Another World Is Probable

I had a conversation with a friend this weekend and was reminded that believing in materialism is a choice. We in the West take it for granted that materialism is the most scientific, rational way of being and that conversely, spirituality is unscientific and irrational. But is that really true? More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

Instead of feeling sad about the pandemic, now I'm PISSED. And at the same time I'm also grateful for things that have happened as a result. Life is complicated. Or in other words, nuanced. More in this week's post.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

There are people in the U.S. who only identify with people who look like them, act like them, think like them. And for those who don’t, they’re demonized and denigrated. They are not a part of the “in” group. No one, myself included, is immune from groupism and it takes commitment to keep expanding the boundary of your identity. However, whenever I think about the world I want to live in, it always hinges on universalism and cooperation. It always hinges on seeing myself in others. So how do we do that? For the first time I've recorded an audio meditation that I hope will help you to expand the radius of your love.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

I’m freaked out by the upcoming election and I know I’m not the only one. Democrats are worried Republicans will win. Republicans are worried Democrats will win. We are all watching this election closely. I don’t have any advice about that but what I can say is regardless of what happens, I feel soothed thinking about something I learned recently. It's called the 3.5% rule. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

This week I’ve seethed with envy multiple times. That’s nothing new and if you’ve been listening this blog for a while you know I semi-regularly feel envy, especially regarding my career. When I see someone who has what I want, I don’t view it as a sign that I, too, can achieve what they achieved. I know I’m supposed to, but what can I say? I’m a flawed human being. As I’ve wrestled with the feeling of envy this week, a story kept coming to mind that I shared with numerous friends about traveling to Italy. More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

You know that phrase, "Hitch your wagon to a star?" It's come to mean attach yourself to someone who is successful or famous in the hopes you'll become the same. I usually think of myself as the wagon and never the star. However, I'm coming to realize I don't need to hitch my wagon to anyone else because I'm my own star! More in this week's post.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

This past week I canceled a trip to Washington, D.C. I had planned for later this month. It was somehow the watershed moment for me as I’ve realized how much this year has taken from all of us. I’ve cried so many times this week. And at the same time this period is highlighting for me how precious time is. More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

We don’t know what’s true anymore. And what’s so chilling is the inability to distinguish truth from untruth is by design as I learned recently from watching the documentary/drama The Social Dilemma. This week's post addresses that film so if you'd rather be surprised, don't listen! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

I want to see people punished for their crimes but my spiritual teacher also says we don’t have the right to punish someone we do not love, and furthermore, the amount of punishment meted out must not exceed the amount of love we feel. Yikes. Why is that? More in this week's post.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

I feel a little discombobulated. On the one hand, it’s Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and a time for celebrating. On the other hand, I’m deeply troubled by what’s happening in the world: the rise in fascism, environmental catastrophes, and oh yeah, a global pandemic, which has not only killed numerous people, but has also led to unemployment and food insecurity. Is there room to feel both joy and sorrow? More in this week's post.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

My spiritual teacher says “God” is an acronym that stands for Generator, Operator, and Destroyer. That means God is not only the beauty in the world but also the ugly. That means God is here, too, in hellish circumstances. More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

I've been thinking about boundaries a lot both because it's coming up in my personal life, but also in the world. I have a tendency to be very "all or nothing," but the truth is boundaries aren't like that. Boundary setting happens in degrees, like a faucet, not a switch. More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

This year has been absolutely gut-wrenching for numerous reasons. NUMEROUS. I’m over this year. I want something new, and yet wanting isn’t enough. As they say, faith without works is dead. I’ve also heard that pain is the price of admission into a new life. Ouch. Say it ain’t so, but it is. When I think about creating something new – art, a business, a life even – there’s often an element of pain, or at least hardship. Rarely is the creation process smooth sailing from start to finish. There are usually obstacles to overcome, hurdles to clear. Maybe this period we’re in, maybe this year, is the admission price we’re paying for a new way of life. More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

Things are pretty bleak in the Bay Area right now. You'd think I'd be freaked out constantly, but I'm not. (I spend a lot of time freaking out, but sometimes I feel better.) I mention all this because seeing my mood oscillate reminds me not only are emotions like that, but also life in general. Change can happen rapidly. A day can make a huge difference. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

I watched an inspiring documentary on Hulu, The Biggest Little Farm, that shows how one thing is connected to another. I won’t give away any details because I don’t want to spoil any surprises, but here’s an example unrelated to the movie. The deer population in the U.S. is skyrocketing because human beings overhunted their natural predators: wolves, mountain lions, bears, etc. You know what happens when there are too many deer? Traffic accidents for one, an increase in Lyme disease for another, although there are other factors at play with Lyme disease as well.  We are all connected to each other. More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

This week I talk about wearing a mask, murder hornets, and the immune system. All in the name of, you guessed it, adaptability. More in this week's post.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

When I thought about what to write today, the answer that came to me was, “Take a break.” I think it’s both a missive and a message, meaning, I need to take a break, but also other people need to take one too. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

The body responds to stimuli. And the trauma I’ve experienced in my life is always running in the background because it’s stored in the central nervous system. We used to think trauma was stored in the brain as a memory, but the latest research shows trauma is stored in the body. More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

You can probably guess what this episode is about. "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps." But what if they're broken? Or you don't have any boots? There's a difference between having a victim mentality and actually being a victim. More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support

Right now I'm seeing a lot of conspiracy theories floating around. On top of that, Donald Trump typifies delusion. He seems to think just because he wants something to be true, it is. It begs the question, what is true? And what is reality? More in this week's post. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/another-world-is-probable/support