Thursday, October 24, 2013

Possible Society in Motion Project Suggests Potential for Reversible U.S. Trends


Press Release
Contact: Anastasia Rosen-Jones
Phone: (240)409.5347 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     October 25, 2013
Possible Society in Motion Project Suggests Potential for Reversible U.S. Trends
The Possible Society in Motion Project, today, disclosed preliminary findings from its four year, in-depth study. The study was created to assess the values, attitudes and activities of individuals in the evolving social and political climate of the U.S.A. Launched January 1, 2012, the study is due for data collection wrap up December 31, 2015. (Extended to December 31, 2016.)
The study has identified the following five U.S. trends thus far:
1.   Better than 90% of interviewees have no significant relationships beyond their like-minded groups.
2.   Better than 90% of interviewees are unmotivated to interact with others beyond these groups.
3.   Better than 70% of those interviewed spend more than two hours per day as arm chair coaches, reading about, listening to, contemplating and criticizing our national leaders.
4.   Better than 70% of those interviewed believe they are powerless or lack the skills or other resources to impact our national social and political crises. (Upgraded to 90% per Anastasia, June, 2014.)
5.   Better than 65% of those interviewed believe that internet conversations can affect national politics though they are uncertain as to how.
These trends could be reversed by the simplest, most direct efforts. How citizens “elect” to treat one another, personally, is the key issue here,” states Anastasia Rosen-Jones, lead researcher of the study. Based on these findings, New Horizons Support Network, Inc., sponsors of the Possible Society in Motion Project, will next seek to investigate how citizens perceive that they might take steps to alter personal, daily patterns to counter those that separate citizens rather than unify them.
Anastasia Rosen-Jones, New Horizons’ Executive Director, the stepdaughter of a Holocaust survivor, stated, “I am continually aware that my “mom” survived the Holocaust because ordinary people acted in remarkable ways during tragic times. If lives were saved out of the Holocaust by ordinary people doing extraordinary things, we ought to be able to do even more, in the U.S.A. To our way of thinking, at New Horizons, even this one example, of a personal nature, is illustrative that if people choose to give conscientious consideration, even to unknown others, we can be the change we are after, without making it all about our elected officials.”

In light of these preliminary findings, New Horizons and the Possible Society in Motion Project are asking citizens to consider offsetting the dysfunction of our elected leaders. The key action of New Horizons’ Possible Society in Motion Project is to encourage people to “lean in” to others with a central question that asks:
What is the one something you can do today on a grassroots level to make a difference in your neighborhood or elsewhere on your local level?
To participate in the study or find out details and information about it, please visit the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Project blog site: zonesofpeacenh.blogspot.com. Also tune in to New Horizons’ Possible Society in Motion Radio Show: www.blogtalkradio.com/smallzonesofpeace

Ms. Rosen-Jones can be reached at: 240.409.5347 or zonesofpeacenh@aol.com.

-End-           

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Are you “really” walking your talk?

Watch for tomorrow’s press release announcement!
"Possible Society in Motion Project Reveals Potential for Reversible U.S. Trends"
Find out how “attitude” scores points as well as “action” with New Horizons!
For starters, though, think of it mathematically.
Ask Anastasia,
Super Sleuth.
  •  If more than 100 people have been interviewed, thus far, through the Possible Society In Motion Project. 
  • And fewer than 10% were found to be actively “walking the walk,” across the board, no holds barred, best possible humans in all they say and do, working to build the best possible society, could you really be one of the “good guys”?
  • Or, are there, perhaps, some flies in your ointment, visible, at least, to the professional, "Super Sleuth" eye?
Check yourself out –
Are you someone who:
  1. believes yourself to be worthwhile;
  2. is committed to treating others with caring and compassion;
  3. is willing to examine and learn from mistakes;
  4. invests in truth and seeks out the higher levels of consciousness;
  5. has the commitment to set achievable goals and the  energy to carry them out;
  6. believes yourself to have an integral place in the universal order;
  7. has faith and trust in a Higher Power?
Or, are you someone who:
  8. hides your true identity;
2.     9. believes others are enemies or that some people are okay and others are not;
10. blames, criticizes  or judges others and/or yourself and/or is an elitist
11. isolates yourself and/or limits your potential;
12. is controlling, resistant and/or defensive to feedback from others;
13. discounts the opinions and emotions of others;
14.  leaves relationships when conflict arises?

Give yourself plus points for items #1 -- #7. Take off points for items #8 -- #14.

Interested in a personal analysis of the significance of your answers as they relate to building the Possible Society In Motion?

Ask Anastasia, Super Sleuth. 

To participate in the study or find out details and information about it, Anastasia can be reached at: 240.409.5347 or zonesofpeacenh@aol.com.

Also tune in to New Horizons’ Possible Society in Motion Radio Show: www.blogtalkradio.com/smallzonesofpeace.

Preliminary study findings will be the topic of this Thursday’s show. 

Dial in: Thursday evening, October 24 6:30 p.m. 347.237.5351.

Be a part of the Possible Society In Motion unfolding.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

YOU breaking the congressional deadlock

Possible Society In Motion report

Five trends our study has revealed.

1.       Close to 95% of interviewees have no significant relationships beyond their own likeminded pods;

2.      Close to 95% of interviewees are almost completely disinterested in interacting with others who are outside their likeminded pods (i.e. there goes the bridge building);

3.      Almost 100% of those interviewed spend better than two hours per day as arm chair coaches, reading about, listening to, contemplating and criticizing our national congressional leaders;
 
What to do?What
to do?
4.      Better than 80% of our interviewees believe they are powerless or lack the skills or other capabilities to impact our national political crises;

5.      Better than 65% of those interviewed believe that internet conversations can affect national politics.
Well we certainly are in a national political and societal mess, aren’t we? With much of it beyond the range of individual impact.

Still, given that a whole lot of human effort and attention is relentlessly focused, these days, on the changes we need, are there not some daily patterns YOU could, personally, alter?

Or is this way ample for you as your basic entertainment and/or manner of connecting?

To our way of thinking, at New Horizons, this means that if choose to use our time and energies most effectively, we can be the change we are after.

The truth is that we are a nation founded on the principle that we are –

“Of the people, by the people and for the people.”
We need not be a nation that operates instead of the people, like puppets on the congressional string.

As the stepdaughter of a Holocaust survivor, I am always realizing that my “mom” survived because ordinary people acted in remarkable ways during unfortunate times.

So can we!

Think about it –

What is the “one” something expansive that you can do today, on a grassroots level, to make a difference?

Friday, October 11, 2013

Bypassing Washington

This posting is an edited version of the same posted yesterday so that the perspectives and principles could be clarified as follows.

Read on, if you are interested in discovering my gist here, based on the community development principles of New Horizons and some of the most recent findings of our Possible Human, Possible Society Study, soon to be posted.
For now, though, the key point I want to make here is this ---
.. if you are in the game of the president (as well as other leaders and celebs) being your Savior, you are, potentially, in the, sometimes deadly, game, I call the GAME of mass dysfunction.
Here is the basic principle of that GAME, as I learned it from my mentor, Martin G. Groder, M.D. (paraphrased)
“Especially in peacetime, most citizens of a democracy, insofar as related to key leaders, particularly the elected president, function out of an operational system that holds that our constitutional rights are --
“Of the people, by the people, for the people and instead of the people (YOU).” (Original thinking of my mentor.)
The translation of this principle means that if you paid your taxes and voted, you may, erroneously, believe that you, personally, are off the hook of further responsibilities to this nation, other than your own personal interests. You have paid your dues, so to speak, delegated national management to others and can now go play at whatever suits you.

The benefit: You have done your part to join our national dysfunctional co-dependency GAME.

What you get, as per our government shutdown and other catastrophes, is that you are, unbeknownst to your world view, quite possibly, not really being a fully, living, breathing grown-up, participating in this life you might be calling your own.

But it’s not your fault. After all, beyond your self-interests, others are responsible.

To carry my point further, ask yourself,

1.    How much time did I spend, today, living my life by the internet, drinking coffee at Starbucks or just, simply, complaining?









Tricky Dick:
An American Anti-hero

1.       Or, conversely, I hope for you and I, ask yourself, how much time did I, actively, spend, today, in being the best possible human, helping to build the best possible society for you and me?
Give yourself points for #2. Take off points for #1.

Here’s how to get the losing points side of our GAME; the GAME of not growing up and playing the game of life with a full deck!
An example of growing up, or not:

When kids let go of whining and complaining that the grown-ups aren’t accommodating their needs and just don’t understand, we, typically, say they are, at last, growing up. They are being more realistic, taking responsibility for themselves instead of blaming parents, teachers and other authority figures for their lot in life. Parents hope for this transition, lamenting the converse until the new state emerges; the adverse is the baby-faker way (a term I learned from my daughter).
Though it is not my wont to take much of a superior, super-knowing role, since Watergate I’ve been watching and wondering when Americans, as a group, were going to move themselves, individually and collectively, beyond adolescence.

In other words, when are, we, as citizens, going to grow up? How about now?

Now, mind you, I didn’t know for a long time, almost a decade, what lay behind the problems as I saw them in them Watergate fiasco, especially the one about how –

The president of the United States of America could lie to the American people – and – they, at least seemingly, believe him (or at least act like they did).

So I stressed and strained, trying as hard as I could, to understand this that was bothering me for a good long time. To add to the burden I, personally, absorbed from my consternation about this one question:

How can the president of the United States of America lie to the American people – and – they believe him?
… another episode, Spiro Agnew’s corruption, which, as chance may be, found its way into my very own living room, due to close association, added another whole layer of dismay. The latter, further prompting me to ponder the problem of the big shot, the power game players and liars, added to Nixon and Watergate.
Many years have passed since Watergate, Nixon and Agnew. And, I am most comfortably assured, thanks to Marty (and me), that I have all the answers I will ever need for analyzing the problems so painfully part of my maturing.

Many others have, also, been pondering the same puzzlement. And, many have analyzed the problems, as well as offering astute solutions that could/would make a difference, if  anyone, especially our leaders, care enough to make the necessary changes.

One solution, above all, however, has topped my “do things differently” list of priorities; the necessity of gathering local folks together to help one another foster our individual and collective maturing, as we develop skill in being the change we are after.  
This,I hold, is the turning lead into gold in the U.S.A. way. I know it.

Not about it because I have had wise elders to guide me, especially Marty and Murat. Do you? Elders make the difference.

What I have learned is that the turning lead into gold way; a participatory, hands-on GAME, folks, requiring face time.
Jack and I spoke of this, at length, last night on our Possible Society In Motion Show.

Our topic drew upon my article, “Putting First Things First,” built upon one of the most hopeful commentaries I have read in a long time, “Bypass Washington, Save America” by Eric Liu .

Thus, the answer to my question

“How can the president of the United States of America lie to the American people – and – they believe him?”
… might be phrased this way, folks, if you are not an active part of the solution, point your finger back at yourself and take a good luck in the mirror.
YOU are a part of the problem!
Jack and I hope you will join us, for each and every one of our programs; our on the air “grown-ups forum.”
Your president need not be instead of YOU!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Study is discovering a maturing U.S.A.


Read on, if you are interested in discovering my gist here, based on the community development principles of New Horizons and some of the most recent findings of our Possible Human, Possible Society Study, soon to be posted.
For now, though, the key point I want to make here is this ---

.. if you are in the game of the president (as well as other leaders and celebs) being your Savior (i.e. meaning allowing your beautiful life energies to be focused on  these individuals holding your place, you are, potentially, in the, sometimes deadly, game --

“Of the people (you), by the people (you) and instead of the people (you).”
(Original thinking of my mentor, Martin G. Groder, M.D.)

And, you are, possibly, not really being a fully, living, breathing grown-up, participating in this life you might be calling your own.
So, ask yourself, how much time did you spend today living your life by the internet?
Or, conversely, how much time did you actively spend, today, in being the best possible human, helping to build the best possible society for you and me?
Tricky Dick:
An American Anti-hero
Here’s how it works!
When kids let go of whining and complaining that the grown-ups aren’t accommodating their needs and just don’t understand them, we, typically, say they are, at last, growing up. They are being more realistic, taking responsibility for themselves instead of blaming parents, teachers and other authority figures for their lot in life. Parents hope for this transition, lamenting the converse until the new state emerges.
Though it is not my wont to take much of a superior, super-knowing role, since Watergate I’ve been watching and wondering when Americans, as a group, were going to move themselves, individually and collectively, beyond adolescence.

In other words, when are, we, as citizens, going to grow up? How about now?

Now, mind you, I didn’t know for a long time, almost a decade, what lay behind the problem, as I saw it, that the president of the United States of America could lie to the American people – and – they, at least seemingly, believe him (or at least act like they did).
So I stressed and strained, trying as hard as I could, to understand this that was bothering me for all that time. To add to the burden I, personally, absorbed from my consternation about this one question:
How can the president of the United States of America lie to the American people – and – they believe him?
… another episode, Spiro Agnew’s corruption, which, as chance may be, found its way into my very own living room, due to close association, added another whole layer of dismay. The latter, further prompting me to ponder the problem of big shot, power game players and liars, added to Nixon and Watergate.
Many years have passed since Watergate, Nixon and Agnew. And, I am most comfortably assured, thanks to Marty (and me), that I have all the answers I will ever need for analyzing the problems so painfully part of my maturing.
Many others have, also, been pondering the same puzzlement. And, many have analyzed the problems, as well as offering astute solutions that could/would make a difference, if our politicians and associates cared enough to make the necessary changes.
One solution, above all, however, has topped my “do things differently” list of priorities; the gathering together of local folks to help one another foster our individual and collective maturing, as we develop skill in being the change we are after.  
This is a participatory, hands-on endeavor, folks, requiring face time.
Jack and I will be taking this point up on our Possible Society In Motion Show tonight.

Our topic draws from my last posted article, “Putting First Things First,” built upon one of the most hopeful commentaries I have read in a long time, “Bypass Washington, Save America” by Eric Liu .
Thus, the  answer to my question  “How can the president of the United States of America lie to the American people – and – they believe him?”
… might be phrased this way, folks, if you are not an active part of the solution,
So point your finger back at yourself and take a good luck in the mirror.

YOU are a part of the problem! Grown-ups assist this along.
Our government should be – “Of the people, by the people and for the people.

Jack and I hope you will join us, tonight, on the air and after for our conference call discussion as we take up the topic, “Bypassing Washington, saving America.”

Your president need not be instead of YOU!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Putting first things first

On the notion of saving America by “bypassing Washington”

The seeming likemindedness, with New Horizons principles, of a recent online commentary lifted my spirits regarding our most recent political leadership chaos; the government shutdown.

And the winner is....?
Writes Eric Liu in Bypass Washington, save America”

“As Congress heads implacably toward another shutdown showdown, the fate of the federal government hangs in the balance. And America is yawning. Or, at least, not panicking. Why?

One reason is that we've all become inured to the utter dysfunction of Washington. But another is that Washington matters less every day. Even though the shenanigans of congressional Republicans make for a perfect negative civics lesson -- Don't do this in real life, kids -- in cities all across the country civic innovation is flowering, and everyday citizens are becoming newly empowered.

While our federal government has tied itself in partisan knots, cities are showing the way forward.”

While New Horizons would be unlikely, at this point, to get too excited about “cities,” still, the notion, as Gandhi, expressed it that unity and peace commence as we …

“…begin by carving out territories or zones of peace in our personal relations where violence and deceit won’t be used.”
… makes its point here.
Whether it be cities, towns, villages or relatively small local groups, such as civic, business, organization, neighborhood or faith entities, when practical solutions are sought by willing participants, under the arch of respected ethical principles (i.e. honesty, kindness, compassion, altruism etc.) sound resolutions are apt to be carried into practice with gratifying results.

Liu suggests …
“The localism of our time -- and you see it in how people eat, work, move, buy, sell, grow, share, create -- is a networked localism.”
This viewpoint aligns with some of New Horizons’ most important principles. (You see, now, I am enamored of this commentary piece.)
“Old” New Horizons’ participants learned from our community development mentor, Murat Yagan, that there are certain special conditions citizens heed that, generally, turn the “lead” of collective efforts into the “gold” that can be mined in and from them.  Our Possible Human, Possible Society Study is showing us that these are particularly available in small groups of people, as per Gandhi, willingly relying upon one another to collectively solve problems.
These prerequisites, when properly applied, can transform any ordinary community into an exceptional one. Even the dysfunctional ones can heal and transform. The internet and print media are abundant with personal interest stories that exemplify this. Mr. Liu’s commentary tells, refreshingly, of one such example.
The preconditions New Horizons strives to promote, based on our “old” New Horizons therapeutic community model, now interwoven with ancient Abkhazian traditions, as presented by Murat, expand and build upon the following:
1.       Complimentary values and principles among a given group of people as well as the individual members of it (i.e. likemindedness to some workable degree);

2.      Determination in both the individual and the group to consistently strive for these values and principles in all that they do;

3.      Effective leadership that, with group reciprocity, successfully guides individuals and the group, through snags to synergy,  in their endeavors to live by these values and principles.  
Again, I appreciate and am inspired by Liu’s report of success where he served as a trustee for Seattle’s public library.  He states --

“The best way to try is to try at home…. The best way to learn is to learn with others…. Even in this globalizing age -- or perhaps especially in such an age -- all citizenship is local.
Though I've worked at the highest levels in national politics, at the White House and in the Capitol, I never learned as much about democracy as I have in trying to make the libraries of Seattle work.”
At the highest order character development is mutually supported and reciprocated, as one of the key elements that will foster the forward motion. I cannot help but envision this at work in this story, and others, of collective efforts.
In this, “think global, act local” way, not at all like Washington, we see a means for solving the problems of citizens, putting first things first.