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Shattered, November 13, 1979, What My Mom and "Chocolate Thunder" Share:

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Pictured clockwise around Dawkins, from lower left: my mom, Diane Bowen Paknis, in a 1957 College Graduation Photo, leading Rhythm Band at Vacation Bible School (I am in the red hat), with her children in a cherry tree at Branch Brook Park, Newark, NJ in 1968, watching the 1979 Madison Dodgers from our car, the last time she saw me play. Bryan Fennelly – photo credit.       Darryl Dawkins, aka Chocolate Thunder, first shattered an NBA Backboard with a thunderous dunk on November 13, 1979, the same day my mom died following her courageous eight-year battle with cancer. She was diagnosed with Stage IV Malignant Melanoma in 1971 when prognosis was five months. My brother was four, my sister was thirteen, and I was nine. A miracle, she lived eight years post-surgery, close to twenty times longer than expected.   After diagnosis, she underwent radical surgery, requiring over 2,000 stitches, to remove her infected lymph system. This left her with lymphedema, o...
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Boundaries and Freedom

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"Walls keep everybody out. Boundaries teach them where the door is." - Mark Groves "Without boundaries in our lives we feel constant chaos. Almost like we're 'on call' for other people. This can lead to self-neglect." - Dr. Nicole LePera #boundaries #protection #safety #selfrespect #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #justice #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #freedom
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Be Strong

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"Strong people don't put others down... They lift them up." — Michael P. Watson Bullies tear others down.  Successful Leaders build them up.  "Weak people put others down. They attempt to crush them in spirit." — Annette Caldwell #strength #liftothersup #build #elevate #heal #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #freedom #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #justice #truth
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Truth and Justice

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"I shall not submit to injustice from anyone. I shall conquer untruth by truth." - Mahatma Gandhi "It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered." - Aristotle "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest."  - Elie Wiesel #truth #justice #protest #rights #freedom #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #speakout #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #protection
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Shine a Light on the Truth

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"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr. "We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel #speakout #standup #shine #light #love #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #truth #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #freedom  People are afraid of the ramifications of dealing with the dark instead of celebrating the light. Silence encourages bullies. Expose all abuse.
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"United we stand, divided we fall." - Aesop

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"Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking." - Mahatma Gandhi "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now." - Martin Luther King, Jr. #unity #standup #common #goals #teamwork #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #trust #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #freedom
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Be True to Yourself and Others

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"To be a good leader, you have to have something in your character to cause people to follow you." - Jimmy Johnson "A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity." - Dalai Lama "The greatest act of courage is to be who you are — without masks to cover the truth of who you are." - Brené Brown #character #integrity #courage #transparency #leadersarentbullies #HealthyWorkplaces #leaderselevatethoughtandconduct #truth #psychologicalsafetyatworkact #speakout
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