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Simplicity vs. Consumption
Consumerism has reached a new low with the trampling of a man in a Wal-Mart Store by shoppers eager to obtain deep discounts on the day after Thanksgiving. While shocking, this kind of behavior is a consequence of the messages in the United States we all receive about buying things. The “Holiday Season” has become less about enjoying time with family and friends and more about shopping. We, as a nation, have developed what bell hooks describes in, where we stand: class matters , an “obsession with consumption.” (p. 46) Read more
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find Out What it Means to Me
As Aretha Franklin so aptly sings:
“R-E-S-P-E-C-T
find out what it means to me”
showing respect for another person requires taking the time and effort to learn what “respect” means to that person – what are the words and actions that they see as a demonstration of respect. Read more
Global Change: Barack Obama’s Capacity to Change the World
In earlier posts, I have written about the capacity for one individual to change the world. The first one is about the impact of individual actions. The second one is about Barack Obama’s capacity to bring about change at the national level through his authentic presence. Read more
Change Has Come
In the words of the immortal Sam Cooke:
“It’s been a long, a long time coming, but I know
A change gon’ come, oh yes it will.”
Change has come. Yesterday, as I campaigned in Philadelphia for Barack Obama, I had the honor and joy of a special experience. In a small concrete island at an intersection in South West Philadelphia in the rain, a group of children held up signs and cheered for Barack Obama. Adults joined them and someone pulled their car over and played Sam Cooke’s “Change Gon’ Come” on their stereo. Passing cars honked, passersby smiled, my heart Read more
Interconnections: Injuries at the Systemic Level
Table of contents for Injury, Reparation, and Realignment Series
- Interconnections: Injuries and Healing at the Micro Level
- Interconnections: Injuries at the National and Global Level
- Interconnections: Injuries at the Systemic Level
In Part 1 of the Interconnections: Injury, Reparation, and Realignment Series, I wrote about the way physical injury to one part of the body can result in misalignment and injury to other parts of the body resulting in the need to repair more than simply the original injury.
Looking at the national level, we as a nation have a great deal of damage that continues to need to be repaired despite the amelioration of the original problem. A prime example is the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws and the damage that Read more
Wonderful Article About Obama
Frank Schaeffer, author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back, wrote a fabulous article about why Obama will be one of the greatest and most loved presidents.
Definitely worth a read.
Interconnections: Injuries at the National and Global Level
Table of contents for Injury, Reparation, and Realignment Series
- Interconnections: Injuries and Healing at the Micro Level
- Interconnections: Injuries at the National and Global Level
- Interconnections: Injuries at the Systemic Level
Part 2 of the Interconnections: Healing, Reparation, and Realigment Series
In Part 1 of the Interconnections: Healing, Reparation, and Realignment Series, I wrote about the way physical injury to one part of the body can result in misalignment and injury to other parts of the body. Total healing requires a holistic view of the body and its interconnections, rather than simply focusing on the symptoms. We need to not only heal the original injury, but repair the misalignment and additional injuries resulting from it as well.
My experience with my shoulder injury got me to thinking about the healing we need to do at the national and global levels. One obvious example is what is going on in the financial Read more
Interconnections: Injuries and Healing at the Micro Level
Table of contents for Injury, Reparation, and Realignment Series
- Interconnections: Injuries and Healing at the Micro Level
- Interconnections: Injuries at the National and Global Level
- Interconnections: Injuries at the Systemic Level
I continue to be amazed at the intricacy of connections both at the micro (human body) and the macro (global) levels. In my Change, Transition, and Transformation Series, I wrote about the ways our physical, emotional and mental selves are interconnected and need to be aligned and in balance. And, I wrote specifically about how all the parts of the body are interconnected as well. Read more
Index of Postings
The following is an index of postings:
Who Worries About What? – The Impact of Race
Describes my step-son’s experience with the racial “justice” system.
Being Present vs. Being Out of Our Minds
About the value of and obstacles to remaining “present.”
Take Time to Dance
This post links to a wonderful, heart-warming video.
The Impact of Individual Actions
Describes the positive and negative impact of individual actions.
The See Saw: A Metaphor for Yin and Yang
Discusses the see saw effect of too much energy and too little energy and the need to balance “doing” and “being.”
Tangled Threads and Cultural Beliefs that Damage the Quilt of Humanity
About the damage that results from certain cultural beliefs and “isms,” such as racism, classism, sexism, and consumerism.
R-E-S-P-E-S-T: Find Out What it Means to Me
Examines the need to earn respect, rather than demand it.
Seeing and Being Seen
Discusses the human desire to feel “seen” who we are – and have the unique gifts that we bring to the world appreciated and valued.
Interconnection: Injury and Reparations Series
This Series examines the interconnections between injuries both at the individual physical level as well as at the national and global levels.
The Psychological Analysis of the U.S.
Examines the psychological character of the U.S. as a nation and the potential impact of the election results.
Global Change: Barack Obama’s Capacity to Change the World
Explores how Barack Obama’s actions as President can impact the world.
“Growing Young”
Describes the need to take back childlike curiosity and fearlessness as we grow older.
Simplicity vs. Consumption
Discusses the negative impact of this nation’s cultural beliefs in materialism and consumption.
The Magic of an Apology
Explores the potential for apologies to prevent rather than create litigation.
Color Blind?
Discusses the way that, even with the best of intentions, being “color blind” can be detrimental because it blinds us to the power inequities and different experiences of reality that accompany racial differences.
We Need Healing that Works
Compares Deepak Chopra’s discussion of invasive cancer treatment to the destructiveness of the U.S.’s intervention in Iraq
The Change, Transition, and Transformation Series
A series of posts about positive transformational change.
Perpetuating and Spreading America’s Myths
Examines television’s role in spreading myths about body image and success.
Sarah Palin and the Hypocrisy of the Republican Party
Explores the Republican Party’s hypocrisy with respect to Sarah Palin
Why The Ocean is a Spiritual Place
Looks at the way the ocean helps us get in touch with ourselves.
Violence and Its True Sources Series
Explores the contexts that create violence.
The Ties that Bind?
Discusses an incident involving divisions between the Nigerian members of a Catholic church and the church’s Latina and Caribbean members. It serves to illustrate the difficulties we have welcoming and incorporating differences.
Difficult Conversations
Explores fears about engaging in difficult conversations and the reasons it’s important to do so.
Weapons of Disconnection and Inattention
Examines the way cells phones and email have become weapons of disconnection and inattention.
Class Privilege: Local and Global
Looks at the impact of class privilege both here and globally.
Stories About Ourselves and Stories About Others
Discusses the difference between telling stories about ourselves, in which we create meaning for ourselves and share that meaning with others, and telling stories about others, which involves making assumptions and judgments about them.
Making Up Stories
Looks at how quickly we as human beings create “in” groups and “out” groups based on the smallest of differences.
Stories as a Means to Enhance Mutual Understanding
Examines the way that we can better understand each other through hearing our respective stories.
Stories As a Means to Make Sense of Our Lives
Explores the importance of stories in making sense of our lives and seeing the importance of integrating the right and left sides of our brains.
Alice Walker’s Powerful Story
Cites Alice Walker’s open letter, Lest We Forget: An open letter to my sisters who are brave, as an example of the role of stories in providing the context crucial to understanding another’s perspective and as an illustration of the need to consider the context of history in examining the present.
Story Telling: A Space for Race
Discusses how few opportunities there are for open, authentic cross-race dialogues.
The Power of One Person’s Authentic Presence
Examines Barack Obama’s capacity to bring about change.
Stories and Context
Discusses the importance of context in understanding the “whole” story.
The Power of Stories to Build Connections and Create Change
Explores the power of stories to bring about connections across what appear to be unbridgeable gulfs.
Finding Balance: The Great Challenge
Examines the importance of being centered internally, and in touch with our personal core values and life mission and vision, in order to lead a balanced life professionally as well as personally.
Intent and Focus: Making Things Happen:
Illustrates how having a clear intention can make things happen.
Change, Transition, and Transformation for Executive Directors
Discusses an ongoing learning group I facilitate for executive directors of nonprofit organizations.
New York City Executive Director’s Roundtable
Describes the monthly Learning and Support Group I run for executive directors of nonprofit organizations in New York City.
We Need Healing that Works
I’ve been reading Deepak Chopra’s book, Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine, in which he talks about the body’s capacity for healing itself. It’s interesting how what he says about healing cancer rings true for healing nations. Read more
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Repairing the Quilt of Humanity: A Metaphor to Understand our Connections
For information about Deb's book, The Quilt of Humanity: A Metaphor for Healing and Reparation, click here