The Gift of Our Wounds with Arno Michaelis & Pardeep Singh Kaleka
Saturday, November 17th at 8pm ET/5pm PT

One Sikh. One former Skinhead. Together, an unusual friendship emerged out of a desire to make a difference. When white supremacist Wade Michael Page murdered six people and wounded four in a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin in 2012, Pardeep Kaleka was devastated. The temple leader, now dead, was his father. His family, who had immigrated to the U.S. from India when Pardeep was young, had done everything right. Why was this happening to him? Meanwhile, Arno Michaelis, a former skinhead and founder of one of the largest racist skinhead organizations in the world, had spent years of his life committing terrible acts in the name of white power. When he heard about the attack, waves of guilt washing over him, he knew he had to take action and fight against the very crimes he used to commit.After the Oak Creek tragedy, Arno and Pardeep worked together to start an organization called Serve 2 Unite, which works with students to create inclusive, compassionate and nonviolent climates in their schools and communities. https://serve2unite.org

At Peace with Dr. Sam Harrington
Thursday, February 22nd at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Dr. Samuel Harrington, MD, is the author of At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life. In this important book, which James Fallows of The Atlantic calls “deeply humane,”  he argues the case for taking a clear-eyed yet compassionate view towards the end of life. Most people say they would like to die quietly at home. But overly aggressive medical advice, coupled with an unrealistic sense of invincibility, results in the majority of elderly patients misguidedly dying in institutions while undergoing painful procedures, instead of having a better and more peaceful death they desired. https://samharrington.com

From Anxiety to Love with Corinne Zupko
Monday, February 12th at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Corinne Zupko, Ed.S., has coached, counseled, and educated thousands of individuals at national and state conferences, in the classroom and in workshops, over the phone, and in the therapy chair. She teaches weekly meditation classes for corporate clients and cohosts the largest virtual conference of “A Course in Miracles” in the world, through the organization Miracle Share International, which she cofounded. www.FromAnxietyToLove.com

Find Peace with Roland Griffith
Thursday, January 11th at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Roland Griffith, author of Find Peace One POP at a Timeis a successful entrepreneur, humanist, public speaker, and business leader who has achieved peace, increased his personal joy and hope, and developed a system to help others. Roland now offers 30-minute and one-hour consults by phone/Skype or in person, working with you to develop tools to intentionally turn down the volume on your mental mind chatter.Learn more about him and his process at http://www.rolandgriffith.com/

A Season of Hope

 

As the Holidays draw near, and dates are crossed off the calendar, we are encouraged to slow down and connect with those we love. Candle-lit dinners and frosty morning gatherings give our hearts a tingle of sentimentality, while gently reminding us this Season offers so much more.

Reflecting on this time of year, it’s brings something more than any gift could offer.  It’s a Season of encouragement, community and hope. In a world where there seems to be so much despair, I wonder what light I can bring and how can I make a difference to those that are suffering?  Even if it’s a simple smile, kind word or action, it can mean so much to those we encounter. Our hearts may never know the impact these small gestures will make. We all have the ability to bring light into someone’s life, in a powerful and meaningful way.

The Holiday lights that decorate our space, is a reminder of how interconnected we truly are. These tiny little lights illuminate a house, neighborhood and community with a certain magical quality.  As they cast their colorful, warm glow on snowy city streets or lonely country roads, together they pierce the darkness for miles around.

Join me in celebrating this Holiday Season by coming together in love and hope, to shine our light into the world.

Make Every Moment Count!

Forgiving the Unforgivable

What does it mean to truly forgive somebody, on every level and for everything? I used to think that I had a great capacity for forgiveness and that, over the years, I had developed a deeper level of compassion for those that had slighted me, understanding that they are often operating out of an unresolved pain or trauma. However, my belief in my abilities was shattered and dramatically changed after watching the movie The Shack.

The film, based off the book by William P. Young, follows the journey of Mack Phillips who spends a weekend with a trio of individuals, each personifying God, at an old shack in the woods. The story takes place after a man called, “The little lady killer” kidnaps and murders Mack’s youngest daughter while the family is on a camping trip. While the rest of the family attempt to move through the pain, Mack falls into a deep depression that spurs doubt regarding his beliefs. The topics of forgiveness, judgement and love are discussed in a whole new way and eventually brings Mack back to peace, healing and a deeper level on his personal beliefs, changing him forever.

Watching this movie was an eye-opening experience that left me questioning how deep my level of forgiveness was. Did I truly forgive everyone with an open heart? Even if it was something unforgivable?

Every painful moment can be traced back to an initial heartache or trauma someone has endured, usually at the hands of another. The root of this suffering is often not easily visible to the person experiencing the pain. Yet, if we are willing to step back and see the entire story, the reason someone might have wronged us becomes clear. While this doesn’t condone behavior or activity that goes against social and moral conduct, it offers us the opportunity to be more compassionate and objective when forgiving someone, being careful to not get caught up in the energy of their story. If we are willing to step back and look at the bigger picture, we find that, while each of us is unique, we are not all that dissimilar.

As expressed in The Shack, we were made to love and forgive. That is our legacy to the world. Love is the answer to all things and the greatest gift we can give one another. But the first step to giving love is receiving peace. And how is it possible to receive peace? By freeing ourselves with forgiveness and approaching all situations with the same compassion and wisdom we would like to see in others. I encourage you to break the chains of resentment and find a way to peace, in all of your relationships, even if it means forgiving the unforgivable. As my mentor Judy Goodman has taught me, forgiveness doesn’t mean condoning what someone has done, it’s about freedom & peace. You deserve to have peace in your life! Only then will we be on track to living the life we desire — a loving, joyful and fulfilling one.

Make Every Moment Count!

Mindfulness as a Path to Self-Care

While out walking the other day, it seemed like I had just stepped into the perfect day. The sun was shining, a gentle breeze was blowing and birds were singing as my thoughts wandered to the topic of mindfulness as a path to self-care. While self-care and mindfulness are not new topics, both still offer a greater shift in perspective when we choose to dive deeper into the practice of caring for our mind, body and spirit.

Many times, self-care only captures our attentions while we are on vacation or out of town on some far away trip, miles away from the typical stresses of everyday life. Self-care is often placed at the very bottom of a never-ending list of things to do. Meanwhile, busy work and being overly connected take center stage in our lives, drowning out our body’s cry for some major tender loving care.

But how important is it to devote time to ourselves? Can we really find moments in our already overbooked schedules and hectic lives to develop a solid routine of self-care?

When the topic of mindfulness finally does surface above the daily noise, it is often thought we need to have a serene place, void of distractions to develop a state of awareness with everything around us and, most importantly, with ourselves.  However, cultivating mindfulness as part of a self-care regimen can take place anywhere, regardless of what is going on around you. The advantages of this practice can be immense.

Science has now proven the wide range of benefits derived from practicing a state of mindfulness as a path to self-care. These benefits include…

  • Reduction in anxiety and stress
  • Improved cognition
  • Elevated happiness, contentment and gratitude
  • Increased immune function
  • Boost in memory
  • Improved moods
  • Slowing of neurodegenerative diseases
  • Increased creativity
  • Lowered blood pressure

I would like to share with you a very simple mindfulness exercise that I use on a daily basis which only takes a couple of minutes.  It doesn’t matter if you are at your desk, just got off a phone call with a difficult client or you’re feeling generally overwhelmed. This practice can bring you back to center allowing you to focus on what is truly important — your inner peace.

Close your eyes (not while driving) and focus on your breathing.  Feel the expansion of your body with each inhalation and rhythmic flow as each exhalation leaves the body. Clear your mind. When thoughts arise without judgement, gently allow those thoughts to drift away while bringing your attention back to your breathing.

Initially, it might seem like a battle to win over the quiet moments of your mind, but with each practice it gets easier and the times that you experience peacefulness will last longer. In time, you’ll find that it’s extremely easy to drop into a mindfulness state and that those few moments allow you to recharge quickly.

This simple mindfulness tool has allowed me to remain centered and focused over the years even during a bustling workday. You see, it’s not about finding the perfectly quiet and serene place to refocus and find your peace. It’s about finding the mindfulness practice that is the perfect fit for you, plus getting in the habit of using that practice to improve your self-care if even for a moment.

Our minds, bodies and souls are always working hard, so show yourself some love and take a deep breath. Kick off your shoes. Find your center. I hope it brings you peace like it has for me.

 

Make Every Moment Count!

Finding Tranquility in the Moments

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With the accelerated energies on the planet, many people are coming face-to-face with issues that they have either not dealt with or lessons that need to be experienced in one degree or another.  With all of this taking place, there is great opportunity for personal development like never before and at the same time, there is also a lot of energetic chaos that feels more like blindly walking through a dense fog, unable to distinguish any path leading out.

Staying centered allows us to move through these transition points with grace, while finding tranquility in the moments offers a greater sense of peace. Developing a consistent practice of mindfulness eventually makes these moments of internal bliss last for longer periods of time.  Ultimately we become more focused on the miracles that each moment brings as opposed to the perceived chaos that surrounds us.

When we take personal responsibility for the world that we choose to live in, we realize that we are the direct creator of what we are experiencing.  The inner journey for peace starts with me, only then can it be reflected in the world around us.

Make Every Moment Count!

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How Our Perception Changes Our World

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With so much going on in the world, how we choose to perceive things seems to be more important than ever.  While putting on rose-colored glasses isn’t something that I would suggest, choosing to change our perception of the challenges we face gives us the opportunity not only to shift how we show up in the world, but also allows us the opportunity to view the outer world and our inner world with more compassionate and grace.  This discussion often has me thinking about this quote from the Dalai Lama:

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.

If we’re having a difficult time liking ourselves, how can we like those around us?  If we allow ourselves to fall into judgement or criticize those that are different, how can we love the uniqueness that we alone bring to the world?

The journey of developing and maintaining inner peace  traverses a road with no end, yet the journey itself offers new vistas, plateaus and valleys of who we really are. Thus granting us a deeper awareness and understanding that we truly are one, regardless of our outer world and differences.
Wishing you much peace, grace and love.

Make Every Moment Count!

Marianne