Bir t hing a New World
If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world. Chinese Proverb
J u n e 2011
June 2011 3
Birthing a new world
15
A p p re c i a t i v e i n q u i r y
4
We live by choice not chance
16
Conquer fear in 10 st e p s
5
Conscious evolution
19
Th re e p a r t b e i n g s
6
For giveness: a way out of the darkness
20
Su c c e s s f u l m a r r i a g e an d p a re n t i n g
8
Staying hopeful in trying time s
22
Challenging your beliefs
9
A positive attitude can be destructive
24
12
Trinidad & Tobago World Peace Festival
In n e r C e n t re o f In s p i r a t i o n a n d Tr u t h
14
Right or happy
14
Wealth today
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Editor Barbara King Contributors Barbara Marx Hubbard Garfield King Hal Urban Heather Greaves Hillary “Coach” Bengochea Karen Stollmeyer Maureen Marks-Mendonca Marilyn Robb Mike George Neale Donald Walsch
Ju n e 2 0 1 1
Birthing a new world
Sandee Bengochea
Design and Layout Karibgraphics Ltd. evolution track is published by Inkings Lillian Heights, D’Abadie, Trinidad Tel: (868) 646-3158, 774-4942, 774-0965 Email: barbara@evolutiontrack.com Website: evolutiontrack.com
It’s June 2011 already! Originally I had intended that this would be a quarterly Emagazine. I knew it would be a challenge, but I figured I’d have some down time I could squeeze it into over a three month period – I was sure it could be done. No such luck. After completing the January issue the speed of life has accelerated and carried me into all kinds of directions I never foresaw; some not so pleasant, most inspiring and exciting. So, the April issue got moved to May and now finally June is here and my quarterly schedule is gone out the window. To relieve my tortured ego, I finally had to surrender to the fact that this is a hobby, not my full time job. This magazine is something that gives me tremendous joy and has me literally dancing with joy at each new milestone (you should see my little celebration jiggle!), but to single-handedly make it a quarterly publication at this juncture is just not going to happen. I am grateful to the many talented individuals who continue to happily submit articles, please keep them coming, they will be posted on the website and circulated via the email list. I do commit to publishing one more issue this year to commemorate the first anniversary on 29th September. Next year, who knows, there may well be four issues, maybe more. This issue’s focus on Birthing a New World emerged from many discussions about the previous issues of the magazine. A question that keeps coming up is something to the effect of: it’s all well and good to meditate and do yoga, pray and talk about metaphysical stuff and all that, but what about actually DOING something that makes a difference, that changes the world visibly? A good question. Meditation, prayer, yoga, talk and “all that” does change the world, but what about action, service, giving back? I started asking people: “What are you doing to make the world a better place?” Silence was the most common response. A thoughtful silence. Even from people that I know are doing significant things to change the way things are. There is much talk internationally about changes anticipated as we approach 2012: a shift in human consciousness, humanity evolving, people being more empowered to change their personal experience of life locally and globally, hence: Birthing a New World. This issue looks at a few things that are being done to change the world – the Forgiveness project, The TT World Peace Festival, ICIT, how yoga teachers in Canada introduced youth to yoga and Appreciative Inquiry a business model for change that is having a huge impact on the world. There is also a list of twenty simple things you can do, as well as the usual thought-provoking articles – since thinking changes the world too. It is not too late to share what you are doing to change the world, send your stories to barbara@evolutiontrack.com and I will share them on the website, via the mailing list and in future issues. You may inspire someone to action.
Thanks
Barbara King
June 2011
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June 2011
June 2011
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We live by choice, not by chance
Reproduced with kind permission of Hal Urban, from Life’s Greatest Lessons
W
e can choose our friends, careers, lifestyles, political
affiliations, faith, where to live, what kind of car to drive, and what kind
we can choose to look for a source of strength within us, to persevere,
of music to listen to. But there are some other choices which, while
and to make the most out of what life deals us. We’re free to choose how much we’ll learn. We can look upon learning as an unpleasant duty or as a great opportunity for bettering ourselves. We can be close-minded or open-minded; we can be stagnant, or we can grow. We’re free to choose what we’ll accomplish in life. We can allow our circumstances or other people to determine what we make of ourselves, or we can choose our own direction and goals. We can be undisciplined and lazy, or we can be self-disciplined and hardworking. We’re free to choose our own belief system. We can ignore our spiritual nature, or we can accept it as an important dimension of life. We can worship pleasure and the world’s material things, or we can look for something that’s ultimately more important. We’re free to choose our own purpose. We can wander aimlessly, or we can search for a meaning in life, and then live according to it. We can live to please only ourselves, or we can find a cause that’s greater, one that helps us understand and appreciate
less obvious, are far more important. We’re either unaware of them or just don’t give them much thought. Yet, they’re the choices that determine the quality of our lives. Based on what life has taught me, these are what I consider to be our most important choices: We’re free to choose our character—the type of persons we become. We can allow ourselves to be molded by others and our environment, or we can commit ourselves to self-development. We can become less than we’re capable of, or we can become all that we’re capable of. We’re free to choose our values. We can let the media tell us what’s important, or we can decide for ourselves. We can base our standards on what others are doing, or we can base them on what we know is right and good. We’re free to choose how to treat other people. We can put them down, or we can lift them up. We can be self-centered and inconsiderate, or we can be respectful, kind, and helpful. We’re free to choose how to handle adversity. We can allow
ourselves to be crushed, to give up, and to feel sorry for ourselves. Or
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life more fully. We’re free to choose our attitude regardless of circumstances. This is the most important choice we’ll ever make because it affects everything we do in life. We’re Always Choosing Much of our potential goes to waste simply because it’s never used, just like the battery that corrodes or the muscle that atrophies after lying dormant for too long. Most of the time, we fail to exercise our choices because we’re not aware of having them. Yet, those choices are available to us every day of our lives. We can make changes in minor aspects of our life, or we can change our entire lifestyle just by making different choices. We can teach ourselves to deal more effectively with both circumstances and with people. In fact, we can change almost anything we do if we’re aware of our choices and if our desire is strong enough. Excerpt from: Chapter 4 - “We Live By Choice, Not By Chance” - in Life’s Greatest Lessons, (2nd edition) By Hal Urban. Read more about Hal Urban on http://www.halurban.com/ New edition now available.
Conscious Evolution Barbara Marx Hubbard, Foundation for Conscious Evolution
W
hile consciousness has been evolving for billions of years, conscious evolution is new. It is part of the trajectory of human evolution, the canvas of choice before us now as we recognize that we have come to possess the powers that we used to attribute to the gods. We are poised in this critical moment, facing decisions that must be made consciously if we are to avoid destroying the world as we know it, if we are instead to co-create a future of immeasurable possibilities. Our conscious evolution is an invitation to ourselves, to open to that positive future, to see ourselves as one planet, and to learn to use our powers wisely and ethically for the enhancement of all life on Earth. Conscious evolution can also be seen as an awakening of a ‘memory’ that resides in the synthesis of human knowing, from spiritual to social to scientific. Indeed, all of our efforts to discover the inherent design of life itself can be seen as the process of one intelligence, striving to know itself through our many eyes, and to set the stage for a future of immense co-creativity. This awakening has gained momentum as 3 new understandings (the 3 C’s) have arisen: Cosmogenesis: This is the recent discovery that the universe has been and is now evolving. As Brian Swimme puts it, “time is experienced
as an evolutionary sequence of irreversible transformations,” rather than as ever-renewing cycles. Our New Crises: We are faced with a complex set of crises, most especially environmental. We are participating in a global system that is far from equilibrium, conditions that are known to favor a macroshift. This kind of dramatic repatterning can be a sudden shift toward devolution and chaos, or it can be an evolution toward a higher more complex order. At this moment in evolution the outcome depends on our choices, and time is running out. We must change, or suffer dire consequences. Our crises are acting as evolutionary drivers pressuring us to innovate and transform. Our New Capacities: The advent of radical evolutionary technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, quantum computing, space exploration, etc., offer us the possibility of profound change in the physical world. At the same time that we are facing the possible destruction of our life support systems, we can also see that the tools are there to transform ourselves, our bodies and our world. We can and are actually moving beyond the creature human condition toward a new species, a universal humanity, capable of coevolving with nature.
Barbara Marx-Hubbard is co-founder and chairperson of the Foundation for Conscious Evolution. An evolutionary educator, speaker and social innovator, she is the author of six books communicating the new world view of conscious evolution. She has also produced the DVD series entitled “Humanity Ascending: A New Way through Together.” Part One: Our Story; Part Two: Visions of a Universal Humanity, brings together cutting-edge scientific, social and spiritual visionaries to create a positive vision of our future equal to our new capacities. http://www.barbaramarxhubbard.com/com/
June 2011
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“Forgiveness is not a single magnanimous gesture in response to an isolated offence; it is part of a continuum of human engagements in healing broken relationships. Nor is it a one off event because one day you might forgive and the next day hate all over again. Above all, it is difficult, costly and painful, but potentially transformative. An integral step to forgiveness, as The F Word stories show, is to face the past because if you do not face the past, it can run you all your life.”
F
orgiveness is an inspiring, complex, exasperating subject, which provokes strong feeling in just about everyone. Having spent all of 2003 collecting stories of reconciliation and forgiveness for an exhibition of words and images which I created with the photographer, Brian Moody, I began to see that for many people forgiveness is no soft option, but rather the ultimate revenge. For many it is a liberating route out of victimhood; a choice, a process, the final victory over those who have done you harm. As Mariane Pearl, the wife of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, said of her husband’s killers, “The only way to oppose them is by demonstrating the strength that they think they have taken from you.” The exhibition tells some extraordinary stories – stories of victims who have become friends with perpetrators, murderers who have turned their mind to peace building. As I talked to friends, colleagues and strangers about this exhibition, I noticed that forgiveness cuts public opinion down the middle like a guillotine. There are those who see forgiveness as an immensely noble and humbling response to atrocity – and then there are those who simply laugh it out of court. For the first group, forgiveness is a value strong enough to put an end to the tit-for-tat settling of scores that has wreaked
havoc over generations. But for the second group, forgiveness is just a copout, a weak gesture, which lets the violator off the hook and encourages only further violence. This is why we called the exhibition, The F Word. For some people forgiveness is a very dirty word indeed. I chose this subject because, having worked as a freelance journalist for many years, I knew I was far more moved by stories of forgiveness than of revenge. With the war in Iraq still a topic of fierce debate, and against a background of pay-back and retaliation, these narratives of hope seemed to tap into a deep public need for alternative and peaceful responses to violence. The stories reflect the complex, intriguing and deeply personal nature of forgiveness, occupying a space of inquiry and authenticity rather than dogma or the need to fix. I also chose this subject of forgiveness because gentle people attract me more than resolute ones, vulnerability more than strength, and because I believe there are very few truly malevolent people in the world. As Father Michael Lapsley says, “All people are capable of being perpetrators or victims – and sometimes both.” Read more about the Forgiveness Project: http:// theforgivenessproject.com/about-us/founder/
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A
rchbishop Desmond Tutu was the chairman of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The TRC was created by Nelson Mandela’s Government of National Unity in 1995 to help South Africans come to terms with their extremely troubled past. It was established to investigate the violations that took place between 1960 and 1994, to provide support and reparation to victims and their families, and to compile a full and objective record of the effects of apartheid on South African society. “To forgive is not just to be altruistic. It is the best form of self-interest. It is also a process that does not exclude hatred and anger. These emotions are all part of being human. You should never hate yourself for hating others who do terrible things: the depth of your love is shown by the extent of your anger. However, when I talk of forgiveness I mean the belief that you can come out the other side a better person. A better person than the one being consumed by anger and hatred. Remaining in that state locks you in a state of victimhood, making you almost dependent on the perpetrator. If you can find it in yourself to forgive then
you are no longer chained to the perpetrator. You can move on, and you can even help the perpetrator to become a better person too. But the process of forgiveness also requires acknowledgement on the part of the perpetrator that they have committed an offence. I don’t like to talk about my own personal experience of forgiveness, although some of the things people have tried to do to my family are close to what I’d consider unforgivable. I don’t talk about these things because I have witnessed so many incredible people who, despite experiencing atrocity and tragedy, have come to a point in their lives where they are able to forgive. Take the Craddock Four, for example. The police ambushed their car, killed them in the most gruesome manner, set their car alight. When, at a TRC hearing, the teenage daughter of one of the victims was asked: would you be able to forgive the people who did this to you and your family? She answered, “We would like to forgive, but we would just like to know who to forgive.” How fantastic to see this young girl, still human despite all efforts to dehumanise her. Read more stories of forgiveness: http://theforgivenessproject.com/stories
June 2011
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T
hese are trying times. As the saying goes,
Doing the spiritual work allowed me to see how the
sometimes life throws you a curve ball. Yet
feelings of fear, hopelessness and despair were blocking
at times my life can feel like a continuous
me from having complete faith. How could I say I
curve ball or like I am forever making lemonade
trusted God to keep me safe and work things out when
with these lemons of life. With my own personal trial
I had a chronic fear that bad things would happen to
joined by world crises - earthquakes and tsunamis,
me? How could I surrender and let God do His work
violence all around, etc., I decided it was time for me
when all my life I felt hopeless about getting help. To
to build some kind of protective wall around myself.
release these emotions I had to stop hiding them. I had
That meant breaking down the patterns I carry that
to show the fear and shake it out. And I had to show the
could possibly interfere with the peace and quiet of
deep sadness that despair feels like and cry hard with
life. I chose one pattern to work at persistently and
somebody’s good attention. My counselling partner has
consistently, that many others hang on; knowing that
since spent many, many hours allowing me to cry away
ripping that one out by its roots would certainly mean
the despair and watching me shake that fear right out of
reclaiming my inner peace and quiet. Thus I set out
my body.
on a journey of finding and keeping hopefulness at
the centre of my being. Staying hopeful in these trying
Emotional release is helped by using positive
times was and is still my goal.
contradictions to the negative thoughts that flood
the mind. I had to train myself to recognize the
I figured tackling this pattern from both a spiritual
hopelessness wrapped up in those incidents in present
and emotional angle would help me understand the
time when something goes wrong or a crisis strikes.
crossroads at the blending of spiritual and emotional
I would then mentally check off the list of things that
healing. For the spiritual healing reciting prayers learnt
have gone well or are actually positive in my life,
as a child was not enough. I set out to learn how to
repeatedly asking myself what is the truth of my life? The
have a real conversation with God, especially hearing
actual written list in the metal tin in the ‘helpful people’
His voice. I had to learn what the saying ‘walking by
section of the bagua* map of my house reinforces this
faith and not by sight’ was really all about. I signed
practice.
up for several daily devotionals on the internet; I read
a lot and practised all that I read about. I tuned in to
For every hopeless thought I could come up with at
‘praise music’ on the radio. More and more as I saw
least three hopeful ones (and counting still). I learned
the way things worked when you trust in a higher
to count all the blessings every day, big and little ones.
power, I found it easier to stop worrying and trying
The more I practiced, the more blessings I came up with
to control the events in my life. My favourite saying
at the end of each day. I even got to the point where I
became ‘faith and fear cannot co-exist’.
could just say thanks for blessings seen and unseen.
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So to keep hopeful in these trying times I can recommend: •
Pray to whatever spiritual entity you believe in. Prayers never go unanswered; it may not be answered when
A Possessive Attitude can be Destructive
and how you want or expect, but trust it could only be
Garfield King
answered in a way that is for your greater good. •
Acknowledge the feelings of sadness, hopelessness, despair, fear (even of the unknown) and open yourself to letting those feelings come up and come out. Clearing these feelings out opens channels for hopeful living.
•
Feed your mind with hopeful thoughts and memories. Do not let the negativity take up residence in your mind.
Trying times are for us to grow. It is up to us how we choose to face them. * The Bagua is the map that is used in Feng Shui to map a room or location and see how the different sections correspond to different aspects in one’s life. To find out more contact Marilyn on: 868-221-8890 Email: joyfuplace@yahoo.com
A Joyful Place An Educational and Family Resource Centre
Family, Adolescent and Educational Counselling Dr. Marilyn Robb Ph.D. Educational Consultant, Counsellor Phone: 868-221-8890 Email: joyfulplace@yahoo.com Website: www.ajoyfulplace.webs.com
S
ome people mix up possessiveness with caring. Something attracts them and they
decide they must have it. They reach out, grab the item and hold it tightly because they want to be close to it. They may even believe they have to protect this precious object. This grabbing does not only relate to things. There’s the story of a small boy who saw a butterfly fluttering around one brilliant sunny day. The beauty of the butterfly so captivated the child that all he wanted to do was reach out and hold it. After almost an hour he caught the butterfly in his tiny soft hands. The joy he felt at having this beautiful creature as his possession was overwhelming. No way could he let it go. He held the butterfly very tightly in his grip and ran home to show off this amazing specimen. When he opened his fist in front of his mother, the butterfly was lifeless, crushed to death by his little innocent hands. Ever noticed how we sometimes grab at people; individuals we are attracted to and who we feel the need to be close to? We can’t bear the thought of being far from them. Then there are those we love and want to protect. We hold them much too tightly and, if we are not careful, we suffocate them. With the best of intentions what starts out as love and caring can cross that thin border line and enter the land of possessiveness; a place where it’s easy to forget that those we love have to breathe, they need freedom and the space to grow.
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Making Yoga Accessible to Our Youth In 2000 at the 2nd Annual Yoga Conference for Yoga teachers who are Black, I met Krishna Kaur, founder of the International Association of Black Yoga Teachers. Her love for empowering youth shone through. Krishna Kaur developed Y.O.G.A. for Youth in 1993 a non-profit organization that brings yoga, meditation, breathing techniques, chanting, deep relaxation and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. In my heart a spark was lit. In Hamilton, Ontario, inspiration turned into action. With funding from the Government of Canada, we taught yoga and Kwanza to 60 Black youth through SAPACCY
Foundation for the difference its Mate Masie program made in the lives of over 300 young people. Mate Masie, a West African philosophy that means “What I hear, I keep”, combined Yoga with its HIV/AIDS and STI prevention education program offered to African, Caribbean and Black youth in Toronto’s high-needs communities. May many more sparks be lit! (Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth). In 2002 at the graduation ceremony, one youth spoke of his life transforming experience, and in a Black Cap program director’s heart, another spark was lit. In 2007, The Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black Cap) a not-forprofit was honoured by Ontario Trillium
Heather Greaves helps yoga enthusiasts become yoga teachers in a Yoga Alliance certified program. She lives and works in Hamilton, Ontario, and is the owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training http://www.togatogo.com
Making the World a Better Place There are many small but meaningful things we can do to act on our desires to make the world a better place. They may seem simple or insignificant but just try one and see how you feel. One little thing can make a big difference. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Say thanks Shop locally Use a mug instead of a plastic/styrofoam cup Just fill your kettle boil with as much as you need Hold open a door for someone Smile more often When someone is talking to you – really listen Support a small business Treat family, friends, clients and customers with politeness and respect 10. Have more meals at the dining table, together 11. Put litter in bins
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
Talk nonsense with your parents Do something for nothing Recycle toys, glasses, printer cartridges, Drop off glass bottles for recycling Plant a tree or some flowers Grow something you can eat and give some to a neighbour 18. Find out how your money is invested 19. Don’t judge someone by the job they do 20. Don’t be an ideas killer.
You can find more ideas like these on: www.wearewhatwedo.org
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he principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect. It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others - even our enemies - is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion. We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings, even those regarded as enemies. We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community. charterforcompassion.org Compassion manifests itself in the world not by thinking, but by doing. Visit: charterforcompassion.org. Browse some of the suggested commitments, or enter your own. Whether learning more, volunteering in your community, or engaging in work that challenges your mind and spirit, every commitment makes the compassionate voice a more potent force in the world.
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Trinidad and Tobago World Peace Festival “Celebrating Unity in Diversity” Karen Stollmeyer, MA Yogacharya
“There is no way to peace. Peace is the way”. A. J. Muste
I
t has been said that all wars start in the minds
If your actions were done in love, then they carry
of people before they are ever fought on
the energy of love. If you hate someone then you
the battlefield (Tom
Oliver), so if we are to
put an end to war on
person, you will radiate
Earth, then we must first
peace and love onto
stop being at war with
the earth. It is important
ourselves and with each
for an individual to be in
other in our minds. Our
a group of like-minded
minds are tremendously
people so that individual
powerful instruments
thoughts put together
that can cause as much
form a really strong
harm as they can good,
mental state.
and if we are not aware
of this fact, then we
Mahatma Ghandi, “We
can be unknowingly
must be the change we
contributing more to
wish to see in the world”.
the continuation of war
Inner peace precedes
rather than to peace on
outer peace and we
Earth.
must love ourselves
If you are a peaceful
In the words of
before we can love
Many people
believe that bringing
others. Finding peace
peace to countries is the
within our selves, means
responsibility of our governments, but in reality,
first taking the responsibility for healing ourselves
peace is the responsibility of each and every
in body, mind, and spirit. It means facing up to
citizen of planet Earth. Peace begins with us, in
the inner demons that plague us all, and healing
our minds, in our hearts, in our words, thoughts
our hearts and minds so that we can love and be
and actions.
loved.
Each word that you speak, each thought
Peace on earth means each human being
that you have, and every action that you perform
seeing the other as an equal, and respecting
carries the energy in which it was created. If that
and honoring all life on earth and Mother Earth
thought was a kind thought, then it carries with it
herself. Our environment too, is simply a reflection
the energy of kindness.
of who we are, and the outer garbage, chaos,
and confusion are simply reflections of our inner
If the words you just used were used in
anger, then the words carry the energy of anger. 12
radiate hateful energy.
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collective garbage.
Coming to peace means cleaning ourselves from
organizations and businesses are already present
the inside out, and finding the right therapist,
within our local communities that support peace
support group, healer, or yoga teacher is
and peaceful living.
sometimes the first step towards healing and
peace. It was with this intention that the Trinidad
will be held on Saturday June 11th 2011 at the
and Tobago World Peace Festival was formed.
National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA)
from 11 a.m – 8 p.m. Admission will be free and it
Our national anthem contains the line
The TTWPF, hosted by Bliss Yoga Trinidad,
“Here every creed and race find an equal
will be open to the public.
place”, which could bring peace to Trinidad and
Tobago if we actually lived by it as Trinbagonians.
Festival seeks to attain its vision by increasing
But even though we all sing it, many of us do
the connection, capacity building and
not practice it, and the racism and hatred that
communication between the general public and
plagues us as a society has corroded the very
organizations that share a similar vision, and to
fabric of who we are as a people. The answer
satisfy the simple curiosity of the average citizen
to our problems begins with bringing peace and
who wants to learn more about peace and
love back into our hearts and then extending that
peaceful living.
to everyone around us.
The Trinidad and Tobago World Peace
Festival (TTWPF) is a festival designed to promote peace, health, spiritual consciousness, social, environmental and spiritual activism, and
The Trinidad and Tobago World Peace
Karen Stollmeyer MA Yogacharya, Yoga Therapist Founder/Director Bliss Yoga, Trinidad www.omblissyoga.org www.facebook.com/blissyogatrinidad
awareness. It is also intended to provide a way to educate the general public on what
Want to change your world? Take the 29 day challenge. Give 29 gifts in 29 days. It’s simple. Just 3 steps: 1. Each day yourself a gift. For example, a few minutes of exercise, some time alone, something that gives you joy. 2. Each day give a gift to another. 3. Look for the gifts you have received each day and celebrate them. This is not about material giving alone. You can give the gift of a smile, a listening ear, any random act of kindness. Give without any sense of obligation, conditionality or expectation of reward.
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Right or Happy?
Wealth Today
As women in relationships we know that arguments are
Wealth today is the access to tools and the ability to use them to generate a continuous flow of income. It is not the accumulation of cash or savings, it is not necessarily your home, and definitely not your pension, as all these can easily lose value due to inflation or the devaluation of your currency. Wealth today is an ability to create a continuous flow of income no matter what external shocks the system experiences. And to do this you need tools. These tools can be the traditional tools of land and machinery, for centuries these have provided many with the ability to generate income. The drawback of these tools however, is that they are linear, that is they can only generate income incrementally like in a numerical sequence and we live in an exponential age where things change exponentially. Take for instance the recent turmoil in North Africa, it was exponential. It started in January 2011 with one person and by the end of February it involved close to one hundred million persons. That’s exponential increase! For these exponential times we need exponential tools such as Knowledge, Information, Software, Brands, Social Media and Associated skills to use them. These are the new wealth creation tools. They have the potential to create wealth exponentially. Embrace them.
difficult and can be hurtful and frustrating. And yet, they are a normal aspect of any relationship. Like salt, they add flavour to the lives of couples and can help build better relationships. However, if disputes are handled poorly, they can potentially wreck a strong relationship. Truly, it’s fun to argue and later make up, knowing you have worked through the issue together. And knowing that it’s better to be in relationship than to be right helps! Come to think of it, does it really matter who’s right and who’s not? In a relationship, it is never good to assert too much if it means you could hurt your partner unnecessarily. Instead of having to be RIGHT, decide that it is more important to be HAPPY. Family issues are no longer purely private and personal matters removed from the workplace. With the rise of a knowledge economy, moms no longer simply seek ‘balance.’ Instead, we strive for an integrated lifestyle. As knowledge workers, whose job requires that we think and analyze rather than produce a product, many of us need to carry our laptops and cell phones even as we shuttle the kids to after-school activities. Work and family responsibilities have never been this “tightly coupled” before, and the clichéd 24/7 means our work and private lives have become inseparable. Our “integrated” lifestyles often mean that there are no boundaries between work and family. Our challenge as mother is finding that dividing line for both work and family activities and ensuring that both family and employer appreciate it.
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Sandee and HIlary Bengochea are co-owners of Sandee Communications Ltd., a Marketing Promotions Company specializing in Personal Development Promotions
Appreciative Inquiry If your organization is planning to conduct strategic planning exercises and you want a new, energetic method that inspires ownership, generates enthusiasm and produces innovative, profitable results from unified employees, try Appreciative Inquiry. This tool has been successfully used by state enterprises such as British Airways and the BBC, by City corporations like Chicago and international organizations like the United Nations to transform their operations and generate world-changing projects. What is Appreciative Inquiry? Ap-pre’ci-ate, v., 1. valuing; the act of recognizing the best in people or the world around us; affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials; to perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, excellence) to living systems 2. to increase in value, e.g. the economy has appreciated in value. Synonyms: VALUING, PRIZING, ESTEEMING, and HONORING. In-quire’ (kwir), v., 1. the act of exploration and discovery. 2. To ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities. Synonyms: DISCOVERY, SEARCH, and SYSTEMATIC EXPLORATION, STUDY. Appreciative Inquiry is about the co-evolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. In its broadest focus, it involves systematic discovery of what gives “life” to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms. AI involves, in a central way, the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. It centrally involves the mobilization of inquiry through the crafting of the “unconditional positive question” often-involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people. In AI the arduous task of intervention gives way to the speed of imagination and innovation; instead of negation, criticism, and spiraling diagnosis, there is discovery, dream, and design. AI seeks, fundamentally, to build a constructive union between a whole people and the massive entirety of what people talk about as past and present capacities: achievements, assets, unexplored potentials, innovations, strengths, elevated thoughts, opportunities, benchmarks, high point moments, lived values, traditions, strategic competencies, stories, expressions of wisdom, insights into the deeper corporate spirit or soul-- and visions of valued and possible futures. Taking all of these together as a gestalt, AI deliberately, in everything it does, seeks to work from accounts of this “positive change core”—and it assumes that every living system has many untapped and rich and inspiring accounts of the positive. Link the energy of this core directly to any change agenda and changes never thought possible are suddenly and democratically mobilized. A Positive Revolution in Change: Appreciative Inquiry, David L. Cooperrider and Diana Whitney Read more and explore case studies of AI at: http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu
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CONQUER FEAR IN 10 STEPS Maureen Marks-Mendonca
Fear is our greatest adversary. It lurks behind every violent act from terrorism to corporate backstabbing. Some people — people who live in poverty or war-torn areas — know it as a gnawing, oppressive spectre, forever prowling in the pit of their stomach.
Consciously choose the energy
Others are more familiar with the fluttering butterfly
you prefer in your life
effect that can keep a person on edge for days on
Fear lowers our vibration. It closes our hearts, fogs up
end. What we all know is that fear is ever present, in
our brains, and makes us think small. On the other
our homes, our neighbourhoods, and our workplaces,
hand, courage and faith raise our vibration, open our
slowly diminishing our lives, and hindering many of
hearts, and inspire us to reach for the stars. If the latter
us from happily living our dreams.
energy is what you want, verbalize it, write it down,
then begin to live it! If we want to expand our horizons beyond the imaginable, fear must go.
Focus on increasing courage rather than eradicating
If we truly want that kinder world, we, as individuals,
fear
must conquer fear.
A word of caution: what we focus on, we become.
So let’s do it!
Chanting, ‘I will not fear’ in mantra-like fashion can do
more harm than good. If we focus too much on fear,
Identify irrational fears and stop them in their tracks!
we may soon begin to fear fear itself! Choose positive
Recognize fear for what it does. Fear is insidious. You
affirmations like, I am strong! I have confidence!
start off with a tiny fear about a parking ticket. It embeds
itself in your gut and grows, and before long, you’re
Be your own person, march to your own drum!
scared of losing your job and your partner for no reason
If someone tells you that unless you do what they do
at all.
you’ll never succeed, pay no heed! Allowing yourself
to be distracted by others’ agendas is the surest path to
Disassociate from harmful programming
uncertainty and fear.
Practice reprogramming your mind. Most fears are
programmed responses. One kid says to another, ‘I don’t
Let unwanted thoughts go, hold on to thoughts that
want to play.’ The other kid shrugs and says, ‘Okay,’
uplift you.
and goes to play with someone else. The adult mind,
We are what we think. We can’t even begin to count the
trained to fear rejection, would agonize over a similar
numerous thoughts that flit through our minds on a daily
experience. Don’t let ego-based responses rent space in
basis, but what we do know is that we can move from
your head!
laughter to tears in a flash, all because of some errant thought that has no place in our lives. Control your
In a crisis, step back, study the problem, seek a solution
thoughts and you control your destiny.
Don’t let your mind roam down the fear highway. There
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are no solutions to be found there! Breathe, let your fear
Watch that law of attraction!
level drop. Take a moment to recall times when you
Fear attracts fear, love attracts love. If you live a fear-
solved seemingly insurmountable problems. Didn’t the
based life, you’ll attract fearful experiences and fearful
solutions always come when you were more receptive
people. The opposite is also true so remember, good
to your inner guidance?
things come to those who draw them.
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Guard against the sway of others’ emotions You’re cruising along a scenic route, you’re feeling great, suddenly a passing motorist shakes a fist at you, and you get upset. Minutes later, you find yourself yelling at an
Maureen Marks-Mendonça, author and life coach, currently lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband. Her
to label a probable serial killer. Learn to differentiate.
novel, Legend of the Swan Children, is available at any of
When fear enters you, make sure it’s a legitimate fear of
your favourite bookstores.
innocent driver, whom your churning mind has decided
your own. Follow your intuition and you’ll never go wrong
www.swanislandhome.com (youth) www.swanlight.org (adult)
Be more aware of what goes on in and around you. If you don’t feel comfortable in a situation, remove
Follow M.M.M. on Twitter Join her on Facebook. http://www.swanlight.org/CP_Library.htm
yourself from it. In the same way that chickens know when a meteorological storm is brewing, our instincts tell us when trouble is on the horizon. From: Exploring Creative Power http://www.swanlight.org
An old couple in a cafe ............ The husband leans over and asks his wife, ‘Do you remember the first time we had sex together over fifty years ago? We went behind the village tavern where you leaned against the back fence and I made love to you.’ Yes, she says, ‘I remember it well.’ OK,’ he says, ‘How about taking a stroll around there again and we can do it for old time’s sake?’ ‘Oh Jim, you old devil, that sounds like a crazy, but good idea!’ A police officer sitting in the next booth heard their conversation and, having a chuckle to himself, he thinks to himself, I’ve got to see these two old-timers having sex against a fence. I’ll just keep an eye on them so there’s no trouble. So he follows them. The elderly couple walks haltingly along, leaning on each other for support aided by walking sticks. Finally, they get to the back of the tavern and make their way to the fence. The old lady lifts her skirt and the old man drops his trousers. As she leans against the fence, the old man moves in.. Then suddenly they erupt into the most furious sex that the policeman has ever seen. This goes on for about ten minutes while both are making loud noises and moaning and screaming. Finally, they both collapse, panting on the ground. The policeman is amazed. He thinks he has learned something about life and old age that he didn’t know. After about half an hour of lying on the ground recovering, the old couple struggle to their feet and put their clothes back on. The policeman, is still watching and thinks to himself, this is truly amazing, I’ve got to ask them what their secret is. So, as the couple passes, he says to them,’ Excuse me, but that was something else. You must’ve had a fantastic sex life together. Is there some sort of secret to this?’ Shaking, the old man is barely able to reply, ‘Fifty years ago that wasn’t an electric fence.’
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PRESENCENTRED AWARENESS LIFE ORIENTATION for PERSONAL WELL-BEING one on one counselling/guidance sessions
“In the deepest within, the most infinite beyond” (Ken Wilber)
Gestalt Therapy: … is a ‘Humanistic Psychology’ which holds the core belief that we have the inner potential for growth & self-actualization. When connected and centred, we have a natural, intrinsic way to auto-regulate and in this way we live out our true inner nature in a harmonic way with its environment. The Process: … The intention is to provide a co-creative, nurturing ‘holding space’ to facilitate our INNER AWAKENING through increasing and deepening our attentiveness in the present moment. It is a supportive space where by being more present and centred we become more conscious of ‘how’ we really function in the world…with ourselves and our environment (family, friends etc). In this way, we can come to accept the ‘what is’, the reality of ourselves and of our situation … ‘how’ we are moment by moment … ‘how’ this may or may not be working for us … ‘how’ we avoid certain feelings, thoughts and sensations … and ‘how’ we can create new ways of being and interacting in the world that are more fluid and expansive instead of rigid and constricting; a of more authentic living and interacting with more presence-centred awareness; learning to accept all of who we are, the perceived positive as well as negative qualities.
Accompanied in your process by Vanessa Soodeen - Gestalt Psychotherapist http://vanessa-soodeen.blogspot.com/ 15th August – 12th September 2011 Contact number: 355 9715
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Three part beings An excerpt from Conversations With God, Book 2, by Neale Donald Walsch You are three part beings.
When was the last time you sat alone with the silence,
You are more than your body, and more than a body with a mind.
travelling to the deepest part of your being? When was the last time you said hello to your soul?
Are you nurturing your soul? Are you even noticing it?
When you live as a single-faceted creature, you
Are you healing it or hurting it? Are you growing or withering?
become deeply mired in matters of the body: money, sex, power, possessions, physical stimulations and
Are you expanding or contracting? Is your soul as lonely as your mind? Is it even more neglected?
satisfactions, security, fame, financial gain. When you live as a dual faceted creature, you broaden your concerns to include matters of the mind, companionship, creativity, stimulation of new thoughts, new ideas, creation of new goals, new challenges, personal growth.
And when was the last time you felt your soul being expressed? When was the last time you cried with joy? Wrote poetry? Made music? Danced in the rain? Baked a pie? Painted anything? Fixed something that was broken? Kissed a baby? Held a cat to your face? Hiked up a hill? Swam naked? Walked at sunrise? Played the harmonica? Talked til’ dawn? Made love for hours ‌ on a beach, in the woods? Communed with nature? Searched for God?
When you live as a three part being you come at last into balance with yourself. Your concerns include matters of the soul: spiritual identity; life purpose; relationship to God, path of evolution; spiritual growth; ultimate destiny. As you evolve into higher and higher states of consciousness, you bring into full realization every aspect of your being. Yet evolution does not mean dropping some aspects of Self in favour of others. It simply means expanding focus: turning away from almost exclusive involvement with one aspect, toward genuine love and appreciation for all aspects.
Conversations With God, Book 2 http://www.amazon.com/Conversations-Bk-2-NealeDonald-Walsch/dp/0340765445/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 &qid=1305941709&sr=8-1
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T
he people who
- of yourself, the other
are most successful
person and conscious of
in marriage relationships
the way that internalized
are the same ones who are
image affects your choices
most successful in parenting
and behaviour.”
relationships. This is the conclusion of
psychologists Harville Hendrix and Helen Hunt
The people who did well at both
after observing and researching parent-child
marriage and parenting made a
relationships.
commitment to become conscious about the
process. They were willing to see what was
Why should this be? The counsellors say, in
hidden in themselves and, without prejudice,
their book, Giving the Love That Heals, that
to understand the connection between past
this is partly because marriage and parenting
wounding and present functioning. They were
have some important things in common. “For
able to override their self-protective impulses in
one thing, they share a progression through
favour of responses that were less me-centered
stages. Both begin with romantic attachment,
and more relationship-centered.
move into the power struggle, and then (if
you are smart and lucky) on into healthy
The authors say, “All parents can become more
interdependence.”
conscious if they chose to do so. Consciousness
is a natural state, available to everyone. There
According to Harville and Hunt our internalized
are only two requirements: an awareness that
image of our parents, shapes both our
you are not as conscious as you want to be,
marriage and our parenting relationships
and a willingness to engage in the process of
in important ways. It affects our choice of
deep self-reflection.”
marriage partner and the way we parent
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our children is also powerfully influenced by
Giving the Love that Heals, Harville Hendrix and
the experiences we had with our parents
Helen Hunt pp xviii-ix
during childhood. “But at the center of
http://www.amazon.com/Giving-Love-Heals-
both relationships, if they are successful, is
Harville-Hendrix/dp/0671793993/ref=sr_1_1?ie=U
the commitment to become more aware
TF8&qid=1303592831&sr=1-1-catcorr
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Challenge your beliefs From Clear Thinking by Mike George, U.K.
“Around 25 years ago I hit a hard wall in my life which stopped me in my tracks. It drove me to investigate and learn the deepest causes and most effective remedies for the kinds of stress that are now at epidemic levels worldwide. I soon realised that relaxation is an inside job! Happiness is a decision not a dependency. And that the authentic love that we all seek is only ever one second away.”
W
hat you are about to read may challenge some of your most deeply held beliefs. For example: Stress is a form of pain or discomfort which comes to tell us there is something we need to change. By this definition there is no such thing as positive stress, or to put it another way, the inability to relax anywhere anytime is a message that is simply telling you there is something you need to learn. However, most of us have learned to believe some stress is both natural and necessary. This belief blinds us to our need to learn how to change the way we respond to the world around us. The messenger of pain or discomfort can come at any level - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. The most common messages that come at a mental/ emotional level are anxiety/worry/tension/fear/anger. If not resolved they will eventually lead to physical disease or illness. Unfortunately most of us mistakenly accept the ‘stress experiences’ as part of life, and do little to alleviate the pain or discomfort at the mental and emotional levels, until it becomes so severe, even life threatening, at the physical level. One of the most powerful illusions which keeps us locked in a stressful lifestyle is the idea that our stress is caused by circumstances, events and other people. As long as you think this way you will always be in self created pain, and likely to be crying ‘victim’. Some people have been in pain for so long they cannot 22
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imagine being pain free, and real relaxation is a dim and distant memory. So they justify their pain as a natural part of living and then project it’s cause onto others. They also tend to convince themselves they are comfortable being uncomfortable, relaxed when they are not relaxed. This is fatal. To listen to the messenger of pain means seeing and acknowledging our stress as our own creation. It is the result of how we respond to the uncontrolables in life i.e. circumstances, events and other people. No one else creates our responses. If you can see and accept that you create your own stress according to how you are responding, you will then see that there is something you need to unlearn as well as learn. The old response needs to be unlearned, and a new response needs to be learned. This is not an instant process, but a gradual, personal, inner work, over time. The purpose of a little ‘chilled thinking’ each week is not only to give you some insightful thoughts to think about, but also to challenge those deeply held beliefs and perceptions which you are both consciously and unconsciously holding on to, and which are the real root causes of your stress and discomfort. Are you ready to challenge yourself and learn new ways to change your responses to life, the universe and most of all... other people?
Mike George is a best selling author, motivational speaker and spiritual teacher who, for the last twenty
“Around 25 years ago I hit a hard wall in my life which stopped me in my tracks. It drove me to
years, has been coaching, guiding and facilitating the personal and executive development of people in
investigate and learn the deepest causes and most effective remedies for the kinds of stress that are now
companies, corporations and communities in over 30 countries. He is founder of The Relaxation Centre
at epidemic levels worldwide. I soon realised that relaxation is an inside job! Happiness is a decision
and Director of The Spiritual Intelligence Unit and www.relax7.com
not a dependency. And that the authentic love that we all seek is only ever one second away.” To subscribe and have Clear Thinking sent to you directly please send your email address to mike@relax7.com
ive from the heart. Don’t give with the expectation of getting something in return. You can give with the thought that you are sharing - that you are giving because you have so much. You are giving because you know and trust that you will always have what you want so you can afford to give something even before you receive what you seek. This mere act of giving from the heart and with the full knowledge that you have plenty and with the trust that you will always have more than enough - creates a bond between you and your higher power, spirit, universe, subconscious mind, God or whatever you want to call that part of us that we feel is connected to a higher entity. That bond is a trust - in which you are saying: “I know I will always have more than I want so I am now giving something because I want to fully trusting that I will always have more than what I want - and therefore I can share because I want to.” Charity Café.com
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Inner Centre of Inspiration and Truth Rev. Cheryl Hernandez the Founder and Director of the Inner Centre of Inspiration and Truth.
Affiliation The Inner Centre of Inspiration and Truth (ICIT pronounced ‘I see it’)is a New Thought Study group and Empowerment Centre founded by Rev. Cheryl Hernandez in 2003. We are affiliated to the Universal Foundation for Better Living whose founder is the Reverend Dr. Jonnie Colemon-Nedd with headquarters is in Chicago U.S.A.
Inner Centre of Inspiration and Truth is different because: • At ICIT we focus on helping you develop your spirituality instead of focusing on religious symbols and rituals. • We empower you by encouraging you to be a seeker of Truth rather than a dogmatic believer. • We are a New Thought organization (not to be
Our Vision ICIT is a centre that develops and supports people to do
confused with New Age). We interpret the Bible metaphysically. This means we go deeper than
ministry efficiently and effectively; a centre that teaches people to develop and balance the spiritual, mental,
the literal meaning in the Bible. This is a teaching ministry therefore you get more teaching here than
emotional and physical aspects of their lives. •
preaching. We teach the principles handed down to us by our
•
way-shower Jesus Christ. We believe church can be fun so we use a variety of
Mission of ICIT To empower people to consciously create for themselves the abundant life which is their birthright by teaching them to love, serve, heal, fellowship and apply in all
approaches to get the message across e.g. sermons, workshops, group discussions, joy singing, films,
aspects of their lives, truth principles as espoused by Jesus Christ and practiced by New Thought Christians.
games, etc. We are about practical Christianity; we encourage
Our Aim At ICIT our objective is to teach people how to: • See It — By finding and tuning in to our own spiritual centre, we receive revelations of Truth from our Divine Spirit within us. We call these revelations “I see it moments” and they are represented by our symbol, the spiritual eye. • Be It — By being consciously aware that we are spiritual beings having a human experience and living from that awareness. • Live It — By applying the practical techniques of New Thought principles to everyday affairs, we will begin to live the abundant life of which Jesus spoke. Hence our Motto — See It, Be It, Live It
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How is ICIT Different?
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•
•
you to apply what you learn here to your daily life and then, if you wish, to share your progress. We do not preach fire and brimstone, instilling guilt and fear in your mind. We believe that we all were given free will and are responsible for the choices we make. We simply remind you that all choices have consequences.
What Do We Believe? 1. WE BELIEVE that it is God’s Will that every individual on the face of this earth should live a healthy, happy and prosperous life. (Luke 12:32) 2. WE BELIEVE that such a life is within the reach of each one of us and the way to its attainment begins with the realization that the Kingdom of God is
within us, waiting for us to bring it into expression. (Luke 17:21) 3. WE BELIEVE that we can bring this Kingdom forth by practicing the universal spiritual principles handed down through the ages and taught by our Way-Shower, Jesus the Christ. (Luke 17:21)
2. The Divinity of Man (Man is made in the image of God) 3. The Value and Power of Thought (Our thoughts create our world) 4. Practicing the Presence (Regular communication with God)
4. WE BELIEVE with Jesus, that our experiences are the reflections of our beliefs and therefore the key
5. The Law of Manifestation (Our thoughts are manifested in visible form)
to happy and successful living is right thinking followed by right action. (Prov. 23:7)
We are a bible based organization therefore the
5. WE BELIEVE with Jesus, that the basis for right thinking is LOVE - love of God and all that is good 6.
7.
8.
9.
in our fellowman and ourselves. (Matt 19:19, 22:37) WE BELIEVE that learning to listen to the whisperings of the ‘still small voice’ within us will insure that we are guided into right action. (Prov. 3:6) WE BELIEVE that rather than devoting our primary efforts to providing for the needy of the world, the time has come to make available to all men everywhere a teaching that will enable them to provide for themselves by learning to release the divine potential within them. (Matt. 6:33) WE BELIEVE that the Inner Centre of Inspiration and Truth, ICIT, in tune with its leader, is a vehicle for the spreading of such a teaching. (John 15:16) WE BELIEVE that a mighty new wind is blowing. Men everywhere are hungry for practical techniques that will show them how to fulfill the good desires of their hearts. We at ICIT believe that we have these techniques and we offer them to everyone without distinction, confident that with the help of the Holy Spirit we can teach all who are willing to learn how to overcome whatever would keep them from their highest good. (Matt. 28:19-20)
What Do We Teach? At ICIT our study and life journey with Self is based on 5 basic principles: 1. The Omnipresence of God (There is no spot where God is not)
Bible is our main text book. However we study other inspirational books that are in alignment with our five basic principles and our nine statements of what we believe. What Is New Thought? New Thought is Practical Christianity. It empowers people to realize their potential by becoming consciously aware of God’s Spirit within them. New Thought teaches universal spiritual principles that enable people to build happy and prosperous lives. New Thought helps people to change their circumstances by changing their thoughts, feelings and beliefs. We agree with the bible quotation “Be ye transformed by the renewing of the mind”. New Thought uses a wide range of approaches to God, to man, to life and its seeming problems. Our approach is Philosophical, Psychological, Practical, Metaphysical, Spiritual and Theological. New Thought gives a new perspective on the same unchanging, spiritual principles, a perspective that is relevant to present times. For over thirty years the Universal Foundation for Better Living has been a vigilant champion of the selfempowering teaching of New Thought. De Gannes Building, Suite #4, 137 Eastern Main Road, St Augustine (Opposite the gas station that is next to Emerald Plaza) Telephone: (868)-753-5870 Email: info@innercentre.net
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Will you or won’t you take it on? by Garfield King
S
ee me? I ain’t taking that on!
That’s the attitude most of us adopt when faced with difficult situations. We are intelligent, we are good people, but when we see something that’s clearly wrong, most of us would rather not make waves, we don’t want to rock the boat. We forget that when the boat is stuck in mud, the only way to free it and get it moving might be to rock it a little. We enjoy the pastime of complaining to friends and colleagues about how bad things are and share lamentations on the state of the community, the job, the country or the world. We may even write a letter to the editor or summon the courage to call in to one of those radio talk shows. But will we take the necessary action that would bring about the changes we want to see? Hardly ever. We would rather wait for someone else to take the first step. And because we are all waiting, no steps are taken. What we often do is withdraw our cooperation thinking, “If I’m not involved, I’m not responsible if something goes wrong. Let those fancy people who think they know everything sort it out. At least no one can blame me for messing up.” Or we may be short on hope, “I’ve tried in the past and nothing changed and now I’m just too tired to keep trying.” But if we don’t speak up time and time again, how can our voices be heard? If we don’t take the actions necessary for improvements, how can things get better?
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There was a time when I was overwhelmed by events happening around me and felt powerless to do anything about it. I comforted myself with a Bruce Hornsby song popular at the time, “That’s just the way it is”. Whenever something didn’t go my way I’d sing the chorus… “That’s just the way it is, some things will never change…” Or I’d quote the old Bajan saying: “When better can’t be done let worse continue.” A good friend pulled me up on it. She said that it’s quite appropriate to accept the things beyond your control and not get overly upset about them, but it’s something else entirely to resign yourself to situations because of fear or laziness. Most circumstances that cause conflicts for human beings are created by human beings and therefore can be changed somehow. But you wipe out the possibility for change if you keep thinking there’s nothing you can do because you feel that’s just how things are. By realizing that there is something you can do, all sorts of exciting alternatives open up. You’re then in a position to take action and make things happen. In a calm, but firm tone she said, “If you can improve your attitude and expectations about yourself, circumstances will likely take a turn for the better.” We can all be instruments of change, but first we must believe that we can be.
BLISS YOGA TEACHERS Hatha Yoga Studio Long Circular Road, POS Yoga for adults, children and teen s ; Yoga for kids with special needs; Pre-natal yoga Certified Bliss Yoga Teachers Rachel Guillen 620-7224 Rachel Choo Quan 681-0487
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A CONSCIOUS effort to promote the world-wide efforts in the preservation of planet EARTH
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