Archive for Service
St. Patrick and the ANTS
Posted by: | CommentsMost of us know that St. Patrick is credited for driving the snakes out of Ireland. St. Patrick is also my hero.
Maybe it has something to do with being born o
n St. Patrick’s Day, or perhaps the amazing story (some say legend) of how he was captured into slavery and taken from Britain to Ireland, spent years oppressed by his masters, escaped as a result of listening to God’s inner direction, and ultimately went back to help the Irish. It’s the stuff of fantasy, triumph, despair and determination.
He overcame almost insurmountable odds to be become a priest and then later a bishop. He risked being disowned by his wealthy parents, almost certain death when he returned to face his captors, and later persecution by the Church for his unorthodox hands on approach and ministry. St. Patrick persevered in spite of the prevailing ANTS of his time, both his own and others! The snakes may be long gone from Ireland, but those ANTs are still alive and well.
Fast forward from old world Ireland to New Jersey. My sister called yesterday and mentioned she’d had an unrelenting toothache for several months. I took her through a Bridge Process™ (pardon the pun) to help her identify the issues being represented by her aching tooth. As she got in touch with her answer, she laughed and said it was the ANTS at work! “What do you mean?” I asked. She giggled as the pain had already diminished, and said, it’s my automatic negative thoughts. She asked me if I had heard of Dr. Amen and his PBS series. Actually I hadn’t seen the series, nor read his books (they’re on my list), but I’d referred a client to him. He’s a brilliant psychiatrist, whose cutting edge research is changing how we look at brain dysfunction and aging. See more at Change your Brain and Change your Life.
Our ANTs are alive and well. They are so ingrained that most folks never notice them. ANTS are toxic to our health. Science proves it and I’ve experienced it first hand! Left unchecked they stop us in our tracks and keep us from expressing our brilliance. Continue eating daily doses of ANT food, and you will find your health and relationships at risk.
What can we do to banish ANTS in our life? A lot. Pay attention to those negative thoughts! Set an intention to pay attention to how you feel, notice what thoughts trigger your upset, and begin to build a bridge to your own inner wisdom and brilliance. Relinquish the ANT food story you tell yourself: judgments, blame, shame, guilt, anger resentment, etc. and you are sure to experience far greater health, fantastic relationships, increased abundance and joy.
As the Irish say, “You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your father was.” Let’s drop those ANTS today, because everyday is a great day to PLANT (Place Loving And Nice Thoughts) for ourselves and others. It takes nothing less to become our own visionary leader and a leader in the lives of those we touch.
Visionary Leadership, Social Change and You
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Window's participants
Native Americans have a saying, “What you say or do effects seven generations.”
Almost 19 years ago a shy young school teacher decided to take a vacation and traveled across the United States. As a result of a casual conversation with a friend, she decided to stay at domestic violence shelters in exchange for offering art programs to shelter staff.
Staying in shelters changed that young woman forever. She was so moved by that trip that she founded A Window Between Worlds (awbw.org) She didn’t know how to proceed, she just knew she had to do something.
Fast forward 19 years….As a result of that one decision and a heartfelt desire to help others heal the hurt caused by domestic violence, Cathy Salser, founded what shelters, donors, participants, and foundations now call Windows Programs. We’ve reached over 60,309 women and children in Southern California and in 27 states….with those participants attending over 283,450 workshops. Currently we are the only national organization that provides free art leader training and art supplies to domestic violence programs. How’s that for a visionary that didn’t know how to begin and did it anyway!
In the words of one shelter director, “AWBW supports the internal healing process more than any other resource. Because art is a non-verbal means of expression it bypasses cognitive barriers and enables women and children to make emotional breakthroughs that simply wouldn’t be possible without AWBW.”
Just one workshop can change a life forever and support a breakthrough to brilliance. In my 11 years as a board member, I continue to be amazed at the simplicity of the creative process that allows these breakthroughs to occur.
If a single individual can say yes to their inner call, take action, and live from the desire to serve, imagine what two, four, eight or more of us can do together. I invite you to help us shine a light for those courageous women and children building a new future. I’ve started my very own online campaign to Adopt a Shelter - and we have an anonymous donor who will match us dollar for dollar up to $12,000!
Won’t you join me in helping Cathy’s dream to end the cycle of domestic violence come true?
Spirituality & the Business of Life
Posted by: | CommentsDo what you love and the Spirit will follow! In today’s world there is a growing trend toward applying spiritual principles in everyday life. That includes not only your personal life, but your business life as well.
Millions of individuals are no longer willing to compromise their ethics for their paycheck. Large portions of corporate Americans are leaving, either by choice or lay off. Many are choosing to simplify their lifestyle, oftentimes choosing to follow a dream and become entrepreneurs. Greed and corruption have broken the backs of many corporations.
There is a countering ground swell of people who practice applied spirituality. They care, take appropriate action, and actively work to make this world a better place. They have always been there. Now, however, the are becoming more visible.
What is practical spirituality? I refer to spiritual as that which expresses the highest part of our nature, and religion as a container through which we express this nature. Spirituality can be expressed apart from religion, although religion is not really separate from spirituality.
Practical spirituality is the application of spiritual principles to life. Love, faith, integrity, trust, gratitude, acceptance, cooperation, curiosity, joy, service, and creativity represent facets in the fabric of spiritual expression. When these attributes are applied in the business world they foster good will, loyalty, and a host of other benefits to employees and customers alike.
In the four years between 1994 and 1998, the Gallup organization found that the number of people who said they needed spiritual growth jumped from 56 to 82 percent. Today, workshops and books integrating spirituality and business are common.
Fifteen years ago, the separation between spiritual practice and business was distinct. Boundary crossing was an illicit journey. As a national karate champion, I had the luxury of sharing my spiritual perspectives with the language of the martial arts. The paradox is that the martial arts are spiritual arts.
Commitment to something you love will eventually blossom into the language of spirituality. To love life is to live fully. To live fully requires discipline, or discipleship towards something. Martial arts, a business, a loved hobby, service to others, caring for those you love, and commitment to a cause are all aspects of a spiritual life in action.
Retired Americans are looking for second or third careers. While some do so out of necessity, others express a heartfelt desire to make a difference in the world – spirituality in action.
Young people have embraced social entrepreneurship and social media as avenues to create change. It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to donate 10% of their income to charities of their choice. Young and old alike are actively reaching out to build bridges of opportunity for those they have chosen to serve. The gifts they bring gives me hope that, “The best is yet to come.”
If you would like more information about integrating practical spirituality in the business world, register now in the box below for a complimentary tele-seminar on June 18th, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. PST. The call will be hosted byTom Martin of Martin Media. Learn how to build your bottom line while lifting your Spirit.
Your confirmation will go directly to your inbox. Please hit the respond button to insure your registration. Thanks for investng in your own future.
