Nuggets From Eddie Rodriguez's Call Posted by Janessa Wilder, Nov 28 2020 Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Eddie Rodriguez. Five years away from a pension, Rev. Eddie Rodriguez walked away from an assured livelihood with Bellsouth, and stepped onto the path of “meaning and purpose” he had been looking for. For the last twenty years, based in south Florida, he’s worked worldwide as an interfaith minister. “I am challenged," he has said, "to find what we all share in common, regardless of different religious beliefs and cultures, and that is Love.” It was his profound connection to the book Conversations with God by Neal Donald Walsch that spurred him to make the change, and to embark on a personal journey that led him to become Rev. Eddie. “I remembered the words ‘it is not about making a living but making a life,’ and ‘life begins at the end of your comfort zone’.” “Taking a risk was at ... Read Full Story

Nipun's Goi Peace Award Speech: Designing For Flow Posted by Maki Kawamura, Nov 28 2020 [Last November in Tokyo, we gave the memorable 20th Goi Peace award not just to a person, but to a group -- ServiceSpace. While past awardees included the likes of Bill Gates, Nobel Laureates and most recently Princess of Morocco, the experience of having Nipun receive this award created a rather memorable ambiance where we reminded each other of our inherent divinity. Many hundreds of everyday heroes alongside numerous traditional leaders (including ambassadors of more than two dozen countries) received heart pins, wrote ideas for an immediate act of kindness, and engaged right away. In a very touching moment during Q&A, Masami Saionji spontaneously invited Nipun's parents on stage to speak about their decades-long practice of hosting weekly Awakin Circles in their home. Below is the talk excerpted from part 1 and part 2 of the ceremony that was also simultaneously translated in Japanese. Thank you, all, for shaking the ... Read Full Story

The Ideal Palace - Ferdinand Cheval Posted by marcus dabb, Nov 28 2020 Joseph Ferdinand Cheval was born in the southeast of France. Coming from a poor farming family he left school at 13, becoming a baker's apprentice before changing careers to be a rural postman at 31. His personal life was marred by loss. Joseph married at 22 and later had two sons, one of whom died at the age of 1. His wife died when he was 37. In astrology, Saturn is the archetype of the sage which uses pain as a means to shift our attention on what we should focus on. Consider the restriction we have collectively felt during 2020 with Saturn being in its home sign of austere Capricorn. Sure, we might be missing international travel but if the consequences of vast economic inequality and environmental collapse are staring us down, what is ultimately of greater importance? Cheval had his Saturn placed in the 7th house, representing marriage or partnership. It ... Read Full Story

Nuggets From Fabiana Fondevila's Call Posted by Audrey Lin, Nov 26 2020 Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Fabiana Fondevila. Fabiana Fondevila is an Argentinian writer, speaker, teacher, and all-around wonder activist. She began her career as a journalist and war correspondent, working for the main outlets in her native country. Returning to spiritual questions, she then spent years interviewing some of the world's top thinkers, mystics, scientists and philosophers in search of a map. And then, life transpired: her older sister took her own life after a lifetime of mental illness, and Fabiana’s parents died shortly before and after, undone by the pain. This led Fabiana deeper into the path. But this time, no books or schools or lineages seemed potent enough to shine a light in the darkness. By chance, she stumbled upon weeds in her garden that steered her to a treasure trove of ancient plant wisdom. Weeds led to trees, trees to birds, birds ... Read Full Story

KindSpring Weekly: Spotlight On Kindness: Changing The Posted by Guri Mehta, Nov 26 2020 The latest issue of 'Spotlight on Kindness' weekly newsletter is themed: Spotlight On Kindness: Changing The Frame.Editor's Note: There is no doubt that life has dramatically changed for most of the world this year. Many of us are grappling with reality or have grudgingly found ways of working around things. Meanwhile, there are those who are seeing the opportunities within the constraints. This week's stories highlight people who have learned to change their frame and embrace and dance with the ever-changing life. --Guri

Is “Priceless Pricing” About Cost Or Relationship? Posted by Colin Johnson, Nov 25 2020 Is "Priceless Pricing" about Cost or Relationship? In Brief Recap We just finished the first two week Priceless Pricing Pod. I felt moved to share some of the thoughts that this experience has triggered. The format of the pod was as follows. Each of over forty participants received a prompt every other day that involves learning, practice and sharing a written reflection. The following day, we read the reflections of everyone else. Then the two-day cycle repeated with a different prompt. There is a kick-off call at the beginning of the first week. We met again on a call over the weekend half-way through. We met one last time on the third Sunday for a wrap-up call. ServiceSpace hosted this mini-pod on the topic of Priceless Pricing in rapid response to strong interest that emerged from the community in these last six months. We held three simultaneous Laddership Circles in the spring. Discussions ... Read Full Story

Karuna News: How To Measure Compassion? Posted by KarunaVirus , Nov 25 2020 Newest issue of our newsletter is out! Some things are easy to measure. The weight of a standard adult basketball is 20-22 ounces. The height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris is 324 meters (1,063 feet). The Great Wall of China is about 21,196 kilometers (13,171 miles) long. In March 2020, the world's human population is estimated to have crossed 7.8 billion people. Yet for all the straightforward metrics in the world, there are many things that can't be quantified. Friendship, kindness, goodwill, and love -- how do we account for these vital qualities in our lives, society, and systems at large? When the effect of compassion is distributed across time and space, how do we pinpoint its value and role in the greater rhythms of which we are a part? With those questions in mind, this week's stories offer a window into the speed, the sound, the weight, the size, and the "price" of love. Read the full newsletter here ...