Speaking openly about religion is tricky, particularly in society which is sometimes called "post-religious." At a minimum, it opens one up to getting typecast as a certain form of person who unquestioningly believes one thing or another. At the extreme, it can power down conversations, end relationships, bring-on persecution, or worse.
Social entrepreneurs experience particularly vulnerable in this regard in the intrinsic need to initiate conversation and establish interpersonal networks in order to be effective change agents. Anything that poses the risk of raising walls rather than building links must be approached very very carefully, if not avoided altogether. Genuine conversations about faith and spirituality often top the particular "don't go there" list.
So it would have been a rare and noteworthy celebration when five leading cultural entrepreneurs for whom spirituality can be central to who they are and the work they do shared private stories in a conversation eligible Inspired by Faith: Play fighting with your Calling at the recent 2012 Skoll World Forum in social entrepreneurship in Oxford UK. Kiva president Matt Flannery; author David Bornstein; peacemaker Ann Collin Marks of Search for Common Ground; HeroRAT innovator Bart Weetjens; and educator Medical professional. Taddy Blecher of Maharishi Institute spoke candidly of their foundations in a range of religion traditions, and offered intelligence on the spiritual practices they lean into when trying to overcome the obstacles which are an inevitable part of changing the planet.
Percolating like strong coffee in the nearby Vaults and Garden caf?, observations about faith as a supporting pillar and a life preserver for those pursuing some of humanity's roughest tasks were unabashedly put on the table for contemplation.
Spirituality is a place to come from, not a thing to do.
We need to create room in our lives to let wonders happen.
By staying in the "not understanding," we can take the time to enable answers be revealed and discover where we need to go.
Deep lose heart is often matched by deep hope, and how we react is key to reaching each of our destination.
We can feel attacks associated with happiness and experience atom weapons of love.
Peace is a process.
Oxford furnished a perfect historical backdrop for this discussion. Nearly 300 years back at the university's Lincoln College, Bob Wesley drew up his General Rules which, in an overall economy of words, foreshadowed the ethos of several social entrepreneurs: Do no harm. Do all the good you are able to. Take advantage of the means of grace.
Every participant in the Inspired by simply Faith session was motivated to offer an example of a "wrestling match" -- that is certainly, a serious struggle encountered for the duration of their journey -- and a faith based practice that was instrumental on their behalf in moving past the idea.
The stories of wrestle were as profound since they were personal -- a no-holds-barred outpouring of experiences that ranged from the difficult to the devastating. Consider the terror of seeing loved-ones beaten to near death; abandonment through spouses and the loss of separation and divorce; the pain of childhood intimidation and losing friends; or even the extreme disappointment of being totaly ripped off by trusted colleagues.
The unvarnished candor seemed more akin to just what might be shared in an one-on-one, closed-door program with a clergyman or therapist compared to a group of strangers. Yet, generally there it was -- unfiltered honesty that was unanticipated and jarring, but also liberating as well as refreshing. It was as though the actual blunt force of the storytelling had broken down whatever fear as well as reservations those of us in the room -- together with a Mormon VC from Silicon Valley, any Brazilian medical doctor, an Africa Ph.D., a Methodist minister from Texas, an NGO professional working in Jordan, and many others -- had been holding onto.
The spiritual practices employed in the daily lives of those social entrepreneurs offer lifelines getting up, over, around hurdles large and small. The Pixies sang, "If man is 5, then the satan is 6, and Our god is 7" and, perhaps certainly not coincidentally, 7 practices resonated with me.
1) Meditation. Reserving time every day to be deliberately attentive to the connection with God through the focus on being "in the now" can bring intensive happiness, more control to deal really with our circumstances, the ability to hold judgment in the moment, and also the sense of being truly free.
2) Power of Nature. Going to "the bush" (specifically, immersing inside us nature by visiting the forest, the mountains, the seacoast, etc.) for solo contemplation or team dialogue can free all of us from the noise of everyday life and offer the opportunity to reconnect using the Earth, the spiritual region, and each other around the familier campfire.
3) Spiritual Teachers. Having a role model or even a peer on the same wavelength who's empathy for our journey can provide us stamina and help support our true north.
Four) Dreams. Paying attention to dreams -- as an example, investing the time to reflect on what we experience in our dreams and also considering before going to sleep the questions we wish to be answered whilst dreaming -- can help create connections between the everyday and non secular dimensions.
5) Touchstones. Activating our physical senses and engaging our own memory through tactile items such as stones, shells, or perhaps seeds that can be kept or perhaps given away may provide a substance connection to the healthy along with productive spiritual places we need to be.
6) Release Connection. Letting go of property -- including physical and regular things that give transient convenience -- can help us to find happiness and see the good in the most difficult places and circumstances.
Several) Stories of Grace. Having with us the stories of people that have navigated significant problems and emerged better equipped for you to pursue their calling can give the courage, inspiration, and techniques by which to take on and conquer our own trials.
Again, spirituality is a place to come from, not a thing to do. The willingness to depart behind well-worn practices that may add up to little more than checking the spiritual box in favor of fresh ways to ignite the connection with that some thing greater than ourselves requires the inspiration and fortitude of, well, social entrepreneurs.
Author Resource:
One of the most spiritual place in European Countries is Medjugorje in Bosnisa and Herzegovina, exactly where businessman arrive here and stay in Medjugorje lodging .
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