Sep 20 2018

As The World Turns

Storms surge, climate action grows

This was a torrential week across the globe, as wind and water wreaked havoc and shattered homes. From Hurricane Florence in the United States to Typhoon Mangkhut in Asia, death tolls climb and landslides continue to claim more lives.

When I watched the hurricane coverage in the US last year, I began to understand how some parts of the country have become almost blasé about experiencing hurricanes. Many residents chose to stay, despite repeated warnings to evacuate, because severe weather isn’t new to them. Ferocious hurricanes have occurred several times through the decades. They take it as par for the course. How can any talk about the rising threats of climate change make a dent in the reality of what they see, and have to rebuild after?

And yet, the global movement to combat and mitigate climate change continues apace. Despite the US administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, other governments and individual states in the US have taken on the mantle, galvanizing themselves and each other. The Global Climate Action Summit took place in San Francisco this past week, to “be a launchpad for deeper worldwide commitments and accelerated action from countries—supported by all sectors of society—that can put the globe on track to prevent dangerous climate change and realize the historic Paris Agreement.”

Om Is Where The Heart Is

Having her say

In a storm of another kind, Americans face the dilemma of confirming a candidate for the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, amid 11th hour allegations of him sexually assaulting a then 15-year-old girl more than 30 years ago, when he was 17.

As this TIME Magazine piece argues, the dilemma is one of power in politics and between the genders. There is maneuvering from both political parties, doing what they can to advance their interests in seating or stalling Judge Kavanaugh. As of this evening, the American public is still unsure of all the facts, the FBI may not investigate the matter any further, and the accuser (Dr Blasey Ford) could testify in a public hearing before the Senate later next week.

My question is – what is the best path forward to ensure justice is being served for all parties concerned, and for the integrity of the Supreme Court as an adjudicating body in a democracy? Would citizens want their judges to be, as far as possible, beyond reproach as they serve their lifetime appointments? And in this #MeToo moment in our collective history, do we want to give women a fair hearing and/or investigation, so that more women will come forward to name their attackers and begin to heal their souls?

News and Views

I’m on the road

This week, I’m helping a dear friend put on an event in the Chicagoland area. It will be an evening of communion, where grieving hearts will be healed, and where we’ll grow into a more elevated sense of our own spiritual destiny.

It’s taken me a while to publicly acknowledge and honor my personal spiritual journey. Our popular and science-based culture tends to view matters of the heart and spirit with skepticism, intent on disproving their existence or mocking their “softness” at every turn. Now, 5 years in to this current phase of my spiritual understanding, I’ve amassed a body of evidence and experience that cannot be denied. And I look forward to sharing more with you over time.

(Do you have a question about what it means to lead a spiritually-driven life? Do you have a spiritual practice? Send me your thoughts or questions here.)

In the next issue:

There will be more news on the podcasting front. Watch this space!

Till then…

Live well and lead large – Maya