Bill Bowerman

Everything you need

Generosity is a celebration

Bo is a comedian from Seattle, Washington. He can be found headlining clubs, breweries, and theaters across the United States and Canada. His stand-up has been featured on Netflix Is a Joke Radio, Comedy Central, and at many well-known venues. With a growing online audience, Bo’s jokes have been viewed by millions.

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Bo Johnson

BO JOHNSON is interviewed by SURAJ SEHGAL about being a stand-up comedian, the humanity behind humor, and the nerves around how it will be received. He also reminds us why we need humor more than ever before.&nbsp;Q: What initially drew you to a career in stand-up?&nbsp;BJ: When I was in the seventh or eighth grade, the iTunes Store had just become a thing. They had all the old-in some cases not so old-Comedy Central half hours. I was mowing a lot of lawns and doing yard work at the time, and I spent almost all the money I made on music or comedy specials at the iTunes Store. I’ll never listen to it again.The first comics I loved were Mitch Hedberg and Demetri Martin, who were both great non-sequitur one-liner comedians. I also loved humorous books like those of David Sedaris and Douglas Adams, who wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.I had been writing a little satire zine with two friends, but after college they lost interest. I was also frustrated by writing something that no one would read, so I wanted to find a medium where the engine was my own interest. Stand-up was perfect; even if at first it’s three-minute open mic sets, there are captive audiences, and they give immediate feedback on what sucks and what works. That was the start of it, right after graduating college. I was busing tables and starting to do stand-up.Q: I’ve seen your stand-up routine twice, once in Atlanta and once in San Francisco. I noticed you have jokes you are comfortable with, and then you have your sheet of paper with new material you’re workshopping. What’s your creative process like for developing new material?BJ: If I’m on the road, I’ll slip in a few new lines, or some newer material, into the main set. I’ll try to do five to ten minutes of new material on a headline show, and if it’s working consistently, I’ll move it into my regular set and see if it still holds up. If it does, then it has a more permanent home.When I’m at home or doing shorter sets, I’ll go to an open mic and do 30 minutes. In an ideal world, that’s where I would try new ideas, where no one’s paying to see me. But some jokes are longer, and don’t really work on an open mic, and some jokes just work better if you do them 30 minutes into a set versus a cold opening.Q: Comics have different ways of writing. Do you spend a certain amount of time writing each day? Or is it when inspiration hits?BJ: I should do more sit-down writing, because some of the stuff has been written that way. But right now I’ll go for a long walk or workout and jot down an idea here and there. If I’m in a city for shows, I like to walk around and think about something that will hopefully catch. A lot of it is conversation-based writing. If I’m talking with friends and something makes us laugh, I’ll write it down as a premise. I have a weekly call with a couple of friends, and we go over the jokes we’re working on and try to improve each other’s material.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny4_cc66a95261.webp" alt="being-funny4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_being_funny4_cc66a95261.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_being_funny4_cc66a95261.webp 623w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny4_cc66a95261.webp 623w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Q: What’s been the most challenging aspect of being a stand-up comedian? And what have you done to try to overcome it?BJ: I’ve been doing stand-up full-time for about a year and a half now, and doing it as a whole for eight and a half years, including during the pandemic. One of the most challenging parts is doing three or four different jobs. I have a manager now who helps with my bookings, but I still run all my online ads and social media. Those tasks that make it possible to earn a living directly eat away at my ability to be creative. But without doing them, there’s no way to make a living doing stand-up. I try to make sure that I take time away from the business end to be a person, to experience the world directly, let my brain be free enough to be creative, and to have new experiences to write about.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I try to make sure that I take time away from the business end to be a person, to experience the world directly, let my brain be free enough to be creative, and to have new experiences to write about.&nbsp; &nbsp;</h4><hr>Another challenge is that it’s easy to take it personally if I’m not doing well on stage. I’m basically saying, “Hey, here’s what I think is funny.” Sometimes people won’t like the way I view the world. There’ll be some weeks or months where I feel super creative and very funny. I’m writing a lot of new material that is all working. Then there will be stretches where nothing is working, and I don’t feel sad or funny. Life is just more stressful. Maybe something’s happened to my personal life.Stand-up is essentially freelance work. You’re going paycheck to paycheck, regardless of whether or not those paychecks are big or small. As soon as one job is done, you’re waiting on the next. Your mood can be tied to how well you’re doing on stage. Sometimes you don’t know how to balance your emotions. When I had a day job as well, and I wasn’t feeling creative or funny, or I did poorly on stage, it wasn’t my only identity. I could think, “Oh, I have this other job. And this is part of who I am.” It didn’t feel as much like the only thing I did.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny5_cfa771c92a.webp" alt="being-funny5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_being_funny5_cfa771c92a.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_being_funny5_cfa771c92a.webp 917w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny5_cfa771c92a.webp 917w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Now, when things aren’t going well on stage, it’s harder to balance out and feel, “Okay, let’s not sit on this for too long.” Like an athlete having a bad game, you don’t want to dwell on it forever. You want to have a short memory, ideally, being honest about how it didn’t go well, but not sitting on it for too long.Q: It’s hard not to take things personally. You thought it was funny, you were literally standing up in front of a bunch of people sharing it because you thought it was worth sharing. With music, people can say, “We don’t like your voice.” With stand-up, people can say, “We don’t like you the way you think.” In the last eight years, I’m sure there have been times when your moods were different, or you were just in a phase where you felt less funny. What helps you move forward from that?BJ: It’s easier to say than do in practice, perhaps. You learn over time that it will always pass. There have been enough times where I’ve felt very funny and done great on stage, then bombed for a while, then been funny again, then bombed for a while. It’s just remembering that this has happened before.If I’m on the road, I try to write something about the city, or have a new joke, a new line. It makes it easier to be present. I don’t want to come across as if most of it is written or is an act. I don’t want to be reciting it like a play with no emotion on autopilot. If I think about my favorite concerts, it wasn’t just that they were good singers; they were clearly very happy to be there. We’re all in the moment. That’s the goal. I want to be in the room when I’m performing. I love that. And that makes it more fun to love.Q: There are changing boundaries with what is considered appropriate or respectful. I think a lot of comedy is trying to push boundaries, but at the same time trying to be respectful and keeping it enjoyable.BJ: I think it’s about your own individual sense of humor, and how good a joke you can write. I’d say that my sense of humor tends to skew more toward silly than serious. Great joke writers can get away with joking about anything, because you can make anything funny if it’s coming from the right perspective. Who you are also makes what you can joke about, what you can say, and how it’s understood. If you’re joking about your own identity, it’s very different from commenting on a group that is different from you. I’m ideally not writing jokes that will make people feel bad. If I write something that reads the wrong way, I just don’t do that joke anymore. When people are talking about things you’re not supposed to joke about, you can joke about whatever you want; but if people are upset, that’s a reaction and it’s totally fair.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Who you are also makes what you can joke about, what you can say, and how it’s understood. If you’re joking about your own identity, it’s very different from commenting on a group that is different from you.&nbsp;</h4><hr>Q: Have you ever decided not to share a joke because people have been upset?BJ: I don’t think I’ve posted or shared any that are too controversial. I don’t know if there’s a right or wrong with this; there are some subjects you can joke about from all the right places, but they are darker subjects. Even if the joke’s written the right way, someone in the room won’t want to hear it. Maybe it’s tied to their past experiences. Someone could be doing jokes about mental health and suicide, for example. I’ve seen instances of that with people I care about, where they’ve had a bad experience and they don’t want to have that memory brought up, even if it’s done in a mindful way. I think that’s fair. Ideally we don’t want people leaving feeling worse than when they came to a show.Q: There’s a lot right now that feels pretty challenging; there’s plenty to be sad about. It strikes me as important to have people still laughing and making jokes. What do you think about the importance of humor and comedy, especially now?BJ: My favorite part about stand-up is the initial idea of a joke, even before you find out if it works. This is true about other art as well. I remember cartoons like Calvin and Hobbes when I was growing up; it made me stoked that someone was making stuff that I thought was cool. And it made the world seem like a better place. At college, one of my roommates showed me another comic I really love, Mike Birbiglia. We bonded and connected when he showed me this guy, who he really resonated with and loved. The same could be said about my best friends in high school; I’m still really close to them. We all loved Flight of the Conchords and had inside jokes tied to different shows and comics we enjoyed. We grew closer laughing together. We had a shared sense of humor. If anything I’m doing has that same impact, it would be really cool.More from Bo Johnson:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGWWlDBQUcW77ENfRCLeUw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojohnsoncomedy/?hl=en<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny6_7fade6baac.webp" alt="being-funny6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_being_funny6_7fade6baac.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_being_funny6_7fade6baac.webp 623w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny6_7fade6baac.webp 623w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

Being funny

Bob has been president of the Fetzer Institute since 2013. Under his leadership, its current mission statement is “helping build the spiritual foundation for a loving world.” Prior to that, Bob spent his career working with nonprofit organizations on strategy development, advocacy, program development, governance, and legal compliance. While practicing law in Washington, DC, he represented a broad range of foundations and public charities. He has helped to design and lead major national advocacy campaigns involving environmental and health issues and the right of nonprofit organizations to participate in the legislative process.


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Bob Boisture

<h4>BOB BOISTURE speaks with JUDITH NELSON at the Spirit of Humanity Forum, held in Reykjavík, Iceland on the 1 June 2019. In part 1, he shared with us the vision of the Fetzer Institute, and the need for personal transformation and love to bring about the changes necessary today to address the most pressing issues of humanity and our planet Earth. In part 2, he continues by focusing on how this translates to practical activities in our day-to-day lives.</h4>BB:&nbsp;We’re working with one of the biggest civil society umbrella groups in the US that’s had a longstanding commitment to support leadership development within civil society. With some encouragement and support from us, they’ve taken the bold stand that there’s a new dimension to leadership development, and it is this inner work. We’re working with them to firstly take that message into civil society, but then, necessarily, to begin to build the ecosystem of supports for that inner work. Hopefully that can support, at scale, a rapidly growing number of leaders at the community state, national level.We’re also bringing together faith leaders across the faith spectrum, which in our country also means across the political spectrum, and inviting them to reflect on why is it that so often their communities have shown up in our public conversation as part of the polarizing dynamic, when surely their faith commitments compel all of them to be part of the reconciling solution. We’re working with all communities to change in the context of our next presidential election, with the hope that faith leaders across politics will stand together and say the most urgent priority all of us are compelled to have is reconciliation.I’m optimistic actually, because I think anybody who is awake and has children or grandchildren, realizes that we can’t go on like this. We have to go to a deeper level and recover a shared moral vision of the society we’re trying to create. None of us have all the answers. We have to listen to each other; we have to come together.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">Whether we’re thinking about global leaders at the highest level or each of us as leaders in our daily lives, I think committing to the discipline of daily spiritual practices is actually the most serious work we need to do. That will transform the way we are in all aspects of our life.</h5><hr>Q: Is that how you came to be involved with the Spirit of Humanity Forum? How did that relationship evolve?BB:&nbsp;Exactly, and that really goes back to the vision of a merging global movement. One of the most important things that needs to happen to accelerate that movement is that we need to find each other. Those of us who are committed to this vision need to find each other and support each other, because there’s tremendous empowerment in knowing that we’re not alone in this. Together we can support each other and make a difference.Fetzer has been connected with the Forum since 2014, but this is my first time to be here. I’m taking away new relationships and new energy that are not going to be one-offs. I have committed to a number of people here that we’re going to get together and figure out how we can support each other in our work. So that’s one thing, the connection.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirit_foundation2_a92d497d10.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:15:15.376Z" alt="spirit-foundation2">But now, let’s go back to this “Shared Sacred Story” idea that we are creating here. We’re creating the language to take this vision out into the world, and I think that’s tremendously important. We’re creating very open, spacious language, and our vision of this Shared Sacred Story is that it’s not one story, it’s a meta-narrative, if you will, that has plenty of room for each tradition to tell their version of the sacred story. Also, people who are on this journey but don’t identify with one of the major traditions, are in that wonderful place where they can draw on the riches of all the traditions. You can feel it in the freedom of this gathering; we’re finding a language that is spacious enough to bring us all to a common ground without any of us having to abandon the depth of our particular story. I think that’s a wonderful, exciting thing to be part of.Q: Humility is a quality that has come through at the Forum, in people like yourself and other speakers. What’s your view of that in terms of how we approach all these big problems that are out there in the world?BB: I think humility is one of the virtues we most need, when you think about these angry fights we’re having with each other. What’s wonderful here, and I’ve sensed the same humility, is the discernment. Maybe it’s a collective discernment, that each of us has come to whatever wisdom we’ve come to through our life’s journey. In the grand scheme, it’s a very particular life journey. The exciting thing we’re called to is to open to the richness of everybody else’s journey, to realize that we’ve got to create this new world together, and that none of us has all the answers. There’s also humility in relation to the cosmos and the transcendent. We realize that there’s something at work here that’s so much larger than any of us. We have to stand in awe, reverence and humility in the face of this cosmic movement through love towards love. There’s no room for ego, I think there’s only room for gratitude.Q: You spoke this morning about what world leaders could be doing to be different in their approach. Can you expand on that?BB:&nbsp;I think it has to start inside of each of us as individuals, and for all world leaders in creating the culture. Our fundamental challenge is we’re stuck in a culture that encourages us to engage from a place of ego and separation and fear, and the real challenge for us individually and collectively is to shift to engaging each other and the world from a place of wholeness and all-centeredness and love. That’s hard. It’s not just waking up one morning and saying, “I’m going to be a more loving individual.” It’s in strengthening the muscle that really helps us when we face the tough choice of deciding to commit to the solution that’s in the interests of the whole, rather than a particular interest.All of the great spiritual traditions confront that core human challenge, and they’ve developed spiritual practices and communities that can support us as individuals, whatever path we’re on. And for people who don’t live within one of the traditions, but are on a spiritual path, they also can draw on those resources to support their own spiritual journey. Whether we’re thinking about global leaders at the highest level or each of us as leaders in our daily lives, I think committing to the discipline of daily spiritual practices is actually the most serious work we need to do. That will transform the way we are in all aspects of our life.Q: Are you happy to share a bit about what you do to interiorize and to keep yourself going?BB:&nbsp;Yes. I grew up and lived in the Christian tradition where, as a very young child, I was taught that God is love, we’re all children of God, and we’re here to love. That all landed with me at a young age, so since adolescence I’ve approached life as a meditation on what it means to love in this moment, in this situation. I have a practice of prayer, I do a lot of meditation walking reflection, writing reflection, but I always joke that my most important spiritual practice is marriage! I think it’s in those intimate places where we’re most challenged to overcome our own ego and our self, and really commit to the flourishing of another. We have a wonderful opportunity in intimate relationships, whether it’s marriage or our work setting, to approach it as a continuing practice of love. How can I bring as much love into this situation as I can? I have found that a very life-giving way of approaching things.Q: You’re describing something very practical and in touch with living in the real world, rather than perhaps an old-fashioned expectation that people have to go away somewhere else. Would you agree with that?BB:&nbsp;Yes, but I’m also big on going away. Time out in the natural world is tremendously renewing, but I think it’s finding the way to link that inner cultivation with practical action. That is where we grow, because it’s that back and forth between meeting the tough situations that all of us face in our daily life. It is hard to always meet people with the commitment of love, so going off and reflecting on how we did and what we can do better is helpful. As a person of faith, connecting with that something greater empowers us all to love. I don’t think it’s either-or, I think it’s both. Finding the way to weave that into our busy lives is a challenge, but even if you can steal five minutes to find a quiet place, I find that tremendously life-giving.Q: That balance between spiritual and practical daily life.BB:&nbsp;Yes. We don’t love people in the abstract. We love them in how we treat them. We nurture our ability to love by going deep within ourselves, because we connect with something much deeper that calls us to love.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirit_foundation3_29e72be116.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T07:16:27.259Z" alt="spirit-foundation3">Q: Young people are very much at the forefront of the world at the moment and world change. Do you have any advice or guidance that you want to share with them? Any words of hope?BB:&nbsp;I am inspired by the global movement of young people that is really challenging us to care about the environment, to care about peace. I guess the one thing I’d say is that the most life-giving thing any of us can do is to commit to this greater call. From my own experience, having made that commitment, I’ve been blessed to find wonderful people to work with, experiencing the gratification of being part of positive change. It’s a gift to ourselves to make that commitment.Q: How do you share this vision with your grandchildren?BB:&nbsp;Given their young ages, just by loving them. Growing up being loved is the most precious thing that can happen to a child. Hopefully I’ve grown into some real wisdom in my later years that I didn’t have when I was parenting the first time around. So one of the things I’m excited about is finding the right way to share with them. Another exciting opportunity for me personally is that my oldest son, who grew up in the Christian tradition, has married a wonderful Indian-American woman whose tradition is Hinduism. So, how can their two little boys grow up in the richness of both traditions?To answer your question, I haven’t figured it out yet, but that’s one of the wonderful challenges of this stage in my life as a grandparent.Q: The quality of love has always been a mystery to me, because people’s interpretation and understanding of love can be very different. There can even be a rather selfish approach to love. So how do you define your version of love?BB:&nbsp;In the relationship between the lover and the beloved, in its deepest form, what is it that we want? I think there are two things. We want the deepest possible communion with that person. The Irish have a beautiful expression “Anam cara,” meaning soul friend. We want to be soul friends. The second thing is that we want the beloved to flourish.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">We don’t love people in the abstract. We love them in how we treat them. We nurture our ability to love by going deep within ourselves, because we connect with something much deeper that calls us to love.</h5><hr>I used an example at a personal level, but it’s just as true at the societal level. In our country we don’t have nearly enough social commitment to early childhood development. I can’t personally be in loving communion with all the children in America, as with my grandchildren, but I can take that same sense of affection and ask, “How can I help create the social systems that can support the flourishing of all of those children?” It’s not soft and it’s not abstract. It’s something we can operationalize.I wrote a paper a number of years ago, largely for myself, with the title “Love as the Organizing Principle for Life.” We can apply that working definition of a desire for the deepest communion and commitment to the flourishing of others across all the dimensions of life. That’s my take on love.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Interviewed by JUDITH NELSON</h4><hr>

Spirit is the foundation for everything - part 2

<h4>BOB BOISTURE speaks with JUDITH NELSON at the Spirit of Humanity Forum, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, on 1 June 2019. He shares with us the vision of the Fetzer Institute, and the need for personal transformation and love to bring about the changes necessary today to address the most pressing issues of humanity and our planet Earth.</h4>Q: Welcome sir. One of the lovely things I read about the Fetzer Institute is its approach to life and the fact that it comes from a foundation of love. Can you tell us more about the Institute and this principle of love? How does it work?BB: I’ll start with John Fetzer, the founder. He was born in 1901 and died in 1991, so he lived in every decade of the 20th century and his life had this amazing trajectory. He was born in a very small town in the American Midwest, into a fairly conservative, narrow, religious environment. The course of his life was an opening to a global spirituality, beginning fairly early in his life when he became a student of world religions and practiced within a number of traditions. He was always perhaps grounded in his Christian beginnings, but was very open to eastern traditions.It was really extraordinary because in his public life he became a very successful businessman and entrepreneur in the early days of radio and television. He then bought one of the major league baseball teams and was a pioneer in putting broadcasting and sports together. He did all this in a culture where if you were a businessman you didn’t talk about spirituality and, if you did, you talked about it in the context of the Christian tradition. But his passion was this global spiritual vision.As he got older and accumulated a significant amount of wealth, he became increasingly convinced that his calling was to set up an organization, a spiritually-grounded community, that could do its small part in helping humanity as a whole to take the next big step in the spiritual journey. The grounding for his vision was that the fundamental reality is not atoms and energy, it’s spirit – “Spirit” with a capital S. For him, Spirit and Love (with a capital L) were really synonymous.His vision was this: Love is the core energy that holds everything together. If only we would profoundly open our hearts to love, we would be able to take that next big step together in humanity’s spiritual journey.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">Love is the core energy that holds everything together. If only we would profoundly open our hearts to love, we would be able to take that next big step together in humanity’s spiritual journey.</h5><hr>He had this incredible generosity of spirit and saw this as a long term vision; he saw it in terms of several centuries for this evolution in our spiritual journey to take place. He knew that he couldn’t see the future that far, that only a community capable of continuing renewal could carry that vision forward over time.Unlike a lot of donors who try to say in their wills, “This money has to be used exactly for such-and-such,” he said to the community, “Listen for the ring of truth and it will be calling you to create [he had this beautiful phrase] this community of freedom. There, you, the community, will discern what the work of the foundation will be. The only thing I’m sure of is that the summary will be unconditional love.”So how about that as a gift to us? We’ve been trying to live by that vision, and be worthy of that vision, in the more than 25 years since his death. The fundamental insight we think we’ve come to in our life as a community is that Spirit has to be the foundation, the touchstone, the source of guidance and energy for everything we do.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirit2_ba35e71136.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:36:22.266Z" alt="">We’re a community of about sixty, which in the world today is enough to have a lot of diversity on a lot of dimensions, including spirituality. So the first question is: Can we find a place to stand together? And is there spiritual common ground across all our different paths? How do we find it and deepen it, but at the same time honor the fact that we get there in very different ways? So we bring our whole community together every Tuesday morning for three hours to really work on that challenge, and we do a lot of different things. Most importantly, we practice together. We have engaged with a broad range of spiritual practices from both the Abrahamic traditions and the Eastern traditions to understand a bit more about our diverse paths and to realize that love is all about relationship.We’ve done something very unusual for an organization – very unique in my experience – we’ve taken the time to share our deep stories with each other and that’s been transformative. You can be together with people for a long time in an instrumental way and it remains at the surface, but once you know their life journey, your connection goes to a much deeper level. We feel like we’re working in a microcosm on what the global community needs to be working on, which is how to find that spiritual common ground across our differences, and deepen it. And also honor the fact that we reached that common ground on very different paths and make that something that’s mutually enriching not dividing.Q: There are sixty of you in a microcosm, reflecting or hoping to reflect what could happen in the world. So how do you feel your influence can go from small to large?BB: We have this theory of change. It starts with the optimistic proposition that the same forces that are pulling us towards the conviction that humanity desperately needs spiritually grounded individuals and societal transformation are pulling literally millions of people around the world in that direction. The result is that there is an emerging global movement.I don’t think it’s yet aware of itself as a global movement, but when you really begin to connect the dots you find that there are people working on all of the big challenges – whether it’s climate change and environmental degradation, social justice or gender equality. They come from a deeply spiritually-grounded place, with this same conviction that inner transformation drives outer transformation. If we can find each other and realize that together we comprise a comprehensive global movement, it can unleash an energy that is powerful enough to enable us to meet all these big existential threats.Our humble goal is to do what we can with our gifts and resources; to help inspire and support the continuing emergence of this global movement. We take that in multiple directions. First, we think that one of the things that can really empower this movement is a shared vision. We use the phrase “shared sacred story”: at the root of all this is this need and possibility of humanity reclaiming a sense of the sacred in everything.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">We feel that humanity can come together in a shared affirmation of sacredness and love, and build a world in which everyone and everything can flourish.</h5><hr>At the most fundamental level, we’ve had this love affair over the past few centuries with scientific and rational ways of trying to understand the world. It has produced huge benefits in terms of our greater understanding of physical reality, but in the process we have lost the confidence of our spiritual intuitions. We see the key is bringing that spiritual way of knowing back into a balanced relationship with science.We feel that when we do that we open ourselves to the deep discernment of all the great traditions: The fundamental reality is not meaningless matter and energy, it’s the cosmic consciousness that holds us all in love. That should be the headline for the 21st century. Humanity has in fact spent millennia probing the ultimate mystery of existence, and none of the great traditions have come back from that probe and said it’s meaningless. They’ve all come back and said it’s sacred. They’ve come back and said the only appropriate human response to this sacredness is some mix of awe and gratitude and reverence and, most importantly, love.We feel that humanity can come together in a shared affirmation of sacredness and love, and build a world in which everyone and everything can flourish. It’s a tremendously hopeful vision. It’s not our vision, we feel like it’s the vision that is being called forth around the world by the sense that we can’t go on as we have been.We’ve played out the string of an egoistic approach to life because we’re realizing that, at rock bottom, it pulls us towards despair and separation and fear. We don’t have to live from that place; if we wake up into this knowledge of the sacredness of reality, we open our hearts to each other and to the natural world in a way that everything and everybody flourishes.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">Our conviction is that the only thing powerful enough to create that world of flourishing is love. And love begins in each and every heart.</h5><hr>One thing we’re doing is bringing together the voices that can help co-create that shared sacred story and then take it out into the world.The second thing is: Our conviction is that the only thing powerful enough to create that world of flourishing is love. And love begins in each and every heart. So we focus on how to inspire and support as many people as possible in committing to that inner journey of opening our hearts. In the simplest terms, we feel that if we go deep enough inside, we encounter that transcendent reality that’s much deeper than ourselves – the sacred reality of love. And that encounter is transformative.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirit3_c8307a6865.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:37:25.212Z" alt="">One of the wonderful things about this present moment is that our technology can help us provide support for the spiritual journey to everybody around the world, whatever tradition they’re in. We want to do our little bit for that.We also feel that something special happens when we come together, in person and with the natural world, so another of our initiatives is to support and strengthen the web of retreat centers around the world.The last thing I’ll say is that individual transformation has to connect in powerful ways to societal transformation, because when you look at the world through this lens of love and hope, and you ask “What needs to change?” pretty much everything needs to change. Whether it’s our educational systems, our economy or our health care systems, how can we help make that happen?We’re starting to put a tremendous amount of energy right now in trying to renew our ability to come together and engage in collective action. Certainly in the United States, and in too many countries around the world, our societies are pulling apart and our politics are breaking down into division. So we have a major initiative we’re calling “Healing the Heart of American Democracy.” We’re stepping into the public conversation and saying that the polarization and toxicity in our common life has reached such a point that it’s an existential threat to our free society and there’s no political solution. This is not going to be solved by one side or the other winning. This is a challenge that has to be addressed at the deeper heart level. We’ve become so good at de-humanizing and even demonizing the people we disagree with that we can’t come together and do anything. We can’t come together and address climate change; we can’t come together and address racism and inequality. So, the first challenge is to move from this place of de-humanization to re-humanization and that’s precisely about this inner work.We’ve had some interesting conversations here at the Spirit of Humanity Forum about the bad things that happen when we try to work for a better world from a place of anger. That’s something I’ve certainly experienced in more than three decades of working on non-profit advocacy causes in Washington – the destruction of the angry advocate, however worthy their goals.So we are inviting people to consider that the most important work for any of us who are inspired to help save the world is to commit to this inner work of transformation, because only when we can get ourselves to a place of sufficient wholeness, inner peace and love, do we have any chance of bridging these polarizing divides.To be continued<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Interview by JUDITH NELSON</h4><hr>

Spirit is the foundation for everything - part 1

Brené is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she hold the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair. She has spent the last 20 years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She's the author of six #1 NYT bestsellers, and the host of <a href="https://brenebrown.com/podcast-show/unlocking-us/">Unlocking Us</a> and <a href="https://brenebrown.com/podcast-show/dare-to-lead/">Dare to Lead</a>.

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Brené Brown 

Sharing the soul

Brian is a retired dentist. Divorced with two sons and two grandchildren. He has been practicing Heartfulness for 20 years. When he started, his lifelong asthma disappeared.

Brian Barnett.webp

Brian Barnett

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">BRIAN BARNETT shares his thoughts on the creative process and how it relates to spirituality.</h4>I have often wondered about the connection between spirituality and creativity. &nbsp;I have two old friends, both retired teachers, neither of whom are religious or have any interest in <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/war-over-a-fragrant-flower" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spirituality</a>. One loves music and is sent into reveries of bliss when listening to a live concert of Beethoven’s quartets. The other lies on his back in the jacuzzi and describes floating and drifting off into some state that is deeply calm and expansive. I have discussed meditation with them and how I have a subtle feeling of inner calm and expansiveness, as well as a feeling of being connected to the world. I use the analogy of calm waters, when one can see the bottom of the lake, which is obscured when the waters are choppy.I have wondered about creativity as a form of spiritual practice. Artists playing music often report that they experience an altered state of consciousness and the audience picks up on this. It might be a sarod player using the mournful tones to connect with the hearts of the audience, or a jazz improvisation that is “out of this world.” Sonny Rollins would practice on the Brooklyn Bridge for hours into the night perfecting his technique.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/creativity_spirituality2_b4706104e5.jpg" alt="creativity-spirituality2.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_creativity_spirituality2_b4706104e5.jpg 131w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_creativity_spirituality2_b4706104e5.jpg 419w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Meditation is partly a skill to get into a relaxed state and heart connection. This skill then becomes automatic and the state is acquired in just a few moments. Perhaps the skill becomes so perfect that it is no longer a conscious process. It begs the question of whether there is a similarity between meditation and the creative state of artists. There are so many sublime classical pieces that are transformational. Does the genius of the composer’s state of mind continue to be present when the piece is played years, or even centuries, later.These may be states of natural meditation, but without daily practice may not become states that progress from thinking to feeling and experience. It might be that the very act of composing and playing is the spiritual state for that artist.When traveling in Europe, I visited many art galleries and often stood transfixed before paintings and sculptures. Some of them had a powerful energy that I imagined was some part of the artist’s energy still present in the work. When comparing the feeling of observing a copy of the same work, while the visual beauty was present, the sensation was absent. I remember standing before one of Rembrandt’s self-portraits, looking into his eyes, and being transfixed by his gaze. I felt that he was baring his soul to the viewer. When looking at Van Gogh’s landscapes, I imagined that I could feel the sun beating down on his head as he applied the thick paint to capture the scene. Was this the energy experienced by the artist, during the process of creation, still present in the completed painting?While painting, I remember feeling lost in time, immersed in the picture. When listening to and playing music I have felt a deep connection and raised awareness. While my efforts were hardly great art, I felt a subtle taste of creativity and its connection to spirituality. The very act of creativity may be the attempt to reach the beginning of a spiritual experience. In the words of Robert Browning, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.”<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">While painting, I remember feeling lost in time,&nbsp; immersed in the picture.&nbsp; When listening to and playing music&nbsp; I have felt a deep connection and raised awareness.&nbsp; While my efforts were hardly great art,&nbsp; I felt a subtle taste of creativity and its connection to spirituality.&nbsp; The very act of creativity may be the attempt&nbsp; to reach the beginning of a spiritual experience.</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Creativity and spirituality

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Brian Chesky

Culture

Brian has studied the art and science of meditation for over 50 years and is a Heartfulness meditation trainer. He is one of the most viewed writers on Quora for the topics of spirituality, meditation, and enlightenment, and is a regular speaker at corporations and universities. Brian is an artist, musician, writer, photographer, and corporate interior designer. He is married with an adult daughter and four grandchildren, and is currently working on a book about his spiritual experiences and travels.



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Brian Jones

<hr><h4>BRIAN JONES explores unity in a world full of challenges and diversity. Through different analogies and his own personal experience with meditation, he finds effective ways to achieve unity through the silence of the heart.</h4><hr>It was a long flight from Los Angeles to Singapore. Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean I took another one of many walks from my seat to the back of the plane for a much-needed cup of coffee.&nbsp;Three women stood there, all from different countries, each one holding a small baby. A lovely and nonsensical conversation was going on; each mother amusing the other’s baby with an assortment of gaga and coo-cooing baby sounds. It was apparent that none of the mothers spoke the languages of the others, and yet three babies were having quite a fun time, innocently laughing, not caring what language or which mother was entertaining them!I was gleefully immersed in this special moment. I found the innocence, love and happiness that so effortlessly flowed a wonderful example of how we are all inextricably united. We come into this world with such purity, with a heart wide open, but quickly we begin to realize, “These are my hands, this is my foot, these are my toes.” Soon enough, I, me, and mine are here to stay.&nbsp;“Unity” has many levels of meaning. We are united by love as well as by hate, we are united by country, by race, by culture, and even by the football team we support. But in these cases, our experience of unity is limited, accompanied by a feeling of exclusiveness – my team is better than yours, my political party is better than yours, my religion is better than yours, etc.If we look back through time, there has hardly been a moment when there wasn’t a war, an uprising, or a tribal dispute. We may wonder: Is it possible that we live on a planet that is only united by divisiveness? Imagine, we’ve all come into this world with such purity, acceptance, and non-judgment. What happened?By nature’s design, we are soul, spirit, essence, or something that manifests in an infinitude of ways through this complex, wondrous and beautiful vehicle of a body. But isn’t that the dilemma? We perceive everyone as different and forget that our soul, our essence, our HEART is the same. Our outer perception hides the truth within.&nbsp;Though the world faces many challenges, occasionally we see glimpses of that “united heart.” We witness how hardship and tragedy bring us together. In difficult times we forget our differences, our hearts open and we extend a hand of help and friendship. Through hardship we are reminded that we all laugh the same and we cry the same, too. When we witness deep emotion in another person it stirs our hearts. We exclaim, “Oh! My heart really goes out to that person.” We feel them. What they are going through. We’ve been there ourselves. We resonate with them. In such moments, it’s the tenderness of the human heart, that feels our sameness.<hr>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h5 style="text-align:center;">By nature’s design, we are soul, spirit, essence, or something that manifests in an infinitude of ways through this complex, wondrous and beautiful vehicle of a body.&nbsp;</h5>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<hr>Having been a musician for most of my life, I’ve experienced another type of unity when playing music with others. There have been a few rare occasions when I entered a room of musicians, plugged in my guitar, and with barely an introduction began playing with four or five other musicians who themselves had never played together.&nbsp;Sometimes genuine magic happens – the playing spontaneously begins and for the next forty minutes the most authentic and extremely sophisticated music simply flows. Soft notes, intense rhythms, solos, mood changes, key changes, each musician having their chance to shine, spontaneously playing the music of their soul. It is like sitting on the very edge of creation as it emerges, pure, alive, with a wonderful adherence to unspoken principles.&nbsp;Then, as the music winds down and reaches its natural finale, everyone is left speechless, perhaps with an incredulous smile, feeling, “Wow, what just happened?” In moments like this we bypass the mind, and the silent feelings of the heart flow out through our fingertips, genuine, unprocessed.We are like the spokes of a bicycle wheel, each of us connected at the hub or center of the wheel. The spoke is the timeline of our existence, all of us coming from the same “center.” The farther we “spokes” have moved away from that center, the farther apart we’ve become from each other. Our sense of separateness has increased more and more.This is apparent in daily life; we continually face diversity juggling work, family and friends. We engage in many relationships, we agree, we disagree, we try to please each other and ourselves, too. We spokes interact, we’re separate units, but we tend to forget we are all still connected at the center. We just don’t remember how to connect there.Of course, we do create times of unity in our lives, sharing a movie or a hobby, taking a vacation and sharing a vocation. Sharing the same goal brings unity. How many times, when we are collaborating on a team project, do we hear the phrase, “We need to be on the same page”? It’s a reminder that when we understand our objective, our goal, we will connect with our shared goal and work efficiently to achieve it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/unity_world_diversity2_e4b4b504a0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T09:24:53.532Z" alt="unity-world-diversity2"> &nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h5 style="text-align:center;">Soft notes, intense rhythms, solos, mood changes, key changes, each musician having their chance to shine, spontaneously playing the music of their soul. It is like sitting on the very edge of creation as it emerges, pure, alive, with a wonderful adherence to unspoken principles.</h5>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<hr>All of this is our external work. What about our internal work? Realizing unity within my own self, in a very tangible way, requires personal inner work. In this process we soon realize our inner goal is not merely about being on the same page, as that would be a very short story indeed!Each of us is a chapter in the same book creating our unique storyline, sometimes lighthearted and other times sad or tragic, but all the while being bound by the same cover, a beautiful story in the book of “Life.”&nbsp;We are many threads of many colors, woven through the fabric of time and space to complete the cosmic quilt, each essential to the whole.&nbsp;Nature likely has a larger purpose in creating intelligent, thinking beings, and perhaps a hidden lesson as well, for each of us to learn to see the center and not the spokes.&nbsp;So how do we connect to our Center?I believe there is indeed a solution, a way to unite us, to overcome our differences and return to center, a way to point our world in a new direction. “We cannot solve our problems by the same thinking that created them,” is a famous saying often attributed to Albert Einstein. If this is indeed the case, can we achieve unity by changing our thinking? Hardly an easy task. Is there another, more effective way to reach unity?&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/unity_world_diversity3_e01ff8d3f1.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T09:26:09.816Z" alt="unity-world-diversity2"> &nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;When I was twelve years of age, I was introduced to something that would forever shape my life: meditation. I learned that it is possible to find relief from our incessant thinking and to experience daily deep states, where the mind returns to a simple state of purity. We can call this our original or pure mind. Let’s simply call it our center.&nbsp;When I first experienced a deep meditation, it felt like I was at home in myself for the very first time. Soon my meditation time became the best time, the essential time of my day. It began to permeate, sort of exuding into everything I did. In the depth of meditation, there was an emptiness and yet that emptiness was full of potential! It was fresh, unconditioned.&nbsp;After a bit of practice, I found it natural and easy to see our sameness more than our differences. It made me pause and take a moment to feel what is behind our actions. In the meditative state, the heart speaks, so there is no room for personal opinion or motive.&nbsp;I have spent a few decades now meditating with others, both individually and in a group setting. I have witnessed and felt, again and again, how we “spokes” merge into this beautiful Oneness, the unity experienced by all.&nbsp;I’ve always loved the Indian tradition of Namaste: I bow to the divine in you. It is a needed reminder to acknowledge that essence, that sameness that makes us one family. In meditation I experience that state of innocence and purity with which we enter this world, and sometimes I feel a sense of wonder – of simply existing!&nbsp;Perhaps our quest for unity may only come when we connect without words, in the quiet of the heart. We let go, rise above, and share the unity of silence.&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by BRIAN JONES Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

Unity in a world of diversity

<h4>BRIAN JONES is a corporate interior design artist and writer, who has been meditating for 50 years. He is also a Heartfulness trainer. Brian has been a regular contributor to the online question/answer sessions on Quora for several years, sharing his stories, lessons, and experiences. <a href="https://www.brianjonesconnect.com/">https://www.brianjonesconnect.com/</a></h4><hr>Why are we human beings so hard on ourselves?We are good-hearted, loving beings by nature, and even the smallest emotions, judgments, and criticism send our hearts into ripples and sometimes shockwaves.The heart is the field of our feelings. The mind, on the other hand, is very tricky. It always interprets our feelings through our past experiences, our filters of right and wrong, our opinions and prejudices.The mind is a great storyteller. It doesn’t care if it’s telling the truth or lying to us about how we are feeling; it just creates a story from what it already knows.On returning homeward to being compassionate and kind to our hearts, we must acknowledge that “my thoughts and stories are just not going to have power over me anymore.” This takes a little practice and persistence.You can try this practice at night:Sit on the side of your bed or on your bed.&nbsp; Think of all the people who have been important to you in your life.&nbsp; Feel a sense of love and gratitude for them percolate up inside.&nbsp; Then feel you are sending them your love and gratitude.Do this at bedtime for a few days. Then include other people too, perhaps someone you have not forgiven.Now, remember to include yourself in this process. Send yourself love and gratitude.This is a powerful technique. The secret is that it is the same feeling whether you feel you love others or are loved by them. So, it is for you to send your love. The more you practice, the more you will become loving, and you will feel your inner walls melting away.So, I don’t like to think that there are barriers in the way of self-compassion. There are only the stories you tell yourself.Create a new story. One that is your aspiration. One filled with love and compassion.Believe it.<hr><hr>This article first appeared at www.quora.com, September 6, 2022.<hr><hr><h4>Illustration by JASMEE MUDGAL</h4><hr>

Are there barriers to starting a self-compassion journey?

Brigitte has illustrated 120 books, along with children’s films, posters, catalogues, and logos. She has worked in Switzerland, Italy, Canada, USA, India, and her native Germany. She was married until her husband passed away, and they have three daughters. She mether spiritual Master in India in 1977.



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Brigitte Smith

Did you know that on special days there are people from the rainbow visiting our planet earth? This is a very great
 secret and not many of us know about it. It also needs a very special light in the atmosphere to see them.
It so happened that a wise old man was once visited by these rainbow people and he told me about it. They were small
 children of many different skin colors, and each one was dressed in a garment of one color of the rainbow, very
 beautiful.
When they arrived on earth, they were so happy to find the colors of the rainbow here too.
There was purple, like the shade color under big trees and the purple in the deep velvety eyes of the gentle cows.

There was red, like the fire shooting out of the volcanoes and also the fine blood in the veins of our body,
 nourishing the heart.
There was blue, like the color in the dancing rivers, and blue in the sky far over the mountains.
There was green, the lovely green in all our plants and leaves, helping to grow the fruits and harvest.
There was orange, like the color of the earth in warm countries and the color of so many juicy fruits to eat.
And there was yellow, the holy yellow of the sunshine and also of wheat and corn.
&nbsp;
<img decoding="async" alt="the-rainbow-children" class="w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_rainbow_children1_img_a44ce88d16.jpg">
&nbsp;
The children went here and there and wanted to know all things about this planet. They saw the plants, the trees, the
 animals and all the beauty here on earth.
All the while they heard the fine silvery sound of a flute, but they did not know from where it came …


<h4>Read the complete article in Volume 2, Issue 1 
 </h4>
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<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Story&nbsp;and illustrations by&nbsp;BRIGITTE SMITH</h4>
<hr>

The rainbow children

The beings seen in my pictures are symbols of Higher Spirits helping human beings to evolve and to become more
 conscious. They first appeared in my meditations. The caps on their heads are open on top in order for them to
 receive guidance. So far, I am unable to simply ‘do’ a picture; I have to wait until it comes. This is a totally
 different process to my usual professional way of working. After some anxiety, I had to accept that I am simply
 a servant and can only apply my will within the service. That state developed into a very grateful happiness.
 
 <img decoding="async" 
 class="w-100 lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/human_evolution_img_1_440d8a5389.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:22:37.629Z">
 
 <h4>Prayer for the balance of the planet</h4>
 Since the spiral is a symbol of human evolution, these Spirit helpers are trying to balance the situation on the
 planet using prayer.
 <h4>In search of human consciousness</h4>
 In 1900 Greek sponge divers found an antique shipwreck. Within it was something known as the Antikythera
 Mechanism, the first known analogue computer. Scientists could only X-ray it one hundred years later to discover
 the inner mechanism, and it is thought to possibly come from the school of Archimedes in Corinth or the famous
 ancient library of Pergamum. This inspired me to show this eternal urge in human beings to search and to strive.
 The released cranes are the freed thoughts. 
 <img decoding="async"
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/human_evolution_img_2_3d208f627d.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:23:24.250Z">
 
 <h4>Initiation</h4>
 Here the Spirit helper is giving an olive branch to a soul being initiated into learning. The Spirit helpers are
 mostly clad in forms of nature. 
 <img decoding="async"
 class="w-100 lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/human_evolution_img_76c78e0188.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:16:22.601Z">
 
 <h4>Emergence</h4>
 Here a human being, not yet conscious, is being born out of plant-existence into the beginnings of
 consciousness. 
 <img decoding="async" 
 class="w-100 lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/human_evolution_img_3_b338b07295.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:26:07.430Z">
 
 <hr>
 <h5 style="text-align: center;">Art essay by BRIGITTE SMITH</h5>
 <hr>

Human Evolution

<h4 class="text-justify">In Part 1, the rainbow children came to earth and met many interesting animals and people. They were searching for the special seed of contentment. In Part 2 they continue their journey ...</h4>
&nbsp;
There in the deep shade of the big trees they could only see the glow of the eyes of all the animals living there, and many, many whispers, chirpings and other noises.
While walking they met many of these jungle folk. It was amazing to see such a variety of creatures here on earth. They observed the fugitive, graceful deer, the ever-chatting monkeys. They saw the little jungle fowl, the colorful parakeets, the powerful buffalo and even a glimpse of the mighty tiger.
They were talking among themselves, asking each other if these creatures would know about the seed of contentment. This place was so full of life but it seemed to be a separate universe of its own. These animals all had their own law of existence and survival. They were naturally content, when they were not hungry and absolutely discontent when hungry.
The seed of contentment and the secret heartflower seemed to only be for people, because people could decide, if they wanted, to be good or not good.
They decided, therefore, that people needed this special gift of the seed of contentment, to remind them that indeed they could decide. Therefore the special heartflower would become a gift for them, so that they would persevere and not give up on being good.
It was a very secretive world, such a jungle. The children walked and walked until they came to a beautiful meadow. There was such peace and tranquility, that they began to feel different. ...
&nbsp;
<h4>Read the complete article in Volume 2, Issue 2
</h4>
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<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Story &amp; illustrations by BRIGITTE SMITH</h4>

<hr>

The rainbow children - part 2

<hr><h3 style="text-align:center;">AN ART ESSAY</h3><hr><h4>BRIGITTE SMITH was a refugee as a child, so the questions of why and whereto came with a certain urgency. She was educated at art school in Germany and has taught there as a freelance artist all her life. Here she explores various aspects of consciousness and evolution.</h4><hr>The beings seen in my pictures are symbols of Higher Spirits helping human beings to evolve and to become more conscious. They first appeared in my meditations. The caps on their heads are open on top in order for them to receive guidance. So far, I am unable to simply “do” a picture; I have to wait until it comes. This is a totally different process to my usual professional way of working. After some anxiety, I had to accept that I am simply a servant and can only apply my will within the service. That state developed into a very grateful happiness.&nbsp;<hr><hr><img src="https://hfn-strapi-bucket.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/human_evolution_img_9206cefe21.jpg" alt="human-evolution-artessay-prayer"><hr><h3 style="text-align:center;">Prayer&nbsp; for the balance of the planet</h3><hr>Since the spiral is a symbol of human evolution, these Spirit helpers are trying to balance the situation on the planet using prayer.&nbsp;<hr><hr><img src="https://hfn-strapi-bucket.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/human_evolution_artessay_human_consciousness_46fd4e9b15.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:13:49.596Z" alt="human-evolution-artessay-human-consciousness"><hr><h3 style="text-align:center;">In search of&nbsp; human consciousness</h3><hr>In 1900, Greek sponge divers found an antique shipwreck. Within it was something known as the Antikythera Mechanism, the first known analogue computer. Scientists could only X-ray it one hundred years later to discover the inner mechanism, and it is thought to possibly come from the school of Archimedes in Corinth or the famous ancient library of Pergamum. This inspired me to show this eternal urge in human beings to search and to strive. The released cranes are the freed thoughts.&nbsp;<hr><hr><img src="https://hfn-strapi-bucket.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/human_evolution_artessay_initiation_343bbad21c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:13:49.544Z" alt="human-evolution-artessay-initiation"><hr><h3 style="text-align:center;">Initiation</h3><hr>Here the Spirit helper is giving an olive branch to a soul being initiated into learning. The Spirit helpers are mostly clad in forms of nature.&nbsp;<hr><hr><img src="https://hfn-strapi-bucket.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/human_evolution_artessay_emergence_6f48e466b6.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:13:49.563Z" alt="human-evolution-artessay-emergence"><hr><h3 style="text-align:center;">Emergence</h3><hr>Here a human being, not yet conscious, is being born out of plant-existence into the beginnings of consciousness.<hr>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Art and text by BRIGITTE SMITH</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

Human evolution

<h4>
 BRIGITTE SMITH
 speaks about the social responsibility of artists, and creativity’s
 role in inspiring new thought processes.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 700px !important">
 <img width="700" alt="ascending-flowe" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ascending_flower_700x700_09006db72a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:25:32.908Z" />
 <figcaption>Ascending Flower</figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 In the urgency of our time, we are forced to be aware of the need of
 renewal of the spirit within, and the hopeful healing of the planet we
 live on and have so very much neglected.



 As artists, we have the inner urge to become aware of the spirit of the
 time we live in. We are moved to use our work to develop greater
 awareness and a sense of responsibility in the viewer.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 700px !important">
 <img width="700" alt="mother-earth" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/mother_earth_700x700_594a52c4b4.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:26:09.442Z" />
 <figcaption>Mother Earth</figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 It has always been the duty of art to inspire new thought processes.



 The more we all connect to our inner Self, to our higher Self, the more
 we are guided to do the work we are here for. Every soul has a purpose
 in its incarnation. Since we have been given this urge to put forth into
 form and thought and action, we can connect with our spirit to find out
 what it might be.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 700px !important"></figure>
 <img width="700" alt="only-together-can-we-save-the-planet" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/only_together_can_we_save_the_planet_700x743_ea9d0f8f4d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:26:54.008Z" />
 <figcaption>Only Together Can We Save the Planet</figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 700px !important">
 <img width="700" alt="cosmic-impulse" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/cosmic_impulse_700x700_afd516d861.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:27:40.048Z" />
 <figcaption>Cosmic Impulse</figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 If we find our true purpose, it creates a great feeling of joy and
 gratitude and responsibility to be true. I think the ability to create
 is in all of us, once we uncover our purpose.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 700px !important">
 <img width="700" alt="the-merciful" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_merciful_700x683_9d2043004f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:28:52.354Z" />
 <figcaption>The Merciful</figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 An artist transforms thought into form, may it be dance, music,
 painting, or sculpture. The artist’s responsibility is to be truthful to
 their calling, and try to clean their channel, for the product to emerge
 clean and connected to their inner truth.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 700px !important">
 <img width="700" alt="cleaning-of-heart-mind-action" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/cleaning_of_heart_mind_action_700x700_cc6554689e.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:29:36.849Z" />
 <figcaption>Cleaning of Heart, Mind and Action</figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 I am now in my eighties, and my learning on the path has been many
 years. I can witness this process within myself and in my pictures. In
 great joy I have noticed that I have become more and more a channel for
 my soul to speak and put that into form.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 An artist transforms thought into form, may it be dance,
 music,
 painting, or sculpture. The artist’s responsibility is to be
 truthful to their calling, and try to clean their channel, for
 the product to emerge clean and connected to their inner
 truth.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 700px !important">
 <img width="700" alt="guardians-of-nature" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/guardians_of_nature_700x700_370137aa92.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T05:30:18.592Z" />
 <figcaption>Guardians of Nature</figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Art by BRIGITTE SMITH</h4>

<hr />

The urgency of our time

<h4>Under the Trees&nbsp; Saratoga Springs, New York, 2024 FIONA NEARY</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><h4>Finding Joy Saratoga Springs, New York, 2024 FIONA NEARY</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>May Their Innocence and Joy Continue to Flower South Africa, 2015 HETTY ZANTMAN</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>Tree RAMYA SRIRAM</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>In Tune with Nature 2007 BRIGITTE SMITH</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><hr><h4>Expressions of Love 2023 SANTANU CHATTERJEE</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;

Expressions of peace from around the world

Brittany is the Director of Communications at Global Health Corps, an international non-profit working with rising leaders in the U.S. and Africa. Fluent in Swahili and an avid reader, writer, and hiker, Brittany currently lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband and their young son. 



Brittany-Cesarini.jpg

Brittany Cesarini

<h4>BRITTANY CESARINI is the Director of Communications at Global Health Corps. Brittany holds a degree in Public Policy with a focus on Gender Studies and African Studies from Princeton University. Here, she shares an anecdote on not letting your work push you to burnout, cultivating humility, and making life more about others.</h4><hr>There’s so much good advice out there on how to prevent and manage burnout. But the foundation of real change is a change in mindset and narrative. So I encourage young professionals to start with what’s most within your control: your beautiful, powerful, flexible mind.&nbsp;“it helps to say that i’m on the edge of burnout. in the past i flew right by all the telltale signs and right into the flames, almost welcoming the rest that came when I relinquished all ability to live in my life.” –adrienne maree brown&nbsp;When I was starting out after college, I was a prisoner to grind culture, often tempted to run right into the flames of burnout. It felt intoxicating. Look at me! My defining characteristic is my work ethic. I will let it define me at all costs – anguished mind, achy body, unwatered hobbies and relationships be damned.At the heart of this self-destructive tendency was fear. Without the unshakeable work ethic I’ve been cultivating since childhood, what do I have to stand on? I’m not that funny. I’m not that smart. I’m not that interesting.Besides, the world was always on fire. Shouldn’t I be right there in the flames or risk complacency? Every headline was a taunt, reminding me I wasn’t doing enough. Every Tweet was an invite to do more, do better, and do it yesterday. Every protest was a demand to quit my current job and work on what I “should” be passionate about – gun violence, the criminal injustice system, the war in Iraq, gender-based violence, homelessness, climate change, etc.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Avoiding_burnout2_d8ba9ad49a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T05:04:56.419Z" alt="Avoiding-burnout2"><hr><h4>Cultivating self-love &amp; humility</h4>Thankfully, through conversations, reflection, reading, therapy, and life experiences, my internal narratives have shifted over the past decade. I’m a little older now, a little softer, and a little wiser. Definitely more tired, but also more anchored and hopeful, even as heartbreaking fires rage around us.Most importantly, I love myself more. Paradoxically, I think of myself less.At a cellular level, I know that the entire future of our community, our society, our planet does not rest on my shoulders. I extend grace (okay, and some gentle ribbing) to the version of myself that once acted like it did.“humility can let our shoulders drop, can make us more adaptive and flexible…and more accepting of the truth that the outcome is not only a mystery, but so so so much bigger than our work…[we can] relax in our smallness, our insignificance.” –adrienne maree brown&nbsp;I now say no to commitments that mean I won’t get enough sleep, fresh air, exercise, and quality time with loved ones. I am practicing relaxing (with varied success from week to week), scheduling it as non-negotiable, and not feeling shameful about needing it.&nbsp;<h4>Community</h4>Once I learned to love myself more, and got a grip on genuine humility, the next step of the journey was to practice being in and about community.“the more i prioritize caring for myself, caring for my community, and accepting care from my community, the better and brighter spark in the movement flame i can be.” –adrienne maree brown&nbsp;As a human, a white person, an American with educational privilege married to a Black man, mothering a biracial son, I have a responsibility to be awake and engaged. To keep learning and trying. To contribute to a radically different future where everyone lives with care and dignity and abundance.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Avoiding_burnout3_913286553b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T05:05:30.508Z" alt="Avoiding-burnout3"><hr>It’s not about me; it is about us who envision that future. I show up to my life and my work to make the us bigger and stronger, to make that future more likely. And if I want to contribute to that ambitious long-term project, I have to take care of myself and others along the way.&nbsp;Paradoxically, this allows me to contribute more, because my definition of contribution is not limited to leadership roles or driving a project forward at work. I donate (money or time, even in small amounts), I participate in mutual aid efforts, I support friends and be supported, I amplify others, I lend my skills and expertise in behind-the-scenes ways without needing credit, a title, or purview on the return on my investment.Ultimately, I can grieve what’s heartbreaking and choose to rest and release the illusion of control, because I know there are many others out there contributing.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4>Rejecting binaries &amp; seeking connections</h4>“everything is small. everything is changing me…everything is an invitation to practice being free and interacting with other free beings.” –adrienne maree brown&nbsp;Looking for and threading connections has helped me step back from the edge of burnout many times. On the whole, the binaries between work and life, between productive and non-productive ways to spend our time, are not real. The sooner we live accordingly, the healthier we’ll be.I work hard at my day job, but these days I also put time, energy, and thoughtfulness into having fun, spending time with my people, and resting. When I consider every realm of life as a canvas to live out my values and create a better future, I keep burnout at bay.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Avoiding_burnout4_0dafc757d8.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T05:06:03.265Z" alt="Avoiding-burnout4"><hr>Raising my three-year-old son to name his feelings, choose his clothes, and consider other opinions has a lot to do with creating a more equitable future. Setting aside my endless to-do list to call a friend, share encouragement, or watch a funny video is a radical choice in the face of exploitative capitalism. Daily exercise and good sleep are a necessary balm and fuel for me to show up as a colleague, friend, mother, wife, sister, daughter, and neighbor. It’s all connected.<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

Avoiding burnout: an ode to adrienne maree brown

Bronwyn Caley

<h3 style="text-align:center;">AN ART ESSAY</h3><hr><h4>Artist BRONWYN CALEY speaks with ROSALIND PEARMAIN about her art and her philosophy of life, and shares some of her paintings.</h4><hr>Q: What is the inspiration for your art?BC:&nbsp;A drawing I made as a young child of seven years old amazed me, as it felt like a kind of magic! I had drawn a full-length portrait of a friend, small, and in pencil. It had captured something of her essence. I remember it to this day.Fairy stories, with beautiful illustrations, were a childhood favorite. Later, art was at the center of my education and at the center of my life. I loved so many things from the art world: other artists’ work, other students’ work, exhibitions, museums, architectural magazines, churches, stained-glass windows, crafts. I was all the time studying, creating and making.Progressing to art college led me into new directions, from drawing, painting and sculpture to costume design, dance, performance and then to making tapestries. My tutors were inspiring and helpful, with opportunities to learn new skills.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_dimensions_img_c8a6b04e1c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T09:42:40.887Z" alt="inner-dimensions">Q: How has your work evolved over time?BC:&nbsp;It has constantly changed. The need to balance making a living and having a space to work has been a major challenge throughout my life. Consequently I worked as a part-time teacher, leaving time for creativity. Support came from various sources such as Northern Arts grants, exhibitions, publications and creative friends – writers, poets, artists, publishers and craftspeople. Some recognition from major galleries gave me confidence in the works I had produced.During my time living in Durham, I had what I can only call a mystical experience of being in Divine Light: it felt timeless, with a sense of “a peace that passeth all understanding.” That became a major source of inspiration over many years.The move to London helped me to evolve further, with exposure to wonderful exhibitions, galleries, cultural events, concerts and so much more. During that time I found Heartfulness, or rather it found me! It gave me a more profound understanding of spirituality, and this discovery showed new aspects of consciousness, an awareness of the spiritual heart. Here was a philosophy focused on ancient wisdom and knowledge, which consequently led to new and different works inspired by meditation on the heart. Subsequent titles such as “Akasha,” “Swimming in Infinity,” and “The Magical Function of Zero,” reflect these experiences of inner dimensions previously unknown to me. An inner geography was being revealed. At present, I am working with watercolors on a series called “Inscapes.”<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Inner_dimensions2_2b45d10aa1.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:35:43.899Z" alt="inner-dimensions">AKASHAQ: How does Heartfulness Meditation influence you?The gift of Transmission gave me the idea to create these wonderful, divine, magical qualities into paintings, but how difficult it is to realize them! And so I continued, trying to communicate with that which is invisible to the physical eye but experienced through spiritual sight. Qualities such as softness, subtlety, fineness, other-worldly beauty, for example, were translated into line, shape, form, color. How to share this through art, through personal limitations? The challenge continues.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Inner_dimensions3_e201020fda.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:36:46.616Z" alt="inner-dimensions">INSCAPESQ: How does Nature influence you?BC:&nbsp;Nature has always been a source of wonder and awe. It displays infinity of forms, geometries, colors, textures, through incredible diversity – rocks, crystals, flowers, plants, water, animal life and much, much more. Learning to look when drawing, for example, at the smallest details of a feather or shell, is evidence of Nature as Divine. I was fascinated by Ram Chandra’s use of the capital N in Nature, as we use the lower case in English. This seemingly insignificant detail was like a revelation. Of course Nature is sacred, and we partake in that. We have access to incredible resources both external and internal.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">The gift of Transmission&nbsp; gave me the idea to create&nbsp; these wonderful, divine,&nbsp; magical qualities into painting.</h5><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Inner_dimensions5_1ea7e9609c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:37:38.789Z" alt="inner dimensions">Q: What have you learned through immersion in your art?BC:&nbsp;Art is like a doorway, an entrance to yourself and other. We gain knowledge and skills that follow with practice, time and experience. Abilities are acquired but always with love, with education in the broadest sense. The journey is full of infinite possibilities, infinite potential. I am still learning. We can be co-creators, makers. We can be inspired. Meditation is also an invitation to enter, to step on to a path leading into a divine adventure. A journey within. The goal is union with the Divine.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Interview by ROSALIND PEARMAIN Art by BRONWYN CAYLEY</h4><hr>

Inner dimensions

Bruce was a Hong Kong-American martial arts expert and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial art philosophy that has been credited with paving the way for mixed martial arts. Lee is thought to be the most influential martial artist of all time. He was a cultural icon of the 20th century, who bridged the gap between East and West. He promoted Hong Kong action cinema and helped change the way Asians were represented in the film industry.



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