Ode : Exchange

What are you grateful for today?

JoeMonkman — 2009-11-05T17:45:41-05:00

By: JoeMonkman

“The litmus test for self-realization is a constant state of gratitude. This gratitude is not something you can look for or find. It comes from another direction, and it takes you over completely. It’s so vast that it can’t be dimmed, or overlaid. The short version would be ‘mind in love with itself.’ It’s the total acceptance and consumption of itself reflected back at the same moment in the central place that is like fusion. When you live your life from that place of gratitude, you’ve come home.”

- Byron Katie, A Thousand Names For Joy

This year more than any other I feel like I have touched that eternal place of gratitude that Byron Katie speaks of. I have many people (I’ll start with myself!), events and situations to thank for helping me achieve that feeling. Each time I experience it I am overcome with a sense of oneness, deep connection and serenity. That sense of gratitude always brings tears to my eyes, no matter how long it lasts, and no matter where I am. It stops me in my tracks and nearly takes my breath away. Then it asks me to breathe deeply, see the magnificence all around me and hear the heartbeat of all things. The feeling of gratitude gives me a glimpse into what peace and acceptance really are.

Today I am grateful for a daily gratitude practice, my parents, siblings, friends and mentors, the work and words of Byron Katie, a clutter-free office, my students and clients, new business opportunities, the ability to think and act "out of the box." Also, Sunday music sessions, a sweaty workout at the gym, all of the money that I have now and that is on the way and the food in my 'fridge and in my belly.

What are you grateful for today?

(The gratitude image is from Twin Muses, the creator of "greener greeting cards.")

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Soap Hope: All-natural soap to end global poverty

KristinSchutz — 2009-11-04T12:49:12-05:00

By: KristinSchutz

May 16, 2009: Doomsday. With a degree in public relations and an economic environment of fear and hiring freezes, I found it hard to have faith in finding a decent job in public relations and even less faith in a job that shared my vision for progressive change. Then along came a job at Soap Hope: a company with a deeply integrated social mission to end global poverty.

The first thing we learn as an introduction to PR at school is "Don't Lie." As a PR practitioner, I am well aware of the traps and narrow roads that challenge our paths as communicators. But at Soap Hope I have never once felt the need to lie or twist the truth. *Sigh of relief* It's nice to work for a social responsible company.

Serendipitously, Soap Hope brought hope to my career but more importantly it brings hope to women entrepreneurs locally and globally.

The founders, Salah Boukadoum and Craig Tiritilli, founded Soap Hope after selling their technology company. Taking a full pendulum swing in the other direction, not only in product and services but also in corporate culture. The two decided to found Soap Hope on a strong social mission to end global poverty. Soap Hope invests 100% of profits into anti-poverty organizations that provide microloans and business training for women entrepreneurs.

The social mission is based on the founder’s innovative business model called Good Returns, an innovative, sustainable paradigm in which businesses invest resources in non-profits that improve the lives of others and reciprocally the businesses benefit through returns on investments, increased community visibility and enhanced reputation. In this model a for-profit company simply delays dividends by one year in order to accomplish a positive social purpose.

Rather than donating a portion of a company’s profits to a charity, the Good Returns model engenders a cycle of mutually beneficial results.

In exchange, these nonprofits tell others about Soap Hope, helping to gain visibility in the market and giving customers a special reason to choose Soap Hope over other vendors. This completes the virtuous cycle of Good Returns.

Good Returns isn’t simply a charitable act, it is a sound business investment.

My days at Soap Hope are filled with cheery scents of the stacks and rows of all-natural soap in the adjacent room. Each day I leave smelling of lavender, geranium or some other flora or fauna. Each bar of soap represents money in a woman’s pocket, empowering her economic freedom. Giving back to the global community never smelled so good.

To learn more about the Good Returns model or to try some soap, connect with us at www.soaphope.com

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People 4 Earth Webinar: Revolution of sustainable products

Mieke — 2009-11-04T12:22:21-05:00

By: Mieke

Join the People 4 Earth webinar on the 4th of November for an exclusive discussion with bestselling author, Daniel Goleman, on how a new wave of information on the sustainability impacts of products is shifting the balance from seller to buyer. The experts discuss how 'radical transparency' promises to mobilize sustainable consumption among consumers, reward sustainability leaders in business with competitive advantage, and help drive a higher standard of business innovation. The briefing will take us from the farmer's market to the capital markets to the corporate boardroom.

How to attend?
To attend, please register here. The Moving Markets Webinar Series is complimentary.

Once you have registered, you will be provided with the information you need to join the conference, including dial-in numbers and passcodes. Be sure to save this information to your calendar or print this information.

Click here for more information.

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Creating a life of substance

lexsisney — 2009-11-04T12:18:26-05:00

By: lexsisney

Imagine you’re a participant on a new game show called “Your Life”. The host of the show presents you with two locked doors and two keys. The door on the left is labeled “External Substance.” The door on the right is labeled “Internal Substance.” The rules of the game are simple. You can choose only one door. Behind each door is an unlimited substance of its type.

External substance is all the material stuff of the universe. Whatever your heart desires; gold, riches, houses, cars, the new MacBook Air, food, wine, travel, chocolate, books, art, planes, boats…essentially any and every external, physical thing you can consume or experience.

Internal substance is all the etheric stuff of the universe. Whatever your heart desires; love, bliss, freedom, knowledge, transcendence, power, esteem, confidence, romance, friendship, connection, happiness…all the good stuff you can’t consume but you can experience as a human being.

Here’s the catch, according to the rules of this particular game, when you unlock and walk through one door, the other door is closed to you. If you choose External Substance the world of Internal Substance is lost. For example, you can have the mansion and the boat but you can’t have the experience of fun, friendship, and belonging (all internal states). And if you choose Internal Substance you can experience enlightenment, knowledge, and bliss but you can’t experience the physical world.

It’s an extreme choice. If you had to choose, which door would you unlock and step through? I’m willing to bet that if your basic needs of food, shelter and safety were met, you’d walk through the door of rich internal substance and leave the external substances behind.

Thankfully, real life doesn’t present us with such an extreme choice. As a human being, you are blessed with the ability to experience both external and internal substance in rich abundance. But the game show is still a worthwhile exercise because it can help liberate us from being overly consumed with acquiring or defending more external substances, when at the end of the day, it’s the internal substances that we truly value.

One of the secrets of a life well lived is to place your energy and attention predominantly on the development of your internal substance while enjoying and appreciating all of the external substances that life has to offer.

Here are three things you can apply in your life right now to cultivate a richer internal life of substance while you’re actively engaged in building your external desires:

1) Appreciate what is. What we appreciate grows in value. Make a ritual of recognizing and sincerely appreciating the little things that you value as precious. The smile of a child. The strength of your body. The ability to see, taste, and smell. A beautiful sunset. A good conversation. A delicious meal. When we open our eyes, life is magical. So open your eyes and consciously recognize the magic around you everywhere.

2) Love more. There are two primary states of being: love and fear. When we are afraid, we feel separate and vulnerable. When we feel love, we feel connected and powerful. Make a commitment to love a little more each day. Love the little things; love the irritating things; love even your fear. Love is the source of all that is. When we love more, we tap an inexhaustible supply of power, joy and creativity (all exquisite internal substances) and radiate them out into the world. Love more.

3) Bring forth the authentic you. When you make a conscious choice to bring forward your authentic core - life purpose, unique talents, contribution to others, core values and a positive vision for the whole - the richness of your internal world powerfully takes shape around you.

If you’re ready to clarify and bring forward your most sought after internal substances, I invite you to take this free interactive email course, Seven Days to Align Your Life for Success. The course is designed to help you clarify the authentic you and bring it forward in the world. Enjoy.

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Dr. Lyly Rojas teaches peace to business students

Amanda_TWW — 2009-11-02T16:45:23-05:00

By: Amanda_TWW

Humanitarian Dr Lyly Rojas is teaching the culture of peace to business students at the University of Applied Sciences and Technology in Vienna, Austria. Her challenge to future business leaders is to make waves in the corporate world and drive a culture change.

In the current economic climate, her message to the business world is particularly poignant. “I don’t think of the financial recession as a financial crisis, but as a human crisis,” she states. Rojas explains “The current economic situation is a consequence of the way the business world has conducted itself; economic greed has eroded the quality of human life and unraveled many of society’s structures. Now is a transformational moment”.

Rojas understands firsthand the importance of a culture of peace. She was born amidst political turmoil in Nicaragua and their political views and economic conditions forced her parents to flee to the United States. Her childhood experiences greatly influenced the humanitarian direction of her life. Consequently, both the United Nations (UN) and the Vatican have used her as a consultant. Rojas also spent a harrowing time in Kosovo as a consultant for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Turning her attention to future business leaders, Rojas’ aim is to make peacemakers of her students by showing them alternatives to adopting the predatory and aggressive nature of the corporate environment. She maintains there is an alternative to the caveman mentality, to the bullying and domination that prevails to maximize profit and get ahead in the business world. Rojas is promoting a culture shift.

“We are in our minds, not in our hearts. We buy clothes made by Taiwanese slaves and chop down 2,000-year-old trees. We don’t need more knowledge about problems; we know how to solve them,” she explains. “What we need is encouragement that we will prosper without greed.”

She gives her students the example of how child slavery relates to the business world; she tells them about the dresses that child slaves make in a far off land and companies sell for €4,000. In response, her students’ develop projects to change this. “Can you imagine how this makes me feel?” she asks excitedly. “Students come from different countries. Some are children of politicians and will have influence when they return home.”

Whatever the background and nationality, Rojas explains that students need to learn to get along with each other and deal with conflict in a constructive manner. She provides them with the tools to realize this through assigned tasks; case studies, cross-cultural simulation and group projects, some based on her time with the UN. “Some students refuse to work together because of nationality; men team up against women and some students from former dictatorships ask ‘can’t we bribe people?’. The experience is about finding a collaborative point,” she reveals.

Rojas’ teaching method is a holistic one; she wants to see a shift in her students from the automatic, impersonal “I’m a business person” to “I’m an ethical, thinking, feeling person who conducts business”, an ability to know themselves in order to be better leaders. She says: “I hope the feedback is ‘we are better at conducting business and we are better humans all around’.”

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My recovery through meditation

mjuneja111 — 2009-10-30T11:04:53-05:00

By: mjuneja111

Back in June 2007 I was 29 years old, living a balanced life as a business management consultant, yoga practitioner, artist, and philanthropist in Austin, Texas. I had nothing to complain about; life was good. I could not foresee the ways that my life would change as I was simply waiting to get on the highway. My car was suddenly rear-ended, and it was while I was being treated for a concussion that I learned of my benign brain tumor.

The head injury from the accident led to frequent partial complex seizures caused by microscopic level bleeding from the newfound tumor. These episodes manifested at various levels of intensity in the forms of false visualization, altering emotion and speech and movement impairment. Fortunately, my mind, strengthened by over 10 years of daily mediation, was able to control the seizures’ activity of the brain. I learned much about this mind-brain relationship during a five-day video electroencephalograph (EEG) study. My life changed dramatically as I became dependent on friends and family to help me with basic life functions. Yet, the situation didn't stop me from living my life with energy and enthusiasm. I believe that life’s moments are often placed in a rightful way, and we only need to choose to see them for what they are.

After three months of on and off trials of various drugs, which only left me feeling languid and sedate, Dr. Hansa Raval suggested surgery. Dr. Hansa Raval is the angelic doctor who introduced me to meditation over eight years ago, and I valued her opinion. After much consultation, I agreed to this high-risk surgery. In preparation, I settled various legal issues and wrote many emails and letters to those who are dear to me and also to those I needed to forgive and get forgiveness from. The days prior to my surgery I spent in silence, observing my thoughts, strengthening my mind and being present.

My neurosurgeon Dr. Prabhu operated on my head diligently. I am thankful for his skills, talents and empathetic nature. I now have a lemon-size hole in my brain behind, but surgery was a positive decision; I have not had any seizures since. The bleeding stopped, but the full recovery had just begun.

“You should be thankful that you can walk perform the basic functions of life,” replied my cognitive therapist as I tearfully expressed the changes in my life post-surgery. The active lifestyle I once enjoyed seemed out of reach, blocked by effects of the operation. I experienced sciatic nerve pain that went down to my left toe and imbalance and lack of strength in the right side of my body. Weakness and numbness took over both my legs if I tried to stand for over 10 minutes, run or sit cross-legged. One thing I could do, however, was attend vigorous yet grounded classes at Dharma Yoga. My legs shook; I often knelt down and cried as I tried focusing my attention on using mind and breath to channel physical energy.

Yet miraculously, two years since the surgery I can practice almost every yoga pose with grace! None of this would have been possible if I gave up my recovery spirit. I spent six months in a cognitive therapy program. I performed brain exercises to strengthen the neurosynapsis, improve memory and speech and language abilities. Many clinical trials have concluded that meditation improves and cures various mental and neurological disorders. My cognitive therapists and neurophysiologist encouraged me to use a meditative state of mind while doing these exercises, as it drastically improved my response scores. Meditation is a form of therapy, and can uniquely alter our state of mind and cause neurochemical and neurobiological changes in our brain.

Meditation and yoga helped me on my path to recovery. I no longer suffer from my traumatic injuries and unforeseen health conditions, spanning from a brain tumor to epilepsy to memory-speech challenges and a herniated lumbar disk. I accomplished this without using drugs. Instead, I relied on the courage and hope I found in a strong mind, a holistically functional brain, and experience with meditation and yoga. I only have this present moment, and I choose to live each moment with strength and empathy that comes from my spirit to overcome physical injuries.

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21 things I appreciate about you

lexsisney — 2009-10-29T18:45:51-05:00

By: lexsisney

A husband and wife recently celebrated 21 years of marriage. Still deeply in love, the wife has been battling episodes of depression and it hasn’t been easy. For several months now, she hasn’t felt like her old self. Desperately searching for ways to feel clear, happy and healthy again; she’s tried all of the standard medical remedies.

To celebrate their anniversary, the couple met for drinks at their favorite restaurant. The conversation and the date started poorly. Saddened and slightly frustrated at what seemed to be a missed opportunity for a joyful anniversary celebration, the man was at a loss for how to save the evening and reconnect with the woman he loves. Then, in a flash of inspiration, the husband said, “Honey, I love you so much and I am so grateful and lucky to be your partner. I am going to share with you 21 things I appreciate about you to represent the 21 years we’ve been married.”

As he stated each appreciation, he reflected on all of the joys and trials, the funny and the mundane life experiences that two people collect over 21 years. “I appreciate what a wonderful friend you are to me and how you always help me see the big picture. I appreciate that even back when we were dating you made me feel like I can accomplish anything, and you still do. I appreciate how you’ve cooked such nurturing meals for the family over the years. I appreciate what a fantastic lover you are.”

By the fifth item, the husband began to weep in awe and appreciation for this beautiful, magnificent woman in his life. She at first felt shy and slightly embarrassed. She laughed and tried to sweep away the love and praise, but as he continued something deep and profound surfaced and cut through the fog. Crying and laughing together, they caused quite a scene in the restaurant. It didn’t matter one bit. The more the husband shared, the more he cried tears of joy. The more she took in, the more she felt filled up.

By the twenty-first sincere appreciation, there was a palpable feeling of love and care filling the entire restaurant. Overflowing with a feeling of buoyancy, support and love, she felt like she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. The husband in turn felt open, caring, and protective.

After I heard this story I felt inspired to share twenty-one things that I appreciate about my own love. To my surprise, as I shared my 21 things she began to cry tears of joy. Man, it feels great to make the one you care for feel loved and appreciated. If you want to make the ones you care about overflow with feelings of love and support, look into their eyes and say, “I love you. I want to share 21 things that I deeply appreciate about you…” Try it today.

www.LexSisney.com

Lessons from Armenian Church

KTopakian — 2009-10-28T10:00:00-05:00

By: KTopakian

Last week when I was in Armenian Church, the priest presented the parishioners with a quiz that he said five-year-olds had answered accurately but that graduates of Princeton couldn’t. Here’s the quiz:

What is greater than god, more evil than the devil; rich people want it, poor people have it and if you eat it you will die?

He gave us a few minutes to think about it.

The Sunday school children in attendance wrote their answers on pieces of paper and handed them in.

I hoped I was smarter than a five-year-old and a Princeton graduate, but I just couldn’t come up with the answer. Being a non-believer in god and the devil put me at a distinct disadvantage. I kept thinking nature or the natural world, in answer to the first part but the other questions didn’t fit. And I also believe that poor people can be rich in ways other than monetarily.

The women sitting in front of me, turned around and whispered the answer before the priest divulged it from the pulpit.

Nothing.

I never would have come up with the answer. My eco-agnostic-economic views prevented me from seeing the world as simply as a child would. I’m not sure who has the better vantage point.

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Garbage in but not garbage out

KTopakian — 2009-10-27T10:41:57-05:00

By: KTopakian

On my morning walk, I encountered a tow-headed two-year-old caught up in unbridled enthusiasm. The garbage truck had arrived.

The sights and sounds of the hulking vehicle triggered jumping, flailing and cheering. A moment of religious ecstasy.

With its day glow greenish-yellow vested workers, its red striped roaring engine, and the best part, the churning jaws digesting the refuse. The garbage truck put on a show for free.

Seeing this child’s uncontrollable fervor brought a smile to my face. And a pause in my journey.

Instead of sticking my fingers in my ears to block the sound of the loud chomp, as the gaping maw tore through the plastic bags of trash. Or plugging my nose to stem the stench, I stood there and watched the garbage truck and the small child.

For the remainder of my walk, I thought about this witnessed moment of joy.

And wondered…how many early mornings have we cursed the trash men’s interruption of our sleep? How many times have we blamed them for spewing our rubbish after emptying the barrels? Or tooted our horn to speed them up when they block the street?

This small child would have done none of that. This small child would have sang and twirled to glimpse, for even a moment, a garbage truck.

Margaret Moth: The story of a fearless reporter

amazingsusan — 2009-10-27T09:29:12-05:00

By: amazingsusan

Journalist and camerawoman Margaret Moth is an amazing woman. No doubt. No argument. And definitely no fear.

She stands out in a profession populated with rebels and risk takers for her devotion to her work, her complete and utter fearlessness, and her strength of character--even, maybe even especially, in the face of death. She doesn't consider herself a heroine. But many others do.

Legendary news correspondent Christiane Amanpour says in a September 2009 three-part CNN documentary that she felt quite intimidated by the “larger than life” Moth before she met her in Sarajevo in the early 1990s.

Moth, says Amanpour, was extraordinary in how she looked, dressed and behaved in those early days. Describing how Moth, who wore black almost exclusively, behaved in the field, Amanpour says:

“You know what? She sleeps with her dark combats boots on…”

In the compelling three-part CNN documentary one colleague after another describes Moth’s incredibly brave (some might say foolish), behavior in the midst of conflict and war, where she did whatever it took to film what was happening ‘up close and personal,’ often with complete disregard for her own safety.

The documentary celebrates an amazing life that is about to come to an inglorious end: Moth, we find out in the final segment of the video tribute, was diagnosed with terminal cancer two years ago, and went into hospice in September.

Sadly, she may already have died as I write this. Despite repeated online searches, I’ve been unable to unearth any more information than that which is contained in the 30-minute CNN piece. No updates on her final fight, no additional insights into her incredible life.

I would love to know much more about her: What fuelled her passion for journalism? How did she feel about the violence she so devotedly reported? Was there a moment, an instant, when she felt afraid? Did she walk mostly alone in life? Did her brash behaviour in the world’s battlefields ever endanger the lives of colleagues with whom she worked?

These questions might remain forever unanswered. That’s our loss.

I suspect Margaret Moth would want to be remembered as nothing more than a journalist who loved her work, and as a woman who lived life fully. But to me she is an amazing woman, a heroine who entered battlegrounds not to fight, but to report the reality of war.

She makes it clear in the documentary that she has no regrets, and that she’s ready to depart this life just as she lived it: fearlessly.

See the three-part CNN documentary on her life here: www.amazingwomenrock.com/role-models/margaret-moth-journalist/camerawoman.html

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