GOLDBERG VARIATION #12
Greetings of Thanksgiving,
Among the countless things I’m thankful for this autumn is the recent election. Not because I’m under the illusion that Democrats are paragons of wisdom and goodness, but because I see the outcome as a repudiation—a loud and unequivocal “No!” addressed not just to a political party and the president, but to business as usual, to corruption, to rigid thinking and, above all, to arrogance. It was heartening to see that Americans are still capable of thinking clearly and demanding change. Perhaps now we’re ready to elevate the social and political discourse and address our urgent problems in ways that transcend political ideologies and sectarian divisions. Perhaps we can infuse the public sphere with deep spirituality and higher consciousness.
My colleagues at the Forge Institute are engaged in a project to do just that, and I’d love to hear from anyone with good ideas or contacts with like-minded organizations. For starters, here’s a recent essay of mind, titled Spiritual Citizenship: http://healthy.net/scr/column.asp?id=855.
And here’s a link to the video of a talk I gave at the Inside Edge in Orange County: http://insideedge.mediastreamtv.com/.
SHAMELESS BOOK PROMOTION
I’m delighted to announce that my last solo book, Roadsigns, has been issued in paperback by Sentient Publications, with a gorgeous new cover and a tweaked title that expresses what the book is really about: ROADSIGNS: ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH—Living at the Heart of Paradox. You can read about it, and order it, at the Sentient site: http://www.sentientpublications.com/catalog/roadsigns.php.
Or at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Roadsigns-Spiritual-Path-Living-Heart-Paradox/dp/1591810507/sr=8-2/qid=1164481805/ref=sr_1_2/002-9273882-7364851?ie=UTF8&s=books.
Or at my own site: http://www.philipgoldberg.com/work1.htm. If you want a signed copy, email me for information.
MORE BOOKS
My 1983 book, The Intuitive Edge: Understanding Intuition and Applying it in Everyday Life, which has been called “the definitive book on intuition,” is finally back in print. Here’s the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Edge-Understanding-Intuition-Applying/dp/0595416659/sr=1-2/qid=1164482288/ref=sr_1_2/002-9273882-7364851?ie=UTF8&s=books.
Alpha Male Syndrome by Kate Ludeman and Eddie Erlandson. I had the great pleasure of working with Kate and Eddie on this valuable book for Harvard Business School Press. Here’s what Publishers Weekly said: “Alphas…may be aggressive achievers who get things done, but their potential for explosive anger and ruthless competitiveness can be bad for business. Husband-and-wife consulting team Ludeman and Erlandson steer Alphas and those who work with them away from dysfunction and towards productivity in this action-oriented book.” Check it out: http://www.alphamalesyndrome.com.
You’ve Got to Read This Book: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life. Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks compiled this one, for which I contributed an essay on my adventure with J. D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey: http://www.amazon.com/Youve-GOT-Read-This-Book/dp/0060891696.
COLUMNS
My recent “Spiritual Wellness” columns on Healthy Update:
- "How to be a Heretic" – on the spiritual virtues of being able to choose (the original meaning of “heretic”): http://healthy.net/scr/column.asp?Id=821.
- "Does Prayer Have a Prayer?" – a contrary view of a well-publicized study that allegedly disproved the influence of prayer on health: http://healthy.net/scr/column.asp?Id=827.
- "The Spirit of Writing" – how writing of any kind can be a spiritual practice, and how spiritual practice is an aide to writing: http://healthy.net/scr/column.asp?Id=852.
RECOMMENDED MEDIA
Great art can elevate the soul, open the heart and illuminate the mind. Here are two visual artists whose work is consciously spiritual and esthetically sublime.
Working in paint and with photographic images, Elle Nicolaï is an "artist of the spirit," who believes in healing and transformation through art, and creates images in dream state and during moments of deep meditation: http://www.michellemnicolai.com.
Alex Grey is a New York artist whose gallery is “a sanctuary in for contemplation and a center for events encouraging the creative spirit.” If you’re in NY, visit the mind-blowing Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM), whose paintings “allow us to see ourselves and each other as reflections of the divine.” http://www.alexgrey.com/
ILLUMINATIONS ON THANKFULNESS
- “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” — Thornton Wilder
- “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is Thank You, it will be enough.” — Meister Eckhart
“We live at the edge of the miraculous.” — Henry Miller
"Write the wrongs that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble.”— Muslim proverb
SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION
A wise woman was wandering in the mountains when she saw something glistening in a stream. She stooped down, dipped her hand in the water, and lifted out a stone. Knowing instantly that it was a priceless gem, she put it into her bag and continued her journey.
The next day she met a hungry traveler who asked her if she had any food. When she opened her bag to give him something to eat, the man saw the precious stone. He asked the woman to give it to him instead of food. She did so without hesitation.
Knowing that the gem was worth enough to feed and clothe him for the rest of his life, the man set out for the city to sell it. Before long, he had second thoughts. He returned to the trail and found the woman. He handed her back the gem. "I know how valuable this is,” he said, “but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious.”
“What is that?” asked the woman.
“Give me whatever you have inside you that enabled you to give me the stone."
FORGE INSTITUTE PROGRAMS
As the Director of the Forge Guild of Spiritual Leaders and a board member of the Forge Institute, I’d like to invite you to learn about our programs: http://www.theforge.org.
If you’re in Los Angeles and interested in the Forge Hearths—intimate groups devoted to spiritual growth in a divers, non-dogmatic context—drop me an e-mail or call 310-827-8266.
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Blessings to all,
Phil