MJ Jones Portfolio

Inspiration

"I woke up today, I might as well be a badass" ~ Tommy Caldwell, Professional Climber

Image: Profile Dossier

Missions and Visions

Vision and strategy

My vision and strategy echo theories of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

Empower voices
Create a space of social equity and belonging
Share power among the human family
Focus on friendship and understanding
Solicit input from the front line
Supporting Kaizen teams
Implementing training focused on moving forward with professionalism and equality

Agent of Change

I am an effective leader and agent of change in system reform:

I explicitly address sensitive topics, such as Tolerance
I develop quality programming that gives us all grace - seeking to defeat injustice, not people.
For example: I helped BIPOC students, in particular, feeling left behind in a summer program. I addressed racist misconceptions from my colleagues and encouraged them to use engagement tools such as Clozed Notes.

Image: ACLU

True North, King County

Named after Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., King County follows their True North and Values, such as:

We interact with respect, courtesy, and calmness.
We are one team.
We make problems visible and treat them as opportunities.
We embrace data, analysis, and science.

King County's True North

Programming

The Work and Well-Being Initiative (WWBI)

A joint Harvard and MIT research-for-action initiative

U.S. Surgeon General releases framework for workplace mental health and well-being that points to WWBI research, October 20, 2022

Image: WWBI

The BOLD Center

University of Colorado at Boulder, College of Engineering & Applied Science

The bold learning objectives from the BOLD Center are inspiring, including: "promoting use of academic tools and skill-building, such as persistence, questioning, reverse teaching, and peer support."

The BOLD Center

Happiness

Virtue Ethics

Eudaimonist Virtue Ethics: The trouble with “happiness” is that in ordinary conversation it connotes something subjectively determined...In this respect, “flourishing” is a better translation, meaning that the consequences of helping someone, for example, will maximize well-being.

Source: Virtue Ethics, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Image credit: The Aldo Leopold Foundation

Quotes about happiness

"The better we feel about ourselves, the fewer times we have to knock someone else down to feel tall." ~ Author, Colette

“Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road” C.S. Lewis

“Being proud of who you have become is not a destination but a journey of self-acceptance and self-love.” – Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now, 1997

2010, Mt. Katahdin, highest point in Maine and on the Appalachian Trail

Sports Psychology

Steve Kerr, Head Coach of Golden State Warriors, NBA basketball

I follow the Golden State Warriors (GSW) because Kerr focuses on teamwork and inclusion
The GSW are the shortest team in the NBA, thus the players have to be the most skilled, a challenge Steve Kerr has taken on.
Players on the bench get higher game time than other teams, such as Lindy Waters III, one of the few Native American players currently.
GSW players are humble and assertive, with some exceptions in behaviors, which are being addressed, such as Draymond Green, known for his aggressive and fiery on-court demeanor (USA Today)
Steve Kerr stands out as a coach with kindness, in comparison to other coaches who berate their players publicly on social media, for example.
Steve Kerr also coached the winning 2024 USA men's Olympic basketball team.

Image: blazersedge.com

Lindy Waters III
Image: NBA

Draymond Green
Image: inc.com

Image: newsweek

Rosie Hughes, Striker, Wrexham Football Club women's team

I am impressed with Rosie Hughes and her professionalism: taking her game seriously, and seriously supporting her teammates.
I play first cutter in ultimate frisbee for similar reasons to Hughes playing striker: I lead our team with enthusiasm and experience.

Psychology of Fear

Two world-class climbers have vastly different views of danger but similar views of fear and reasoning

Alex Honnold

Alex Honnold was the star of the movies Free Solo, where he climbed Half Dome in Yosemite in 2008 without any ropes, and Arctic Ascent. People think he's crazy until he explains his rationale: he doesn't do crazy things; he makes informed decisions about what he can do based on what he has done in the past.

"As long as I know I’m not in real danger, I have nothing to fear."

Alex Honnold climbing Half Dome without ropes. Image: NY Times

Alex Honnold and Magnus Midtbø
Image: youtube

Fear is an interesting counselor. There are times when it’s incredibly helpful, warning me that I’m not quite ready for a particular challenge. Climbing is inherently scary — even when I’m using a rope there’s some risk of injury, however small, and my body will often set off alarm bells when I’m high above the ground. This reaction comes despite having climbed intensively since childhood. Although my rational mind knows I’m quite safe, my body still reacts to the central fears of pain and death. Sometimes, though, my fear takes on a life of its own, trying to warn me about dangers that are only in my mind. Learning to Live With Fear, NY Times essay series: The Big Ideas: What Do We Fear? by Alex Honnold, June 18, 2024

Magnus Midtbø

Magnus Midtbø challenges himself on climbs that other top climbers do, and speaks entertainingly and intellectually to physical differences, such as arm length and strength.

Magnus Midtbø attempting a climb that only Adam Ondra has completed
Image: youtube

Magnus Midtbø and Adam Ondra
Image: youtube

Cave containing Silence in Norway. Image: youtube

Music

Bobby McFerrin

One thing is for sure: no one made my mom groove around the house more than Bobby McFerrin. I don't want to spoil this one.

If you do nothing else today, please watch this video!

Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale, World Science Festival, 2009

Eric Clapton

On mixed tapes from a high school boyfriend, and played over an over to help with grieving, I still love listening to Eric Clapton. Wonderful Tonight is his most popular song ever, and Tears in Heaven was written about the death of his four-year-old son, Conor.

Image: google search

Wholesome Television

I feel fortunate to have grown up with shows featuring fun music, such as:

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Mr. Rogers
Sesame Street

Image: NPR

Family

My background includes family in the military, engineers, and artists, from which I feel lucky to have learned:

Assertiveness
Love
Empathy
Creativity
Pragmatism

Google Sites

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