Reframing

This past Thursday evening I once again participated in the free teleseminar “Awakening the Impulse to Evolve.” The featured speaker this week was the man who inspired me about evolution to begin with, the Reverend Michael Dowd. Listening to Michael reminded me of why he has been one of the most important influences in my life. His way with words, his way of looking at evolution and humanity, and his passion for this subject were so very apparent during the call.  Michael is currently being treated for cancer and this life-changing experience has only deepened his insights and his compassion for himself and us all.

One of the topics he covered was the idea of “reframing” how you look at a negative experience. Although I’d heard this before, from Michael’s book “Thank God for Evolution!” and from other sources, it didn’t really sink in until he gave us callers an exercise to try. At the end of each week’s call, those still on the phone participate in an “Evolutionary Cafe,” during which we are broken up into groups of three (oh, the wonders of technology) and discuss questions posed by the call’s facilitators. Michael asked us to think of a negative event from our past, reframe it in a positive way and then discuss it with the other two people in our group.

Of course this is not easy to do and my group had some very interesting discussions about each others thoughts and feelings. I spoke about my anxiety about finances that has been there throughout my adult life. Reframing these thoughts made me see that on some level my mind is trying to protect me and ensure my survival by warning me of potential danger. The danger is not having enough money and the ensuing catastrophe that might occur. Seeing this as a survival mechanism allows me to step back, have more compassion for myself, and then move beyond the anxiety.

There’s nothing like putting what you read into action to feel the real impact of a new idea. I often find myself immersed in negative thoughts during daily life and I’d like to continue to practice reframing those thoughts. The trickiest part of this technique is to remember to reframe my anxiety when it appears.

Have you had any success with reframing your thoughts?

Evolving With Others

This past Thursday evening, I participated in an amazing (and free!) telephone event, organized by Craig Hamilton of Integral Enlightenment. Craig and I and, apparently, many, many others are all what we call “evolutionaries.” We are part of a new movement that combines the concepts of evolutionary spirituality and conscious evolution.

The gist of these ideas is that with the scientific knowledge we now have about evolution on earth and in the cosmos humanity can make a conscious effort to evolve ourselves to a better place.  A place where we do indeed “walk the walk” that we are all in this together.  Evolutionaries agree that there is an urgency to do what it takes to make it a better world for all…and especially for future generations. We can do this by following Gandhi’s advice to “be the change you wish to see in the world” and do all this together!

There were 25,000 (!!!) people registered for the first call. We actually had the chance to interact with a few of them and it was exhilarating to speak with other like-minded people.  If this interests you, check it out at http://evolutionaryspirituality.com/. There are 17 more calls to go…I’m looking forward to them all.

2010, Here We Come!

Well…you haven’t heard from me in a while, because I, like many others, have been caught up in the holiday rush. Family, friends, presents, trees, menorahs, staying up too late, sleeping too late, etc., etc., etc.  So, blogging had to wait for a while.

I sit here looking at the new year and new decade stretching before me.  I truly hope what lies ahead will be better for us all and for my family personally (I lost my father this past June).  Will we all be able to wake up in time to realize where our priorities must lie - with long term well being as opposed to short term gain?  Well, we shall see, won’t we?

This blog will be another short one, as I just took down the holiday decorations which took care of my daily exercise for today. I think I need to chill out for a while before starting “real life” again tomorrow.

May 2010 bring the best to you and yours.

I Hate Snow!!!

OK…nothing about evolution or personal development or science or whatever here today.  Just I HATE SNOW!!!  I’m resting right now after about 1/2 hour outside in our neighborhood winter wonderland, which was transformed overnight by a white nor’easter that has swept across parts of the USA. That is one half hour of shoveling the lovely, heavy, wet stuff and making a dent in what is left to do.  I’m getting too old for this!

Needless to say, the time and energy for a thoughtful and creative blog is elusive today. Those in the sunshine states – enjoy and remember us poor slobs in the colder parts of the country. And, send us some sunshine, will ya?

Happy Holidays to all!

A Prince of a Prince

I have been reading Newsweek magazine since my college days. This week, I was very pleased to read an article by the Prince of Wales himself about climate change and the urgency of this most important of all issues. I’m not downplaying by any means the importance of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global recession, pandemic flu, or health care reform. However, what Prince Charles gets, but many others still do not, is that all those issues are MOOT if we don’t truly face the reality that climate change is here, is happening now and must be dealt with immediately or everything will only get worse. Not only will people be hotter, wetter, drier, etc. depending on where they live, but they will also be hungrier, sicker, poorer, more stressed, etc.

Let’s get our heads out of the sand.  Changing our ways NOW will only make things better for all in the future. We have to find a way to live on the limited planet that is our home with the limited resources available for the six plus billion people already here (never mind the billions more that could come). May the small, but growing groundswell of support for changing our ways continue to sweep across the planet, making it habitable for all for milleniums to come!

So What Am I Doing, Anyway?

OK. I’ve been enjoying posting my thoughts as they come to me and it’s been very nice. But, what am I doing here, anyway? Why am I blogging?

One thing I’m very clear about is my lack of clarity. I know what subjects interest and excite me. I know where I’d like to make a contribution to the world. The fuzzy part begins when I get to the “how” of it all.

One of the big “a-ha” moments of my life was reading an article about Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow, the Evolutionary Evangelists. As an almost-life-long atheist, spirituality had played a non-existent role in my life. But the way that Michael and Connie have of describing the wonder of the universe and the role of “The Great Story of Evolution” in our lives, awakened something inside of me. I felt a great excitement growing as I read that first article and have never looked back since.

So my one of my great passions is what is called “evolutionary spirituality” or “conscious evolution” (more on that in a future blog). A second passion of mine that’s been around much longer is a great concern for our environment, particularly for biodiversity and wildlife. I went so far as to earn a Masters degree in Zoology, as my great interest in wildlife and the environment started when I was very young.

The third piece tying all of this together is my fascination with the life sciences, as well as other sciences. So many of the large issues we face today – climate change, pandemic disease, health care reform, stem cell research, etc., etc., etc. – are science-based…and the strategies to deal with them are largely science-based too. An enhanced understanding of science could only help us all deal with these important challenges.

The question is how to put these passions together to make my contribution to humanity? And pay my mortgage at the same time? I know I’m not the first, and certainly not the last, to grapple with such a question. Finding the answer has become quite a journey and this blog is one of the tools I’m using along the way.

Feeding my Brain

In addition to feeding my body nutritious food (or at least trying to), I often find myself feeding my brain “nutritious” information.  When given the choice, I will select a riveting non-fiction book over fiction most times, with some important exceptions (such as the Harry Potter series).  Well, my brain had a feast last night when I attended an event at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) entitled “Celebrating 150 Years of ‘Origin of Species’.”

I settled down expectantly into the beautiful NYAS lecture space on the 40th floor of a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan.  There my fellow attendees and I were treated to fascinating, if sometimes a bit mind bending, lectures by three prominent scientists: Neurobiologist and Nobel Laureate Gerald Edelman, Psychologist Paul Ekman, and Professor of Neuroscience and Biological Anthropology Terrence Deacon. Their lectures were followed by a stimulating and interactive discussion among the three speakers, the audience in attendance and a world-wide audience of about 250,000 participating via webcast!

When I attend these types of events, the information presented can sometimes seem overwhelming. The way I deal with that is I am glad if I learn at least one new important concept, or at the very least one new not-so-important concept. The important concept I walked away with last night came from Paul Ekman who discussed the development of and different types of compassion, as related to ideas conveyed in Darwin’s book “The Descent of Man.”

Dr. Ekman, who wrote a book I bought that is a discussion between himself and the Dalai Lama, asks why is it that some people seem to be naturally compassionate to varying degrees while others are not, and how does compassion arise in the first place? He made the point, with which I wholeheartedly agree, that this is probably one of the most important areas of investigation of our time if we are to grapple with and solve the great challenges humanity now faces. I can’t wait to read his book to gain more food for thought.

FYI, to learn more about the “Celebrating 150 Years of ‘Origin of Species’ event at NYAS, go to www.nyas.org.

Reflections on “Eat, Pray, Love”

As you might guess, I’m busy reading the bestselling book ”Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert right now and am enjoying every minute of it.  Oh, if we all could have some book publisher pay for us to travel the world for a year, doing whatever we want to do, whenever we want to do it!  But, no, us regular folks with regular responsibilities have to grab a minute here and a minute there to follow our hearts…in between doing the dishes and earning a regular living.

I am living vicariously through Ms. Gilbert and perhaps learning a lesson or two along the way. I tend to do that a lot – learn about life from books. It helps keep me sane. If nothing else, “Eat, Pray, Love” is motivating me to try meditation again, which I haven’t for a very long time (if I could just find a few minutes in a day for it).  Maybe if everyone learned how to meditate and then did so, we could all evolve to a better place more quickly. Maybe I’ll meditate on that!

Small, but Important, Victory

I believe that the only way we can create a better society that will be able to withstand the tests we have imposed on ourselves is for each of us to start with ourselves. I do that every day in many different ways, such as reading a variety of books while working diligently on self-improvement and conquering the demons within.

One way I have chosen to do this is to pick a local environmental issue I feel strongly about and do what I can to help with the limited time I have. I selected a local issue I learned about last year while attending a conference at the Omega Center in Rhinebeck, NY about the water crisis . There is a very large deposit of natural gas underground in New York state, as well as many other neighboring states. The New York deposit is located in an area upstate known as the Marcellus Shale, part of which is in the New York City watershed area (i.e. where New York City residents get their drinking water!!!). The only way to access the gas is to drill for it using a technique called hydro-fracturing or fracking for short. Of course, the gas companies will make a lot of money if allowed to drill as they please.

The kicker is that fracking is a very toxic process and has caused unbelieveable environmental and health damage when used in other states, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. New York state has done an environmental impact study and has now opened discussion of the future of gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale to public comment. Originally the state only allowed for a 30-day public comment period, which is certainly not enough time for people to learn about, never mind comment, on this important issue.

Environmentalists and others from all over New York have risen up to demand additional time for comments. I have emailed friends and family, signed more than one petition and even sent a letter to the Governor. All the effort was rewarded when the state extended the public comment period another month to the end of December.

So, it’s a small, but important, victory. Onwards to the next challenge…

To learn more about fracking and the Marcellus Shale, check out this link: http://www.riverkeeper.org/campaigns/safeguard/gas-drilling/  And keep in mind, perhaps gas drilling should be banned throughout the state, not just where there are water supplies.  The technique is so very, very toxic.

An Oldy, But Goody

I just finished reading a book I like very much that I happened upon by accident.  It’s called “Waking Up in Time: Finding Inner Peace in Times of Accelerating Change” and the author is Peter Russell.  Surprisingly, the first edition was written in 1992 under the title “The White Hole in Time” and then it was revised and re-named in 1998.

Although this book is more than a decade old, it is even more timely now than when he wrote it (except for his references, sad in retrospect, to the World Trade Center). Mr. Russell takes us through time from the Big Bang to the present, tracing the pathway and ever quickening pace of evolution. He then relates all this to the times we live in now and where he believes we are headed.  These two paragraphs sum it up pretty well:

“Whether or not this particular species on planet Earth will be able to blossom into full knowing is still an open question.  We are an evolutionary seed, cast into the winds of space and time.  Whether or not we become all that we may be is up to us.  We have been given every opportunity and facility.  But we have also been given the reins of our own destiny.

We are, in effect, facing an evolutionary exam, a cosmic intelligence test.  We have prodigious powers at our disposal – enough to harm a planet – and before we can continue our evolutionary journey we must prove that we have the wisdom to use these powers for the benefit of all.”

These two paragraphs summarize where my passions lie and where I want to make my contribution to the well being of all living things on this planet.  I do what I can now for the sake of my daughter, her generation and the future of other generations to come. Please join me on this most important journey.