Former President Barack Obama honors Sen. John McCain

Originally posted by Americ on 9/8/2016 We are in unprecedented times. We look at a world on the brink of chaos. It is crucial to vote by Nov. 3rd. Make your voice heard. Bring light to the darkness. 

The power is yours. 

Three Pillars of Good Society

Buckminster Fuller ~ The Final Message

Earthstar Radio production soundtrack, recorded just weeks before Buckminster Fuller passed away on July 1st, 1983 at the age of 87. In his last days he was focused on integrity. I had the honor of doing the interview in a sound studio for nearly an hour. It was a difficult task. Co-producer, Sherri Morgan, condensed the recorded interview into what felt like the essence of his final message. Buckminster Fuller was one of the most inventive and socially aware engineers of the 20th century. For him "doing more with less" was a human value as well as engineering value. He warned us that we need to do more with less so that "spaceship" could sustain all of us in a high standard of living without the need for war.

Permission granted by the co-producers of Earthstar Radio. This program aired on National Public Radio shortly after Fuller passed away. I don't know the exact date. It was a long time ago. Sound quality is poor - this audio recorded off of an old audio tape in my files. I had lost track of it for many years. Image: Photoshop 5.5 Artistry by Barry Haynes and Wendy Crumpler, New Riders Publishing.

What the Tree Said

"What The Tree Said" by Diane Shavelson

Lao Tzu's Recommendations

In Chapter 3 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu recommends that leaders should encourage the people to:

    Relax the mind
    Make belly firm
    Reduce the will
    Make physiques strong

A good recommendation, even 2,600 years later. 

Bohmian Dialogue - Working Through the Word Together

Bohmian Dialogue - Working Through The Word Together

Socratic dialogue has a center, a facilitator. Bohmian dialogue, however, has no center or leader, rather everyone is responsible. It is a working through the word together. Listening, suspending judgement, and sharing happen. There is no "topic". The topics emerge as participants speak, listen, respond or stay quiet. A Bohmian dialogue group is from ten to forty members. Because of its open ended format, it truly reflects a microcosm of the wider culture.

Giving Is Having

You know you 

have something 

when you give it away. 

By giving, having 

suddenly becomes real.

Vision Actualization Process

The following is a ten step process for making your visions happen. I developed it with hundreds of students in my PACS 164A (Introduction to Nonviolence) class at the University of California, Berkeley. You can do it by yourself; however, it's more powerful if you do it with others. We had over 400 students go through this process. All kinds of wonderful projects emerged. Lives where changed. Thousands of people outside our classes (even in foreign countries) received the benefits of student visions for good turned into tangible actions in the world. 

Vision Actualization Process

Date: _______________

Name:  Last_________________ First_______________

A personal vision contributing a nonviolent sustainable good society.

Write down responses to the following steps. Read your responses. Rewrite as you become clearer on your project. Share with others what you are doing. Take feedback. Make adjustments if needed. Rewrite again. Act. Feedback. Adjust. Act again. Actualize.

Vision Title
A short descriptive title for your personal vision.

Detailed Vision Story
On a singe sheet of paper, describe your current vision. Keep in mind that it is perfectly okay to now have a different vision than the one you originally declared in class.

Mission Statement
A brief summary of what you are trying to accomplish.

Territory
The “landscape” of people, problems, and projects your vision is embedded within. Why is it needed? Who else is doing it? How can you do it better?

Limiting Beliefs, Re-framing, and Positive Self Affirmations 
Identify the limiting beliefs that slow down or stop you and re-frame them into affirmations supporting your vision.

Goals
List specific goals that must be met in order to attain your vision. (Could be one or several interdependent goals.) What resources do you need in terms of time, people, knowledge, money, and materials? What overall types of actions are required?

Planning
Provide specific steps and timelines for attaining each goal. 

Actualization
Let all of the above “hit the road”. Moving from thought to action. What actions did you already accomplish to actualize your vision? What actions are you undertaking at this time? What’s ahead on your "to do list" for today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, etc.?

Observations and Adjustments
Evaluate, reevaluate, and reevaluate again your ideas and/or process. What problems, complexities or issues are you running into? What modifications are, or have been, required of your plan?  Where are you now?

Any Other Comments.
For example, your personal experience with the vision project, your thoughts about doing this in the class context, or anything else.

Om's and Breaths

Om's And Breaths by americ
When you make a phone call, you can create an opportunity to chant together one or more "om" sounds and do several slow long deep breaths. A good way to use some of the time together on the phone. NOTE: Long recorded pause near the end for the long quiet breaths. A few words follow.

Environmental Sabbath Day - A Simple Proposal

In our efforts to reduce greenhouse gases we often overlook the cultural dimensions. These days, we love the idea of “24/7” – that production and services run “24 hours a day, 7 days a week”. Certainly this makes for higher production of goods and services, as well as greenhouse gases and general degradation of life on earth! What ever happened to the “the Lord’s Day” or the Sabbath? One day in every seven set aside as a Holy Day; on that day, no work. Yes, things shut down; instead talk with family and neighbors, and walk around the neighborhood; that sometimes included not using machines, such as automobiles and aircraft. With a weekly “Environmental Sabbath Day” we would save upwards of 10% of energy use! Plus, get back the time to slow down, relax and have more humane lives. Good for the environment, good for us.

Image source