Nov 20, 2024

Forgiving the Unforgivable

Nine years after a brutal 11-year civil war, a community center in a tiny village in Sierra Leone reflected the community itself -- burned and charred, weeds growing, “left alone and untended.” Then a drummer appeared, and began a rhythm that signaled a time to gather. Little by little, the community came, built a fire out of the debris, and within the safety of the circle, a Village Chief invited them to finally talk about what had happened.

“He urged people not to be afraid to speak, emphasizing that those who confessed would not be prosecuted, nor would there be any shame for sharing how you had been hurt.” Almost immediately, a young man came forward and admitted to a crime that seemed unforgivable, yet he was forgiven that very evening.

“By the will to acknowledge, apologize, and forgive…together,” they were able to move forward to restore community, no longer imprisoned by their past. [Read the full story here ...]

For more about the work to architect peace, check out a recent Awakin Call with practical visionary and peace maven Libby Hoffman here.

Nov 17, 2024

Conversation with the 'World's Happiest Man'

In this video interview, Matthieu Ricard, called “the world’s happiest man,” shares stories, insight, and humor on some very timeless questions based on his own life’s journey, and his experience as an interpreter for the Dalai Lama over many years.

A small sampling: that it is crucial to distinguish between compassion and empathy; that our profound nature is compassion, consideration, and unconditional love for others; that we should not confuse happiness with pleasant sensations -- rather, that happiness is a way of being; that pleasure exhausts itself whereas compassion gets deeper and more stable; and so much more.

Enjoy a delightful final question about his favorite mantra, and a few smiles. [Read or watch the full video clips here ...]

Nov 15, 2024

Gymnastics Of Attention by Menka Sanghvi

I once tried an improv class to see if that would finally help calm my stage nerves. It didn't. But I did learn something amazing. If an actor is trying to show the audience that they love someone, they can do this by spending a lot of time looking at that someone. Returning their gaze to their object of love, again and again, glancing, tracking, noticing details. To us sitting in the audience, this looks a lot like love. We see where the actor's attention is going, and we intuitively sense their care. Even a child would sense it.

The simplicity of this really hit home. What we look at is what we care about! A great metaphor for noticing is "gymnastics of the attention." It comes from Simone Weil, who taught philosophy of science at the Lycée for Girls in Le Puy. She used the phrase to talk about teaching as ... [Read more]

Seed questions for reflection: How do you relate to the notion that what we practice looking at is what we care about? Can you share a personal story of a time you got really curious about how much of what you saw was directed by habit or external influences versus your own personal practice? What helps you slow down to be curious about your choices?

Nov 12, 2024

The Logger Who Learned The Value Of Living Trees

In a years long journey from logging to eco-tourism, Roberto Brito, found a new way to support his family and his community. "I realised that through that standing forest, I have access to education, technology, a future for the young people living here, and I still contribute to the preservation of our planet in relation to climate change."

Read the full story here.

Nov 9, 2024

Watching My Friend Pretend That Her Heart Is Not Breaking

In "Watching My Friend Pretend That Her Heart Is Not Breaking," Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer offers a moving poem about grief and the opportunity to treat each other with tenderness.

Watch below:

Nov 5, 2024

Eight Questions That Can Help You Survive Election Stress

In 2024, 43% of American adults have felt more anxious than they did the previous year, the American Psychological Association reports. Three-quarters of respondents identified this year’s presidential election as one of the biggest causes of their anxiety.

"What can we do to stay resilient in the face of this election? One way is to check in with ourselves daily to make sure we’re doing the things that sustain our health and well-being, while remaining empowered to make a positive impact on the election itself." UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center offers eight inquiries that can help us navigate stress during the elections -- from checking in with the body and mind to proactively seeking out good news to a gratitude practice and beyond. [Read more ...]

Nov 2, 2024

'Why Do We Send Flowers?':

Why do we send flowers? To make up for what is intangible? Those feelings we can’t hold in our hands and present as a gift to our loved ones? And why is it that the placeholders we choose — the dozen red roses, the fragrant white lilies, the long-stemmed French tulips — are so fleeting? Hold on to them for too long and you end up with a mess of petals, pollen and foul-smelling water.

After my boyfriend’s death, I went about trying to find closure. I wrote letters and set them on fire. I went to a therapist, then another. I went to yoga and tried meditation. I moved to Colorado, then Oregon. I went so many places and carried him along with me to each of them. I have done so much holding. There’s a picture I took of him just days before I left for college, two months before ... [Read more]

Seed questions for reflection: How do you relate to the notion that the fleeting nature of life is what makes it precious? Can you share a personal story of a time you found life valuable precisely because of its fleeting nature? What helps you appreciate impermanence?

Oct 30, 2024

Interfaith Bot

How do we use the tools of today to bridge emergent phenomena of possibility with very ancient values?

One of those ways is through AI, or artificial intelligence. AI can be an "innerscope" - and perhaps even lead us to an "interscope" to cultivate greater connection and compassion. 

During a Closing Celebration call for the recent Global Interfaith Compassion Challenge, the ServiceSpace Interfaith Bot was unveiled. The Interfaith Bot contains a corpus of 77,000 sacred documents! Tapan Parikh and Tulika Verma share more, including examples of questions they asked the bot and the surprising yet beautiful responses they received.

Watch the clip here.

Oct 27, 2024

Sharon Salzburg: A Memorable Interfaith Space + A Meditation

Sharon Salzburg, renowned meditation teacher, reflects on her memorable experiences with interfaith spaces during last month's Interfaith Compassion Challenge orientation call. She shared one stunning moment, saying "suddenly we were a community in a very different way...open to and with such heartfelt testimony, from everybody, on all sides."

Watch her wonderfully rich talk here:

Then tune in to a meditation guided by Sharon, and to hear her response to the question: How do you balance the conviction of your path with the curiosity of something foreign to you?

Oct 23, 2024

Enjoy a recent KindSpring Community Roundup :)

DrJoe: Sent Another Package To My Friend In Ukraine :)
This package is full of sweets and treats and some shirts I picked up for him, his wife, and their daughter while I was at the beach last month. He was drafted recently so some of the treats should serve as a nice little "pick me up" while training and [Read more...]

mindyjourney: In Gratitude - Mindyjourney 🕊️
Celebrated the International Day of Peace - Sept. 21st, by giving Doves to Yellowstone and Teton National Park rangers, fellow tourists and clerks.
Gifted children at hotel breakfast Little Kitty Pez dispensers and crayon coloring kits. Kindness continues to be an integral part of [Read more...]

Mish: ❤️ Our Kind Neighbor….
Yesterday I surprised our next door neighbor with a blueberry crumble cake. Tomorrow I have a nice assortment of teabags to surprise her with 🫖 She’s been homebound recovering from her stay in hospital . I send her uplifting , sometimes funny, graphics every morning to keep her spirits up. You’d all love [Read more...]