Soft Power: A Magnetic Approach to Practice
"The desire to be in control is a normal survival response, but what I love about the art of aikido is that we can move beyond survival to a vast and universal perspective in which all life is connected and interwoven. Such an orientation is not self-conscious. Since it relates to the connecting aspect -- that of the space and energy -- rather than individuals, there is no thing that needs to be o... posted on Jul 18 2019, 9,506 reads

Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson
"For years I have been not so much envisioning Emily Dickinson as trying to visit, to enter her mind, through her poems and letters, and through my own intimations of what it could have meant to be one of the two mid-19th-century American geniuses, and a woman, living in Amherst, Massachusetts. Of the other genius, Walt Whitman, Dickinson wrote that she had heard his poems were "disgraceful." She ... posted on Jul 17 2019, 4,556 reads

How to Have Difficult Conversations
What if collective introspection would help us to better persuade, to better advocate for a more beautiful world? What are the tools we need to disagree better? How can we improve our ability to listen and learn - especially from those we disagree with? Marcela Lopez Levy asks powerful questions to inspire us and perhaps even entice us in having more difficult conversations. Join her on this journ... posted on Jul 16 2019, 10,485 reads

5 Scientists on the Heroes Who Changed Their Lives
Every hero and innovator stands on the shoulders of the giants who came before. But sometimes the power of influence one has on another is subtle or indirect. Perhaps it is a life spirit shared by Helen Keller in her autobiography that inspires a scientist to fully engage in her study of plants. Perhaps it is a shy physicist who plants the seed in a student that he, too, can aspire to something gr... posted on Jul 15 2019, 2,165 reads

When Old and Young Connect
"Forty years ago, the eminent Cornell University professor and child psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner famously concluded, Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her. The benefits of a caring adult mentor on childrens well-being have been reinforced in study after study, as well as reports from youth themselves--including research I was engaged with early in my ... posted on Jul 14 2019, 7,153 reads

The Work that Reconnects
In this hour-long tribute to "The Work the Reconnects," Pat van Boeckel explores the stories of activists who have used Joanna Macys writings to enhance and support their service and their lives. Van Boeckel does not flinch in describing the devastation now facing the world or equivocate on the justification for despair. Despite the trauma inflicted on the earth and ourselves, she gently leads us ... posted on Jul 13 2019, 2,334 reads

Creating Welcoming Space
"Hospitality means creating welcoming space for the other. Henri J. Nouwen notes that the Dutch word for hospitality, gastvrijheid, means 'the freedom of the guest.' It entails creating not just physical room but emotional spaciousness where the stranger can enter and be himself or herself, where the stranger can become ally instead of threat, friend instead of enemy." In a time when it is more cr... posted on Jul 12 2019, 7,758 reads

Shekinah Elmore: From Hospital Gown to White Coat
"Shekinah Elmore was not yet a physician when she gave her own second opinion. After a year of cancer treatment -- including lung surgery, chemotherapy, and a double mastectomy --she was hell-bent on starting medical school. Her doctors tried to dissuade her, recommending that she take more time to recover from her third stint with cancer. But two weeks after finishing the therapies that left her ... posted on Jul 11 2019, 2,455 reads

Unexpected Art in Unexpected Places
What happens when we look more closely, whether with the naked eye or equipment? Incredible details come into focus, bringing with them the possibility of beauty and interest we might never have conceived of. Imagine what would occur if you suddenly zoomed in on all those things you have lying around your house and studio or rusting outside. What new art might be inspired by such "stuff"? Mirka Kn... posted on Jul 10 2019, 7,230 reads

Uncomfortable Place of Uncertainty
"We weren't trained to admit we don't know. Most of us were taught to sound certain and confident, to state our opinion as if it were true. We haven't been rewarded for being confused. Or for asking more questions rather than giving quick answers. We've also spent many years listening to others mainly to determine whether we agree with them or not. We don't have time or interest to sit and listen ... posted on Jul 09 2019, 9,627 reads