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| January 2009 |
Vol 2, Issue 1 |
| Welcome! |
Hello and welcome to a new edition of Compass. 
On the eve of the inauguration of a new president, this town is abuzz with a frenzy of activity. There's a lot of talk about change and a lot of energy is being put into marking this change of our nation's leader. Change is something that so many people are looking for on a daily basis, whether it's because we're stuck in a groove in our relationship, our career or our spiritual life. In this issue, you'll find several opportunities to inspire changes of your own.
Whether you "party like a Barak-Star" (as one party invitation read) or not, I hope you take advantage of the information here to get your own change on. The parade is totally optional. |
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Music Videos: David Wilcox Gets It Right |
Here's a nice, relatively passive way to soak up some truth about mature love. David Wilcox is a folk singer/songwriter with an amazing talent for weaving humor into some of the most challenging lyrics about love and intimacy I have ever heard. These two songs both have an uncanny resemblance to several themes I try to keep in my work to help others stimulate and sustain relationship growth. He just does it so much more artfully than I ever could!  If you actually want to buy these songs, you might want to hear the versions from his album Live Songs and Stories because he incorporates a modified spoken tale about telling the truth in relationships with Start With The Ending, which actually goes together with the song titled Get It Out of the Way (not included here). It's hilarious and profoundly true at the same time! Here are the links to two of his songs you can hear for free on YouTube, with the lyrics:
The secret of a happy marriage,
maybe you should write this down
If you want to keep a love together,
the best way is to end it now
Because when you both know its over,
suddenly the truth comes out
You can talk about your secret passion,
you can talk about your restless doubt
When there's no pretending,
then the truth is safe to say,
Start with the ending,
get it out of the way
Now there's no defending,
because no one has to win
Start with the ending,
its the best way to begin
After you have both decided,
you were missing something that you need
The ways that you were too short-sighted,
get easier for you to see
And after all the expectations
shatter on the kitchen floor
You just see another human suffering,
and you wonder what the war was for
When there's no pretending,
then the truth is safe to say,
Start with the ending,
get it out of the way
Now there's no defending,
because no one has to win
Start with the ending,
its the best way to begin
Happy anniversary darling,
we go back a long, long time
I think about our lives together,
I'm so grateful you are here in mine
And I know you'll keep on changing,
you're moving in this dance with me
I love the way we embrace the future
and keep the past a memory
So there's no defending
that the old ways could remain
We start with the ending
and things will never be the same
Now there's no defending,
because no one has to win
Start with the ending,
its the best way to begin
Now there's no pretending,
then the truth is safe to say,
Start with the ending,
get it out of the way
Now there's no defending,
because no one has to win
Start with the ending,
its the best way to begin
Now there's no defending,
because no one has to win
Start with the ending,
its the best way to begin
..............................................
Soroka Music Ltd., all rights reserved
Copyright 2000 published by Midnight Ocean Bonfire Music (ASCAP)/Cindy Lou My Dear (ASCAP), a division of Soroka Music Ltd.
Soft and sweet, strong and salty
Cool cream and hot coffee
When we come together there's a change
I know you're good for me
You change me like the weather
You change me for the better
We're good together
Drift and dream, drive with direction
Exploration, introspection
No one way to win through this game
I know you're good for me
You spin me off my tether
You change me for the better
We're good together
Would you please explain it one more time
I love the wild surprise of seeing through your eyes
One from Mars, one from Venus
A whole world between us
Sparks that bridge the difference
Feed the flame
I know you're good for me
You spin me off my tether
You change me for the better
We're good together
..............................................
©1997 Midnight Ocean Bonfire Music/Nine-Ten Music,
a division of Soroka Music Ltd. (BMI)
All Rights Reserved/International Copyright Secured
ENJOY! |
| The Story of Stuff |
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Would you be angry to learn that a product you have used contains harmful chemicals? Or do you wonder about how smart it is to promote shopping and consumerism as a solution to economic problems? Both of these examples deal with the common issue of how short-sighted business and government decisions impact your physical and mental health.
I spend my days in the rewarding position of helping people make decisions from their core values instead of from the impulse of the moment. We are so fortunate to have a neocortex (thinking part of our brain) that we can use to judge what is the best decision in the long-term. But the simple truth is that the neocortex has to be stimulated and exercised for it to stay involved in the rest of our brain's activity. Without critical thinking and imagination we are just the equivalent of very powerful 5 year-olds running our respective worlds...a scary thought!
This 20-minute video depicts one opinion about how our cycle of production, consumption and disposal has fatal consequences. The main point is that it's actually not a cycle.
Keep in mind I'm not advoctating any particular remedy or political view but it's clear we need to get out of our own way to make changes for our own health and the health of the planet. The alarming note about human breastmilk really hit close to home for me since we have an infant, but I think you'll find something here that affects you too. We are all in this story.
www.storyofstuff.com
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| Hike & Talk Therapeutic Adventure in Arizona |
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Hike into the Grand Canyon and Reconnect to Yourself
 Dr. Suzanne Nixon (Virginia) and Dr. Greg White (California) team together to present this new and unique experience in the outdoors. This fall they will be exploring and hiking the Grand Canyon in Arizona as a venue for this seminar. The intent is to conduct the hike and talk adventure Spring 2008 and Fall 2008. Seminars will be either 4-7 days in length, accommodations will be at inns, lodges or hotels, and meals will be included. Participants will need to arrange their own transportation and transfers to the site.
Dr. Nixon writes:
"When we take the time to be, we create an opportunity to deepen into ourselves and gain understanding and insight into who we are. This process allows for a connection to the truer, more authentic self. As a result, we maximize our potential for getting clear about who we really are, what makes us happy and what we really want to create in our lives." "The hike and talk therapeutic adventure is a new and refreshing opportunity to reconnect to yourself with the support of therapeutic guides under the umbrella of the great outdoors. It is our belief that this expansive experience of combing therapeutic and supportive dialogue, physical activity through hiking and contemplative experiences in nature, will aid individuals in re-connecting to themselves. This state of inner connection can ignite feelings of confidence, peace and joy, and provide clarity and motivation to make positive life choices. This holistic therapeutic process is a gateway to discovering your true nature and potential for living a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life." For more information, visit www.mindbodytherapy.org. |
| Hurry...Openings in Couplehood As a Spiritual Path Course |
 There is still space available in this six-week course for couples that starts February 5 and meets consecutive Thursday nights at 7pm.
With the divorce rate near 50%, this course is designed to give you practical tools to stop you from drifting apart and help you stay connected to your partner. Complementary Christian themes of grace and love are woven into the material and, for some, will offer a meaningful integration of psychology and faith.
Many couples have already benefited from this course when I've offered it previously and here's what a few have said about it:
"My husband and I are very much in love and cherish each other. This program just guilded parts and made them shine."
-Matthew
"I came to this course with my worst enemy, and left with my best friend."
-Julie
"I began these sessions with a lot of skepticism about how couplehood could be a spiritual path. I finished understanding that when I create love in our relationship, God appears."
-Martha
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Remember, the Couplehood As A Spiritual Path course won't be offered again until the Fall, so tell your friends about this chance to invest in their relationship while there's still room in the course.
Sincerely,
Keith | |
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