An open space for global conversation
How might telling a "new story" have the power to help shift our collective trajectory?
Our cafe call is now complete (podcast available here) and so we are moving into the next phase of our conversation, which we invite you to continue here in the forum and out in the world.
Our great thanks to New Stories Executive Director Jeff Vander Clute and Great Transition Stories Executive Director Duane Elgin for being our main conversation starters for this juicy dialogue, and also to our special last minute guests David DeGraw and Joel Levey. It was a pleasure having all of you with us and we look forward to further collaboration.
We will revisit our "Occupy a New Story" theme on the Vital Conversation for Monday September 10th, when we will explore the story "A Global Brain Awakens." Please join us again for that call (time and registration details in the box on the right hand side of this page).
Meanwhile, this conversation continues... In this next phase, we again invite you to engage one-one with people around you. You can use the three questions that framed our conversation on the phone:
Consider having this conversation not only with people you feel are generally aligned with your own beliefs but also with someone whose opinions you find challenging! Share your own perspective too, but try replacing certainty and advice with curiosity. Try asking: "tell me more about that," especially when you hear something that challenges you!
Please post your own thoughts below, as well as anything that emerges from conversations you engage in with others (note: you must be registered and logged in to post).
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My question would be around the adults I can observe in my own circles and culture. Although impossible for me, I'd look at what is the progress (the way they live... hopefully not mostly from the news media) in spiritual/values development which manifest in respecting humanity and earth... hence civil rights and conservation. I would rate us living on earth using a suffering index (combining physical with the more insidious psychological suffering) rather than 'progress'.
I'm not an anthropologist or historian. But, I'll use a book of artist renderings of "Life in Holland in 1556." (I'm Dutch) Information and art was generated from in-tact artifacts found in trunks in the attic of distant relatives of the artist. It illustrates among many things, the social conditions of life... implying values too. It showed how witches and superstition instilled fear causing behaviors that denied a rational process of defense & offense. It did not value dignity, or life for that matter in ways it tortured people until they confessed. Hiddeous tortures included stretching on the rack, mutilation of body parts. Authority was absolute, retained by fear, ignorance, and deprivation. It seems a life so ignorant of anything beyond gross world of objects and body... full of suspicion, hatred, fear, cowardice (all around preoccupation with self)... people letting their children die to save themselves... devoid or little space in the heart for compassion.
I realize the likelihood that life was much worse in the thousands of years prior to this.
But, it also seems we are still for the most part, within a significantly primitive existence.. and so very far from a selfless people. My society has placed at the highest levels of my government this primitiveness- empowered... like when George Bush said immediately after the 9/11 attack... "We're going to hunt them cowards down and kill them no matter where they are..." And we are still on a ride of national (perhaps stoked-up) fear & need for protection. Even as I write this I am reminded of the feelings of futility and disparity in living among this grossness of human kind to which I am connected quantitatively.
It appears the vast majority of people have yet to even begin their inward spiritual journey toward the more subtle. Unfortunately these are the very people who are the antithesis of selfless service or compassion, and are so highly motivated by ambition, power and wealth.
The word maturity doesn't fit my idea of deeper, more subtle, more unified construct of life.
Dyck you are a beautiful mature wise feeling voice of wisdom offering all of us an opening to transcend the suffering index! Thank you. Remember the gift cycle Dyck, say thank you, or I like how that feels, or yes can you say more about what you see?
Mushin
My honest response as a receiver of care is to honor the giver, Mushin in the care & good intention it takes to 'see' me... perhaps also to learn to do the same for others.
Greetings, Dyck! This is my first reply in Occupy Cafe, and I've been looking forward to this all day.
I am appreciating your comments both in this online forum and on yesterday's call. Regarding the "suffering index," it immediately came to mind that there is a Happiness Index in Seattle. The Happiness Initiative created a survey that is being used in Seattle, Eau Claire, Nevada City, and many other places to assess, reasonably comprehensively, how cities/communities are doing.
Now, the results are not universally encouraging. A study commissioned by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, using the Happiness Initiative survey results, suggests that there is a high degree of social injustice and even suffering within minority communities. But at least attention is being brought to bear on where the "suffering index" is high. And hopefully with time and healing, "happiness index" will be a better measure.
Bringing this to the inner... In microcosm, I'm witnessing a consciousness shift in people who are involved in the happiness work. And in macrocosm, a global movement for Happiness & Well-being that has been gaining momentum big-time since April. There seems to be an upwelling within consciousness, and I sense it's this upwelling that has given us Occupy, the Compassion Movement, the Happiness & Well-being Movement, etc.
So... last night before dinner I was ruminating on how prioritizing happiness - our true nature as Ramana Maharshi would say - is a gateway to deep transformation. I'm very encouraged that while "maturity" may not yet be an obvious attribute of humanity, there's an opening for a collective growth spurt...
Nice to hear from you Jeff. Especially your information about the Happiness Initiative... and what you are seeing and feeling. I agree with you seeing this NC too but I know a lot is hidden from my circles. But, the dominate reason I got hooked on OccupyRaleigh last Oct was the strong sense of caring about others among this group. Very contagious and hence now this has become my message and 'answer' to almost any problem... if not any problem. So, I kind of 'get it' that people working on a Happiness & WB project would feel good about it too.
I do wonder tho about the survey because my unprofessional theory is that people who are more comfortable financially actually suffer more, but it is well concealed and is somewhat different in nature. That likely has been shifting over last few years with heavy job and home losses.
My assessment of tomorrow's Vital conversation:
I feel sometimes like I have been walking a "tight rope" my whole life bridging worlds as a 'toddler' learning both the rope and worlds simultaneously. Most days I feel emotionally like I am engaging with "teenage" arrested adolescent behaviors on the playground of bullies, competition and arrogant aggression based in power to exclude and appropriate as a game of greed for positioning, title and voice in the distrust, resignation and despair happening in predatory chaos. I am learning to mature through current breakdowns into a dignified adulthood which is rather difficult at the moment because the permanent domains of human concerns to be an adult in current predatory chaos is untrustworthy in discourses, institutions and the collective cultural matrix and is like navigating shifting sands on a desert or find a life raft on Titanic. Finally, wise elders are few and far between in my assessment and have been drowned out with the chaotic noise on the playground screaming bloody murder. Yet, there whispering is like a gentle beautiful breeze of renewal and a blooming rose in my midst offering wonder, imagination and creativity in a designing a new world together carting for future generations.
I consider us, we and us as humanity in the teenager phase (the interviews I conducted sense the same) moving into adulthood and appreciating any elder's wisdom (many referred to indigenous people) willing to show their face on the playground and ringing the recess bell calling for a clearing in learning.
my vote is that we are in our teenage years, full of growing arrogance as we gain new powers, full of apprehensions as we step into the unknown, grasping at what seems real as explanation of the unreal and unable to judge between the two, yet with a growing realisation that the world and our societies are not all that they seem to be and brought up short by the glaring anomalies that litter the escarpments of the mainstream presentation.
Hé Ben and others,
I like that the OccupyCafé is going the road of the new story! I just wanted to share that here. Some time ago, David Eggleton gave me a copy of the book When Society Becomes an Addict, by Schaef - I guess that says enough in the context of the question raised here...
what if Society Becomes an Adult?
With love, and keep on doing the good work!
Ria
Hi Sea - Don't see you on the call....Hard to taste the meat of the nut through the shell. Come on in...
Thinking of attributes of adolescents... enamored of hormones, image, social acceptance, profound lack of confidence & self consciousness, easily influenced by peers, want things badly, poute & sulk, mixed up values, defiant, cowardly, shirk responsibility or accountability, driven by gross mis-information, don't suspect how much they don't know, driven by desire and don't see their self-centeredness, mistrust of elders & authority, etc..
This does sound like our adult world. Yet in some ways its worse for us because as chronological adults some of us have manipulated power and authority & do more damage. In other ways we have cemented many of these attributes by building our misguided behaviors into what is seen as a normal life... a faulty construct of reality.
Yet, perhaps most damaging to our development, is having no center of plausible morality or deep spiritual yearning for truth. So, our existence is one fraught with injustice, violence, greed, etc., as you might expect... So far there's too few paying attention, let alone fighting for principles or rights courageously!
Is the forum discussion proposing we are adolescents who will plan and figure and willfully repair ourselves to fully wise inhabitants (even given some of the common attributes of adolescents I began with)? What can we expect from adolescents, growing up on their own, without guidance, who are additionally living like packs of wolves?
To me this is an experiencial journey in which we each must act (alone) in order to relieve our shared suffering. It's not a matter of working it all out in our head or in the lab... it's not even a matter of thinking at all. We will act from our hearts... bravely, detached of the material, and it will be in selfless ways rather than ways that will gain a goal or an image of goodness or maturity.
Direction we sorely need as children of the earth, are from those albeit humble, unfamous, 'small' individuals doing small things, who act with true selflessness, kindness and compassion. (Rumi teaches us how to recognize them.) These are our masters. And like being present to those we care about who are dying, they alone teach true about the process of death.
What New Story Might WE Tell Ourselves that Recognizes the Gift of Being US?
(((Mushin's comments are his observations of what he heard as a reporting. The scribing was a little disjointed by the emoting that errupted like Mt ST Helen inwardly. If I have offended anyone in my indignified authentic comments as a reporting scribe please forgive me, and clarify the mistake with your own authentic clarity. I am colorful in the deep poietic sense, a fool at heart, and at 61 years old I can't seem to stop swearing, it's actually getting worse as the election season continues and I don't even watch TV! So all you high rolling religous, new ager's, or fundamental any things, I am not prejudice and hate all of you, so sacred fruitcakes may not want to read the bottom line from Mushin Today! As for the presence of any genuine elderhood voice of wise maturity; please forgive my indignation on the playground.)))
Thank you for a great call and pace in cafe movement today, it was perfect Ben and Jitendra. Your presenter's where concise to the point and I don't feel like I must buy a program or new training. they just layed into the meat of the leverage point. Inspiring Cafe call WOW! is all I can say, I was uncorked, unglued, unleashed, and surprised by the graceful manner and expetise shared. I was glad I was contained in a side group who knew me and not being taped in the main room. It allowed the process to allow some real emoting to happen a meaningful way. Thanks!
Scribblings from Mushin: (a couple videos attached)
Group: Judy, Heather, Daniel, Mushin
1st question: When you look at the overall behaviors of our collective humanity what stage do you see humanity currently in toddler, adolescent/teenager, adult or elder.
Mushin teenager adolescent stage (Full comment enclosed prior to call)
Heather there is a deep distortion in her assessment of children's curiosity and imagination as a mid school teacher. Response to Judy in regards to condition being a system breakdowns, her assessment was we are at the death stage a huge collective illness and dying process. Transition stage.
Daniel toddler to self pleasuring adolescent phase, taking a vacation comes from vacating responsibilities.
Judy loves children's and they are naturally kind and we need to return to agreements & rules we learned in kiddy garden, and selfishness is the problem. To Heather Judy is a gardener and what we have id gardeners destroying the plant by sucking the life force out of everything.
1st Harvest
Dyck suggested Pre Toddler looking at the spans of human consciousness infancy to full realization; consciousness in caring for self importance to ultimately collective wholeness. Where we are is bewildering (the ego) which means nothing as reflection when thinking where we are and how far we have yet to go.
Judy teenage consensus trying to figure out identity. Define economy, identity and everyone wants to grow up.
Jerry "elder stage" (San Diego) who assisted in starting the Occupy Movement SD community witnessed enthusiasm, optimism in initial Occupy Movement and watched the decline went into a slow death to complete life cycle. Declining years and end of time happening and what is happening is unsustainable.
Presentation of New Story Notion:
New Stories Executive Director Jeff Vander Clute and Great Transition Stories; Change the Story and U Change the Paradigm at the HIGHEST LEVERAGE POINT in the collective cultural system.
David DeGraw investigate journalist of Occupy Movement and deeply connected to networks of conversations reporting on the unsustainable economic conditions and political cultural corruptions distorting effective actions in our collective experience. David is looking for an underlying driving force to unite us a people in mutual agreement. Six degrees of Kevin Bacon's notion of nearness to one another, and we live in a time where conditions necessitate a breakthrough movement now in mass transformational energies on earth.
Dr Joe Levey (Michelle wife) agree that radical transformation is occurring in outside cultural matrix and inside realizations in living. Main notion at there website/consultancy at "Wisdom at Work" is the melt down currently is melting all the bullshit (mushins's distinction) and a new unified view in cognitive science is arising. Especially since 911 where there is a collective emergent realization together as a humaity. The story of "occupy Love or the Heart" in his assessment is much more effective than just raging against the Melting Empire. The deep heart is a shared experience within the whole humanity. The joyful concern we can enactively embody is carry the deep heart into the village and Occupy the Human Potential to build a new beginning in activity, inviting all the trouble makers out there to join in rather than arrest them.Joe invites us to join us in this revelatory dynamism.
Duane Elgin visionary "Conscious Evolution of a Living Culture." Teenage is the overall assessment in the collective assessment through his research and there is a desire to experience maturation of our collective lives.
Second Question What was the experience that moved you from adolescent to adulthood in your life?
Judy POST of ACTION HAPPENING IN 2012 Election Cycle: Committed to getting money out of politics with "Peter Bears People's Conference" we have created an info commercial to entice people to join movement. Mushin shared contact info and is supporting Judy's notion and project.
Heather two boys and two girls at 11 spent a month together in the Swiss alps to share an experience of the world. Great bridge to growing up in diversity. My senior year I refused at 16 going on 17 to move from Cincinnati OH with my parents and stayed living on my own which jetisoned me out of my family at an early age, a good thing! At 62 I am still growing up. Living with people who were different then my family caused me to navigate my dependency for survival by harmonizing myself with others, I developed Life skills required to sustain myself and not get expelled from the social units I needed.
Daniel if I did move into adulthood through eliminating religious phobia, and was in Haight Asbury embracing both spiritual experience and religious encounters in 1967, it was the gathering of the tribes. My search for community began, yoga in the park, free medicine, new age everywhere, and in Oct 67 the old guys with a coffin bried the hippie movement because it became a media event and its ultimate death. Self pleasure under the notion of master~bation is the teenage role.
Judy protracted adolescent space is it for me, the whole world in my oyster. Suffering disappointments in living has been my awakening.
Mushin 1968 fatality accident as senior in HS, Columbus OH.
Next Question Preparation: Humanity moving into adulthood
Duane 1) Brush with death as a wake up call
2) Bigger story then your own self importance
3) Mentors cognitive wisdom and heroic influences dead or alive
4) Events thrust upon you that require stretching the envelope of identity and narrative
5) Larger community, veteran, edge communities or experiences of self organized learning
6) Personal inner transformation, silence, solitude, stillness, sacredness inner altar
Jeff The more I think into stories, I asses they are the highest leveraging points and we have only been working in this area for two years "Inspiring Stories in Development" (?)
Next Question: "What is your personal experience moving from teenage to adulthood? And where do see it happening in the surrounding world?
Heather amazed Duane distinctions and in our group we encountered all the buttons, and hearing the brush with death i recognize the significance today;a moment of letting go and surrender, I could either fight what was surrounding me or let go! The critical moment was a deep psychological histological experience of going into open heart surgery one day. Curiosity is surrendering to love, the heart, and as helped me to become an active listener and more mature.
Daniel second the motion. Are U willing to die at any moment? Lived in the inner city, held up at gun point, Wisconsin during the Viet Nam protest. In Haight Asbury (67) and watched the elder's in the hippie movement bury a cofin as soon as the media got involved. One axiom of being a mature world citizen is the willingness to die any moment. Amen!
Judy I hope this Occupy Cafe is the beginning of something grand on our lives, and this movement is a sea change that makes up OUR election day in 2012. Many of us feel disenfranchised and dislocated and I really hope women exercise their vote.
Mushin unleashed his love of George Carlin voice and indignation to stop the bullshit 10 min rant, great live soothing enema of the ghosts and demons in bulshit.
Group Harvest
Dyke Where are the wise elders?
Daniel you can't tell us to not have violence in communications in a system that is violent.
Michael encouraged from the group. How are we going to move forward offer the following:
1, formulate the new story with a set of 4 to 5 simple proposed principles.
2. live the principles out in our own lives first
3. collectively join together to bring "IT" (principles working for us) forth.
Road Map to next splace.
Anita bootstrap yourself, patriarchy parents current authority, the father notion, dictates that demand obedience and negate freedom inf self awareness Where do we find theses new parents? And many are giving authority to God (appears to be working for them) waht about the inner authority and notion of authoring our lives from Gat Conf? Curiosity in our collective authority arisng from the inside and thrusting us into the next stage. WHO ARE THE PARENTS (?)
Ann Stadler move by Dycks comment "we don't know" and we are moving into a glimmering quantum world. DEEP level of occupy is just starting; look into this notion and there are many layers to explore.
Wendell Fritzgerald story telling is high leveraging in system theory, the bottom is fragmented symptoms while at the top of the ladder is the story, paradigm shifting level of engagement of the new game. When I speak mots people consider what I offer is all about a solution! In my story of inviting people to listening to "a" story, occupy earth, is really a leveraging point for sharing the earth with one another as a new story. Profound notion is we currently do not have a right to occupy space or place in current economics. We don't have the right to be here. This right to living speech is being challenged. Leverage that point is strategic change.
Evonka patriarchy has created on our codependency in a father figure and the system is increasingly dependent on finance, money, wall street.
Back to Jeff:
Follow up with Wendell there is 12 leverage points to enact a transformative paradigm. Stories of transformation is the life blood of changing the systems in the global cultural matrix.
Duanne adolescent to adult criteria from research worlwide!
1) occupy space by occupying airwaves
2) occupy story by taking stories to mass media marketplace
3) occupy stars by shifting from sports to real live new heroes heroines in life
4) occupy change by experimenting with change as observers giving reports
Three core changes of moving into adulthood by Joseph Campbell
1) connecting to the earth
2) compassion for the entire web of life.
3) relationship with a living universe.
As we enter into deeper stories, the deep need in the psychology of our humanity, there is very rich experience awaiting us in designing a future world together!
Mushin's Personal Glimmering Notes for Today: HOLY SHIT IS ALL I CAN SAY!
Whatever I offer can only be follow up by first listening to George Carlin's (RIP)outrageous exposes in American comedic humor; in my hones assessment we are in deep retrograde in our current hopelessness in situational conditions, and thank goodness we are awakening "cognitarians" in this cafe within this immature arrested adolescent stage of our humanity! It's funny and to take it seriously is a matter to be concerned with! I call it mental illness in the cultural matrix of western civilization which is best described as "BULLSHIT."
Mushin (These notes are the entirety shared throughout call as it unfolded)
1) In March 1968 a drunken elder man walked out between two parked cars and was killed instantly. PTS experience shifted developing identity (how you parted your hair or the car you identified with), a deeper psychological journey who am I, what is life and what am I doing? There was no PTS treatment and "Pull yourself up the bootstraps was the sole method of survival." The family, friends, school and church said "nothing" and in the Catholic tradition your "guilty" until you prove your "innocence."
2) Joined US Army at (17) during Viet Nam conflict, 23 days after graduating HS, tested out with high IQ, Intelligent Assistant Nike Hercules Missile System. On May 4th 1970 unit was called up by Pres Nixon to enter Kent State University with Ohio National Guard and refused to enter campus with rifle as an expert marksman. Court Marshaled after quiting the military, spent 3 months in stockade and received an undesirable discharge. Again belonged to no group and felt excluded.
3) Joined Holy Order of MANS (68), a radical militant emergent contemplative community arising out of Haight Asbury "Summer of Love" (67) sharing same purse, ordaining women, and self generative funding through our own labor. Ordained a priest July 26, 1974 and deeply changed by inner spiritual illuminations in the inner work.
4) Entered business in 1978 by becoming a general contractor building solar homes in Colorado. In 2000 closed businesses and sued American Family Insurance Group and mid size insurance litigators firm Harris, Karstedt, Jamison & Powers PC for Bad Faith, Breach of Contract, Civil Conspiracy etc, and settled on the court house steps in May 2005 without any confidentiality to anyone including State of Colorado Division of Insurance & Supreme Court. I want the mother fuckers thrown out of business after the rape and butt fucking that happened in this case for the community good and arrest the bullies who think you can pull this shit off and there is never any public consequesences.
5) Since 2004 and through founding The Order of Earth following 911 on May 3 2002, which was viewed as end of world, have spent extended lengthy times with the Lakota People at Pine Ridge Reservation and basically this experience has ripped the mute button out right out of my throat! I am totally indignant with the bullshit of patriarchy operating since 1492 specifically, I demand this Pontificating horseshit to recognize the mistake and agree to the demands being voiced today in the UN Indigenous Conversation demanding the recension of the Discovery Doctrine of the Papal Bulls." This election cycle in 2012 in America is total horseshit happening and people need fire blown up there asses. Today I barfed up this bullshit, refuse to stand another moment hearing it, and listen to this absolute fo*oking insanity of pundits in mass media. Ready to die, almost considered a graceful act of kindness after this much horseshit, and some son-of-a-bitch is gonna have to shoot me because I am not going to commit suicide or homicide, and I am going to speak my fo*oking mind.
Final Note in preparing for Call!
I was recently deeply triggered in the last few days by Mark Fisher's outrage at Progressive Insurance Company's behavior in the fatality of his sister and an insurance company that failed to even defend the character of his dead sister. Well, these lawyer~ing sons-of-a-bitches in American Family Insurance better put out a fo*oking contract on may ass because I am committed to human justice and goodness in our social interactive relations. We to kill a couple of these bottom feeders operating the arrogant aggresive horseshit in this patriarchal homeland security nonsense where peeing in cups and stripped searched at airports is considered a right of state private horseshit. We need some real old hippies to generate a living leadership renaissance that teaches everyone to say "STOP IT" and knock off the bullshit.
George Carlin 42 spots please download and listen to in mass quantities to qualify the bullshit in American politics! 42 Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htx_6REAZ9Q&feature=autoplay&...
American Family Insurance & HKJP & State of Colorado
http://www.groubal.com/american-family-insurance-rapes-small-busine... (Triggered by Mark Fisher Firestorm with Progressive ~ Blog on Tumbler Social Network)
Mushin's sacred consultancy praxis is open using the "Stop It" methodology in psychological nonsense, bullshit and horseshit. Remember it only cost's $5 for 5 minutes (available on Skype and PayPal account) and the promise is it won't take the full five minutes, politicians and lawyers less than 30 seconds, no insurance billing is accepted, and I don't give change!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYLMTvxOaeE&noredirect=1
For any "Cognitarian's" interested in a new participatory COMMUNITARIAN PARTY designing a CLEARING FOR LEARNING where we intentionally design a future world together for the sacred beings of tomorrow (children) I offer this "The Forbidden Education." My new mantra!
"ALL LIVING EXPERIENCE occurs through CONVERSATIONS and this is where the REALITY WE LIVE~IN ORIGINATES." Humberto Maturana
The Forbidden Education
Movie (2 hrs 26 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Y9OqSJKCc&feature=share
Trailer (3 Min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPME2GHBe9s&feature=share
Later, Mushin
Regular Calls are no longer being held. Below is the schedule that was maintained from the Fall of 2011 through Jan 10, 2013.
Mondays
"Vital Conversations"
8-10a PDT | 11a-1p EDT | 3-5p GMT
Tuesdays (except 10/16)
"Connect 2012"
1-3p PDT | 4-6p EDT | 8-10p GMT
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