Friday, December 30, 2016

When the 'Force" Is Disturbed: What Do I/We Do? Podcast

When the world is in chaos and our hopes and dreams seem to be tumbling down, to what (and where) do we turn?  

Hear how Anastasia, “honorary” mother and daughter, Terry, come to grips with their different perspectives on living through these troubled times.



After I, Anastasia had written and posted my last “Zones of Peace” blog, “A Making Violence Obsolete Holiday Reflection”, I rather thought my work was done for the year.  I had found my peace, after the horrific, just past, campaign cycle and election, and felt rather settled as to how I would manage the fear and threatening disorder it had brought about. Donald Trump’s election was, as our next president, not unexpectedly bringing a strong sense of dis-ease into my life and to those around me; a fearfulness such as no one I know had ever felt after a presidential election.

From this newly resolved – or is that “resigned” ?? – position I had decided that a paradigm shift was in order, if I was to let go of the threatened stance I had adopted during the campaign – and—immediately after, once the outcome of the presidential election race had been determined. This, it seemed, had to be the only sane way to go in this incredibly insane world within which we were now living in the United States as it was also around the globe.

It was from this position that I eagerly and confidently approached my radio show planning meeting with my honorary daughter, Terry. Assured that that last blog of mine could give she and I a relatively easy template from which to create our show, I found myself in for a surprise. No slam dunk, this one!

Yes, Terry, definitely agreed with me that, as I had written --
These are challenging times, no doubt about it.
But was she settled about the situation? She was not!

Hear how Terry and myself worked through our differences on the Anastasia The Storyteller Radio Show titled --


When the 'Force" Is Disturbed: What Do I/We Do?
P.S. The poem Terry read on this show was written by Katherine Stafford, dated 2005,






Thursday, December 22, 2016

A Making Violence Obsolete Holiday Reflection

Anastasia The Super Sleuth Says –

At this holiday season I hope you are taking time to look deep inside and asking yourself, what is mine to do so that we may all move through the chaos we are currently experiencing into the peace and unity for which most of us yearn.

Here is my personal contemplation on the issue (also posted on Anastasia The Storyteller)

These are challenging times, no doubt about it.

I don’t know about you, but times of stress and distress, such as these, lead me, now and then, to just sit back and reassess perspectives. Given how 2016 has turned out, with our horrendous election campaign as a backdrop for almost anything and everything else that has happened this year, I am going back over the premises with which I began 2016 to see if and how they still hold true.

A significant paradigm shift seems to be in the offing. Where shall it take me; from what and where to a different what and  where?

In particular I feel drawn to contemplating my commitment to peace and unity and to building these wherever I can. Akin to this theme is my considering, once again, where the necessity for polarization and the upheaval and chaos this can breed fits in.

I have long believed that periods of polarization, inevitable as they are, need, on occasion, to precede true peace and unity, if we as a species are to function at our optimum levels. Such times are essential to the creative process that fosters growth and improvements, serving as a balancing agent.

Might I have, however, been off in my thinking that peace and unity should hold such a high priority as they have in my value system?

Have I, in prioritizing these, as I have, overlooked other essentials?

Have I significantly disregarded viewpoints that are markedly different than mine in my quest for this idealistic state of my vision that I call peace and unity?

In doing so, did I cut myself off from the caring and compassion I might have been more generous in giving had I been heedful of people who are distinctly different than me?

I/we did pay close attention to the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement. But in doing so were there others, perhaps less vocal, in need that I/we ignored?

These are questions I feel called to consider right now as we head into the holidays in the midst of the divisiveness and polarization that Donald Trump has successfully fomented. Even with the abundance of commentary by wise and thoughtful journalists that I read, especially those of such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, I still feel mystified and, of course, concerned about where we Americans are now as a country and where we are headed.

One of the things I am going to be closely examining in the weeks ahead is what New Horizons Possible Human, Possible Society study data, to date, can help me see and how best to proceed, now, with it to aid my settling of things, currently troubling my mind. Look for updates on our study as we move into 2017. Today we are already beginning this review, as intended after the election, regardless of how it would turn out, 

Since my final years in under graduate school in the mid-1980s I have been a devotee of Marilyn Ferguson’s Aquarian Conspiracy: Personal And Social Transformation In Our Time which I first read at that time. One of the most helpful pieces of information introduced in that book was the Nobel prize winning work of Ilya Prigogine in the field of chemistry. Since I learned of it, Prigogine’s theory of dissipative structures, more than any other theory has provided me with a viable way of viewing times of high stress, such as this year, has been without totally freaking out! 

The main point I found useful, to apply to my life and those who I have guided, is the notion that when an organism is overloaded with stimuli it will fragment and then re-organize at a higher level!! We humans are organisms that fit into this theory. And, to the person, we are grossly overloaded! Does this signal that we are now on the brink of personal as well as societal transformation – and not on the “Eve of Destruction” as many fear that we are?

I sure hope so!

“The Morning After,” the theme song from the movie “The Poseidon Adventure” has also been a companion to me in times of volatility such as these. Future Shock by Alvin Toffler, at an earlier time, decades ago, gave me a way to look at monumental societal changes and make some modicum of sense of it all. It did help!

We need astute, well-documented works such as Ferguson’s and Toffler’s to help us attain some worthy meaning of these troubled times. And music such as “The Morning After,” sung by Maureen McGovern, to help lift our spirits and affirm our hopes and dreams.

As we head, now, into the spiritually uplifting end of the year holidays of the Winter Solstice, Christmas, Chanukah, the Hadj and the New Year, I know I am going to be spending some of my time rethinking former perspectives. I know others will be doing similarly. Finding one’s center of gravity and holding onto to it is especially challenging this year with so much divisiveness surrounding us.

I am heading into the holiday season with an eye, most of all, to moving through the present upheaval surrounding us on every side.  And beyond into next year with some kind of paradigm shift that will help me update the inner map of my body, mind and spirit. 

With this in mind, I want, at this time, to continue to hold on to my belief in miracles. I do believe in miracles. Right now I am praying for one or two.

Anastasia and the New Horizons Board of Directors wish you good cheer and a miracle, here and there!



Tuesday, December 20, 2016

There Was A Spiritual Side To Celebrating Fifty Years

Please read my 50th Anniversary Celebration story on Anastasia The Storyteller.  

Let me share with you how Light came into an otherwise, icy, dreary, oops – "we’re gonna need to cancel this affair day."

Best wishes for your holiday season as it comes closer and closer.

Anastasia 

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

New Horizons To Honor Executive Director

Board Members of the New Horizons Support Network, Inc. will honor Executive Director, Anastasia Rosen-Jones with an anniversary celebration Saturday, December 17, following this week's Making Violence Obsolete training group (see details below).

Read Anastasia's bio and about her courageous handling of threatened blindness and eight years of actual blindness and recovery from it. (As of this date, Anastasia has once again lost her eyesight in her right eye).
















In the event of inclement weather, contact Sue deVeer at 240.367.4403 for rain date, tba



Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Making Violence Obsolete Training To Feature Bus Ride Story Adventure

Making Violence Obsolete 'Experiment' participants are in for a holiday treat as their next training day will feature Murat Yagan’s Bus Ride Story Adventure.

Read that story now, The Bus Ride Story Adventure, if you want to try on a bit of hope for the New Year, 2017!

Saturday December 17
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Frederick Friends Meeting House
Frederick, Maryland


For qualified "Experiment" participants only.

Training format available to the general public by special arrangement.

What a wonderful way this will be to wrap up a most unusual and oftentimes disconcerting year!

Here are a few thoughts to consider if you wish to be a part of the adventure.
  • Ask yourself, have I ever considered that a bus ride could become a small "zone of peace"?
  • If so, would I know how to create this outcome?
New Horizons knows that it can do that – and -- 
how it can!  

We will be glad to share what we know with you!


Or invite us to guide your group, club or organization onto this awesome adventure, the Bus Ride Story Adventure. Let us create the experience in your personal venue. 

We will be most happy to draw upon the gifts of our Wise Woman's Tool Box and from our intriguing Bus Ride Story Adventure to create an awesome experience for your friends, family, neighborhood, group or organization.

Coming soon in late 2017: The Bus Ride Story Adventure
For the real, on a live charter bus adventure, follow our blog for details.

Contact: Anastasia Rosen-Jones
Executive Director 
New Horizons Support Network, Inc.
Cell: 240.409.5347, Email: SuperSleuthDSW@aol.com


Find out for yourself what is in
the Wise Woman's Tool box!



Sunday, December 4, 2016

Making Violence Obsolete #101: Re-Routing Subtle Violence

The members of New Horizons newly formed Making Violence Obsolete “Experiment” want you to know what Lesson One brought us as we took the opportunity in the midst of our “lesson plan” to re-route subtle violence.

By the time we had finished a long day of seminar, work projects at our Harpers Ferry Retreat Center (the last minute arranged location of yesterday’s training), potluck dinner and lots of leisurely hanging out – WOW!

We got to AWE!! Amazing!

Here is our summary of how we did it!

Lesson Theme: "Traveling With Us" took an unexpected turn that led us to “teachable moments” on one of our main “experiment” principles -- 

Subtle violence is not so subtle… when you’re the target! 

As a working experimental community, we learned a lot by digging deeply into the mechanism called “discounting,” that lies behind “subtle violence.”

Understanding and applying workable solutions to these counterproductive concepts, in action, rapidly moved us to the fore, yesterday, of New Horizons unique small “zones of peace” approach to Making Violence Obsolete. 

You can do it too, if you hold that charity (i.e. practicing even “subtle non-violence”) begins at home!


We will show you how! 


So what do these terms, “subtle violence” and “discounting,” mean? 

Discounting defined: Discounting means to, generally without awareness, minimize or ignore data that that has to do with an individual, a situation or the solving of a problem.

Subtle violence defined here:

As a team we got stuck for awhile midway through our initial “Lesson One Theme: Traveling With Us.” But that simply took our developing counterculture community immediately and spontaneously to the next higher level.  

WOW! It was gorgeous!

Consequences of our snag/stuckness: Polarization, briefly

Characteristics of our polarization:
  • Defensiveness on the part of certain members;
  • Emotional barriers;
  • Communication Breakdown;
We got unstuck through applying the principles of ---

1. Dialogue versus debate
2. Various potions applied from the Wise Woman’s Tool Box, guided by Anastasia (me).
Wise Woman's Tool Box


And ended up, by re-routing subtle violence, in awe!  


Amazing!

If you are inclined, try us, you’ll love us (or soon learn to)!

You’ve got to live it to IT to truly know IT

IT = how New Horizons travels to AWE!

Next Making Violence Obsolete Experiment training date:

Making Violence Obsolete #101

Workshop Lesson #2: Introducing the Bus Ride Story Adventure

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Location: Frederick Friends Meeting House
Frederick, Maryland

See basic details here for participation.