Christian the Lion

Thank you to my totally awesome co-workers for sharing this with me today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U&feature=related

For more, you can go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNTdWbVBgc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmc8gDzk2sg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_the_lion

Amazing.

The Ultimate Weapon Against Terror

Heartfelt Greetings

I just discovered this amazing, beautiful, inspiring, wise, and powerful article on the World Pulse website (http://worldpulse.com/). Enjoy... and please consider passing it on. Thanks...

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The Ultimate Weapon Against Terror
Mariane Pearl

"It's very obvious to me that if we don't take matters into our own hands and do the opposite of what terrorists expect of us, we are not going to win this war against terrorism."

An accomplished French journalist, mother, practicing Buddhist, and author of A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl, Mariane Pearl is the widow of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered by Islamic extremists in Pakistan four months after 9/11.

Since the tragedy, Mariane's voice has become an inspirational force for courage in the face of terror. "They did not take my spirit," Mariane said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal soon after her husband's death. "Revenge would be easy, but it is far more valuable, in my opinion, to address this problem of terrorism with enough honesty to question our own responsibility as nations and as individuals for the rise of terrorism.

"We need to overcome cultural and religious differences, motivating our governments to work hand in hand with each other, perhaps in an unprecedented way.

"I think we are now all aware that terror is not a problem facing one country alone, not Pakistan, not the United States. It is the world-wide responsibility of governments and of us, as journalists, professionals of all kinds, and human beings—mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. We are all going to need courage and commitment. Let us inspire each other to goodness."

For the full article, please go here:

http://worldpulse.com/issues/1/the_ultimate_weapon_against_terror?PHPSESSID=060fa167c62be440363ab0574804285b

Peace,

Molly

"If we teach courage and hope, we are going to have empowered children, and that is parenthood. The biggest triumph for Danny and me is that neither of us gave up our ideals when he died. Our son will inherit all of that from us. I want each child to be able to say—my father and my mother got involved and did something so that we can live in a better world. They taught me how to embrace the world, they taught me empathy. Unless children see parents who are actively constructing dialogue, they will not embrace it." ~ Mariane Pearl

Is America Driving You Crazy?

Warmest Greetings

I just heard an amazing speech on NPR's Alternative Radio tonight. It was given by a man I had not heard of before, Dr. Steven Bezruchka. It is called "Is America Driving You Crazy?" You can watch the speech here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5oJPRuFDIk. Below are two brief descriptions of this profound presentation and it's author. Extremely worthwhile...

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The United States of America has the most mental illness of all countries studied as well as the most serious mental illness. We have the highest rates of prescriptions for anti-depressants and the growth market in using these drugs for pre-school age kids. We have the most mental illness treatment facilities. Almost a quarter of college students attending counseling centers were on psychiatric medicines in 2003-2004, up from 9% in 1994.

Is the system working? Why does America have such a lead in mental illness? Bezruchka will review the studies on mental illness in society and show that the way we have structured our country to give ever more to the rich while instilling hope among the poor that some will trickle down is in large part responsible for this crazy state of affairs. The medicine we need is social and economic justice, and it needs to be taken early in life to be effective.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Stephen Bezruchka has been a faculty member in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington since 1993. He has spent over 10 years in Nepal working in various health programs and teaching in remote regions. Currently he works as an emergency room physician in several hospitals around the Seattle area. He received the School's Outstanding Teacher Award in 2002 and works with the Population Health Forum to help people understand the impact of social and economic policies on the health of societies.

http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/pipermail/pophealth/2006-October/001316.html

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The number of Americans suffering from mental illness has nearly doubled since 1987. That's when Prozac, the first of the "wonder drugs" was introduced. Mental disorders are reported in more than 25% of returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. And more than 1 in 4 college students are now on anti-depressants. With all the new drugs available for treatment, depression and anxiety disorders continue to rise. Is our drug-based system of care fueling this epidemic? With an unstable future and fewer family and community ties to help deal with problems, anxiety is also heightened by other factors related to modern society, such as war, global warming, advanced technology and globalization. What can we do to create a healthier society and treat those afflicted with mental illness in a more effective way?

Stephen Bezruchka:

Stephen Bezruchka teaches at the University of Washington and works as an emergency room physician in Seattle. His particular areas of research are population health and societal hierarchy and its application to health. He is author of numerous articles and essays. His most recent contribution is to Sickness and Wealth, a collection of essays on the effects of global corporatization on health.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x66691

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Last night my friend Sharif (http://www.commonway.org/Cwitem~6%20(condensed).htm) was sharing with me about four ways in which we humans globally, and very much so here in America, have lost our way:

1. We have lost touch with Meaning

2. We have lost touch with Nature

3. We have lost touch with the Divine

4. We have lost touch with the experience of Community

The good news is that, like Sharif Abdullah and Steven Bezruchka, more and more are clearly identifying why humankind is faced with so many profound challenges at this time in our evolution AND what we can do about it. I am deeply moved by all who share so deeply from the wisdom of their hearts. This talk is a beautiful example...

Peace & blessings,

Molly

To purchase a transcript or CD of Dr. Bezruchka's presentation, please go here: http://www.alternativeradio.org/programs/BEZS004.shtml

Humankind. Let's be both. ~ A bumper sticker I have seen.

Climate Change - We Can Solve It!

Warmest greetings.

Please take a moment to watch this video and then sign the petition at

http://www.wecansolveit.org/.

I just heard about this on KPOJ while driving home from work tonight.

The home page is http://www.wecansolveit.org/content/homepage/.

This is something so simple, so quick, so easy to do.

Please join me and the well over one million other Americans who have already

signed this petition. Climate change is something we can all do somthing about!

Together - we can solve it!

Please help spread the word. Generations to come will thank us.

Tag, we are all it! :-)

Peace,

Molly

Why We Women Must Remember To Vote

Inspired Greetings!

Thank you so much to my friend Ann for sharing this piece, something so invaluable for us all to remember, women and men alike. I share this in honor of our courageous ancestors...

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This is the story of our Grandmothers, and Great-grandmothers, as they lived only 90 years ago. It was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women who made it so were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the that night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs, and their warden's blessing, went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.' They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food -- all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because -- why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO 's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was -- with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use -- or don't use -- my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.'

The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote Democratic, Republican or independent party -- remember to vote. History is being made.

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For more information, please go here: http://www.hbo.com/films/ironjawedangels/

Peace,

Molly

May You Be Blessed

Heartfelt blessings

Thank you to my neighbor Renae and my other friends who have shared this beautiful movie with me.

Virtual Therapy for the Soul - May You Be Blessed

"The secret of a healed world is learning that it is always better to bless than to condemn."

www.mayyoubeblessedmovie.com/

May we all grow in compassion, light, and love.

May the path we walk reflect our highest selves and our deepest hearts.

Brightest blessings,

Molly

Plastic Bags - Important to Learn About NOW!

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US CAN DO THIS!

Please click Download Plastic_Bags.pdf to view what plastic bags do to the planet and join those here in America and around the world who are responsible shoppers and environmentally conscious citizens. Our numbers are growing! And this is so important! Sadly, however, we Americans are often among the last to be up on these things. It's amazing how many conversations I have with shoppers in line who have no idea why it is important to bring our own bags. So please take a minute or two to watch this profound slide show AND then spread the word!! It matters! Thank you!

I will also honestly and humbly share that this is not an easy habit to break - to stop using grocery bags, and especially plastic! - each and every time I shop. Yet, ever since learning more of the cost to our planet and all life on Earth of the continued use of plastic bags, I have been increasingly committed to bringing my own cloth bags to use when shopping. Now when I forget my bags in the car, which still happens!, I will either stop my shopping midway to go back outside - and, yes, even on a rainy day! - to retrieve my cloth bags from my car. Or I will just have the bagger put my loose groceries back in the cart unbagged, or if possible I will carry everything I can in my arms, and either way I will walk out of the store with my receipt grasped in my hand and clearly in view. I sure am putting for the effort to change - even though something this simple does take work! It is just so worth it!

Thank you to my friend Diane for being the first to pass on this deeply moving and life changing reason for why and how we can all take this valuable step that will make future generations grateful for our choices today. It is inspiring to know how much of a growing difference each and every one of us can make. I am convinced that our small individual and collective steps all add up to something big. So I thank each of you so much for all your on-going efforts, visions, and actions which reflect caring, respect, and love for life on this beautiful planet!

May the heartfelt ripples that we send out into the world grow through the actions we take each day.

Peace & blessings,

Molly

"It is not enough to be compassionate. You must ACT." ~ The Dalai Lama

Extraordinary Mothers

Thank you to Barb and Wendy for sharing this one:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KQhPMwMlm_w

Beautiful.

Blessings to all mothers everywhere.

Molly

Training Announcement

Warmest Greetings

I am happy and excited to share the below message announcing my friend Diane Steinbrecher's upcoming training. Please contact Diane or Shannon to register or if you would like more information. And please also feel free to share about this event with others you feel might be interested. Thanks!

Brightest blessings ~ Molly

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Archetypal Associates Presents

Opening To Messages From the Self

September 12 & 13th, 2008

Archetypal Reality speaks everyday to us, weaving the miraculous into the mundane of daily life. Learn to listen with a sacred ear to what synchronicity, imaginings, and dream images are bringing to your attention, and build a harmonious bridge between the conscious mind and unconscious offerings of the deep wisdom of the Self.

Partnering with the Self:

Discovering the archetypes embedded in your images from synchronicities, dreams, imaginings

Accessing your inner wisdom as the Archetypal Realm reveals itself

Guiding your life though decoding the messages from the Self

September 12th - 6pm to 8:30 September 13th - 9:30am to 4pm

407 NE 12th, Portland, OR

$120 (tuition can be applied to Training Program)

CEU 7 hrs

Information:

Shannon Pernetti (503) 234-1493

Diane Steinbrecher, LCSW (503) 235-2005

archetypalassoc@aol.com

Shannon Pernetti and Diane Steinbrecher, LCSW, PC, have developed this training to facilitate those who want a way of attuning to the sacredness of life and use of inner wisdom. They are Certified Archetypal Pattern Analysts in private practice in Portland, Oregon and are faculty of the Assisi Institute of Archetypal Pattern Analysis in Vermont and co-lead the Archetypal Pattern Analysis Training Program in Portland, Oregon. They have practiced since 1970.

Opening Deeply

To open deeply, as genuine spiritual life requires,

we need tremendous courage and strength,

a kind of warrior spirit.

But the place for this warrior strength

is in the heart.

Jack Kornfield

A Path with Heart

From Gratefulness.org - Word For the Day

Dance!

Heartfelt Greetings

Thanks to my friend Sharif Abdullah (http://www.commonway.org/) for passing on this link: http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/. Dancing 2008 made me smile, cry, laugh, and simply brought utter delight to my heart. It is well worth the 4+ minutes to watch.

Please also note this related article in which it is reported that "the video was downloaded to the web on Saturday, June 20, 2008 and by Sunday, it had 1 million hits." Dance 2008 is "already dubbed 'the best movie of 2008'." For more information, please go here: http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/06/27/2396/dancing_with_the_universe

I am continuously and deeply moved each time I am witness to the extraordinary creativity of human beings and the amazing diversity of ways that a positive impact can be made in the world. Isn't it just such a gift to see and feel and experience the increasing imprint on our Earth Mother of consciousness, caring, healing, joy, and love? There are so many brothers and sisters worldwide who are sending out ripples, powerful ripples of kindness, caring, creativity, and connection that I know make a difference. A huge and growing difference.

May we all listen to - and follow more deeply - our dreams, our bliss, our passions, our hearts. May we all continue to grow in consciousness, compassion, and love for all beings everywhere. May we remember gratitude and humility along the way, and may we increasingly learn to recognize the value and beauty in both ourselves and in others. And in this process let us remember to smile and to laugh, and to celebrate and honor the amazing ways in which the spirit of Creator reveals itself in each of us. Even something as simple as dance can be holy.

Namaste,

Molly

From the website:

-An observation-

The world is great

and we are small

The world is one

and we are many

When a man, travels from one land

to another, and dances on that land

Is it those who watch him from behind screens are the ones that

dance?

Or is it those around him

enlightened by this random act

who dance with him?

One could imagine

Can one man who dances, change the world?

Unfortunately, nay

But when that man dances, and ten are inspired to dance with him

then twenty

then forty

then sixty

then eighty

and the next week,

a thousand

and a month

a million

It is only then, that one man

changes many

and the many

will change the one world

Robert Kennedy, Jr. to Speak July 10th at Sustainability Conference

Excited Greetings!

Ken and I just purchased tickets for the below event. I have long been listening to Bobby Kennedy on Saturdays on Ring of Fire - http://ringoffireradio.com/ - and I have learned so much through this invaluable radio broadcasting. I have also read Bobby Kennedy's Crimes Against Nature, which I found deeply compelling, informative, illuminating,and inspiring. Please go here for more information: http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1120-01.htm, http://www.amazon.com/Crimes-Against-Nature-Corporate-Plundering/dp/0060746874.

I am deeply grateful to my friend Scott for informing me of this event and wanted to be sure to share it with others.

Peace & blessings,

Molly

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Special Keynote Presentation 7-8* p.m., July 10, 2008

Hilton Vancouver Washington

Hotel and Convention Center

301 W. 6th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660

*Book signing at the Hilton to follow lecture!!

Book sales benefit the local Fort Vancouver Library Foundation.

The 2008 Southwest Washington Sustainability Conference & Trade Show, presented by the City of Vancouver and Clark County, is proud to offer a special evening keynote presentation by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 10. In "Our Environmental Destiny," Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discusses the role that natural resources play in our work, our health and our identity as Americans. Through this speech, he reminds us that we have a responsibility to protect and preserve our environment for the future.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please go here:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/34959