As I hold ‘ Perserverance’  in my hands, my senses come alive. I can feel the wisdom oozing from the book through its cover. The size of the book is very lovely and easy to hold, with its pretty soft pages, delicately illustrated, I love flipping through it and finding nugget after nugget of wisdom. Each page a new offering, an insightful perspective, a quotation, poem or essay to take in and to satisfy the evolving soul.

I really look forward to my conversation with Meg on Heart Beat Sept.1 as she joins me to share more about her book and her pioneering work in the area of leadership and organizational change .  Please join us by listening live at 4pm ET on Wednesday Sept.1st. When you log in to BlogTalkRadio, join us in the chat room and send in your questions. All shows are available for download immediately following the broadcast. Also be sure to join Heart Beat on facebook to stay updated on upcoming shows. Enjoy!

( Audio is available for online streaming and download below).

Preparing for, and then engaging in a meaningful and important conversation with Andrew was undeniably soul -satisfying, deeply enriching and moving. In fact I have since listened to our conversation several times (and most recently while adding some music to the interview) and each time am elevated to new heights by the hope he invites us all to discover and take upon ourselves to realize, and by the sheer depth from which his words emanate.  Andrew Harvey is a renowned and distinguished mystical scholar, Rumi translator and explicator, poet, novelist, spiritual teacher, architect of Sacred Activism, and author of over 30 books. His newest book The Hope A Guide to Sacred Activism provided the basis for our conversation on Heart Beat.

In this conversation you will hear Andrew talk very personally and intimately about : Sacred activism- what we can do right now to become sacred activists and help birth a new world- suggested practices and disciplines to maintain hope and inspired action-why it is so important to live from our heart in these rapidly changing times- the importance of deep shadow work,  joy, love and justice and much more.

Please enjoy this conversation.

Are We Wired For Good?

Author and Professor of Psychology at UC Berkley Dacher Keltner kindly joined me in conversation this month on Heart Beat to discuss his new book “Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life”. We had a very compelling and enjoyable conversation about the science behind living a meaningful life (you can listen to it below).

On an intuitive level you may feel your innate goodness and know your capacity to share more of it.  You may also feel that we are all made to be good however deep inside the potential is.  Thanks to Dacher Keltner’s work, now there is scientific evidence to support your hunch and knowing, and research that suggests we are more than motivated  by self-interest and competition, according to Dacher Keltner, we are wired for good. In fact Keltner suggests our survival depends on who is the kindest.  You can listen below to find out how.

In this conversation you’ll hear about Dacher’s remarkable work  and personal experience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the importance of touch (“touching triggers trust and generosity”), laughter, prosocial emotions (love, compassion, gratitude, awe etc..) valuable and fascinating research on the importance of our vagus nerve , “which is centrally involved in compassion” (along with recommendations of how to cultivate it) and simply, how we are born to be good. I highly recommend reading “Born to Be Good”. It is personal, extremely informative, insightful and it is  research rich with a lot of heart. Keltner’s continuation of Darwin’s little known work on human emotions shows that survival is actually a matter of who is the kindest. Have a listen and find out for yourself.  Enjoy your goodness!

Dacher Keltner on Laughter (from ” Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life p.145):

” Laughter may just be the first step to Nirvana. When people laugh, they are enjoying a vacation from the conflicts of social living. They are exhaling, blowing out, and their bodies are moving towards a peaceful state, incapable of fight  or flight. People see their lives from a different point of view, with new perspective and detachment. Their laughter spreads to others in milliseconds, through the firing of networks of mirror neurons. In shared laughter people touch, they make eye contact, their breathing and muscle actions are in sync, they enjoy the realm of intimate play. Conflicts are softened, and often resolved. Hierarchies negotiated. Attraction and intimacy are created. …people move closer to one another in peaceful ways“.

You can find out more about Dacher Keltner’s work at the Greater Good Science Center here

Byron Katie has one job: to teach people how to end their own suffering.

Join me, host of Heart Beat and graduate of The School for The Work, as I speak intimately with 4 time international best-selling author  Byron Katie about the extremely powerful process of inquiry called The Work, Wednesday August 12 at 4pm ET here.  The Work, based on four simple questions and a turnaround is a self-realization process for anyone willing to open their mind and experience internal peace.

In this hour you’ll hear Katie (as everyone calls her) talk with us about The Work and guide one listener live through this transformative process. By the end of the hour you will you will be amazed at the simplicity and power of The Work to create lasting change and peace of mind. I will also speak about my experience as a participant of  The School for The Work in L.A., having attended the program in April 2008.

The next nine day School for The Work is August 14-23 in L.A.

For my past blog entries on Byron Katie and The Work and how it relates to your inner knowing and intuition click on the titles below.

Loving What IS: A path to inner peace (and your intuition).

Loving What is, Byron Katie’s The Work asks us ” Whose business are you in?”. Inquire into your own business and notice how naturally you will connect with your intuition.

For more information about Byron Katie and The Work  visit www.thework.com.