Life Insights - Connecting as Friends

LifeInsights is a place of: Connecting – Community – Love

Welcome! Our LifeInsights group is something we started in 2018 when Austin Mayor Steve Adler issued a ‘get to know your neighbor challenge’ and we decided to do our part! We started with the vision that we can make our world a better place if we intentionally take a little time to get to know more people around us, sharing in this thing we call “life.” Some of us who started the group are Christian and we’re simply striving to take seriously what Jesus said about “loving our neighbors” being among the most important things we can do. Do YOU have to be a Christian? Of course not! All are invited. Always. No strings attached. No hidden agendas. Seriously. We love a mix of perspectives! Come as you are. Be who you are.

We include a range of different topics and insights, from different life perspectives, and offer a place to share, discover, question, and learn from a wide range of sources. We do book or video discussions, offer occasional outings, or hikes, or enjoy meals together, and have occasional fascinating guest speakers. We think the world would be a better place if we all worked toward trying to understand and care about and love one another a little more. LifeInsights is ALWAYS free to attend. Come join us in our small endeavor to bring our community together, know our neighbors, and build new friendships along the way.

Want to know more about our LifeInsights Group?
CLICK HERE
Otherwise, read on to learn about what’s coming next.
This isn’t a photography class. This is about LIFE and it’s FREE!

All are invited. Always FREE to attend.

— What’s Next —

All are invited. Always.

Whether we are doing a dinner outing, or a book study, or watching a documentary, or having a guest speaker, or going for a hike, you are invited.

Here’s our schedule for the rest of the year!
We’d love to see y’all join us for any of our activities. AND invite a friend.

We are shifting to a 1st and 3rd Monday meeting schedule with occasional exceptions for various activities or dinner outings or area hikes.
Where do we meet? At Kevin Gourley Photography Studio, 11740 Jollyville Rd., Suite 400, Austin, TX

February 6 7pm H.E.Butt Foundation Know Your Neighbor Program with Guest Representative from the H.E.Butt Foundation
Bring a snack potluck party food, or whatever you’d like!
We will watch two videos explaining what they are doing to bring the community together, while also explaining how the city of San Antonio got so divided in the first place. (It was by design.) We are so excited to have a representative from the H.E.Butt foundation join us so we can learn more about what they are doing to bring the community together more.

February 20 7pm Atomic Habits
Book Discussion: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
LifeInsights member Joyce May will help lead/facilitate the discussion

March 6 6:30pm – TENTATIVE: Documentary Watch Party and Potluck Dinner
Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times
We’re starting this a little earlier at 6:30pm since the video is a little longer (hour and a half).

Where: 11740 Jollyville Rd. Suite 400
(Kevin Gourley Photography Studio)

Bring “finger food” / snacks if you’d like! (not required)
RSVP to:
Invite your friends!

Do you like to walk / hike?
Join our LetsWalk ATX hiking group!

We’re a group in Austin Texas who likes to go on walks/hikes. No particular organization or schedule. Many walks are just spontaneous (anyone can ask: “hey, who’s interested in joining us?”). This isn’t about hard core exercise, although walking is really good for you! We enjoy sharing life and discussing life with one another as we hike. Invite your friends to join us!

About LifeInsights

Welcome! Our LifeInsights group is something we started in 2018 with the vision that we can make our world a better place if we intentionally take a little time to get to know more people around us, and sharing in this thing we call “life.” This group is FREE to attend. :-)

Society has become increasingly polarized, fed by so many factors: politics, the pandemic, agendas, news media, social media (which is proving to be pretty anti-social), etc. It is easy to get pulled into that mess, further stirring up mistrust, suspicion, mistruths, and deception and it all becomes quite depressing. We started this LifeInsights group as a place to connect with others, foster a refuge, a safe place to come together, in spite of our differences, connecting with each other’s humanity, caring for one another. We don’t claim to have all the answers. We don’t all see life the same way. Even so we can still care about others. We invite you to join us.

In a sense, our goal is simply to love our neighbors.
Our “neighbors” are the people we encounter in our life, the people next door, the people in our city, our coworkers, our friends, and this includes the people who may or may not be like us at all. What a world this would be if we could all do more to love our neighbors. We are trying to do our part, at least in a small way.

We initially started out meeting in person at my business, a photography studio in NW Austin. We started with a book study of The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. From there, we decided to continue with more book discussions, and then we expanded our activities to include watch parties for TED Talks and documentaries followed by discussion time, and then we started also inviting a wide range of fascinating guest speakers including people who are striving to make our community better in some way, or are sharing from their life experiences with various disabilities and challenges. We also occasionally hosted pot luck dinners or outings to area restaurants and occasional breakfast get-togethers.

When this COVID-19 crisis turned our world upside down, we didn’t let that stop us! We switched to doing online meetings using Zoom video conferencing, just scheduling programs week to week. Then, after several months, we all started experiencing “Zoom fatigue” so we took a break until we could start resume meeting in person again!

By the way, what does this have to do with photography? I mean, we are doing this at my photography studio, so what’s the connection? Well, my studio just seemed like a good place as any to do this since it has a classroom space (even though, for the time being, we are only meeting online). But yes there is a connection to photography. The images we create are influenced tremendously by how we see the world around us. In fact how we see the world around us influences our photography way more than the particular make and model of camera we own. So why not spend some time exploring meaningful insights about life? It might just affect your photography, and you will likely make some new friends along the way. And if you are not a photographer, you are definitely welcome to join us also! This group is for anyone / everyone!

Interested? Let’s talk. 🙂

Here’s what participants are saying …

“Thank you for continuing to facilitate the LifeInsights group. Scheduling, setting up topics, speakers, communicating with members, etc. in a regular setting takes a lot of effort but during a pandemic it is extraordinary. I’ve enjoyed every meeting/class both in person and virtual.”
“The discussion last night about the powerful TED talk was great.”
“What you do ABSOLUTELY makes a difference! You provide a safe space for us to have a courageous conversation about race in America. And not only race, but other issues as well that stimulate and challenges our way of thinking about ourselves, each other and the world. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a place to go and voice their thoughts out loud in a safe place.”
“I enjoyed listening and sharing our opinions about a particular book among the group. The group is very non-threatening, open, and kind.”
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know many new people through this group, through book or video discussions, field trips, and dinners. It’s a great group of kind people who can talk about their differing perspectives on a variety of topics.”
“Meeting new people and being able to discuss things in a non-critical way.”
“I have loved getting to know new people and sharing insights.”
“I’ve enjoyed meeting all these people. It’s fun getting to know and try to understand each person’s quest to learn and be involved with these very different books.”
“I have enjoyed the fellowship and connection with our group of ‘neighbors.’ I like hearing others’ points of view and gain more understanding of whatever we’re discussing. I look forward to visiting with this group of friends now, whatever the activity.”
“I really like everyone too. They feel like family!”
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know many new people through this group, through book or video discussions, field trips, and dinners. It’s a great group of kind people who can talk about their differing perspectives on a variety of topics.”
“I’ve only been to two of them due to my travel schedule but enjoyed both the dinner and the discussion group.”
Experience new things! “Doug and I had never been to a drum circle before and had never heard of Community First Village. We enjoyed the lights and the movie there and enjoyed the drum circle too.”
“I have always enjoyed events when I have attended. The people have always been welcoming and open to all ideas. It is a great group of people.”

Here was our first group when we started this at my studio:

We have done a bunch of different book studies:

… and a wide range of TED Talk “watch parties” and discussions

… and discussions about various documentaries

We have had some absolutely wonderful guest speakers:

We had a fun time at our Drum Circle and Picnic Around a Campfire at South Wind Equestrian Center in Leander!

We’ve eaten together, pot lucks, dinner outings to area restaurants

We had a fantastic study of the book “The Road Back to You” led by two licensed professional counselors,
Lisa Blackwood and Sherri Woodworth.

Here are more details about our previous activities:

January 16, 2023 Documentary Potluck Watch Party – “Martin Luther King Jr. – Enough is Enough”
December 12, 2022 Home for the Holidays Watch Party – Collected Donations for the Hill Country Community Ministries Food Pantry
December 9, 2022 5:30pm Community First Village of Lights
November 7, 2022 Book Discussion/Video: “The Four Agreements”
October 17 and 24, 2022 No Meeting
October 10, 2022 – Potluck/Watch Party – Indigenous People’s Day
Indigenous in Plain Sight
Honoring indigenous cultures and histories: Indigenous Futurisms: Cultures of Radical Love
October 3, 2022 – Potluck/Watch Party – Two videos by Buddhist Nun Pema Chodron on Transcending Resentment and Relaxing with Impermanence
September 2022 Break while Kevin & Gail were leading workshops in Colorado
Monday September 5, 2022 – Eva Cassidy Documentary Watch Party and Pot Luck
Monday August 1-29, 2022 The Kindnedpot ss Diaries – Watch Parties
Monday July 25, 2022 Brene Brown – Atlas of the Heart Series Watch Party and Snacks
Monday July 18, 2022 Mid-Summer Break
Monday July 11, 2022 Dinner Outing!
Monday July 4, 2022 Independence Day Break!
Monday May-June, 2022 Brene Brown – Atlas of the Heart Series Watch Party and Snacks
Monday April 18, 2022 TED Talk Watch Party: Listening to Shame – Brené Brown – Watch Party and Snacks
Monday April 4, 2022 TED Talk Watch Party: “What I learned from 100 days of rejection” – Jia Jiang
Saturday March 19, 2022 Celebrate Grand Opening of Cinful Sweets storefront! Congratulations Cinthya Romriell!
Monday March 14, 2022 6pm CDT Pizza Night at Pour House Pints & Pies (on Jollyville Road)
Monday March 1, 2021 7:00pm CST
Breaking the Isolation Happy Hour
Monday February 1, 2021 7:00pm CST
Discussion over Zoom of a Brene Brown Podcast “Brene on Words, Actions, Dehumanization, and Accountability“
Monday January 18, 2021 7:00pm CST
Discussion over Zoom of a Brene Brown Podcast “Brene on FFTs”
Monday December 21, 2020 7:00pm CST
Holiday Eggnog Virtual Happy Hour
Monday November 30, 2020 7:00pm CST
Virtual Happy Hour
Monday November 23, 2020 7:00pm CST
Virtual Happy Hour and chat with Cinthya Romriell about her experiences on Candy Land.
Sunday November 22, 2020 8:00pm CST
Watch Party of The Food Network’s Premiere of “Candy Land”
Sunday November 15, 2020 8:00pm CST
Watch Party of The Food Network’s Premiere of “Candy Land” with Pastry Chef / Chocolatier Cinthya Romriell of cinfulsweets.com!
Monday November 9, 2020 7:00pm CST
Chit-Chat & Chocolate Tasting with Pastry Chef / Chocolatier Cinthya Romriell of cinfulsweets.com!
Monday November 2, 2020 7:00pm CST
Discussion on the Netflix docudrama: ‘ The Social Dilemma’
October 19, 2020 7:00pm CDT
A look at how the concept of Native American “Listening Circles” are being used today, with Guest Darius Pettway
Monday October 12, 2020 7:00pm CDT TED Talk Watch Party: America’s Native Prisoners of War – Aaron Huey
Monday October 5, 2020 7:00pm CDT Topic: Life Recovery
Guest Speakers Ellen Mainiero and Randy Nettles
Monday September 28, 2020 7:00pm CDT Topic: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator – Tim Urban – TED Talk Watch Party
Monday September 21, 2020 – BREAK – No class!
Monday September 14, 2020 7:00pm Topic: Surprising Lessons in Facing Rejection – Youtube Video Discussion
Monday August 31, 2020 7:00pm Virtual Happy Hour
Monday August 24, 2020 7:00pm Well-Being During COVID-19
Monday August 10th and 17th, 2020 – BREAK – No class!
Monday August 3, 2020 7pm CDT Watch Party
“The Truth About the Confederacy in the United States” – Jeffery Robinson Video Discussion regarding this YouTube Talk: (click here)
Monday July 27th, 2020 7pm CDT – Watch Party TED Talk
“To This Day … for the bullied and the beautiful” – Shane Koyczan
Monday July 20th 7pm MORE Thought Provoking Questions – Open Discussion
Monday July 13th 7pm Thought Provoking Questions – Open Discussion – An Informal Discussion – Just a time to get together and pick a couple of questions from this website and discuss. https://bucketlistjourney.net/365-thought-provoking-questions-answered/
Monday July 6th TED Talk Discussion “Why I, as a black man, attend KKK rallies” – Daryl Davis
Monday June 22nd 7pm CDT – Book Discussion
“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens.
June 20, 2020 “A Conversation of Understanding – Race Relations in America” – A special video conference we collaborated to put together with Darius Pettway (https://www.dariuspettway.com/)
If you missed out, we recorded it! You can view it here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9ixKLSsNMI
June 8, 2020 8pm Just Mercy – Movie Watch and Discussion
A powerful and thought-provoking true story following lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice against racial prejudice and oppression.
Monday June 1, 2020 7pm Online Happy Hour
Monday May 18, 2020 7pm
Online TED Talk Watch Party
“The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage” by Susan David
Monday May 11, 2020 7pm
Online Brené Brown Talk Watch Party
“Why Your Critics Aren’t The Ones Who Count”
Monday April 27, 2020 7pm
Online TED Talk Watch Party
“How the Worst Moments in Our Lives Make Us Who We Are”
by Andrew Solomon
Monday April 20, 2020 7pm
Online Virtual Meeting using ZoomWho’s My Neighbor . . . Who Am I?
Career/Passions Share Time
Monday April 13, 2020 7pm
Online Virtual Meeting using Zoom
Book Discussion: “Wonder ” by RJ Palacio
Monday April 6, 2020 7pm “Virtual Happy Hour” BYOB 😉
Online Virtual Meeting using Zoom
Monday March 30, 2020 7pm “Virtual Happy Hour” BYOB 😉
Online Virtual Meeting using Zoom
Monday March 23, 2020 Online Virtual Meeting using Zoom – Simply to connect with each other to share how we’re all making it through this crisis.
Monday March 9th, 2020 7pm: Perspectives on Growing Up BLIND
Guest Speaker: Ann Foxworth
Monday March 2, 2020 6:30pm Dinner Outing! CraigO’s Pizza and Pastaria 5501 Balcones Dr. in Austin http://craigositalian.com/Balcones/
February 3, 10, 17, 24 4, 2020 Book Discussion
“The Road Back to You” Led by licensed professional counselors Lisa Blackwood and Sherri Woodworth
Thursday February 6th, 2020 7am Breakfast at Kerbey Lane Cafe
Monday January 27th, 2020 7pm Documentary Watch Party
With potluck food. CBS News Story: “Photo Finish – Kodachrome” – National Geographic Documentary: “The Last Roll of Kodachrome”
Breakfast Get-Together Wednesday January 22nd, 2020 7am at Jim’s Restaurant.
Monday January 6th, 2020 Movie Night! Kodachrome (the movie)
December 16, 2019 Guest Speaker David Dauber – Accessibility Specialist in the Civil Rights Department of the State of Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) in Austin, Texas. and co-producer, performer, writer and promoter of The Gene and Dave Show
Potluck Dinner and Guest Speaker Kaylee Lartigue
Kaylee progressively lost her hearing as a young child but never let that hold her back. She’s an activist advocating for the Deaf community. More info: Click Here
December 7th 2019 Community First! Village of Lights and Movie Night
December 2nd Happy Holidays Party!
Special Program – We Are Not Broken – Volunteers Info Meeting
Guest Speaker Matt Freeman – Spiritual Director for Mobile Loaves & Fishes – Community First! Village
November 1st FUN EVENING – Drum Circle and Picnic Around Campfire at South Wind Equestrian Center in Leander
Dinner Outing: Mandola’s Italian Kitchen, Cedar Park
Book Discussion: “Broken Open – How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow” by Elizabeth Lesser
Guest Speaker: Deborah Cole, MSF, LUT
Author of Forthcoming Book: “Letting Go: How Less Becomes More”
Topic: “The Heart and Soul of Cuba: The People”
Guest Speaker: Nichola Cotto, Photographer and founder of an amazing organization: We Are Not Broken
Guest Speaker: Bill Schoening, Radio Voice of the San Antonio Spurs helping make a positive impact on men incarcerated in Texas prisons.
Guest Speaker: Kelly Jones, founder of Unbridled Connection – Creating Connections Between Horses and Humans which supports military and first responders, and their families, by providing a safe, confidential, therapeutic environment that promotes healing through deeper connections and improved relationships.
Stories and photos from our Rocky Mountain Photography Workshop – Kevin Gourley
Documentary – Watch and Discuss
Brene Brown: “The Call to Courage”
(we watched it a 2nd time, it was so good!!)
Dinner Outing: Ike’s Love and Sandwich in Cedar Park
TED Talk Watch and Discuss:
“Say Your Truths and Seek Them in Others” – Elizabeth Lesser
“The Kindness Diaries” We’ll watch an episode and discuss.
TED Talk Watch and Discuss
“What Makes a Good Life: Study on Happiness” Robert Waldinger
TED Talk Discussion with Fiona McInally
“The Missing Connections in the Fight Against Poverty”
Documentary – Watch and Discuss
Brene Brown: “The Call to Courage”
“Meet the Author” Session and Potluck Dinner with Author Darius Pettway
Book Discussion of “A Chance To…” by Darius Pettway
Darius is working to restore opportunity to young adults by providing them with tools of leadership, self-empowerment and conflict resolution.
TED Talk Discussion Forum
- “We Need to Talk About an Injustice” – Bryan Stevenson
- “My Stroke of Insight” – Jill Bolte Taylor
Dinner at Nancy’s Sky Garden (Cedar Park)
Book Discussion: Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habitsby Gretchen Rubin
Dinner at Almarah Mediterranean Cuisine (620/Lake Creek Parkway)
Dinner at Kerbey Lane (Anderson Mill/183)
6pm Monday December 3, 2018
TED Talks – Discussion Forum
- Do Schools Kill Creativity? Sir Ken Robinson
- Bring On the Learning Revolution Sir Ken Robinson
Book Discussion: The Last Arrow: Save Nothing for the Next Life by Erwin McManus
Documentary and Discussion: Finding Vivian Maier
TED Talks – Discussion Forum
- The Power of Introverts – Susan Cain
- The Surprising Science of Happiness – Dan Gilbert
- Your Elusive Creative Genius – Elizabeth Gilbert
Book Discussion: “29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life” by Cami Walker
Dinner at Kerbey Lane
Book Discussion: The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are” by Brene Brown