My Six Part Plan to Save the World

Today, we live in a world of media. Screens are everywhere, bringing horrific goings on from every corner of the world to our most personal spaces.

We see our world spinning out of control, reeling from crisis to crisis, driven by forces far more powerful than ourselves.

I, alone, cannot end a war. I cannot end homelessness. I cannot end hunger. I saw the suffering and felt powerless. The feeling was distinctly uncomfortable.

I often ask my clients to focus on what they can do instead of lamenting what they cannot. I decided to take my own advice.

I can’t solve everything for everybody, but I can make a significant and positive impact on the lives of many. It costs me time, money, and energy – but it’s better than feeling powerless.

Without Further “Ado”:

1 – Provide Therapy in Our Community

Our emotions work to keep us alive and intact, but emotions such as anger, insecurity, and fear leave us with an attitude of “Look out for #1.” If we’re living by ourselves on an island, that attitude works well. But Island Earth has roughly 8 billion people: we need a different recipe for living, loving, and working together. Therapy doesn’t “cure” anger (or any other emotion) – it isn’t intended to. But therapy helps us in our relationships at home and at work – and perhaps more importantly, it helps us with our relationship with ourselves. Can peace at home and at work lead to peace in the world? I can’t say – but it’s a good step.

Dropping off gifts

Dropping off gifts at The Guidance Center’s annual “Adopt a Family” event.

2 – Support Mental Health in Our Community

I am committed to improving mental health for the families in our community. For that reason, I serve as Board Chair for The Guidance Center, a community mental health not-for-profit serving over 3,000 low-income children and families each year.

3 – Support Therapists Across the Country

All of us are stronger than one of us. I lead a national “Peer Advisory Group.” We bring differing skills, experience, and specialties together for a once-a-week meeting on Zoom. We follow each other’s tough cases, present new cases, talk about the practice of providing therapy, share success stories, and generally work to improve the clinical practices of the others, as well as our own.

4 – Volunteer for Veterans

We often say “thank you for your service” to our military, but when we consider the sacrifices they make, the words are hollow. Were you aware that in 2021, 6,392 Veterans died by suicide? Yes, I still say “thank you for your service,” but I also provide no-cost support to active service members, veterans, and their families. A special shout-out to Give An Hour for keeping  me connected with the military community.

5 – Philanthropy

Working with The Long Beach Community Foundation, we have created “The Maimoni Family Foundation.” Through the Foundation, we have supported community organizations that combat hunger and drug abuse, and that support mental health and after school programming. We have recently undertaken a new initiative supporting the six Comprehensive High Schools in the Long Beach Unified School District.

6 – Practice “Right Speech”

Speech is powerful. Our thoughts and feelings shape our words, and our words in turn move us on the path toward freedom or cementing habitual patterns of suffering. Although I am not perfect in my practice of “right speech,” I have committed to using words that create peace in myself, and make a beneficial impact on others.

I Cannot Save the World Alone

With each orbit around the sun, I become more aware of how limited our time is here on Earth, and more committed to leaving the world a better place. Will you join me?