The death of someone close to us can trigger questions such as: What is death? Why do people die? Why did this happen to me? Allen Klein has experienced such a loss and the deeply personal inquiry triggered by his grieving process lead him to see anew the preciousness of life and the therapeutic power of humor. Allen Klein is the former Director of Life and Death Transitions in San Francisco. He's a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. He's the author of many books including The Healing Power of Humor (Tarcher/Putnam 1989), The Courage to Laugh, Change Your Life: A Little Book of Big Ideas (Tarcher 1998), Learning to Laugh When You Feel Like Crying: Embracing Life After Loss (Goodman Beck Publishing 2011) Interview Date: 12/17/2011     Tags: Allen Klein, forgiveness, grief, grieving, hospice, humor, isolation, laughter, letting go, loss, smile, smiling, Death & Dying, Health & Healing, Personal Transformation, Self Help

Terry teaches the practice of relational mindfulness. He advises us to shift our view of relationship from a zero-sum situation where one person wins and the other loses, one is right and the other is wrong, he gives us examples of how to conduct skillful and effective communication in order to get off the treadmill of repetitive fights with our partners. Terry Real is a family therapist and author. He’s the founder of the Relational Life Institute, which offers Relational Life Therapy (RLT) courses online and in-person workshops for couples, individuals, parents, and professionals. He is the author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression (Scribner 1998), How Can I Get Through to You? Closing the Gap Between Men and Women (Simon & Schuster 2002), The New Rules of Marriage: What You Need to Know to Make Love Work (Ballantine Books 2008), Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship (Rodale Books 2022) Interview Date: 2/14/2024    Tags: Terry Real, hyper-individualism, toxic individualism, relational mindfulness, Relational Life Therapy, RLT, disharmony, repair, James Framo, marriage, patriarchy, non-binary, false binary, Thomas Hubl, wounded child, brain, interconnectedness, Relationship, Personal Transformation, Psychology

Orloff suggests that empathy is a bedrock of healing in difficult situations and needs to be a daily priority to become a habit. Beyond transforming difficult Interactions studies have shown that an act of empathy can have a positive effect on our immune response. Empathy is imperative for our happiness, our intimacy, and our connection with others and the earth. Judith Orloff, M.D. is a member of the UCLA Psychiatric Clinical Staff and specializes in treating empaths and sensitive people in her private practice. She offers Empathy Training Programs to businesses and organizations and teaches empathic tools to doctors, corporate teams, leaders, managers, customer service and trainers, as well as individuals. She’s been called the “godmother of the empath movement” and has written several books about intuition, life strategies for sensitive people, and empathy. Interview Date: 2/19/2024  Tags: Judith Orloff, narcissist, compassion, suffering, heart meditation, caregiving, caregivers, caretaking, Kristi Nelson, gratefulness, Personal Transformation, Psychology

In these times of intense political polarization, civic despair is rampant. How does this affect our democracy and how can we counteract this apathy? Daley-Harris has been working tirelessly to provide trainings for ordinary citizens to empower effective political action and to help citizens be most effective in reshaping the issues they most care about. Sam Daley-Harris is the author of Reclaiming Our Democracy: Healing the Break Between People and Government, the 20th Anniversary Edition.Tags: Sam Daley-Harris, grassroots activism, Francis Moore Lappe, Lawrence Lessig, Citizen’s Untied, democracy, R. Buckminster Fuller, campaign financing, Citizen’s Climate Lobby, AUMF, Pat Swindall, MicroCredit legislation, Micro Credit, Grameen Bank, Social change/Politics, Media, Self Help

Here we explore what the Internal Family Systems [IFS] model encompasses and how healing our own inner world can create ripples of compassion that extend from ourselves to our communities. Schwartz encourages people to listen to these parts with spaciousness and personal curiosity so as to ultimately live a more balanced life. Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D. is the creator of the therapeutic model known as Internal Family Systems [IFS] and founder of the IFS Institute which offers training for professionals and the general public. Formerly an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago and later at Northwestern University, he is currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He is the author of many books including No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma, and Restoring Wholeness with The Internal Family Systems Model (Sounds True 2021)Interview Date: 1/26/2024   Tags: Richard C. Schwartz, Hakomi, inner critic, attachment theory, shame, Personal Transformation, Psychology

Here Williams shares that the size of the action isn’t the point. What matters is taking regular action. Small actions have a cumulative effect that is disproportionate to the individual effort they require. Together these millions of incremental steps lead to a tipping point. Indeed, over and over history has shown this to be true. Omkari L. Williams has devoted her life to change-making. She leads activism workshops and trainings and is the host of the podcast Stepping into Truth, where she interviews activists from all walks of life. She is the author of Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World (without a Bullhorn): Small Actions Equal Big Results. (Storey publishing 2023)Interview Date: 12/15/2023   Tags: Omkari L Williams, collaboration, March on Washington, William McDonough, Personal Transformation, Social Change/Politics, Community

What is of utmost importance to Fuller are the questions we bring to our life process. He says, “Once you’ve formed a question, it almost guarantees you will find the answer.” In this far-ranging conversation, he shares some provocative thoughts on the coming inevitability of robots becoming a more dominant species than homo sapiens and why we must befriend them. Robert Fuller is the author of The Theory of Everybody.Tags: Robert Fuller, questions, Isidor Isaac Rabi, cloud of possibility, polarization, mal-recognition, recognition, the dignity movement, rankism, socialism, communism, capitalism, competition, collaboration, interconnectedness, robots, AI, artificial intelligence, quantum physics, entanglement, spooky action at a distance, mind, Elon Musk, Social change/Politics, Personal Transformation, Philosophy, Education

Skillful leadership is needed in all aspects of our everyday lives even if we’re not employed full-time. These skills can be applied in our households and the many other groups in which we participate. We all need to be lifelong learners in developing strong and effective leadership and problem-solving skills as we continue to engage with others. Marguerite Callaway is the founder and CEO of the Callaway Leadership Institute, an international leadership development and strategy company whose mission is to help current and aspiring leaders reach their full potential.  She is the author of The Energetics of Business: A Practical Guide for Bringing Your Business to Life (Lincoln Park Productions 2006)Interview Date: 12/20/2023.   Tags: Marguerite Callaway, leadership, authenticity, extraversion, introversion, extrovert, introvert, delegation, delegate, fixed mindset, growth mindset, Rick Hanson, neuroplasticity, mirror neurons, empathy, emotional intelligence, sympathy, constructive conflict, quick fixes, deep listening. Personal Transformation, Psychology, Business

Leider and Shapiro suggest there is a difference between growing old and merely getting old. They write: “We’re not denying time advances, but we are advocating to reimagine old age and the earlier we begin, the better.” Join Leider and Shapiro as they guide us in aging into the fullness of life.  Richard J. Leider is the founder of Inventure -The Purpose Company, whose mission is to help people “unlock the power of purpose.” He is the author of many books including: The Power of Purpose: Find Meaning, Live Longer, Better (Berrett-Koehler Publishing 2016). David A Shapiro is a philosopher, educator, and tenured philosophy professor at Cascadia College in Seattle.  Leider and Shapiro are the co-authors of many books considered classics in the personal growth field. They include: Repacking Your Bags and The Power of Purpose (Mjf Books 1996) and Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? The Path of Purposeful Aging. (Berrett-Koehler Publishing 2021)Interview Date: 12/8/2023    Tags: Richard Leider, David Shapiro, Viktor Frankl, aging, eldership, eldering, Hersch Wilson, storytelling, legacy, purpose, Richard Bolles, poet Jack Gilbert, life purpose, Personal Transformation, Psychology, Aging

In our deep desire to be of help, Sofer provides clarity in how to increase our resilience and engage more effectively with the infinite complexities of the 21st century. He sheds light on how such qualities as integrity, concentration, gratitude, and generosity lead us to become more skillful in positive activism in the world. Oren Jay Sofer teaches meditation, mindfulness, and nonviolent communication in secular and Buddhist contexts. He received his degree in comparative religion from Columbia University and is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication as well as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. He serves as a member of the Teachers Council of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California. He is the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication (Shambala Publications 2018) and Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practice for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity & Love (Shambala Publications 2023)Interview Date: 10/24/2023       Tags: Oren Jay Sofer, inner life, aspiration, nonviolent communication, mindfulness, resilient, resilience, privilege, entitlement, empathy, isolation, rescuing hug, Martin Luther King Jr, Harry Dunn, curiosity, resolve, self-discipline, willpower, willingness, attention, Howard Thurman, Buddhism, Personal Transformation, Social Change/Politics

As a stage IV cancer survivor, Nelson knows living with gratefulness is more than just another task to perform, it’s an orientation to life. She counsels us to avoid getting caught in the hamster wheel of life, forgetting again and again that the present moment is truly all we have, and it’s both precious and fleeting. It adds to the stamina we need for our journey. Kristi Nelson is an ambassador for the nonprofit organization Grateful Living which is founded by the internationally beloved “Grandfather of Gratitude, and former guest of New Dimensions, Brother David Steindl-Rast. From 2014 to 2022 Nelson served as its Executive Director. Kristi Nelson has spent more than 30 years in nonprofit leadership, development, and consulting, working at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and the Soul of Money Institute. Nelson is a stage IV cancer survivor. She is the author of Wake up Grateful: The Practice of Taking Nothing for Granted. (Storey Publishing 2020)Interview Date: 1/31/2024  Tags: Kristi Nelson, grateful, gratitude, gratefulness, Brother David Steindl-Rast, poignancy, poignant, not knowing, curiosity, Personal Transformation, Psychology

The Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet is known as “She Who Comes in Times of Chaos.” She transforms fear and rage into alchemical gold. Whether this is actual or metaphorical, Scully teaches us how to tap into these healing energies and spin them into creative solutions that benefit yourself, your community, and the planet. Nicki Scully has been teaching shamanic arts and Egyptian mysteries since 1983 and is the founder of Shamanic Journeys, Ltd., which specializes in spiritual tours to sacred sites in Egypt. She has written many books including Power Animal Meditations, Alchemical Healing (Bear & Company 2001), Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt (co-author Linda Star Wolf) (Bear & Company 2008), Planetary Healing: Spirit Medicine for Global Transformation (co-author, her husband Mark Hallert)(Bear & Company 2011) and Sekhmet: Transformation in the Belly of the Goddess (Bear & Company 2017)Tags: Nicki Scully, Sekhmet, Egyptian Mythology, Thoth, Ma’at, alchemical healing, neturu, gratitude, divine intervention, Isis, Akashic records, Sphinx, Mythology, Shamanism, Spirituality, Personal Transformation

Depth hypnosis and the “Coming to Peace” process provide a pathway for healing conflict and coming to a place of reconciliation and wholeness. This process can involve one’s personal inner conflicts as well as the larger dynamics of family systems. Gucciardi says, “The truth is that the symptom is the tip of the iceberg . . .The symptom becomes the path to healing in depth hypnosis.”Tags: Isa Gucciardi, depth hypnosis, Huichol Indians, Bedouins, deep listening, Iroquois Confederacy, ho’oponopono process, inner wisdom, inner guidance, unconscious motivations, circle work, duality, polarization, forgiveness, Ubuntu, Psychology, Shamanism, Spirituality, Buddhism

Here we explore how we can abide in equanimity with the displays of hatred and polarization in these most challenging times. There is one person who models for us the highest form of radical peace, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In this dialogue we explore how we too may embody peace and nonviolence as we find peacewithin ourselves and with the world. Tags: Robert Thurman, despair, happiness, suffering, love, strong force, Kundan, nonviolence, Tibet, genocide, China, Jesus, Matthew Fox, ethics, karma, generosity, Bucky Fuller, elections, voting, Buddhism, Spirituality, Peace/Nonviolence, Religion, Social Change, Politics

Cats and dogs bring to us many gifts including companionship and unconditional love. Carlyn Montes De Oca points out that “These furry companions are scientifically proven stress-busters in, perhaps, this most stressed-out age that humanity is ever known.” Here we explore how our cats and dogs can be our health and wellness allies. She is the author of Dog as my Doctor, Cat as my Nurse.Tags: Carlyn Montes De Oca, guardian, guardianship, cancer, petting, cholesterol, depression, stress, anxiety, EQ, emotional quotient, empath, Cesar Millan the dog whisperer, pen pals, prison programs and animals, forgiveness, prayer of ho’oponopono, Animals, Health & Healing, Personal Transformation

Any life-threatening medical diagnosis is a traumatic event and can invoke a complex mix of fear, sorrow, anger and confusion. The capacity to deal with such a trauma both during and after treatment involves a massive amount of energy and courage. Here we explore the emotional healing of survivorship. Cheryl Krauter is the author of Surviving the Storm: A Workbook for Telling Your Cancer StoryTags: Cheryl Krauter, survivor, cancer, deep listening, trauma, Maya Stein, How to Climb a Mountain poem, health advocate, fear, depression, grief, caregivers, tyranny of positive thinking, health support groups, Health & Healing, Personal Transformation

Pevny shares the three phases of coming into elderhood: severance, neutral zone, and reincorporation. We need to sever ourselves from old identities in healthy and honoring ways. Then we enter a neutral zone where the seeds of possibility are gestating. He encourages us to deepen our spirituality so that we can move into reincorporation.Ron Pevny is the founder and director of the Colorado-based Center for Conscious Eldering. He’s a certified Sag-ing® Leader with Sag-ing® International and conducts workshop and retreats across North America. He is the author of Conscious Living, Conscious Aging: Embrace & Savor Your Next Chapter (Atria Paperback 2014)Tags: Ron Pevny, aging, saging, elderhood, eldering, elders, Stephen Foster, Meredith Little, vulnerability, fear, rite of passage, isolation, inner journey, inner guidance, cohousing, elder wisdom circles, Saging International, R. Buckminster Fuller, Bucky Fuller, Joseph Campbell, Jack Williamson, Intergenerational Writing, Patricia Sun, gratitude, grace, rites of passage, Jan Richardson poem “The Map You Make Yourself”, vision board, creative expression, dreams, solitude, synchronicity, Personal Transformation, Health & Healing, Community

Emerson’s transformational and prescient wisdom addresses the current and pressing needs of the world today. He encourages us to pay attention to our angle of vision because it is the first step toward self-awareness and will aid us in separating truth from falsehood. He guides us with inclusive thinking rather than the limitations of binary, either/or thinking.Mark Matousek is a teacher, spiritual seeker and award-winning author of many books. He leads transformative workshops, intensives, and guided writing sessions that mentor participants to reach their artistic and personal goals by using writing as a tool for insight, innovation, and clarity of purpose. He’s the founder of the Seekers Forum, an online community for self-inquiry. His books include: Sex Death Enlightenment: A True Story (Riverhead 2000), The Boy He Left Behind: A Man's Search for His Lost Father (Riverhead 1997), When You're Falling, Dive: Lessons in the Art of Living (Bloomsbury 2009), Ethical Wisdom: The Search for a Moral Life (Anchor Books 2011), Writing to Awaken: A Journey of Truth, Transformation, and Self-Discovery (Reveal Press 2017) and Lessons from an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life (HarperOne 2023)Interview Date: 10/24/2023   Tags: Mark Matousek, transcendentalism, transcendentalist, self-reliance, ecstasy, materialism, rationality, Stoicism, Stoics, implicit bias, Pauline Boss, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Christ, Buddha, Jesus, Bhagavad Gita, Henry David Thoreau, Advaita Vedanta, nondualism, pantheism, Personal Transformation, Philosophy, History, Social Change/Politics

Humanity is straddling unprecedented, threshold times. This situational crisis is more than climate change. It’s a whole system change. Yet, despite the extreme nature of our situation, we’re also living in a moment of immense possibility. We live in an immense sea of a living universe within a domain of aliveness with new kinds of potentials that are going to emerge. Duane Elgin, Ph.D.(hon) is a visionary futurist, educator, and Citizen-Voice Activist who received the Goi Pace Award in Japan in recognition of his contributions to a global vision that fosters a “more sustainable and spiritual culture”. Duane is currently the Co-director of the Choosing Earth Project. He is the author of many books including Awakening Earth: Exploring the Evolution of Human Culture and Consciousness (William Morrow 1993), Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich (Harper 2010), The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going? (Barrett Koehler Publishers 2009), Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity’s Future the Living Universe (William Morrow 2000) and Choosing Earth: Humanity’s Journey of Initiation through Breakdown and Collapse to Mature Planetary Community (Revised Edition) (Duane Elgin 2022)Interview Date: 10/20/2023.  Tags: Duane Elgin, initiation, Christopher Alexander, mutual symbiosis, pocket neighborhoods, eco-villages, digital authoritarianism, digital dictatorship, electronic meetings, ETMs, electronic Town Meetings, The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Personal Transformation, Psychology, Community, Social Change/Politics, Ecology/Nature/Environment, Global Culture

Johnson suggests by opening to the possibility of wonder from surprising sources, we recognize that, even in the bleakest of times, beauty is possible. Although that beauty can’t permanently replace our losses, our sorrow, and the dire problems we’re facing, it can break through the walls of powerlessness and melt despair. Trebbe Johnson is the founder and director of the global community Radical Joy for Hard Times, and she’s devoted to finding and making beauty in hurt places. She has camped alone in the Arctic wilderness; studied classical Indian dance; worked as an artist’s model, has been a street sweeper in an English village, and is an award-winning multimedia producer. She’s led wilderness rites of passage and contemplative journeys in clear-cut forests, Ground Zero in New York, in EPA’s toxic Superfund sites, the Sahara Desert, and other places. She participates in Global Earth Exchange—bringing people around the world together to go to places they care about that have been damaged or endangered: share stores, listen to the land, and make a simple gift of beauty for the place out of materials the place itself offers. She is the author of several books including Radical Joy for Hard Times: Finding Meaning and Making Beauty in Earth’s Broken Places. (North Atlantic Books 2018) and Fierce Consciousness: Surviving the Sorrows of Earth and Self (Calliope Books, 2023).Interview Date: 10/6/2023     Tags: Trebbe Johnson, Michael Meade, The Woman in the Cave, Dylan Thomas, green fuse, grief, beauty, Kim Stanley Robinson, Ministry Of The Future, disbelieving, disbelief, Halaco Plant, hurt places, superfund places, Global Earth Exchange, Personal Transformation, Health & Healing, Ecology/Nature/Environment