Frank Desiderio, CSP
What’s your official job title?
There are so many. It’s a little crazy.
Director, St. Mary’s of the Lake / First Consultor, Paulist Fathers / Retreat Director / National Director, Paulist Associates.
Executive Producer: The Big Question: A Film About Forgiveness
Creator and Facilitator: How to Let Go of a Grudge Forgiveness Retreats
Author: Can You Let Go of a Grudge?, Paulist Press, 2014
Poet
What do you do:
– For work?
In my previous role, I was executive director of Paulist Productions where I executive-produced The Big Question, a film about forgiveness. It led me into my current work of giving retreats on the spirituality of forgiveness. The film plays a pivotal part of the retreats I lead.
– For fun?
During the summer, at Lake George, I like to swim. Movies and poetry are a recreation year round.
Your contribution to the optimism playlist?
“Say Hey (I Love You)” by Michael Franti and Spearhead
Why did you pick this song? What does it do for you?
As soon as the song starts, my foot starts tapping and then I smile and I smile through the whole song. The song says to me that thinking is one thing and feeling is another and, in the end, the most important thing to know is love.
Anything else you want to say?
The chorus of the song starts, “Hey I be gone today, But I be back around the way.”
As a missionary preacher I move around but wherever I am I connect with people and stay connected with good friends wherever I’m living. I trust God will bring me in contact with the people I’m supposed to be with, when I am supposed to be with them.
Also, as they used to say on American Bandstand, “it’s got a great beat and is easy to dance to.”
Where can we find you?
We put our bodies on a diet. Why not our brains? This is the motivation for our optimism playlist.
Here’s proof that optimism rules. That it’s good for business. And music, of course, improves health and well being.
Subscribe to the bluefeet blog for regular doses of inspiration. Watch for weekly updates to our optimism playlist from guest contributors.
