person might notice a subtle sense that the forest has a mind of its own, full of vitality and vibrant interdependence. Another person might hear the grief cries of the sea.  Another might experience an electrifying, felt-sense of being witnessed – or called! – by a particular pine or stone.   Engaging directly, intimately, and imaginatively with other-than-human presences can enliven human awareness, which increases the likelihood of mutually beneficial relationships with all of life. In this fragile time of species extinctions, habitat loss, and climate disruption, becoming more sensitive to the longing-pains and voices of the wilder ones may be ess... posted on Jul 1 2023 (2,533 reads)

environmental causes. Now, these are some serious investors, but being 100 percent isn’t just about money; it’s about making a 100 percent commitment to ensuring your life reflects your values. As Kleissner says, “social transformation begins with personal transformation.” Just think of all the decisions you make every day, from the big to the mundane—where you invest your super, what you eat for dinner, where you buy your coffee, what you do for work, the relationships you have. Imagine if you could align these choices with your core beliefs. We’re on the road to doing that, and while we’re still working a lot of it out ourselves, this two-... posted on Aug 21 2023 (3,084 reads)

a little pocket neighborhood with two or three homes, or an eco-village with maybe a dozen homes, or a larger village with a few hundred people that’s relatively self-organizing and self-contained with its own gardens, or a transition town with hundreds of thousands of people, and so on. At every scale there will be adaptation and invention. As we shift our emphasis from the material side of life to the experiential, we’ll find new ways to contribute to the healing of the Earth and relationships at every level. It will be a much richer and more communal world where mature people are self-organizing their lives and consciously choosing how to live. Beneath these material changes,... posted on Jan 6 2021 (5,544 reads)

us alive on this wonderful planet. I'm so proud that you are continuing to work on this!” Access Your Love On the last day of his life, Ed worked until 5 p.m. with his son Peter, before peacefully passing on in the evening hours. In his last Zoom call that afternoon Ed led a 2½-hour online session with the OD Network. He concluded that call with a farewell that I had not heard him express explicitly before, but that I had often felt he embodied in his actions and relationships, particularly in the later years. “Love is what we bring to our clients. All the good we do comes from love.” Then he closed his remarks with “Enough said.” ... posted on Mar 1 2024 (2,994 reads)

preface and it talks about the culture of wealth supremacy. If B Corp is addressing the system and the structure of shareholder primacy, Marjorie Kelly talks about how the culture of wealth supremacy manifests. I've highlighted here something that hit me like a ton of bricks when I first read it, "Wealthy persons matter more than others." Think about how in your life you've observed the fact that wealthy persons seem to matter more than others. How does that show up implicitly in our social relationships, in our conversations and who we defer to, etc.?That is culture. And as famous management theorist Peter Drucker said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." And so that is where the inn... posted on Apr 16 2024 (2,155 reads)

all the accumulated anger or hurt. This then results in a far more uncomfortable conversation than the one we’d been avoiding in the first place. It is a natural human inclination to seek harmony and avoid disrupting peace. However, it is essential to recognize that true harmony arises from understanding and clear communication, not from the absence of confrontation. Addressing problems promptly and with candor not only can prevent a boiling point moment, but it also strengthens our relationships and builds trust. Where in your life might there be lines that need drawing, or conversations that must be initiated? “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech ... posted on Apr 19 2024 (3,074 reads)

between someone's actions and someone's essence. And everyone has the essence of the sacred, of the divine.I think that's a shadow element that we have to deal with because you can just get incredibly stressed if you're constantly finding reasons to hate someone. I think that's an important shadow element. Yeah.Janessa: I'm going to try to squeeze in one more question before our final one. Here's from a caller:  "You've been with your husband for 50 years. Can you speak a bit about relationships as a spiritual practice? Or what are some important lessons you can share?" And you've worked with him, so that's pretty amazing.Mary Ann: Yes. We've worked with each other from the begi... posted on May 5 2024 (3,190 reads)

so special and sometimes hard to discern. But the inner change allows us to find that; then, the outer change requires us to be that. And how do you discover these things? I'm still trying. I mentioned power. I think this has been another theme all my life. I remember taking a survey at Harvard in one of the courses, where we had to rank order the things that would be most compelling to us in our careers -- things such as recognition or financial compensation or intellectual stimulation; or relationships with peers, etc. I don't remember what I put at the top, but the very last word out of about 20 words, was power. I remember thinking, that's interesting. Is that really true? And I sat ... posted on Jun 5 2024 (3,114 reads)

you should tread carefully to find the right person who can listen well and offer empathy, but also provide a helpful perspective. I’m lucky to have friends like that who’ve helped “unstick” me at times. If you don’t have people like that in your life or want someone more emotionally neutral, seeing a therapist might be your best option—and, in some cases, probably necessary. If intrusive thoughts are so problematic that they’re hurting your health, relationships, or ability to engage with life, it may be a sign of a more serious condition, like anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or even post-traumatic stress disorder. In that ca... posted on Jun 13 2024 (3,542 reads)

were too low and everything started feeling very scattered and insane. People have a funny impression of monasteries. It’s cliché but they think, “Oh you monks, you just go over there to the bliss of the monastery to escape reality.” But it’s actually the opposite. In the monastery, you can’t avoid your truth. Whatever you’ve done with your body, mouth, and mind, you meet it head on. There is no entertainment or diversions to engage your senses. Your relationships and jobs are often a diversion, but in a monastery, all you have is your reality. Bela:  In what ways did your truth challenge you in the monastery? HS:  The monastics always... posted on Jul 5 2024 (2,310 reads)

find ourselves ensnared in a multi-polar crisis – from geophysical forces to inequality to military conflicts to mass migration – each overlapping, each threatening to tip us into unprecedented disequilibrium. We have no clear answers to climate change, to inequality, to social isolation, to war. We act, we think, we legislate, but it often feels like playing whack-a-mole, each new solution birthing a new problem. What we need is heart intelligence, the wisdom of connection, where relationships weave a tapestry of new, unforeseen patterns of positive deviance. In the realm of social change, we often fixate on measuring impact, on reaching critical mass, believing that if enoug... posted on Sep 17 2024 (2,570 reads)