Philadelphia Integral Evolutionary

Preface to William James’ “Varieties of Religious Experience”

"[William James] believed, with many another religious thinker, that the sinner is closer to God than the conventionally good man, because life is given us as a passion; it is, as Keats said, a vale of soul-making. What is characteristic of life is the thing that antedates and denies convention. Convention trims, distorts, and suppresses, for good reasons that we all acknowledge. But social discipline also weakens and disables, leaving no merit for the virtuous man who is such only because his spirit is too weak to be tempted. This is no doubt why saints and apostles more often consort with thieves and prostitutes than with bankers and aldermen”

– Jacques Barzum, from the preface to William James’ Varieties of Religious Experience

“You better start kissing me” (by Hafiz)

Throw away
Your begging bowls at God’s door

For I have heard the Beloved
Prefers sweet threatening shouts,

Something on the order of:

Hey, Beloved,
My heart is a raging volcano
of love for you!

You better start kissing me –
Or else!"

My Manifesto

I create opportunities for creative people to meet and engage

I research, review and publish resources that help people live richer, fuller, more loving lives

More than anything in the world, I love to write

I show people how to grow their web business and traffic

I know that the choice to be happy is available to me in every situation

I know that learning how to be happy and learning how to love are the same thing. “Love bears all things” [Corinthians 13:7]

I know that there is no difference between the lover and the beloved. Neither is better or worse since neither would exist without the other.

I believe that 90% of human upset and suffering has one cause: lack of empathy (failure to understand how another person thinks and feels). Fortunately for me, empathy is a skill that can be learned.

I believe that loneliness is the greatest scourge of Western civilization (and the cause of most other problems). I try and reduce loneliness, one person at a time.

I take what is offered to me and I give what is pleasurable for me to give, regardless of what other people think I should do (and sometimes even what I myself think)

I never apologize for my truth

I know that my wife Rebekah is the greatest thing that ever happened to me as a human being

I know the past has no power over me

I live a life knowing that everything I want is within me now

I realize that intelligence is not just in the mind

I believe it is possible to be spiritually aligned and wealthy

I strive for the impossible so I can call on a strength greater than myself

I believe I was put on the planet to experience joy and to teach it to others

I am intense and focused

Learning new things is as important to me as eating

Give me this every day and I am happy: a walk, a dance, a song, a visit with a friend, a new idea, and a big plate of steamed greens :)

– With gratitude and inspiration to Brooke Castillo

Words to live by (from Brooke Castillo and Self-coaching 101)

From Brooke Castillo – Self-Coaching 101:

I learn from the best
I take what I learn and apply it in a way that resonates
I simplify the lessons that work most effectively
I teach the lessons to others

I focus on my strengths
I never apologize for the truth
I believe everyone deserves heaps of joy in this lifetime
I know the past has no power over me
I live a life knowing that everything I want is within me now
I realize that intelligence is not just in the mind
I believe it is possible to be spiritually aligned and wealthy
I strive for the impossible so I can call on a strength greater than myself
I believe I was put on the planet to coach, teach, and Be
I believe my happiness is the best gift I have to give my children
I know my husband is the best thing that ever happened to me as a human
I am intense and focused
I love my clients and feel it is a privilege to work with them-not the other way around
I am not better than you and I am not worse than you
Reading is as important to me as showering (sometimes more so)

Teleseminar series on women’s evolution; and Hal & Sidra Stone on voice dialogue

I just heard that Claire Zammit (one of the principals of Awakening the New Feminine Power program, and wife to Craig Hamilton from Integral Enlightenment) will be co-hosting a free online teleseminar series called Women on the Edge of Evolution. The format seems to exactly mirror Craig’s Great Integral Awakening Series – i.e. interviews with leading teachers and luminaries such as Sally Kempton, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Jean Houston (she’s still around? WOW), Diane Musho Hamilton and Sofia Diaz (from iEvolve) and more – all my favorite women evolutionaries. The calls are free, along with downloads; and (I’m guessing) a paid course will follow. But hey, who’se to complain? I am just about through the Great Integral Awakening audios, and looking for more material ;).

On another note – I had already mentioned a free audio of Hal & Sidra Stone on Integral Life, talking about themselves and about the creation of Voice Dialogue (which was the precursor and prime inspiration of Genpo Roshi’s Big Mind). Well I just listened to it and it knocked my socks off. As much as anything it was the sweetness of their rapport with each other (the amount of respect and affirmation that they demonstrated) that made me want to take up the practice with my wife Rebekah. My immediate thought was “this is how I want to grow old together”. I will post a follow-up to this once we’ve had some time to practice together.

Enjoy…

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
But if I am only for myself, who am I?
If not now, when?"

-- Hillel

"We can choose to make the success of all humanity our personal business. We can choose to be audacious enough to take responsibility for the entire human family. We can choose to make our love for the World what our lives are really about. Each of us now has the opportunity, the privilege to make a difference in creating a World that works for all of us. It will require courage, audacity and heart. It is much more radical than a revolution, it is the beginning of a transformation in the quality of life on our planet. You have the power to fire a shot heard around the World.

If not you, who? If not here, where? If not now, when?"

-- Werner Erhard, 1979

"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet."

-- Frederich Buechner

"Describe the steps you would take, the gifts you would buy, the generosity you would bestow, the kindness you would offer, the enthusiasm you would have, the attention you would give, and anything else that appeals to you, if you were able to give yourself the things you want someone else to give to you.

NONE OF US WANTS TO GROW UP"

-- Cheri Huber

“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one...being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, being a force of nature, instead of a feverish selfish clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy… I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as i live it, it is a privilege to do whatever i can. i rejoice in life for its own sake… Life is no brief candle to me, but sort of a bright torch that i got hold of for a moment and i want to make it burn as brightly as possible, before handing it on to future generations"

-- George Bernard Shaw “Bright Torch”

"Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy."

-- Joseph Campbell

"If your mind is on the right path, it doesn’t matter how fast you go. If you’re on the right path, you’ll get there. Commitment keeps you on the path."

-- Steve Chandler

Throw away
Your begging bowls at God’s door

For I have heard the Beloved
Prefers sweet threatening shouts,

Something on the order of:

Hey, Beloved,
My heart is a raging volcano
of love for you!

You better start kissing me –
Or else!"

-- Hafiz

"You don't need to get what you want if you can express what you want"

-- Strephon Kaplan-Williams

"The heart has its reasons that Reason knows not of."

-- Blaise Pascal

Integral Evolutionary

Preface to William James’ “Varieties of Religious Experience”

“You better start kissing me” (by Hafiz)

My Manifesto

Words to live by (from Brooke Castillo and Self-coaching 101)

Teleseminar series on women’s evolution; and Hal & Sidra Stone on voice dialogue

Subscribe to updates

Friend me on…

Recent Posts

Quotes

Integral Evolutionary

Preface to William James’ “Varieties of Religious Experience”

Developmental groups forming, Philadelphia and beyond (Michael Murphy’s Presence process and David Gershon’s Social Change 2.0)

“You better start kissing me” (by Hafiz)

My Manifesto

Words to live by (from Brooke Castillo and Self-coaching 101)

Teleseminar series on women’s evolution; and Hal & Sidra Stone on voice dialogue

Subscribe to updates

Friend me on…

Recent Posts

Quotes