Creating a More Peaceful Planet
We live in a world with a tremendous amount of violence and suffering, much of it brought on by human beings themselves. And yet, with so much grief, loss and pain, caused by our own actions, it seems we human beings have not learned much in the past several thousand years. Yes, we have made amazing advances in technology and health care, gone to the moon and back, but we are still killing and murdering our fellow beings with a ferocity and cunning that is chilling. This is unacceptable to me. We could be having such a different experience of being alive. This planet is breathtaking in its beauty and human beings are capable of acts of grace, generosity and wonder. Why don't we love each other more and hurt each other less? Is it possible for human beings to create a more joyful planet and a world that works for everyone? What would it take for such a thing to happen? It would take creating new conversations, speaking new thoughts, creating new patterns of discourse, interrupting the given and accepted patterns of what we think has been and therefore must always be so on our planet.
My intention with this blog is to use inquiry to open up the subjects of peace, war, violence and terrorism and to ask questions that will take us into some difficult territory, seeking to explore and perhaps shed some light on things that keep us locked into habitual ways of behaving that don't serve us, don't serve the planet, don't serve life itself. My hope is that readers of this blog will join me in asking questions and seeking for new answers and new ways for all of us to be as we live on an increasingly crowded globe. I believe that the present paradigm we are living in as we try to deal with and respond to the pressing problems that terrorism, for example, presents to us, is just too small, too constrained and that if we are going to find workable, effective solutions to these challenges, we may well have to enlarge our present thinking or paradigm. But more of that as we go along.
Who I am: Yes, my name really is Joy and I have spent the better part of 58 years trying to live up to that name! And I can truthfully report that these days I am living into that name with some veracity. I recently retired after a 36 year career as a psychiatric/mental health nurse. During that time I worked with adults, teenagers and children on inpatient psychiatric units and also with chemically dependent patients and those with eating disorders. I also spent many years in psychotherapy dealing with and successfully recovering from my own long-term depression, eating disorder, and childhood sexual abuse. Throughout much of my adulthood I have been fascinated, if not obsessed with trying to understand human violence, the origins of war, hatred, racism, abuse and yes, terrorism. In addition to being a nurse, I've done a lot of volunteer work, and at one point volunteered at a state prison near Seattle, working with men who had committed murder, inquiring into why so few violent men take responsibility for their crimes. I've also studied communication and am currently the President of the Board of Directors of the Compassionate Listening Project. I have been on citizen diplomacy training delegations to Israel/Palestine twice. I did not speak lightly when I said I have been obsessed with understanding violence. However, there is one thing even stronger for me: I am intrigued with the possibility of transforming it. I do not believe that you can just tell people to stop doing those bad things or punishing them into submission. It doesn't work. You have to give them something wonderful to live for or to live into. This is why I am far more interested right now in creating a joyful planet, a planet that is full of fun and aliveness, with enough resources for everyone to have everything they need to live a wonderful life. In a world like that, who would need or want to blow themselves up? You will find me very upbeat, playful, transparent and eager to examine ideas and options. I have a strong spiritual practice rooted in a daily meditation practice of 27 years (non-dual spirituality). I think you will find me a friendly partner and co-conspirator if you are interested in creating new conversations that might take this planet of ours in a very different direction. Please join me in this adventure!
My intention with this blog is to use inquiry to open up the subjects of peace, war, violence and terrorism and to ask questions that will take us into some difficult territory, seeking to explore and perhaps shed some light on things that keep us locked into habitual ways of behaving that don't serve us, don't serve the planet, don't serve life itself. My hope is that readers of this blog will join me in asking questions and seeking for new answers and new ways for all of us to be as we live on an increasingly crowded globe. I believe that the present paradigm we are living in as we try to deal with and respond to the pressing problems that terrorism, for example, presents to us, is just too small, too constrained and that if we are going to find workable, effective solutions to these challenges, we may well have to enlarge our present thinking or paradigm. But more of that as we go along.
Who I am: Yes, my name really is Joy and I have spent the better part of 58 years trying to live up to that name! And I can truthfully report that these days I am living into that name with some veracity. I recently retired after a 36 year career as a psychiatric/mental health nurse. During that time I worked with adults, teenagers and children on inpatient psychiatric units and also with chemically dependent patients and those with eating disorders. I also spent many years in psychotherapy dealing with and successfully recovering from my own long-term depression, eating disorder, and childhood sexual abuse. Throughout much of my adulthood I have been fascinated, if not obsessed with trying to understand human violence, the origins of war, hatred, racism, abuse and yes, terrorism. In addition to being a nurse, I've done a lot of volunteer work, and at one point volunteered at a state prison near Seattle, working with men who had committed murder, inquiring into why so few violent men take responsibility for their crimes. I've also studied communication and am currently the President of the Board of Directors of the Compassionate Listening Project. I have been on citizen diplomacy training delegations to Israel/Palestine twice. I did not speak lightly when I said I have been obsessed with understanding violence. However, there is one thing even stronger for me: I am intrigued with the possibility of transforming it. I do not believe that you can just tell people to stop doing those bad things or punishing them into submission. It doesn't work. You have to give them something wonderful to live for or to live into. This is why I am far more interested right now in creating a joyful planet, a planet that is full of fun and aliveness, with enough resources for everyone to have everything they need to live a wonderful life. In a world like that, who would need or want to blow themselves up? You will find me very upbeat, playful, transparent and eager to examine ideas and options. I have a strong spiritual practice rooted in a daily meditation practice of 27 years (non-dual spirituality). I think you will find me a friendly partner and co-conspirator if you are interested in creating new conversations that might take this planet of ours in a very different direction. Please join me in this adventure!
posted by Joy at 1:56 PM
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