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Podcast 42: Bringing Your Soul to Work with Alan Briskin

Published at February 18, 2008 in Leadership Courses, Resources, Consulting Organizations, Social Change Agents, Podcasts and Great Books. 0 Comments

I personally had the pleasure of meeting Alan Briskin at a “Thought Leaders Gathering” in San Fransisco. A good friend of mine Craig Neal, has been bringing together some of the great leaders to explore new innovative ways of designing organizations and assisting in organizational transformation. It was at the “Thought Leaders Gathering” that I was introduced to Alan, and was very impressed with is knowledge and personal spiritual quest.

Over the years Alan and I have stayed in touch, and I called him a few months back to see if he would like to do a podcast about his book entitled, “Bringing Your Soul to Work: An Everyday Practice.” He agreed and the attached podcast is an exploration into how amidst the frenetic pace and constant urgencies at work, one is often left feeling barren inside.

There is often the question of “how” that follows any call for a new vision, especially one that includes an orientation that joins the inner life of the individual with the outer need to be effective in the world. Along with co-author, Cheryl Peppers, Alan Briskin set out to provide provocative practices, useful questions, and strengthening exercises to those seeking answers to the “how” question. This book can be very useful to individuals looking to act on what matters and to become more mindful of constructive and destructive patterns — in ourselves as well as in groups and organizations.

I encourage you to relax and listen to in my estimation, one of the predominant thought leaders in the area of spirituality in the workplace. If you would like to know more about Alan and his workshops and books, please visit his web site by clicking here.

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.

Heartfelt Connections-Greg Voisen

Published at December 19, 2007 in Compassionate Communications, Communications, Social Change Agents and Announcements. 1 Comment

I am currently involved in a project that was a co-creation with Spirit and has been divinely guided from inception. I am very excited about how rapidly it has manifested so I thought I would fill my loyal listeners in on some of the details and the status of our pilot launch.

Several years ago I was at a meditation retreat in the Orcas Islands off the coast of Washington and was inspired by a greeting card concept that I referred to as Compassionate Communications. At the time I was enrolled in a Master in Arts program at the University of Santa Monica in Spiritual Psychology, and I had stated my quality for the year was compassionate communications. In other words I was going to be working on becoming a more compassionate communicator. I remember making a comment to a friend at the time about creating a greeting card line that would be focused on sending heartfelt messages to others, and awakening in the business world a method of helping people be more compassionate with one another. I was inspired enough to go back home and reserve the URL www.compassionatecommunications.com, but that is as far as it went.

Several years transpired and I attended another Spiritual retreat in Virginia and had just been reading a book entitled “Vision Walk”, (which by the way I have completed a podcast with the author Brant Morgan on which will be posted shortly.) Brandt explains in the book a simple but powerful process where you mediate on a question that is important to you, then go on a walk in nature and listen for Spirits guidance and answers. Well, I took his advice and the first questions that popped up was , “What am I suppose to be doing with Compassionate Communications?” During the meditation my focus was on the question, but the mediation was quite peaceful and with no revaluations or insights. I then proceeded to take a walk in nature and listen for the answer to my question, and this is when I become one with Spirit and the guidance about what to do was crystal clear. Spirit directed me as to the exact details of this project and how I was going to be helping people. This was truly a magical experience for I can remember it vividly, touching butterfly’s as I walked through the woods, something that had never happened to me before. I must admit at times I thought that I might loose the detail, but when I arrived back at my cabin it all came flowing out in my journal.

The information was very clear, so much so that I wrote almost nine pages of detail about this project . The manifestation of this divine intervention with Spirit has been the creation of Compassionate Communications and a joint project with Hallmark Cards called, “Heartfelt Connections.” I must tell you that Spirits assistance did not stop that day in the woods of Virginia, she continued to guide me directly to Hallmark.

I came home from the retreat and asked my assistant Jennifer to find the phone number to someone in management at Hallmark, she did and I made the call. They responded and were willing to listen to the Spirit created idea about reciprocal healing greeting cards. They were so impressed with the idea that they sent out five people from the home office to meet with my son Sean and I. What prompted their visit was a meeting that I had set up with the Leukemia Society, San Diego to discuss a pilot program we wanted to kick off in the San Diego area.

I’d like to say the rest is history, but we are still writing the history book. We are currently in the middle of the launch of the pilot program. Over the last few weeks we have been able to enroll over 100 Compassionate Communicators to write 5 cards each to cancer patients and we have 16 patients who will be receiving the healing messages. Those patients will be able to respond to the Compassionate Communicators because inside each healing card being sent is a self addressed postcard to acknowledge the Compassionate Communicator. That is what makes this program reciprocal and healing to both the sender and receiver. The sender can send a card knowing that he or she has the gratitude that but for the grace of God go I, and the patients enrolled in receiving the healing cards are able to reach out and touch the lives of the sender with a compassionate note of acknowledgment.

Our intention and all of our efforts are being put on a web site that will facilitate the process. We will launch our web site in March where the Compassionate Communicator will be able to choose the patients, and view their profiles then pick healing cards that he or she wants to send. You will then be able to upload your picture to the healing card, and the picture of the patients chosen will be printed on the return postcard being sent back to the Compassionate Communicators. At that point the Compassionate Communicator will be sent a priority mail package with 5 healing cards ready for your message of inspiration and encouragement all postage paid ready for you to drop in the mail. Then just set back relax and enjoy the feelings of healing both you and the patients are receiving.

If you would like to learn more about our Heartfelt Connections program and become involved in our next pilot prior to the launch of our web site go to www.compassionatecommunicaitons.com and download the FAQ or just leave your email and we will put you on the list for the next pilot program or to be notified when our beta site launches.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone who has supported me throughout the years a Happy Holiday and a Prosperous and Healthy New Year.

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.

Podcast 25: New Agreements in Healthcare with David Dibble

Published at November 19, 2007 in Consulting Organizations, Leadership Courses, Social Change Agents, Podcasts, Personal Growth Courses and Great Books. 1 Comment

I first attended one of David Dibble workshops a few years ago. He had just written a book called “New Agreements in the Workplace.” Some of you might recognize the similar sounding name to don Miguel Ruiz’s book entitled ” The Four Agreements.” This is by no means an accident for David studied the Toltec under don Miguel from 1990 to 1998. don Miguel ultimately kicked David out of his program and told him it was time for him to teach.

David has recently written a new book entitled, ” New Agreements In Health-care”, which focused on how to reform the systems and the thinking of the individuals in the health-care industry. David decided to apply his business knowledge and spiritual wisdom to helping reform health-care in the US. David articulates that the health-care system in this country is in dire need of resuscitation, yet when the questions of what needs to be fixed is thoroughly examined, we find that it’s largely a matter of simply acknowledging and addressing basic system problems. He states that we have become a nation of “sick-care” not health-care.

In David’s new book he stresses that we need to focus on the whole mind-body-spirit connection. That health-care in America as we know it, appears to be careening toward a terminal condition. The source of this disease is a slow and invisible killer that only exhibits its full potential for dysfunction toward the end of the life cycle. The pathogens that are making health-care so sick are the legacy health-care systems in which we are forced to deliver care. Like all systems that resist change in a changing environment, they become more complex and dysfunctional by the day.

In my interview with David, we explore his viewpoint as to what steps needs to be taken to reform the system. His simple but powerful new agreements are already having an effect on several hospitals and health-care providers. David has four simple yet profound agreements: 1) Find Your Purpose 2) Love, Grow and Serve Others, 3) Be a Systems Thinker 4) Practice a Little Every Day. David’s model for transformation of health-care is a combination of best practices, systems optimization, and universal spiritual principles.

I encourage you to visit David’s web site by clicking here to learn more about his consulting services, books and workshops. I hope you enjoy this engaging interview with a bright, articulate man who’s mission is to reform our health-care system.

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.

Podcast 19: The Art of Original Thinking with Jan Phillips

Published at October 13, 2007 in Great CDs, Social Change Agents, Podcasts, Personal Growth Courses and Great Books. 1 Comment

I first met Jan Phillips about eighteen months ago at a workshop that she was facilitating. The workshop was entitled “The Original Think” Seminar titled after her new book “The Art of Original Thinking: The Making of a Thought Leader“. I immediately fell in love with Jan and her philosophies about life. She is definitely an out of the box thinker. I love people who are continual learners and enjoy exploring new ways of seeing the world.

In her new book “The Art of Original Thinking: The Making of a Thought Leader“, Jan is a masterful storyteller as well as a visionary thinker testing how we think, and bringing greater awareness by asking us to explore deep personal questions about our assumptions. Jan does not waste anytime in her first chapter as she focuses on freeing ourselves from illusion. She states that illusions are false beliefs. They are notions and ideas that we have inherited from our culture, our families, and almost every institution which we’ve been associated. She states that to be thought leaders we need to be free and original thinkers, capable of focusing on how we are thinking as well as what we are thinking.

The premise of this book is to advance the evolution of thought, of human sensibility, of our own personal potential to be more than anyone ever said we could be. Its intention is to inspire thought leaders who are willing to be visible, vocal agents of evolutionary thinking for global good. The focus is the triple bottom line: People, Planet and Profits. A quote from the book from Paul Hawken, “Business is the only mechanism on the planet today powerful enough to produce the changes necessary to reverse global environmental and social degradation”, is so accurate. I hope that this book and podcast will inspire you to take action, to question your thoughts and assumptions and create a future for yourself and others that is filled with hope, inspiration and positive change.

My podcast is a powerful interview with a fascinating woman who is on a mission to assist others in changing their thinking and create greater awareness. To become thought leaders requires that we liberate ourselves from the old modes of thinking so that we can release our imaginations and live more authentically. Jan’s book explores how you can release the past, embrace the present and create a better future. I highly recommend this wonderful book. I know that it will change your life, and the lives of everyone with who you working with and are in relationships with. If you would like to learn more about Jan and her workshops, CD’s, retreats and speaking engagements just click here.

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.

Podcast 15: The Myth of Male Power with Dr. Warren Farrell

Published at October 3, 2007 in Social Change Agents, Podcasts, Personal Growth Courses and Great Books. 0 Comments

In my interview with Dr. Warren Farrell, we explore the “The Myth of Male Power“. This podcast with Dr. Farrell was quite fascinating and provided me insight into an area that I had little knowledge or understanding of. His perspective really opened my eyes about the socialization of both the sexes. Dr. Farrell dialogs with me about the expectations of males in society and the roles we play in order to be successful with the opposite sex. He also provides a fascinating perspective on why he believes that neither sex has power over the other and that our power is only in our ability to control our own life.

Dr. Farrell tells a very interesting story about a woman who was attending one of his lectures and got up to tell her story about her brother who was the focus of her fathers attention and admiration. Her father who was a prominent physician so wanted her brother to become a physician just like him. The father paid more attention to her brother who had originally stated that he wanted to become a physician. Then one day he announced that he no longer had a desire to become a physician and the father was devastated. Jokingly, and to win her fathers approval and admiration she told her father that she would become a physician, but deep down inside she was really only doing it so that she could win her father’s approval. Interestingly enough, she followed through with her degree and become a physician. She now states that she is in her 40’s and is not happy with this chosen profession, and would like to change vocations.

Dr. Farrell was attempting to emphasize through this story that statistically men are usually the ones who take on the jobs out of a sense of obligation or family pressures. Without sounding sexist the statistics prove this fact and this story illustrates “The Myth of Male Power” and provides interesting insights into how our viewpoint and perspective about male power in society is probably distorted.

I hope that you will enjoy this podcast with Dr. Farrell and if you are interested in learning more about his research, workshops, lectures and CD’s, please click here for more information.

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.

Podcast 14: Mind Fitness Frontier-Joel and Michelle Levey

Published at September 20, 2007 in Social Change Agents, Consulting Organizations, Wellness/Fitness, Podcasts, Personal Growth Courses, Retreats, Mentors and Great Books. 2 Comments

If you have not already figured it out, I usually have a meaningful connection with the people I interview for the blog podcasts from previous encounters I have had through my various journeys in life. There’s no exception to this rule with this latest podcast, for these guests are wonderful people and true mentors of mine.

I first encountered Dr’s Joel and Michelle Levey through a connection I made as a result of research I was conducting in the area of mindfulness and meditation in the workplace. I happen to stumble upon their web site at Wisdom at Work. I was totally fascinated by the work they were carrying out in the workplace and the results they had achieved with various organizations, groups and thousands of employees. I remember my first encounter with Joel was a phone call to their office to inquire about their book and the research they had conducted. My call was received with such a kind reception and open heart, that immediately I knew that not only did Joel and Michelle practice what they preached, but that they were the real deal.

I remember discussing a consulting case I was involved in with Qualcomm, and that the Levey’s work in the area of mindfulness and meditation just might be a perfect match. Qualcomm was experiencing internal challenges with their employees as a result of performance pressures and expectations from management. I worked with my contact at Qualcomm and he agreed that we should have the Levey’s come to San Diego and put on a presentation. The title of the workshop was “Resilience: a Tool Kit for Living and Working with Balance in Turbulent Times”, and it was a roaring success. The coordinator at Qualcomm called me almost everyday stating that so many people had signed up and that this workshop had topped any of his previous workshops. Within two days he had over 144 people registered and he was uncertain how he was going to facilitate the program because the room scheduled for the venue was not going to be able to house that many attendees. We ultimately had to re-schedule into two separate days along with a closed circuit live TV that was broadcast to all Qualcomm facilities.

The Levey’s book “Living in Balance: A Dynamic Approach for Creating Harmony & Wholeness in a Chaotic World” is the cornerstone for much of their work in the fields of meditation and mindfulness. They also have released a new book entitled” Luminous Mind: Meditation And Mind Fitness, which I can highly recommend as well.

I have learned a tremendous amount about mediation and mindfulness from Joel and Michelle and I am forever grateful for all of the wonderful times that I have spent with them in mediation retreats on the Orcas Islands in Washington’s Puget Sound. Each summer for the last six years my family and I have been attending the Levey’s mediation retreats at Camp Indralaya in the Orcas Islands and the experience has truly been blissful. I would stongly encourage the readers of my blog and listeners to my podcast to attend. If you are interested in going deeper into mediation or learning more about mindfulness, contact Joel and Michelle and sign up for one of their lovely retreats.

I have been so amazed at my own personal progress and transformation as a result of my years of mediation practice and my periodic work during the meditation retreats with Joel and Michelle, that we decided to create a course for the Digital Seed learning platform called “Mind Fitness.” If you would like to learn more about this Internet based learning module please visit the Digital Seed web site for a preview of the upcoming Mind Fitness Module. You will find the preview of the Digital Seed software and Mind Fitness module by pressing here.

I hope you enjoy this podcast with Dr’s Joel and Michelle Levey. It was a pleasure having the opportunity to interview them, for I learn something new each time we speak.

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.

Podcast 9: “One” The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership with Lance Secretan

Published at August 20, 2007 in Social Change Agents, Leadership Courses, Podcasts, Personal Growth Courses, Retreats, Mentors and Great Books. 1 Comment

I first met Lance Secretan many years ago at a Spirit in Business conference in Santa Fe, NM. I remember being quite impressed with his presentation on the CASTLE principals. In my podcast with Lance we discuss the CASTLE principals in depth. CASTLE is an acronym which stands for Courage, Authenticity, Service, Truthfulness, Love and Effectiveness. These principals may sound simple in concept, but not as easy to integrate into our lives and businesses.

The focus of his new book is about the new leader for the 21st century. Lance discusses how we have become detached from our innate sense of oneness which creates “separateness thinking.” He explains how this separateness thinking has created many of the problems both in our business and personal lives. One: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership will help the reader explore new refreshing ideas about leadership and find ways to create a greater sense of connectedness. Understanding the CASTLE principles has lead many to exceptional personal growth, and has transformed the lives of thousands. If you would like to lead your life more consciously and become more connected to the people at your work and at home, One: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership outlines the principles of Courage, Authenticity, Service, Truthfulness, Love and Effectiveness and they are definitely worth reviewing and considering for integration into your personal values as a leader.

I love how Lance ends his book with an invitation to join his community. He quotes the lines by John Lennon’s ode to oneness, Imagine:

You may say I’m a dreamer,
but I’m not the only one,

I hope some day you’ll join us,
And the world will live as one.

If you want to reawaken personally as a leader and build strong communities of support and oneness, then Lance’s book “One” The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership is a must read. For more information on Lance Secretan’s workshops, retreats and blog please visit his website.

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.

Podcast 6: The American Dream Project with Will Marre

Published at August 14, 2007 in Wonderfully Inspiring DVDs, Social Change Agents, Podcasts, Personal Growth Courses and Great Books. 2 Comments

My first encounter with Will Marre was through a seminar I attended at the University of San Diego. I have been to plenty of seminars and workshops in my day, but Will’s was particularly captivating and his message and topic were just what I needed to hear. The American Dream Project is focused on Generation X and the so-called Millenniums. The mission of the organization is to help individuals and institutions create, design and implement sustainable personal strategies, public policies, and citizen solutions that will lead to the greatest good and least suffering for each individual in our American society and globally. You must admit that this is a big mission and if anyone can be successful in getting people excited about living their dreams and and helping them achieve them it would be Will.

I went to Wikipedia and looked up “social entrepreneurs” to get a definition: “A social entrepreneur is an entrepreneur who works to increase social capital, often by founding humanitarian organizations.” Generation X and Millenniums, as they have been labeled, are generations that are focused on doing good for society whether it be environmentalism or helping to bring awareness to the many social problems we are facing.

I love the spirit of this generation and the fact that they have put their values first, and are not willing to compromise them for a job that will jeopardize their values. I work with several individuals in this age group and I am so impressed with their intelligence and willingness to do their part in making this a better place to live.

I would encourage you to visit the American Dream Project web site for more information on this forming community of committed individuals. I would also recommend Will’s book entitled “Your Dream Life,” as well as his set of DVDs. They are an excellent way for you to learn more about this social movement and will provide fascinating insight into the many social issues that we can all become involved in helping to solve.

Want more resources and information on personal growth? Try the resources page.

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