I can’t remember all the words but I remember hearing a ditty once that began, “My father in his house of logs said the world is going to the dogs”. Today is Father’s Day, and while I am a professional and practical optimist (no point in being a pessimist), I am embarrassed to say that I am starting to think like this jingle. The point to the verse is, of course, that as we get older we can easily become trapped in a kind of negativity—comparing current events with the ‘good
Monthly Archives: June 2008
Before You Go
Dear Dad,
I wanted to share this song, “Before You Go”, with you today. It says what I have never been able to communicate fully…THANK YOU for my life and all that I cherish, value and hold dear. As you and many of your generation know all too well, many of my generation and those younger than us don’t necessarily understand or agree with your views. But I wanted you to know we all acknowledge and appreciate the gifts you have given us.
The world today is not the same as it was in
Werner Erhard
I saw a documentary film last night entitled, “Transformation: The Life and Legacy of Werner Erhard”. I had heard a lot about it from many friends who shared some of the ‘heady’ experience of working with him in the 70s and 80s. The film was a very well done tribute to his work and to the man I knew.
I had expected that the film’s purpose was to restore his reputation after his departure from the USA following a controversial ‘character assassination’ piece on CBS’s 60 Minutes.
The World We Want: Why Now?
By David Korten | Great Turning website
Read more posts in The World We Want series.
Change begins with a new story that celebrates the best, rather than the worst, of what we are and can be. It’s pretty straightforward. If we convince ourselves that we are innately brutal, greedy beings and that this is all for the good, then we set ourselves a goal of perfecting our capacity for greed and violence, thus perpetuating the world of our nightmares.
It is time to start filling our heads instead with
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
June 15th marks the 3rd Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, an event heralded by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. This NGO is affiliated with the UN and committed to increasing public awareness, education, and training of professionals in the identification and treatment of abuse, advocacy on behalf of abused and neglected elders, and stimulating research into this preventable
social and human rights issue.
Hillary
I don’t know if you saw Hillary Clinton’s concession speech, but it was extraordinary. While the skeptics might say she was stumping for the vice presidency or simply doing the expected, the fact is that she is a pro and spoke with dignity and, in my judgment, was sincere and even more magnanimous that the occasion required. She recounted the Democratic values and the distinction between liberal and conservative politics today. More than I recall at any time during her campaign, she spoke
Slowing Down
My neighbor and good friend is moving to an apartment without stairs in another city where there’s a better environment for retirees and a more laid-back lifestyle. She tells me that she is ‘slowing down’. I am sure she is making the right decision for her—stairs have become difficult following hip surgery last year. And I am sure she knows that our choice of wording reveals
some of the bias hidden in our cultural predisposition to the
future.
To be sure, we hear a lot of people declaring
On Surpressing Energy
By Charles E. Smith | Bio
Over
the years, I have seen and recognized the enormous effect of the CEO’s
personality and ‘way of being’ on the energy of a company. All
personalities have limitations and drawbacks. But when somebody has the
top position in a system, the effect of what they focus on and what
they suppress is immense. Whatever a CEO’s automatic way of relating to
the world, whatever their way of dealing with relationships, or with
conflict,
Clinton and Obama
Well, it looks like Hillary is bowing out—actually more like accepting the fact that she can’t win. Polls in that league are realists above all else. I assume we’ll get the inside dope on whatever backroom deals were made in the weeks ahead. Now the healing and reunification of the Democratic Party must begin.
However, before we relegate Hillary to the political graveyard, I want us to stop and reflect on what an incredible process this has been and acknowledge her for her strength and courage.
The World We Want: The Bad Story in Our Heads
By David Korten | Great Turning website
Read more posts in The World We Want series.
So what’s our problem? Why are we in such a mess? Why didn’t we long ago just get together to create the world we really want? What are the real barriers to creating the world in which we measure our progress against a national happiness index rather than by an index of how fast we are turning stuff into garbage?
Corrupt politicians and greedy corporate executives come to mind. These folks certainly demonstrate