Decision Makers' Corner

New Year’s resolutions have us thinking about all of our bad habits, all the things that are wrong with us, while resolving to do better. (How many of us have failed already?!)
I was brought up learning that if I was perfect –  if I behave...
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A new calendar year is upon us — with all the new hopes, goals and expectations that we put upon ourselves. This year, before we get too carried away down our own chosen paths of... Continue Reading or Share »

The challenge of finding the best balance of generosity and joy (aka enjoyment) in life is always present, but it is especially highlighted during our annual holiday gift shopping season. Even though gift giving is not so generous if done out of a feel... Continue Reading or Share »

Now that I’ve digested ‘The Female Brain’ and ‘The Male Brain’ books (both highly recommended), let’s move on to how we can use our mind to actually change the brain (regardless of gender). What is “t... Continue Reading or Share »

Recently, I digested another excellent brain book, "The Male Brain." In this fascinating follow-up to her bestselling "The Female Brain," Harvard neuropsychiatrist Dr. Louann Brizendine leads readers through the lifespan of a man's brain. To put this in a social perspective, let me quote:

"I now know from my twenty-five years of research and clinical work that both men and women have a deep misunderstanding of the biological and social instincts that drive the other sex. As women, we may love men, live with men, and bear sons, but we have yet to understand men and boys. They are more than their gender and sexuality, and yet it is intrinsic to who they are. And it further complicates matters that neither women nor men have a good sense of what the others’ brains or bodies are doing from one moment to the next. We are mostly oblivious to the underlying work performed by different genes, neurochemicals, and hormones."

Mostly oblivious? Yup, you bet we are ... and in both directions. Reading Dr. Brizendine's two books has helped me realize how extremely oblivious we are (and I certainly include myself) to the central role of our brains' chemistr



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Recently, I went to Ecuador where I was interviewed on Radio Quito (about "intuitive decision making" and the I Ching). In turn, I taped interviews with leaders of the rain forest environmental movement for Pathways radio and podcast.

Ecuadorians -- especially the people of the city of Cuenca --  are especially lively, open-hearted and gracious. For instance, how strange -- and nice -- it is that Ecuadorians throw spontaneous street festivals for seemingly no reason ... like a recent Wed evening in the main square of Cuenca, which featured a dance performance followed by a grand finale of wild spinning fireworks.

There I was, sitting on a park bench in the square wearing my new Panama hat (which are  made in Ecuador) when a 12-piece band and a spinning folkloric dance performance seemed to arise out of nowhere. The dancers were 6 beautiful young ladies in vividly colorful dresses and 6 strapping lads whose pants appeared to be patched with some kind of fur.



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Oct 2010: On location in Ecuador, South America, on behalf of the Divination Foundation. Soon after I arrived in Quito from New York, I met with Natalia Greene, the charismatic political programs director for Pachamama Rain Forest Alliance, one of my favorite environmental organizations, and I taped an interview of her for my Pathways program (which will be podcast on divination.com soon).

The Pachamama Alliance, with HQ near San Francisco, has had a long-standing, almost mystical relationship with the Achuar Indians of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest region ("pachamama" means "mother nature"). Having been invited in by the Achuar, they now have official offices in Ecuador that work with the indigenous tribes and lobby the government.

Ms Greene is a very pleasant 28 year-old Ecuadorian, earned a degree in Political Science in the USA, plus a Masters in Ecuador. In addition to having a keen intellect, she is a very warm person. (I particularly like the Ecuadorian custom of kissing on t



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Reality never lives up to our fantasies. It's never as good ... or as bad either. But reality never lives up to fantasy's billing, whether our visions were of sublime pleasure or impending doom. The fulfillment of our desires is never as good as we imagined ... in fact, the feeling of pleasure may be less than it was when we were daydreaming about it. As for gloom and doom, things are never as catastrophic as our fears make them seem (a good thing to remember the next time you get paranoid :-).

Fantasy can inspire us, and our dreams can stimulate us toward trying new things. Creativity needs this, so some fantasy is excellent. But if we habitually seek refuge in some favorite fantasy (or two), it is likely that we are spending time avoiding some area of our real lives. Our favorite fantasies have much in common with belief systems that came down from ancient scriptures -- they are rigid compared to reality. We get to be totally in control, which is what our lack of confidence craves, and seeking control is a large part of why modern humans resort to non-stop distractions, chit-chat, entertainments and daydreams.

The dance of life is too dynamic for much contr



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In my last blog, I brought up the subject of “faith” and what it means … and how passionately some people are willing to insist that — in order to be “saved” (or some equivalent) — one MUST pledge allegiance to one “correct” set of beliefs (theirs, of course!). But when most people say, “I believe in God,” can they even describe what they mean?

One of the commenters to my last blog remarked how important “faith in God” is — mentioning God as the universal source of love, etc. (He also weighs in on how “evolution” is a false belief, even though evolution can be (and is) viewed by many Christians as a very elegant example of “intelligent design.”)

Except for his dismissal of science (with regard to evolution), however, I do not disagree with him — depending, of course, upon what he means by “God.” The word means so many different things to different people, in different cultures (on different planets?) … it conjures up a multitude of images and myths. I don’t think the word “God” should ever be used unless one is prepared to define what one means by it. Otherwise, how can anyone reasonably ask people to “believe in” Him (or



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It seems that more and more people are living in a “faith-based” reality, where the harder you believe something the more true it is (or at least seems to you). But just because one believes (or feels) very strongly about something does not increase its objective truth (or applicability to other people). Otherwise, we are dealing with what media genius Stephen Colbert calls “truthiness.”

What passes for political discourse in America’s increasingly uneducated society reminds me of a recent debate between Sam Harris and Deepak Chopra — entitled “Does God Have a Future” (worth a Google) – wherein Sam responds with the memorable line “Repeating something over and over and saying it louder doesn’t make it more true.”

His partner, scientific atheist Jim Shermer, later asks: “Why does belief matter? Shouldn’t it matter more how you comport yourself in life and how you treat other people?” In a society still under the thrall of bronze-age scriptures, this is a highly relevant question. If there is a God, I doubt very much that he cares what ignorant humans happen to believe, or that Jesus is going to sort us at some last judgment on that basis.

Fur





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