us with his talent, his message, and his heart. The feeling of unity that Barry created in the room that day was extraordinary.” With 39 years in education and leadership training and development … and work in the private, public and community sectors across Canada… and as a speaker, educator, master facilitator, coach, writer, singer, dancer, and cartoonist, Barry stokes the fire on together strong.
To You, Our Friend and Reader
Jenny and I (and Benny and Jarry) are so excited about the conversations and content ahead. We hope you are too… and we thank you for joining us on the journey.
Peace, passion, prosperity, and a whole bunch of Love
Benny and Jarry
Peace, passion and prosperity…
- broadCAST: Magnificent
- Plead the 5th, July 2019
- AukWords: Clarity and Conviction
- Deliver: State Your CASE
- Leaducator: Another “DC”
- Developing Character Leadership
- The Character of Leadership
and our MULTIVERSE of online forums and offerings
Love and Character
In our last post, From Jenny, with Love, we commenced a journey; a new chapter with Benny and Jarry (aka Barry and Jenny lol).
Going forward, we will write on character, love, unity and excellence as it relates to living and working and serving and playing our lives away; whether as educators, entrepreneurs, emerging leaders or anyone looking to get more out of life by giving more to the lives of themselves and others.
Each week, we will offer up thoughts on the journey of Love and Character. We suggest that Character + Love = Unity = Excellence. We contend that Love and Character combine to produce palpable, powerful, practical Unity at school, work, business and community… that advances Excellence.
And we share thoughts here.
JENNY says
As I sit here tonight, with my freshly washed face and hair in a ponytail, I reflect on this beautiful, life changing week. My heart is happy. Although it has been for a couple years now. That being said, it has been a journey. A journey of awareness, of self-acceptance, of hardcore, no pussy footin’ around kind of honesty with myself and others. It has been joyous, and raw and real. And I continue to see the world through different lenses… the more I love myself, the more I am loving everyone else.
Don’t get me wrong, there are times I want to lay a smackdown on some people, but guess what??? This new and improved Jenny 2.0 has patience and awareness that I never thought I would be armed with. I am unstoppable.
Ok, let’s get down to the nitty gritty here.
I WAS NOT always this way, believe me. I never knew what it was to love me completely. Until these past few years. It took a swift kick in the ass for me to see who I am and all I have to offer. I guess what I am getting at is that I would ideally love to say that it only takes a few easy steps, but no I am not going to pussy foot around with you either. It is tough.
It is tough. Your self-doubt and self-loathing will test you. Will scream loudly the moment you begin to think “Hell ya, I am worth it.” It may even kick you down and throw dirt in your face time and time again. But that is just a small little piece of what will make you the kick-ass warrior that you will become.
I have no doubt that if I can achieve this love within myself, anyone can. I want to share my journey with you, I want you to share yours with me. I want you to know how damn important that you are in this world. That YOU are worth all of your own love.
We give so freely to others. And it is a beautiful thing. Don’t ever water that part of yourself down. But start loving yourself the same way. Be empathetic towards your life experiences. Don’t judge yourself in such a harsh way. Be gentle with your heart. You are so precious.
And I hope that this blog that I am just starting helps guide you to that place somehow. This is a journey, for not only me, but for all you beautiful souls reading this. This may not flow, each week I might have a different topic. But there will always be a taste of self-love, appreciation for yourself and others, notes on how to work on becoming more in tune with all your loving qualities, and just random messages on love in general.
What we so desperately need in the world.
So, join me on this journey of falling in love with everything life has to offer, including ourselves <3
Jenny Dearing speaks to love in action. She brings talent, experience and learning around love, trauma and care. With a passion for Child and Youth Care and Addictions, and a background in same, she connects, and memorably so. Her work spans children and youth care with addictions, personal and senior care, respite work, and business leadership; delivering on all. Jenny is a Certified Virtues Project™ Facilitator, with professional training in child and youth care with addictions support and home support services. With certification in ASIST Suicide First Aid, Autism Awareness and Understanding, Trauma Information Care and Child and Youth Care Practice, Jenny brings it, with zeal. On top of all that, she loves singing, and is an accomplished multi-media artist … and brings both to her work. Artistry is a path to love and healing. Jenny knows it. She believes in it. She drives it.
Barry says
I love the message Jenny brings. I love the fact that we are writing together going forward. I love who Jenny is and for what she stands. I love our incredible friendship and the work and play and life that unfolds from it. Indeed, I love my life. I get to teach business at the college level. I get to do this beautiful work with Epic Engage™. I get to speak, teach, facilitate, coach, consult, create, sing, dance, write, blog, vlog and more… and with Jenny. I love it, all. I love my #bestlittledogintheworld Panda, 
and my modest beautiful little home I call The Greens. I love my life.
We just completed an incredible retreat centering on the work of The Virtues Project™… exploring the 5 Strategies for building lives and cultures of character (I will share more as the weeks and months go by). I often suggest that Love is a virtue. It is an emotion. And it is action. I suggest that L.O.V.E. is about the practice of character. LOOK inside yourself for your strengths of character. Identify them. Name them, Claim them. Then, seek out OPPORTUNITIES where they are most needed. Discover what work, jobs, careers and vocations require them. Discover what services and hobbies demand them. Yes, identify your strengths of character and to where they are most called. Then, have a VISION in your head and heart as to how the world, or your corner of it, will be better when you do apply your strengths to those opportunities. Then, simply ENGAGE. Do it. That is how we L.O.V.E. our work. That is how we L.O.V.E. our service, and play and school and community and life. We look inside for our strengths of character, seek out opportunities where they are needed most, have a vision of their impact, and engage. Indeed, that is the Epic Engage™.
I have been in this work of leadership training and development for 39 years. I have earned my stripes the great, good, bad and ugly ways. I have L.O.V.E.d every minute of it. The errors have been teachers, getting me to consider what strengths of character I better needed to practice. The successes have been teachers in celebrating those I have practiced. Character has its teachable moments and L.O.V.E. requires character.
In times of trial, I have asked myself what strength of character were either missing or not being 
practiced, with the notion of putting them into practice. In times of triumph, I have asked myself what strengths of character were present in order to replicate, going forward.
Character is the soil from which the tree of behaviour grows. Pay attention to the soil and the tree will take care of itself. Ask yourself, in any given situation, what virtues were present or what were not. Ask yourself what do you need to continue practicing or start to practice. Character is about practice. Practice makes permanent. Challenges teach us when we practice character. Successes celebrate our best selves when we practice character.
My life has not been easy. Very few of us can say life ever truly is. Life has its challenges. It also has its growth, resulting from same. It has joy and love and so much more. It certainly has for me. Going forward, I will be sharing examples of L.O.V.E. in action. I will be writing, with Jenny, on love and character and their twin powers to advance real, raw and results driven living. This will be a sincere and simple exploration of the role character plays in our lives. I am excited to explore. Hope you are!
Barry Lewis Green moves the needle on character leadership and unity building with joyful ferocity and thoughtful zeal. Barry helps leaders forge strong, united cultures at school, work, business and community. Joe Calloway says, “I had the distinct pleasure of being in an audience in Montreal with Barry Lewis Green on the stage. Quite simply, Barry absolutely captivated us with his talent, his message, and his heart. The feeling of unity that Barry created in the room that day was extraordinary.” With 39 years in education and leadership training and development … and work in the private, public and community sectors across Canada… and as a speaker, educator, master facilitator, coach, writer, singer, dancer, and cartoonist, Barry stokes the fire on together strong.
Peace, passion, prosperity, and a whole bunch of Love
Benny and Jarry
Peace, passion and prosperity…
- Plead the 5th, July 2019
- AukWords: Clarity and Conviction
- Deliver: State Your CASE
- Leaducator: Another “DC”
- broadCAST: Dominion!
- Developing Character Leadership
- The Character of Leadership
and our MULTIVERSE of online forums and offerings
From Jenny, with Love
In our last post, A New Chapter with Benny and Jarry, we announced just that… a new chapter with Benny and Jarry (aka Barry and Jenny lol). Going forward, we will write on character, love, unity and excellence as it relates to living and working and serving and playing our lives away; whether as educators, entrepreneurs, emerging leaders or anyone looking to get more out of life by giving more to the lives of themselves and others. But first, let us introduce ourselves for this next chapter.
Jenny Dearing speaks to love in action. She brings talent, experience and learning around love, trauma and care. With a passion for Child and Youth Care and Addictions, and a background in same, she connects, and memorably so. Her work spans children and youth care with addictions, personal and senior care, respite work, and business leadership; delivering on all. Jenny is a Certified Virtues Project™ Facilitator, with professional training in child and youth care with addictions support and home support services. With certification in ASIST Suicide First Aid, Autism Awareness and Understanding, Trauma Information Care and Child and Youth Care Practice, Jenny brings it, with zeal. On top of all that, she loves singing, and is an accomplished multi-media artist … and brings both to her work. Artistry is a path to love and healing. Jenny knows it. She believes in it. She drives it.
Barry Lewis Green moves the needle on character leadership and unity building with joyful ferocity and thoughtful zeal. Barry helps leaders forge strong, united cultures at school, work, business and community. Joe Calloway says, “I had the distinct pleasure of being in an audience in Montreal with Barry Lewis Green on the stage. Quite simply, Barry absolutely captivated us with his talent, his message, and his heart. The feeling of unity that Barry created in the room that day was extraordinary.” With 39 years in education and leadership training and development … and work in the private, public and community sectors across Canada… and as a speaker, educator, master facilitator, coach, writer, singer, dancer, and cartoonist, Barry stokes the fire on together strong.
This week, Jenny offers up…
The reality of self-love is very important to our living our best lives. Our body is our home; we simply can’t live in it peacefully if we continue to destroy it. We need to be openly accepting our flaws because the reality is at the end of the day, the only person you truly have is yourself. And we need to be stronger for ourselves (Alyssa Lexine. Thought catalog. Aug 2016).
We need to be kinder to ourselves, allowing room for growth and error. Giving ourselves permission to mess up and make mistakes without chastising the person that matters the most; You, your own self.
We are beings of light and love. We so often freely love others, but we hardly take the time to recognize it for ourselves.
We are so quick to say when someone doesn’t love us the way we wish to be loved. Why are we waiting for them to step up and love us? When in all reality we have the power to do it on our own. We get to set our own standards on how we deserve to be loved, and by doing so we don’t have to accept anything less from others or ourselves.
Now to start this journey of falling completely in love with ourselves; realizing the importance of self-love is the first step to bettering your life. Here are just a few tips to get you started.
First and foremost, define your own beauty. Love yourself now by first accepting yourself the way you are. Change your focus to the thing that is most important. Start with one small thing about yourself and decide to love it. You don’t need to be perfect, but it’s uniquely you. Maybe begin with your eyes because you have seen so many beautiful things, while enduring all the tears you have cried.
Next, change your self-talk. That little voice in your head that drags you down needs to be changed. You wouldn’t speak that way to someone you love, so what makes it okay to say it to yourself? Replace that negative self-talk with something uplifting. When you make a mistake, try an encouraging phrase like, “It’s ok! I’ll try again.”
Also, don’t forget to pamper yourself. When your feet get wet, go home and put dry socks on. Be more aware of your physical condition and do things to comfort yourself. Warm up the water before washing your hands. Sit down when you are tired.
These are small ways to let yourself know that your comfort and well- being are important (Wendy G, Brookhaven, April 2017).
Don’t forget to spoil yourself regularly. Have a bath, do your nails, put on a face mask, wear your sexy underwear for yourself, or take yourself on a date. Act as if you are completely in love with yourself. Speak, eat, drink, dress and treat yourself as if you were your most loving fan, best friend, and lover all at once. Finally, take things lightly. Don’t be too serious. Make sure to laugh and have lots of fun. Even if you just fake it in the beginning, you will reap benefits. Fake it till you make it. (Lea, Life Coach, Feb 2015).
In the end (and the beginning, and throughout), love matters. Love directed to others matters. Love directed to ourselves matters. Going forward, I will be sharing thoughts on perspectives on the who, what, why, when and how of practicing the strength that is Love.
Peace, passion, prosperity, and a whole bunch of Love
Benny and Jarry
Peace, passion and prosperity…
A New Chapter with Benny and Jarry
Last week, I posted on My Summer CAMP. In it, and among other things, I suggested that, “My thought to you is four-fold.
- Cleansing of mind, body and spirit requires honesty, openness and courage.
- Doing so is an investment.
- Doing so requires us to be open, adaptive and relentless (your OARs in the water).
- The return is high, on Clarity and Confidence.”
Such as been born out this past week, with changes coming to Epic Engage™ and how and why and with whom we work it. One of the first changes is to this blog. Going forward, much of my own work will be with my best friend and comrade in arms, Jenny Dearing. You will learn more of Jenny in the days and weeks to come but our work together is driven by the advancement of character, love, unity and excellence. What does that mean? You will find out soon.
For now, let me suggest that I am personally more clear than ever on what Epic Engage™ stands and works and serves for, going forward. Here, the blog will be known as Benny and Jarry, to represent the combined work of two best friends with passions and capacities for work that matters to both of us. More important for now, it is a reminder that my question to you last week still stands.
How can you see yourself cleansing and getting to the essentials? How can do CAMP? How can you have those cool, meaningful conversations with those you deeply trust… to explore who you are and what has most meaning. How can you take actions needed to align in accordance? How can you meditate on such, nay even pray? I am thinking July and August will continue to be CAMP, for me…. as I get ever more clear on the work, service and play ahead.
Stay tuned for the first of Benny and Jarry, and look forward to a fierce and fun mission and service as we move forward together, stronger.
Peace, passion and prosperity…
Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy
