by admin | Aug 19, 2016
During my early years at the college, I shared an office with a man older than me who had two grown sons and a wife whom he loved and adored. Our office was full of pictures of his family vacations, Christmas holidays, and wedding anniversaries.
One day during lunch, he asked if I would listen to him recite a poem that he had written to honor his wife and their upcoming anniversary. “25 years!” He exclaimed with a broad, genuine smile. I remember wondering at the time: How do people do it? What is the secret to a long and happy marriage?
And for whatever reason, I was moved to ask him, “So, what’s the secret? How did you get to 25 years of marriage.”
He didn’t miss a beat, “it’s all her–she gets every bit of credit.”
But I knew there was more. “C’mon, give it up. I’m listening.”
His mood shifted and he crunched his forehead the way he often did while reading bad handwriting. And after a moment, his smile returned.
He was very humble as he spoke, “Deb, I have worried that I would lose her ever since I found out she was carrying our first son. I’ve worried that something would happen to her or that she might get sick of me, and the result is that, every day, I live to know her. I just love her to death.”
I was gushing with tears, of course. To this day, it is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard about love. I remember what he was wearing, the sound of his voice, and the pen in his hand. Especially, I remember the phrase, “I live to know her,” as it seems to be the epitome of long-term partnership. I really sensed his deep desire to continuously discover his wife and to share his true self with her.
I heard a reckoning choice, a decision to be vulnerable. It seems to be understood by both of them, and perhaps it has become part of their root system. They know that their partnership needs loving attention each day.
Anytime I have visited their home, I’ve noticed that they have several projects in the works that they are doing together, but they also talk about their individual interests. They have built a magnificent garden together that has fed them as well as many of their neighbors over the years. Between the two of them, they must own at least six bicycles and their home is filled with photos spanning a few decades of both coastal and cross-country excursions.
Still, she has time to make all things with yarn and he writes and publishes his poems simply for the fun of it. Each possess their unique talents.
They both retired early and on the same day in 2014. Why? To be together. It meant they have to live with a frugal consciousness and yet, every time I see them, I am convinced they are the happiest couple I know. They’re coming up on 40 years together, loving each other to death.
by admin | Aug 19, 2016
August 23rd, 2016 – We’ve all heard this before: Love is all you need.
So we wander into relationships with the best intentions to love each other.
Only, without realizing our wounds or our partner’s wounds and without communication and conflict resolution skills, we often find ourselves in a relationship crisis.
Our interview with Linda and Charlie Bloom uncovers a few cultural myths about love; their book that they coauthored together exposes even more.
This is a fabulous introduction to love’s myths, its crises, and its many opportunities for personal growth.
Formal Bio:
Linda Bloom, LCSW and Charlie Bloom, MSW have been married since 1972. Trained as psychotherapists and relationship counselors, they have worked with individuals, couples, groups, and organizations since 1975.
They have lectured and taught at learning institutes throughout the USA, including the Esalen Institute, the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, the California Institute for Integral Studies, the Meridian University, John F. Kennedy University, the Crossings, Omega institute, the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology, University of California at Berkeley Extension Program, the Hoffman Institute, and the World Health Organization.
They have offered seminars throughout the world, including China, Japan, Indonesia, Denmark, Sweden, India, Brazil, and many other locations.
Find out more at bloomwork.com
Listen to “Myths About Love with Linda and Charlie Bloom 08/23/16” on Spreaker.
by admin | Aug 15, 2016
August 15, 2016 –
Frances Arnold is a soulful dietician that ended her battle with chronic illness by going deep beneath the surface of her mind.
Now, with a combination of measured science and the coaxing of patients’ intuition, she guides others out of their digestive problems, fatigue, adrenal failure and symptoms into whole health.
Our interview with Frances is an insightful listen for anyone who eats food and lives in the modern world.
Everything affects our bodies – microbes, meditation, sleep, routines, and wi-fi – and Frances helps us to sort through our life’s everyday characteristics to see where we may make room for our health and well-being.
Formal Bio:
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Integrative Functional Nutritionist
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher
There’s a sense of betrayal many of Frances’s clients feel about their bodies. By the time they enter her office for the first time, they’re considerably confused about nutrition.
Not to mention worn out, frustrated, and overwhelmed.
They’re usually eating foods that don’t work with their physiology, and their bodies are failing to cope.
There are mountains of conflicting nutrition advice and endless health philosophies out there and trying to process them all is exhausting.
And heartbreaking when they don’t yield results.
Frances Arnold knows how that feels – her own journey began when she spiraled into chronic illness, despite a wholesome diet, regular exercise, daily meditation, and two degrees in nutrition.
Her recovery was long, expensive, and challenging.
But it taught her the tools she now uses to restore her clients to wellness in less time than it took her and with less cost.
Listen to “Whole Being Health with Frances Arnold 08/16/16” on Spreaker.
by admin | Aug 7, 2016
I passionately believe life is what you make of it and it’s been that way for centuries.
There’s nothing new about the idea if you want to enjoy a great life it’s up to you to create it.
Now that you’re an adult – you’re in the driver’s seat of your life. If you wait for someone else to create a wonderful life for you – well, you’ll be waiting and yearning for a very long time, unfortunately.
Here’s “the secret” that was never revealed in the famous 2006 documentary of the same name.
Your thinking and mindset on the inside of you has a direct correlation to what you enjoy and accomplish or don’t accomplish on the outside.
This isn’t just referring to the size of your paycheck, although there’s nothing wrong with making a lot of money as long as you’re happy with how you do it and it enriches the lives of others, too. I’m referring to living an astonishing, epic life that takes your breath away in whatever way lights you up and makes your heart glow.
Your parents probably went to some awesome rock concerts in the seventies and eighties, smoked a few joints and thought they were wild and crazy before they settled down. Then somewhere along the way they got married (or not), had kids, landed a good job whether they liked it or not and set to the serious business of being an adult.
I encourage you and support you in connecting with the idea and fact there are many different ways to be an adult.
They don’t all include buying a house with three bedrooms, two baths, two kids and a dog. If you want that, great. I just want to give you permission to expand your thinking beyond the boundaries of what’s normal.
Be a grownup in a way that makes you excited – it really is possible if you want it.
by admin | Aug 7, 2016
August 9th, 2016 – Our interview with Chad Cooper will light you up and give you tangible ideas to start living differently TODAY.
For example, the common mindset concerning to-do lists is out the window (as uncomfortable as that may make us feel), and our common use of everyday language gets revised.
We talk about presence, journey, talent, and purpose.
But in a slightly different way from a slightly different “sage” than we’re used to.
Again, that interview is here.
Formal Bio:
In Business- Chad is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a registered broker and license holder of several investment and financial licenses. Retired from Microsoft at a young age, he knows what it takes to become financially independent.
As a Coach- Chad Cooper has been an advisor to CXO executives in Fortune 500 companies advising leadership service, operation, and strategy on how to position and define services as strategic assets and has coached thousands of people. In addition, he is coach to Professional Athletes in WBO, NHL, MLB, USAT, NFL, and Olympians around the world, taking their performance to legendary levels As an Athlete- As a former multi-major sponsored triathlete, Chad competed on the Ironman race circuit and consistently ranked in the top 10% of his bracket nationally. Chad believes you always have enough “time” to keep your body healthy.
A Philanthropist – As a humanitarian, Chad works with many charitable organizations donating his time traveling with organizations doing the hands on work to improve lives in the USA and other countries. He even donates a portion of his book sales to http://houseofhealingmission.org/
As a Community Member- Chad has served his local community through public service over many years in positions such as, elected Council Member multiple terms, Board member of Michigan Municipal League Legislative Governance Committee, Board member of Michigan Municipal League Energy and Technology Committee, Vice Chairman South East Livingston County Recreational Authority, Mayor Pro-Tem City of Brighton (2nd Four Year Term)
Chad’s website www.chadecooper.com
Listen to “You are the Problem with Chad Cooper 08/09/16” on Spreaker.
by admin | Jul 31, 2016
August 2, 2016 – We hear lots of talk concerning spirituality and prayer, yet it takes a beautiful mind like Matthew Fox to step in and define these terms we so readily us, but perhaps don’t entirely comprehend.
In our interview, we discuss spirituality and how it’s about depth – about living our lives out of depth and not on the superficial surface of things.
That creativity is about making decisions that lead to our morality.
And that prayer is our radical response to life. It’s our yes’s and our no’s; it’s our thank you.
You don’t want to miss this moving and galvanizing interview.
Formal Bio:
“Matthew Fox might well be the most creative, the most comprehensive, surely the most challenging religious-spiritual teacher in America .
He has the scholarship, the imagination, the courage, the writing skill to fulfill this role at a time when the more official Christian theological traditions are having difficulty in establishing any vital contact with either the spiritual possibilities of the present or with their own most creative spiritual traditions of the past….
He has, it seems, created a new mythic context for leading us out of our contemporary religious and spiritual confusion into a new clarity of mind and peace of soul, by affirming rather than abandoning any of our traditional beliefs.”
Matthew Fox is an American priest and theologian.
He was an early and influential exponent of a movement that came to be known as Creation Spirituality.
And what is creation spirituality? “Honoring all of creation as Original Blessing, Creation Spirituality integrates the wisdom of Eastern and Western spirituality and global indigenous cultures with the emerging scientific understanding of the universe, and the passion of creativity. It is both a tradition and a movement, celebrated by mystics and agents of social change from every age and culture. It is also the tradition of the historical Jesus himself since it is the wisdom tradition of Israel.”
The movement draws inspiration from the mystical philosophies of such medieval Catholic visionaries as Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Saint Francis of Assisi, Julian of Norwich, Dante Alighieri, Meister Eckhart, and Nicholas of Cusa, as well as the wisdom traditions of Christian scriptures.
Creation Spirituality is also strongly aligned with ecological and environmental movements of the late 20th century and embraces numerous spiritual traditions around the world, including Buddhism, Judaism, Sufism, and Native American spirituality, with a focus on “deep ecumenism.”
Fox has written 30 books that have sold millions of copies. You can learn more here at his website.
Listen to “A Way to God with Matthew Fox 08/02/16” on Spreaker.
by admin | Jul 25, 2016
July 26, 2016 –
This interview with Jennifer Caloyeras was a rare treat, as we don’t usually have fiction writers on the show.
But the depth and implicit Life Mastery themes in her novel, Strays, made perfect sense for our usual programming.
We’re thrilled to introduce readers, writers, and dog lovers to this extraordinary woman.
Strays is a coming of age novel about a young protagonist, Iris Moody, a volatile, troubled girl, who finds herself training and caring for a three-legged pit bull with a past that parallels her own.
This interview is about presence, writing, and finding the personal empowerment to rewrite our futures.
Jennifer is available for school visits and book club meetings.
Formal Bio:
Jennifer Caloyeras is a novelist and short fiction writer living in Los Angeles. She holds a B.A. In English from the University of California at Santa Cruz, a M.A. in English Literature from California State University Los Angeles and a M.F.A. in creative writing through the University of British Columbia.
She is the author of two young adult novels: Strays (2015) and Urban Falcon (2009). Her short stories have been published in Monday Night Literary, Wilde Magazine, Storm Cellar and Booth. She has been a college instructor, elementary school teacher and camp counselor. She was the dog columnist for the Los Feliz Ledger and the Larchmont Ledger from 2006 until 2016.
Jennifer served as the writer-in-residence at the Annenberg Beach House from January to March, 2016.
Jennifer is available for school visits and book club meetings.
Listen to “Writing Stray with Jennifer Caloyeras07/26/16” on Spreaker.
by admin | Jul 25, 2016
Not living in the present has been described as a person who stands looking to the left at the past with the right eye. At the same time they’re also looking right at the future with their left eye. Ultimately, they end up standing in the present moment, cross-eyed.
When you ponder on the past you live with regrets or concerns about what happened and you’re powerless to do anything about it. When you’re worried about the future you fret and worry over what hasn’t happened and you can’t do anything about that, either.
It’s not where you want to live, trust me.
So, choose to live in the present. Because your ego can’t survive when you live in the present moment. However, if you constantly living in the past or the future, the ego is always present, clouding your judgement with emotions and worry. Being present allows the ego to dissolve and go away. Living in the now is like doing an awake meditation. It comes from practice. You catch yourself and say, “Wow! I’m in the present moment right now.”
In his book “Peace in the Present Moment,” Eckhart Tolle, the guru of living in the now, says, “If you’re at peace you’re living in the present.”
Just before digging into this chapter I was driving. My mind was going in many different directions flashing back and forth to various times of my life from the past. It was so bizarre, as if I was reliving my past. Kiddingly I thought, maybe I’m getting close to death.
My thoughts were literally pinging with instances from my life reminding me of events that aren’t necessarily in alignment with how I live today. The experience was definitely rattling my cage and I could feel my emotions being impacted.
I thought maybe my mind is cleaning house, getting rid of extra junk that’s still hanging around. I hadn’t thought about most of those events in years. Some past experiences were vivid, banging around in my head over and over. They were brought to the surface and then I mentally did my best to toss them out.
Rather than going away, they lingered. I found myself wondering, why am I brooding over this stupid stuff from my past, years ago? In some of those flashes from my past they were of me as a boy, not even 12 years old.
It was strange to me that those events could still effect my emotions and bring me down as they popped up. The truth is I let them do it. I certainly wasn’t living in the present while I was mulling over these experiences, letting myself get caught up in negative feelings.
As I realized what I was doing, I stopped and said to myself “I’m okay right now.” Saying this reminded me to return to the present and to stop thinking about the past or worry about the future.
I did some research on the notion of being present and I discovered something drawn from the Bible called “The Jesus Attitudes.” It suggests we adopt a mindset or attitude of three emotions which have a lot to do with being present:
Nothing to hide.
Nothing to prove.
Nothing to lose.
By practicing these three attitudes you will grow accustomed to living in the present moment.
Why is being present important? It puts you in a mindset that’s open, joyful and keeps your eyes open and aware. Living in the present you’re more likely to have better memory and greater clarity. You comprehend more clearly. Being present is also a way to respect and validate others.
Many people spend little time listening. Instead they try to figure out what they’ll say in response as you talk to them, which removes them from the present moment. That’s the ego stepping in, trying to one up the person they’re supposed to be with in conversation.
Ego replies with, “This is what I think” and passes judgment. Contrast that to when you’re in the present moment. It’s difficult to be critical or disapproving because you’re actually listening. You’re less likely to judge because you’re not thinking about your past experiences or future worries. You’re listening to the other person in the now.
by admin | Jul 25, 2016
Abundance isn’t all about material things. It’s about possessing an attitude of:
- Everything I want I can have.
- Everything I want I can create.
- Or, everything I want I can bring to me.
That’s how you create success. When you have that attitude and eliminate lack from
your mindset, abundance flows. It’s not about how much can you get. Instead, it’s a matter of how much good can you handle? It’s also about living in a high vibration state where you’re grateful for everything.
How do you make the flip from being a person who lives in irony or sarcasm and become grateful? It can feel silly at first.
Our current culture puts us out of tune with gratitude. It seems cool to be unhappy, constantly feeling you don’t have enough. Ever seen a picture of a smiling rock or hip-hop star? Even with gold chains, diamond grills and mansions they still look dissatisfied.
The “angry young man” image became popular when James Dean was a teen idol in the 1950’s. Does being happy means you’re uncool? Absolutely not.
You may have grown up thinking receiving kindness means you’re not independent and you’ve had enough with the “entitled generation.” Someone hands you money and self-pride takes over. You say, “That’s okay, I don’t need it.” You can’t do that and be open to abundance. Receive every gift big or small given with a kind heart because it makes the giver feel good, you feel good and the energy builds.
Some people make it up the ladder so quickly their nervous system can’t handle the rushing torrent of abundance because they struggled in low energy vibration in the past.
I’m thinking about professional athletes, Hollywood stars and lottery winners. They burn through millions of dollars or, resort to drugs, alcohol and occasionally death. I’m thinking of singer Amy Winehouse and actor, Heath Ledger.
If you want to adopt a positive attitude and you’re wondering why its challenging, look at who you hang out with. Surround yourself with the nattering nabobs of negativity and it’s hard to be upbeat. If those people are your co-workers or family, find a way to brace yourself when you see them. Don’t let the turkeys get you down until you can surround yourself with positive people. If it’s your family, look for ways to minimize contact.
That doesn’t mean dis-own your family. It means be busy, happy and spend less time together. Negative people impact us and we begin vibrating at their low level.
By the way, if you want to bring more money into your life look at the income of the top five people you hang around with and their income will be about equal to your own. For some readers that could be another reason to look for new friends.
Are you a good friend to yourself?
- Would friends see you as a bully if you talked to them like you talk to yourself?
- Do you ever give nice things to yourself as a reward?
- Do you speak kind, encouraging words to yourself?
You probably wouldn’t have those friends anymore if you said the same hurtful things to them you say to yourself. You might say, “Well it’s the truth” or, “I’m just keepin’ it real.”
When’s the last time you said positive or hopeful words to yourself?
If you look out on the horizon and want wonderful things for yourself, tell yourself you’re willing to believe. Believe this stuff until you prove it to yourself it works.
by admin | Jul 13, 2016
Replay Nov 15th last minute change. July 19, 2016 – Change and anger are in the air. Looking for answers to today’s wrenching challenges, William Martin turns to the Tao Te Ching and finds that while Taoism is known for its quiet, enigmatic wisdom, the Tao can also have the cleansing force of a rushing river.
Through his interpretation of this ancient Chinese text, Martin elucidates revolutionary messages condemning power-seeking and greed. He emphasizes that humans have a “natural virtue” that can help them heal the planet; shows how Taoism’s simplicity can be subversive and its flexibility a potent force; and reassures that “when injustice is the rule, justice always lies in wait.”
Provocative and stirring, Martin’s Tao flows within and through those who ride the waves of anger and frustration and gently guides them to true freedom. “We have learned the secret of transformation: Injustice feeds our determination. Hate increases our love. Wounds bring forth our healing, and fear uncovers our courage and serenity.” — from The Activist’s Tao Te Ching
Listen to “The Activist's Tao Te Ching by William Martin 07/19/16” on Spreaker.
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