5 Things / Moving
This week, on the subway in New York, two men got in my car pulling a cooler full of food. They were offering meals to anyone who needed one. They were also collecting donations. And smiles, one of them said.
I teared up as he spoke. And it made me ask myself a question: What do the things that move us tell us about our values?
One of my values is optimism. Obviously. I tear up when I witness acts of kindness and generosity, when I see others bravely doing the right thing. I tear up when I see things that give me hope in my fellow humans.
Paying attention to what moves us is leadership data. If you don’t know what moves you, you’re leading from habit, not values.
What moves you?
This Week's Good Vibes:
Spain’s government approved a fast-track plan to legalize the status of 500,000 undocumented migrants. Eligibility includes living in Spain for at least five months by the end of 2025, having no criminal record, and, in some cases, having applied for asylum before December 31, 2025. Successful applicants receive a one-year residence and work permit. ♐️ Legal status reduces exploitation risk and expands access to healthcare and stable work, especially for people already doing essential labor.
Yale will eliminate tuition and other expected costs for new undergraduates from families earning under $100,000, starting with students entering this fall. Yale also plans to waive tuition, but not all costs, for families earning under $200,000. Yale is the latest major university to do this after affirmative action was overturned in 2023. ♐️ Affordability is a strategy to increase all kinds of diversity.
Olympians get retirement-style support
Billionaire Ross Stevens pledged $100 million to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to provide $200,000 to every U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athlete who qualifies for the Milan Cortina Games, whether they medal or not. The program is structured as long-term security: $100,000 paid at age 45 or 20 years after an athlete’s first qualifying Olympic appearance, whichever comes later, and another $100,000 as a guaranteed benefit for their family after death. ♐️ This challenges a system where many elite athletes shoulder financial risk without a safety net, especially those with fewer sponsorship options.
Dartmouth funds internships for all
Dartmouth raised $30 million in endowed gifts to expand internship access by removing financial barriers for undergraduates. Dartmouth can now support about 250 students each year pursuing internships in fields that often cannot pay, including arts, media, public service, global health, and conservation. Unpaid internships are a wealth filter that excludes students without a financial cushion. ♐️ Access is not equal when experience is unpaid.
Minnesota CEOs demand de-escalation
Minnesota’s Chamber of Commerce released an open letter signed by more than 60 businesses and CEOs calling for “immediate deescalation” after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Signatories listed include major employers such as Target, UnitedHealth, and Best Buy, plus the Minnesota Timberwolves and Vikings. This is significant after many major companies took a step back from making public statements against injustice. ♐️ Ask your organization what safeguards exist for workers and customers impacted by enforcement actions.
Good Vibes to Go:
Check out Marcello Hernández’s standup special American Boy on Netflix. It takes a while to get really funny but I ended up being utterly charmed. Good vibes indeed.
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