Co-created agreements - committed to by each member of our team - create the safe spaces that in turn allow for the creative and innovative expression that then becomes the memorable and magical experiences we co-create, like TEDx events.

Your turn for your household to become a space of creative productivity. Set those agreements together and see home life blossom.

In the video, you’ll find tips on how to co-create this set of agreements and ensuring they allow each household member to thrive, inspired by the prison residents in our Circles.

Invitation: Commit to a set of agreements for your entire household and see how it supports each person’s wholeness and health.

This is part of a series. You see, on April 1st, I realized that I have a unique perspective into confinement thanks to my past 4.5 years engaging several times a week with the world's leading experts on confinement: prison residents. For the month of April, I will provide a daily lesson learned in prison that will hopefully help us to survive and even thrive while confined to our homes. Go forward and back to enjoy each daily lesson.

One idea unites most people in prison: one day, to walk the street freely.

One idea unites us during this season of confinement: to emerge from this season healthy and in wellbeing.

We watch the prison residents come together in their unique ways to support each other towards their common - and non mutually exclusive - goal of becoming free citizens. We can do the same. in our society. And in our homes.

As Billy says in his “Rediscovering Hope Through Self-Forgiveness” talk from TEDxDonovanCorrectional 2017 (with 48K views!) : “Never look down on anyone unless you’re helping them up.”

Invitation: When you find yourself looking down at someone, have it be with the intention of raising them up.

This is part of a series. You see, on April 1st, I realized that I have a unique perspective into confinement thanks to my past 4.5 years engaging several times a week with the world's leading experts on confinement: prison residents. For the month of April, I will provide a daily lesson learned in prison that will hopefully help us to survive and even thrive while confined to our homes. Go forward and back to enjoy each daily lesson.

Weddings. Funerals. Graduations. Birthdays. Holidays (like last weekend’s Easter and Passover). Life's milestones still happen, even while we're confined.

A year and a half ago, I attended a funeral without being able to attend it, thanks to the inspiration of a prison resident's creative solution. It’s one of my favorite memories of my life.

Your milestones while confined could be remembered with sadness of what was not. Or could become the fondest memories for what they became.

Your turn! Become creative to ensure your milestone events become even more memorable than they would have been following traditional protocol

Invitation: How are you going to craft an experience that is truly memorable for you?

This is part of a series. You see, on April 1st, I realized that I have a unique perspective into confinement thanks to my past 4.5 years engaging several times a week with the world's leading experts on confinement: prison residents. For the month of April, I will provide a daily lesson learned in prison that will hopefully help us to survive and even thrive while confined to our homes. Go forward and back to enjoy each daily lesson.

Thanks bruce mars on Unsplash

Happy Easter!

Easter is always a special day in prison because the prison residents get time to share their testimonies during Easter service.  Here are three quick testimonies for your Easter enjoyment.

Sam had recently been stabbed by a person on the prison yard.  Prison politics would dictate that he would have to stab this person back.  And yet, instead of doing so, Sam shared that he had forgiven his stabber.

Tommy had burned a lot of bridges in his life.  He had had no contact with his family and kids for at least 15 years.  One day, out of the blue, he felt called to write a letter to his family.  Right after sending it, he received a letter from his family.  They had sent letters to each other at the same time!  They reconciled and starting corresponding.  In one of the subsequent letters, Tommy’s kids drew a picture that Tommy then painted in, so that his kids could have something that they had created together, father and children.

Casey attended a powerful 4-day retreat of unconditional love inside prison and experienced an awesome transformation.  So much so that he felt strong enough to go sober for the first time in 20+ years.  Casey told his parents about his experience and about going sober.  Inspired by Casey’s commitment, his parents started going to church and they got sober too!

May these stories of God’s work in these men’s lives inspire you to see the transformations in yours.

Invitation:  Take a moment right now to reflect on the transformative experiences that have taken place in your life over the past month or two.

This is part of a series. You see, on April 1st, I realized that I have a unique perspective into confinement thanks to my past 4.5 years engaging several times a week with the world's leading experts on confinement: prison residents. For the month of April, I will provide a daily lesson learned in prison that will hopefully help us to survive and even thrive while confined to our homes. Go forward and back to enjoy each daily lesson.

Thanks Diana for this recipe and your gorgeous platter

Last night, we ate like prisoners.  No, not their state-issued meal.  Prison residents regularly get together to create “spreads” as they call them.  One brings a tomato.  Another a can of mushrooms he bought through their canteen.  Another a jar of peanut butter sent by family.  And together, doing with what they have on hand, they craft a memorable meal.

Some of them are great cooks, even with their limited access to ingredients, and get their fellow residents salivating.  We regularly hear of the recipes they conjure.  Making soups in their hotpot that doesn’t boil.  Using Kool-Aid as a ramen seasoning.  Seven-layer birthday cakes of cookies and cream cheese.

Well, in this season of not-getting-together, a Columbian-Australian friend from Thailand’s Peace Fellowship and I shared in a lunch/dinner, together with our partners.  Peering into each other’s worlds through our devices, they were having lunch 17 hours ahead of the dinner we were eating.

It’s our dinner prep that resembled the prison residents’.  Diana had previously sent a recipe for Peruvian Arroz con Pollo so that we’d be eating the same thing on both sides of the world.  And, to avoid a trip to the grocery store, we chose to prepare the dish with what we had on hand. The whole chicken became two oversized chicken breasts.  The red onion was actually yellow.  The coriander became cilantro.  The choclo grains became canned corn.  And the yellow chili chopped in julienne was actually canned green chili.

And just like the prison residents, we feasted on our quarantine arroz con pollo!  And if your quarantine feels like prison, you might enjoy the recipe below for Prison Tamales, given by our team to our newsletter readers in April 2019.

Invitation: Make the recipe below. Or make a meal with the funky stuff in your fridge and pantry.

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Prison Tamales

• Bag of corn chips or tortilla chips

• Refried beans (residents get these dehydrated)

• Sausage or other meat, pre-cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces

• Vegetables - peppers and onions

• Seasoning of your choosing

1. Crush chips in bag

2. In chip bag, add and mix all ingredients. Shake well to ensure it’s properly mixed

3. Add a little water at near boiling temp (that's the hottest water gets in prison), but not too much so it doesn’t get soggy

4. Roll in chip bag to form tamale shape

5. Add cheese and hot sauce

6. Enjoy!

This is part of a series. You see, on April 1st, I realized that I have a unique perspective into confinement thanks to my past 4.5 years engaging several times a week with the world's leading experts on confinement: prison residents. For the month of April, I will provide a daily lesson learned in prison that will hopefully help us to survive and even thrive while confined to our homes. Go forward and back to enjoy each daily lesson.

How are these tips helping me stay healthy? These tips are actually critical to your physical health!! Because chronic stress suppresses our immune system. By decreasing fear, anxiety and apprehension, these tips decrease stress and therefore help restart your immune system.

Take care of yourself! And take the steps to increase your wellbeing, peace and joy. These by definition decrease fear, anxiety and stress.

Invitation: Increase your wellbeing, peace and joy. And watch your immune system support you more strongly.

This is part of a series. You see, on April 1st, I realized that I have a unique perspective into confinement thanks to my past 4.5 years engaging several times a week with the world's leading experts on confinement: prison residents. For the month of April, I will provide a daily lesson learned in prison that will hopefully help us to survive and even thrive while confined to our homes. Go forward and back to enjoy each daily lesson.

Ever feel like you have nothing to contribute to our world? Especially during this confinement?

Even while confined, we have the power to impact our world in new, positive and sustainable ways.

You're skeptical? Check out Jason's story about seeing how he realized the impact he can create on the outside world from behind prison bars. You’ll also hear of prison residents donating to local organizations, as well as the eight TEDxDonovanCorrectional Talks by prison residents that have received over 77,000 views. That’s at least 77,000 people who have been impacted by a bunch of folks locked up most often for decades, even the rest of their lives.

Invitation: Let this inspire you to be the change you wish to see during this time of confinement.

This is part of a series. You see, on April 1st, I realized that I have a unique perspective into confinement thanks to my past 4.5 years engaging several times a week with the world's leading experts on confinement: prison residents. For the month of April, I will provide a daily lesson learned in prison that will hopefully help us to survive and even thrive while confined to our homes. Go forward and back to enjoy each daily lesson.