How to Listen with Compassion in the Classroom, by Martha Caldwell
students are driven by a need to belong. In classroom environments where the need to belong is thwarted, however, young people may grasp for power and prestige rather than learn how to form authentic connections. We all know students who try to fit in in negative ways: bullying, striving to be “cool,” buying in to peer pressure, or conforming to negative stereotypes. They typically lack the necessary social-emotional skills to form healthy, supportive relationships and do not understand that these behaviors obstruct rather than satisfy the need to belong. This can produce a fear-based classroom atmosphere that impedes learning. We can intentionally design classroom comm... posted on Feb 26 2017 (21,403 reads)

, by Brother David Steindl-Rast
I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison. – Nelson Mandela To love our enemies does not mean that we suddenly become their friends. If it is our enemies we are to love, they must remain enemies. Unless you have enemies, you cannot love them. And if you have no enemies, I wonder if you have any friends. The moment you choose your friends, their enemies become your own enemies. By having convictions, we make ourselves the enemies of those who oppose these convictions. But let’s be sure we agree on what we mean by terms like Friend, E... posted on Apr 17 2017 (15,985 reads)

Liz Mitten Ryan: One With The Herd, by Awakin Call Editors
1999 Liz Mitten Ryan, award-winning artist, mother of six and founder of a successful fine art publishing company in Vancouver, traded in the secure terrain of her known life to move with her architect husband, and a herd of eleven horses, to Gateway 2 Ranch -- a 320-acre slice of paradise nestled in the grasslands of British Columbia. For several months their home was a simple tent in the midst of an enchanted landscape studded with lakes, wild flowers, emerald hills and whispering woods. In this vast solitude it became customary for Liz to spend her days following the herd. Communing with them she began to recognize their deep gift for  connection to all of life, and how bei... posted on Mar 9 2017 (16,749 reads)

Shai Reshef: The Man Educating the World, by Alicia Buller
his late 40s, Shai Reshef was lucky enough to enter into semi-retirement. After all, he was a man who thought he had achieved much of what he wanted to achieve. But having been an educational entrepreneur all his life, there were nagging questions: “What if everyone could go to university? What if education was a human right?” Many people might have kicked their feet up and left it at that. Not Reshef. The fearless entrepreneur set about bringing together volunteer tutors, low-tech open-source software and the internet to create the world’s first tuition-free online, accredited university. But even he didn’t realise just how much the whole world was behind hi... posted on Mar 11 2017 (19,640 reads)

Do Not Lose Heart, We Were Made for These Times, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
estimados queridos, My Esteemed Ones: Do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world right now. It is true, one has to have strong cojones and ovarios to withstand much of what passes for “good” in our culture today. Abject disregard of what the soul finds most precious and irreplaceable and the corruption of principled ideals have become, in some large societal arenas, “the new normal,” the grotesquerie of the week. It is hard to say which one of the current egregious matters has rocked people’s... posted on Mar 13 2020 (218,085 reads)

When Kids Say Thanks, by Giacomo Bono
I was nine years old, I came down with a serious case of encephalitis. I spent a couple of weeks drifting in and out of sleep, hooked up to tubes and IVs, unable to talk—and then I slipped into a coma. A doctor warned my mom and dad that I might not come out “normal” or be able to walk again. When I came through a week later, I was happy to see my parents and my aunt standing in front of me, masks covering their mouths, their eyes open with relief and trembling with concern. I figured something was wrong, but didn’t understand what. “I want pizza,” I uttered. I had to wait a week before I could eat regular food. But my parents and relatives ... posted on Mar 14 2017 (9,145 reads)

A Reading List for the Spirit, by Spirituality & Health
Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi Random House Written with eloquence, insight, and a healthy measure of humor, When Breath Becomes Air captures the thoughts and memories of neurosurgeon Kalanithi just before his death from lung cancer in March 2015. Having devoted his previous 10 years to the preservation of life, Kalanithi was in a unique position to reflect on mortality as he faced it himself at age 37.  —Damon Orion     Grace without God The Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging in a Secular Age by Katherine Ozment Harper Wave Ozment went on a quest to find grace without God, and during her exploration, met... posted on Apr 4 2017 (37,853 reads)

How a Determined Vet in Kaziranga Is Saving India's Orphan Animals, by Sanchari Pal
2009, a pair of tiny spotted cubs were dropped onto the doorstep of the International Fund For Animal Welfare – Wildlife Rescue Center (IFAW-WRC) in Kaziranga in Assam. A closer look at the days-old felines revealed that they were clouded leopards – the smallest of the big cats, the clouded leopard is an extremely shy, nocturnal and tree-dwelling animal, it is found in the forested foothills of northeast India.  Only about 10,000 clouded leopards remain in the wild – they face the double-jeopardy of poaching and dwindling forests due to human expansion – and the species is classified as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List of threatened... posted on Mar 25 2017 (14,794 reads)

Why Is It So Hard to Take Your Own Advice?, by Melissa Dahl
article was originally published in October 2015 Photo: Justin Pumfrey/Getty Images This week, the Cut is talking advice — the good, the bad, the weird, and the pieces of it you really wish you would have taken. If there is one piece of advice I give regularly to my friends, it is this: “Just talk to him!” Or her, or them, or whomever. I’m constantly advising my friends that their problems would be more quickly and efficiently solved were they to just say something to the person currently stressing them out. And, probably, this works. I wouldn’t know, as it’s something I rarely do myself. It’s one thing to give advice t... posted on May 30 2017 (7,844 reads)

Are Two Lives Saved Twice as Good as One?, by Somik Raha
two lives saved twice as good as one life saved?” I asked my friend. He thought about it and said, “Yes, from a 30,000 feet view, that seems reasonable, but something about it doesn’t sit right.” What is it about reducing a life to a number that feels uncomfortable? Time Jump: 1922, Munich German Middle School The teacher walked into the class and nodded. The class stood up and took the oath they recited daily before beginning lessons, “I was born to die for Germany.” As they took their seats, the teacher noticed  one boy still standing. They locked eyes, and the boy found his voice, “I think I was born to live for Germany,&r... posted on Mar 27 2017 (11,236 reads)

The "Honorable Harvest": Lessons From an Indigenous Tradition of Giving Thanks , by Robin Wall Kimmerer
if this holiday season we fill our shopping baskets with only that which is needed and give something back in return?   In this season of harvest, our baskets are full, rounded with fragrant apples and heaped with winter squash. So too are the steel shopping carts that clatter across the parking lot, plastic bags whipping in the wind. How do we even name such abundance? Are these commodities? Natural resources? Ecosystem services? In the indigenous worldview, we call them gifts. We are showered every day with the gifts of the Earth: air to breathe, fresh water, the companionship of geese and maples—and food. Since we lack the gift of photosynth... posted on Apr 27 2017 (10,798 reads)

Social Enterprise Meets Ashtanga: Yoga Shala West, by Aurora Meneghello
you are in Los Angeles, join Interconnected Strategy Meetup group to exchange marketing ideas with other entrepreneurs and community-building visionaries, especially if you are interested in social enterprise. Our first meeting is on February 28 in Culver City. Pranidhi Varshney founded Yoga Shala West to move away from the transactional and image-driven nature of contemporary yoga, opting instead for an alternative fee structure and community-based social enterprise model. We talked about her journey, and what it takes to build a social enterprise based on inclusiveness rather than just profit. Pranidhi writes regularly, has released an album of Sans... posted on Apr 21 2017 (10,026 reads)

Crazywise: A Filmmaker Explores the Heart of Mental Illness, by Awakin Calls Editors
Borges is a dentist-turned-photographer, author, filmmaker and social change storyteller. For more than 25 years, he has been documenting indigenous and tribal cultures in some of the world's most remote, inaccessible areas. Phil uses his gifts so that the rest of the world might understand the challenges individuals living in remote area face, and the resilience, spirit and wisdom they possess. What follows is the official trailer of Phil's most recent film, and an edited version of an Awakin Calls interview with him. You can access the recording and full transcript here.   Pavi Mehta (moderator): Phil Borges’ breathtaking work has been featured in National G... posted on Apr 25 2017 (16,954 reads)

Business Lessons from A Quiet Gardener, by William Rosenzweig
people who know me best know that at heart I am just a quiet gardener. My garden has probably taught me the most about how things grow - and thrive in a vibrant and sustainable manner. These lessons have shaped my approach to encouraging responsible growth in business and to the ways I apply my intention, attention and energy. A gardener sees the world as a system of interdependent parts - where healthy, sustaining relationships are essential to the vitality of the whole. "A real gardener is not a person who cultivates flowers, but a person who cultivates the soil." In business this has translated for me into the importance of developing agreements and partnerships whe... posted on Apr 26 2017 (12,210 reads)

From Addiction to Academy Founder: Dr Teri DeLane Teaches Kids to Trust, by MJ Vieweg
following article is based on an Awakin Call interview with Teri Delane.You can listen to the recording of the interview or read the full-length transcript here. Founder and principal of San Francisco’s Life Learning Academy, Dr. Teri Delane says that the success of the school that serves the city’s highest-risk, highest-need students can be replicated.  The school tracks a 99% graduation rate with 85% of the students going on to college.  The kids that do so well here are the kids with histories of school failure, truancy, arrest and substance abuse.  The ones that traditional school settings can’t provide for. Having the right people ... posted on May 15 2017 (9,564 reads)

Graduation: A Song & Speech for the Ages, by Nimo Patel, Nipun Mehta
powerful music video arrives just in time for the millions of students around the world preparing for the milestone of graduation. Written by be-the-change rapper Nimo Patel, animated by the Superfruit Collective (a team of animators based in France), featuring a chorus of amazing Filipino students from the Metta Assumption College, and excerpts from a graduation speech by ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta -- this music video is a global labor-of-love collaboration between resonant hearts. Whether you are graduating this year or not, the simple, profound messages of this song, the compelling animation, and the warmth behind all of it are sure to brighten your day.&n... posted on May 4 2017 (27,404 reads)

Re-Imagining the World: An Artist's Remarkable Life Journey, by Bela Shah
following is an article based on an Awakin Call interview with Slobodan Dan Paich. You can listen to the full recording here. Slobodan Dan Paich is a man with a big heart, really connected to the inspiration behind life.  So much so that one of this summer’s Service Space interns remembers comparing Slobodan to Santa Claus as a young boy.  We had a chance to engage with Slobodan on last Saturday’s Awakin Call, where seemingly disparate aspects of his remarkable life softly emerged.  His voice trailed off at times, as he searched for words that could capture the wordless essence of his transcendent views. Slobodan is an artist, and harnesses his gif... posted on May 11 2017 (8,709 reads)

Gratefulness: An Opportunity to Practice, by Kristi Nelson
it can be said that we are always practicing something. Most often, we are practicing what is habitual, familiar, and mostly unconscious… All the great wisdom traditions teach us that life is precious; that what is happening right now IS life, not some future destination, time, or state of mind. “Carpe Diem,” they say, implying that we must take none of this moment, and its opportunities, for granted. But as we all know, this is easier said than done, especially when our lives deliver us genuine challenges to living out this simple and profound philosophy. Fortunately, wisdom traditions, including gratefulness, offer a wide range ... posted on May 18 2017 (21,710 reads)

Against the Clock: How Technology Has Changed Our Experience of Time, by Heleo Editors
Burdick is a staff writer and former senior editor at The New Yorker whose first book, Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion, was a National Book Award finalist and won the Overseas Press Club award for environmental reporting. His most recent book, Why Time Flies: A Mostly Scientific Investigation, chronicles his quest to understand the nature of lived time. He recently joined Douglas Rushkoff, media theorist and author of Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now, for a conversation on what we miss about the nature of time when we only think about it as a number. This conversation has been edited and condensed. To view the full... posted on May 23 2017 (18,179 reads)

Building Roots: A Remarkable Market in A Shipping Container, by Dave LeBlanc
early April and shafts of warming sunlight have finally broken through the cold, grey clouds. Alex Chak emerges from a doorway, squints into the light to let his eyes adjust and then bends down to fill a bushel basket with bright red peppers. A man in a long overcoat, walking quickly, stops in his tracks. "What is this?" he asks. "It's a market, new to the neighbourhood," replies Mr. Chak, smiling. "A produce market? That's amazing, that's exactly what we need," he says. "I'll be back!" Inside the double-width shipping container a few minutes later, Mr. Chak is busily chatting up a hijab-clad wom... posted on Jun 11 2017 (6,454 reads)