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COMMUNICATING THE WISDOM THAT'S CHANGING THE WORLD
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 New Dimensions in Practice Community (NDiP)Is Now Available Engage with New Dimensions Listeners Go to: New Dimensions in Practice Community (NDiP) Editor's Desk: Five Steps Toward Happiness by Justine Willis Toms Reverend Barbara Leger, a recent guest on "New Dimensions," spoke about the wisdom of a 92 year-old man. Many listeners asked for us to repeat the five simple, yet profound steps he discovered that will lead to living a more happy life. (Program 3255) They are:
It's interesting that he understands the emotion of hatred emanates from the heart, but worry comes from the mind. This is my experience as well. I find that deeply held emotions like love and hate are physically felt in the heart. I also experience worry as something that is exclusively beamed out from my thought processor (some call it the mind). His third step is to "live simple". I know we all feel a longing for a more simplified life. As technology gets faster and more powerful, rather than simplifying our lives, it encourages us to do more and do it faster, filling every nook and cranny of our lives. Rather than free up time, it's made us busier than ever. And, if anything ever breaks down, just think of the time you take on a single phone call trying to find out how to fix it. You rarely get a "real" person on the line. You end up putting in lots of numbers, listening to the prompts and then, if you're lucky, you get a service person on the line and you have to repeat all the information you already tapped into the phone. What do you suppose they do with all that information? Sometimes, I suspect it is just something to discourage us from even calling in the first place. His fourth step is to "give more". It is part of our DNA to be of help to one another. Altruism is our natural state. Albert Einstein once said, "The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving." And the fifth step is to "expect less." This may seem contrary to all the advice regarding the "law of attraction." However, the context in which he spoke this wisdom was an example of how he was choosing happiness. When this 92 year-old man was entering a nursing home he exclaimed, "Oh, it is a lovely room." He responded, "But it is a choice. I've already chosen that I'm going to be happy in this room. The thing is that happiness is a choice." And he added, "Everyday I wake up and I choose to find more good in my aging body than bad." Rev. Leger goes on to share with us the wisdom of giving gratitude every day. She says, "Before you go to sleep, give thanks and do the same in the morning. It will transform your life." I give gratitude for all of you who connect with us in the work of serving for the greatest good. |
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August 2008 Broadcast Schedule
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| The Broadcast Week Beginning Wednesday, August 6-12, 2008
In a culture that values greatness, where we're expected to grow our families, our communities, and our financial nest eggs, it's easy to lose sight of the small simplicities that bring meaning to our lives. We forget that we occupy just a tiny slice on the continuum between macrocosm and microcosm, and that today's joys and sorrows are a miniscule blip on the universe’s radar screen. But when we remember how small our lives really are, and turn our attention back to those simple moments that define our very greatness, we reconnect with who we really are. Michael Gellert explains, "To inhabit that smallness fully, that is a realistic appraisal of our condition. When you live small, and you live within your skin, and you're not ego-inflated, you don't have to be somebody you're not. All we have to do is be who we are. In a sense, living small is about discovering who we really are. It's a life of integrity." Michael Gellert holds masters degrees in religious studies and social work. He is a Jungian analyst in private practice, and has served on the faculties of Vanier College in Montreal, City University of New York, and currently the C. G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles. He lectures throughout the United States on psychology, religion, and contemporary culture, and has been a mental health consultant to the University of Southern California and Time magazine. Mr. Gellert is the author of Modern Mysticism: Jung, Zen, and the Still Good Hand of God (Nicolas-Hays 1995), The Fate of America: An Inquiry into National Character (Potomac Books 2002), and The Way of the Small: Why Less Is Truly More (Nicolas-Hays 2007). To learn more about the work of Michael Gellert go to www.michaelgellert.com Topics Explored in this Dialogue:
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The Broadcast Week Beginning Wednesday, August 13-19, 2008
Judy Fjell feels that music should be more than a commodity left only to the professional. She is a strong advocate of musical literacy being an integral part of our education. She says, "Singing together, is one of the ways in which we build trust. It is a way in which we feel consonance and harmony. We can feel these things with someone that we might not necessarily agree with or like. Singing together doesn't dissolve the differences, but it dissolves the importance of the differences, and changes the air." Fjell encourages us to create and join community choruses. Beyond the benefits of singing together, she says that when we sing, the body becomes a tonal resonator, and you receive a sonic massage, which is actually changing your body in good ways. (Hosted by Justine Willis Toms) Judy Fjell is a singer-songwriter and "musical activist." Since the mid-1980s she has been empowering singers in a variety of situations--choral workshops, private lessons, group lessons, schools, camps and retreats. Judy has written well over a hundred songs and recorded 15 albums on her own label, Honey Pie Music. She is the founding director of Music Empowerment Camps, Women Making Music Retreats, the Canta Bella Women's Chorus, and the Montana Women's Chorus. She is constantly on the lookout for resources to empower and educate singers. She is the founding director of Voice-Centered Education workshops and artist-in-residence programs. To learn more about the work of Judy Fjell go to www.judyfjell.com Topics Explored in this Dialogue:
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| The Broadcast Week Beginning Wednesday, August 20-26, 2008
Many Christians at the grassroots believe Christianity should be more inclusive and compassionate than traditional labels would suggest. Reverand Eric Elnes led a group of progressive Christian's across the country, walking 2500 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to Washington, D.C. During this walk they discovered a new form of Christian faith is emerging at the grassroots, one that transcends labels and stereotypes, and renews the path of Jesus in today's world. Elnes says, "There is a whole paradigm shift right now in the Christian faith. It is more intellectually honest and more honestly compassionate. America is already living several clicks ahead into a more hope-filled faith. There are many creative people who are open and joy-filled with their faith, who are not condemning people of other faiths, and who are not worried about people burning in Hell if they don't believe the way some vindictive God believes. They are actually embracing a God of love and holding together this love of God, neighbor and self." The inspiring and provocative story of this walk serves as the focus for this conversation. Eric Elnes is the senior pastor of Countryside Community Church (UCC) in Omaha, Nebraska and co-founder of Crosswalk America. Both organizations are committed to living and strengthening progressive, inclusive Christian faith. He also serves as Director of the Ocotillo Center for Spirituality, The Arts and Christian Worship. Eric Elnes is the author of The Phoenix Affirmations and Asphalt Jesus: Finding a New Christian Faith Along the Highways of America (Jossey-Bass, 2007). To learn more about the work of Dr. Eric Elnes to www.countrysideucc.org Topics Explored in this Dialogue:
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The Broadcast Week Beginning Wednesday, August 27 - September 2, 2008
If you're feeling frustrated and exhausted by the way you make your living, or just have a gnawing question about whether something better might be waiting around the bend, Thomas Moore may have a solution for you. He says, "If your life is going along in a complete, unbroken straight line, it's pretty hard to make a move in another direction. It's when those breaks come along, where things don't work out, and suddenly you're left nowhere, not knowing which direction to go next; those can be very creative moments, simply because you have some space to make a move." In this easy conversation with an old friend, Care of the Soul author Thomas Moore explores how we care for our souls through the work we do. He points to unexpected signs that it might be time to reexamine your career choice, and offers reassurance with stories of how he and others have come through crises on the job to find fulfillment they never knew was lacking. If you’re feeling frustrated and exhausted by the way you make your living, or just have a gnawing question about whether something better might be waiting around the bend, Thomas Moore may have a solution for you. Thomas Moore, Ph.D., has been a monk, a musician, a university professor, and a psychotherapist, and now lectures widely on spirituality, psychotherapy, ecology, and holistic medicine. His groundbreaking book, Care of the Soul: A Guide to Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life (HarperCollins 1992), was on the New York Times bestseller list for forty-six weeks. He writes columns for Resurgence and Spirituality & Health magazines and Beliefnet.com, and is the author of fifteen books including The Re-enchantment of Everyday Life (HarperCollins 1996), Soul Mates: Honoring the Mysteries of Love and Relationship (HarperCollins 1994), and A Life at Work: The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do (Broadway Books 2008). To learn more about the work of Thomas Moore go to www.careofthesoul.net
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 Parties with a Purpose; Celebrating what's working in our communities, for people, for business and for the environment Nov 8 & 9 in Washington, D.C. and Nov 14 & 15 in San Francisco www.greenfestivals.com |
 Expand Your Consciousness in Optimal Learning Environments www.conferenceworks.com |
 Books for the Evolving Human Spirit www.hamptonroadspub.com |
 Transform the Way You Live and Lead with Purpose, Passion, Energy, and Joy www.getclarity.com |
 Books and Audio to awaken consciousness and global social potential. www.newworldlibrary.com |
 To Help Individuals Realize Their True Relationship with Life Through Higher Self-Studies Guy Finley, Director www.guyfinley.org |
