Overcoming The Polarization Of .... House Parties!

Overcoming The Polarization of Politics House Parties (Or Whatever Else Separates You)! Now specially designed for your own private house party!

Come on, folks! Get on board before we are all sold out!

A Coffee House Conversation Event
Sponsored by the New Horizons’ Small “Zones of Peace” Project –

Our motto:

“We do best to begin by carving out territories or zones of peace in our personal relations where violence and deceit won’t be used.” -Mahatma Gandhi

Our method:

We bring our motto and our methodology, long proven to be effective, into the privacy of your home. There we help you begin to build a small “zone of peace” with your family, friends, neighbors, small group affiliates and anyone else you care to include. Read about our methodology.


We are polarized! No doubt about it! 

Meet Anastasia,
your guide to the adventure

Characteristics of cultural polarization include:

• Emotional barriers
• Defensiveness, anger, blame
• Withdrawal, avoidance, collusion
• Communication Breakdown
• Seeing the “other” as an enemy

Examples of polarization:

• Interfaith disparity
• Racial separation and hostilities
• Community differences
• Bipartisan political divisions

Polarization does not need to be a way of life!

Conversation can be your style.

That’s the “Zones of Peace” way, the exceptional way, the life as art way.

Polarization, conflict and violence can become obsolete.

                 

New Horizons will show you how!

Get active now!

Call or write today!

Contact:

Anastasia Rosen-Jones

Executive Director, New Horizons Support Network, Inc.

Cell: 240.409.5347, 

Email: SuperSleuthDSW@aol.com

It Is Your Civic Duty To Stop The Flagrant Disregard In Our Country For Truth NOW!!

Begin in your own backyard.

It is your civic duty to stop the flagrant disregard for truth, especially if you are an American NOW!

As a Certified Transactional Analyst with more than forty years experience, focusing on truth telling as an essential pathway to whatever ails, personally, and interpersonally; relationship-wise and community wide, I, personally, am taking up the effort (along with my team of volunteers) to assist you in doing this.

It is essential at this time in America that people develop increasing clarity and skill at speaking truth to power in useful social justice ways.  And learn to effectively navigate areas of denial and discounting. I will be discussing this topic over time from here forth.

‘Here is my introduction!

More is to come. So keep alert to my postings at: Anastasia The Storyteller, Exploring Your Dark Side: The Adventure of A Lifetime and the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Project.

Also see:

The United States Of America – And – It’s Flagrant Disregard For The Truth: The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth

& The Dark Side Warrior And The Issue Of Truth

Let’s start here with three main concepts.

The three concepts are:

• Discounting
• Denial
• Lying

For starters, let us note the definitions of each: discounting, denial and lying.

The term discount is a term derived from the literature of Transactional Analysis(TA). The term is generally meant to be the act of minimizing or ignoring aspects of reality related to an individual, a situation or the solving of a problem.Discounting can be either conscious or unconscious.

In TA literature, discounting, is discussed as a rather intricate phenomenon associated with passivity. The subject is well worth investigating, learning to understand and apply. New Horizons has designed its most sophisticated program, the Truth or Dare Game, to teach people how discounting is affecting their lives, how to understand its destructive effects and how to reverse them.

Conscious discounting: An example of conscious or purposeful discounting of another person is choosing to tune out the distracting sounds of children at play in order to keep one’s attention focused on a task.

Unconscious discounting: An example of unconscious discounting occurred in a couple I was coaching when the husband of the couple kept ignoring the emotions his wife was expressing of fear over purchases he had made that went beyond the couple’s budget.

Denial, on the other hand, is less an ignoring and more of an internalized defense against unpleasant or uncomfortable truths or reality.

Although discounting and denial can appear to operate similarly, I have found it to be valuable to distinguish between the two in treatment scenarios. This tack has proven itself to be important in attempting to figure out strategies for managing interactions with people who are using either discounting or denial interactively with me, or others I am mentoring/coaching.

Both functions: discounting and denial, are faulty modes of processing reality.

Lying: is a deliberate withholding of information in order to exact power and/or control of others.

Many disruptive behaviors may include all three of these out-of-sync-with-reality internal functions. For example a person who is bullying is likely to be ignoring or minimizing (discounting) the emotions and needs of others. He or she might also not be able to have a healthy grasp (denial) of the consequences of this behavior for him or herself or the victim being bullied.

Lying might also play a role in this kind of upset as the need for power and control in situations of bullying is a major factor.

Where does Donald Trump’s deceitful behavior lie between these three dysfunctional modes of dealing with truth and reality?

It is hard to know for sure what would account for Trump’s repeated deceit without having his willing agreement to assess his dysfunction. My own professional analysis from afar is that Donald Trump appears to me to be acting as if he is a narcissistic sociopath. 

The narcissism accounts for his seeming inability to do other than pay attention to himself as the center of his world. That would account also for his inability to do other than discount (i.e. minimize or ignore) the thoughts, feelings, viewpoints and so forth of others.   Obviously, Trump is over-focused on himself and under-focused on others.

The sociopathy might account for his being in denial (i.e. seemingly having little or no compassion or concern) for others with a significant lack of empathy. Sociopaths have extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience. This could account for Trump’s racism, sexism and radically disruptive notions about how to “make America great again.”

Of, course, Trump lies all over the place; his need for power and control of others is off the charts!

In lieu of their being any certainty regarding Trump’s internal psychological dysfunctioning, it is essential that our American constituency develop increased skillfulness in assessing their own personal reality and truth telling behaviors. And, find ways to cope with our now being subjected to leadership that is functioning outside the bounds of truth and reality!

At New Horizons we believe this is a civic duty!

Please join our movement to “Make America Greater” by

“Making America Honest”

For Information on New Horizons’ Truth or Dare training and other Small “Zones of Peace” programs —

Contact: Anastasia Rosen-Jones, Executive Director 

New Horizons Support Network, Inc.
Cell: 240.409.5347, Email: SuperSleuthDSW@aol.com

Looking For Immediate Next Steps

Here are two blog posts to help Light your way.

1. On Anastasia The Storyteller --

The United States Of America – And – It’s Flagrant Disregard For The Truth: The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth  

2. On Exploring Your Dark Side: The Adventure of A Lifetime --

The Dark Side Warrior And The Issue Of Truth

New Horizons’ Making Violence Obsolete Movement (MVO): A What-To-Do-After-The-March Opportunity

(After the election, after the inauguration, etc. etc.)

What to do? What to do?

The polarization of our society and politics, with Donald Trump as our king pin, looks pretty dire. And, it seems this is the state of affairs we are destined to be stuck with for some time into the future.

What to do? What to do?

For the past decade, beginning with New Horizons facilitating the healing of a local Jewish/Muslim controversy (2006), we have been front runners at helping communities to overcome polarization. And, instead build bridges of enhanced unity.

Obviously, we have a long road ahead if we aspire to even make a dent in our present state of society and politics. Yet growing numbers of people, throughout our country as well as around the world, as the Women’s March demonstrated on Saturday, are becoming increasingly vocal about the need for unity, as opposed to divisiveness, as it stands now.

At New Horizons, we are striving for a shared “awe” as we have actually been doing for more than forty years!

We know that our goal – “awe” – is achievable! But it takes determination, disciplined efforts by many individuals, groups and small communities to even get the undertaking off the ground, moving in the proper direction --- and sustained. 

So we are asking you  –

Is your family, friendship circle, work place, group, organization or congregation polarized?

Is polarization impacting on your daily life?

If it is New Horizons is here to help you move through and beyond this! 

We know how and we want to assist you!

Characteristics of cultural polarization 

• Emotional barriers
• Defensiveness, anger, blame
• Withdrawal, avoidance, collusion
• Communication Breakdown
• Seeing the “other” as an enemy

If these indicators of polarization are interfering with the quality of your life today, take a cue from us and learn to skillfully lean in where there is separation and do your best – now – to find common ground with anyone and everyone you can.

Your endeavors in this direction will be well worth the challenge!

Not sure how to do it?

New Horizons’ Bus Ride Story Adventure* is one of the many vehicles we can offer you. Each and every one of them can provide the kinds of support and skill development opportunities that can empower you to successfully involve yourself in being an effective social and political change agent. 

(*Our Bus Ride Story Adventure is only one of the many processes that our Making Violence Obsolete Movement, our Counterculture Community Development Experiment, our Coffee House Conversations programs and our specially designed Cultural Mediation Coaching and Consulting offer to assist your individual and collective objectives.)

Find out how we have successfully facilitated profound community unity and impacted the personal lives of thousands of others through our various programs and activities.

Ask Anastasia
to be your guide.

But, of course, New Horizons is only one of many wonderful grassroots opportunities surfacing now as social and political action endeavors. However, we can, not only guide and train your activities with us, but you can consider us as one of your basic resources for empowering your involvement with others as you make peace and social justice your number one priority at this sensitive time.

Both group and private coaching and consulting are also available.

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

While Millions Marched Throughout The World –

New Horizons launched its Bus Ride Story Adventure!

You may have marched while we took a quieter route. 

Either way, I am betting most of us can say the experience was awesome!

The destination was essentially the same – AWE -- or how we can unite to help build a better world for us all to share in peace and harmony.

From our distance we were on board with you! 

Now, how about you getting on board next round with us?

Making Violence Obsolete Training Day

featuring the Bus Ride Story Adventure

Saturday February 25, 2017

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

(Camaraderie and dinner follow, potluck or at a nearby restaurant)

Frederick Friends Meeting House

Frederick, Maryland

Please join us! We want to travel with you!

This training event open to pre-qualified guests.

Find out how you can be one of these!

(C0ntact Anastasia to attend. Details below.)

Want to find out how to build a peace that can last?

Here are a few thoughts to consider?

• How can a bus ride become a small "zone of peace"?
• How you can arrange for New Horizons to bring its Bus Ride Story Adventure to your group of neighbors, friends and family. 

We, Anastasia and Sue, your Bus Ride Story Adventure tour guides, want to share what we know with you

Join us as an officially approved

Making Violence Obsolete Experiment participant.

Or invite us to guide your group, club or organization on this awesome adventure, the Bus Ride Story Adventure. Let us create the experience in your personal venue. 
Training format available to the general public by special arrangement.

Coming in late 2017: 

The (for real) Bus Ride Story Adventure

Follow our blogs for details as they develop over the coming year.

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

Making Violence Obsolete Open Training Event

Our Next Making Violence Obsolete Training Day –

Saturday, January 21

Will be an open training event for pre-qualified guests* 

Subtle violence isn't so
subtle when you're
the target.

Our Premise is this --

Violence “could” become obsolete, “someday”, if we start, now, doing more and more of the right things and, together, stop doing the “wrong” ones!”

Our Belief is --

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

Our Method will be demonstrated at this coming Saturday’s training event --

*(Note: Open training event days will be offered on occasion so that we may introduce our Making Violence Obsolete Movement and our Experiment to those who are interested in our innovative, inspiring and personally and collectively transformation adventure.

New Horizons is calling out to you if you believe that –

• “We are stronger together” and that if -
• “They go low, we go high” and you don’t care as much who won the election but you mostly want us to be a country of people working together and seeking to be --Possible Humans building a possible society

Join us NOW, and be a part of our –

Making Violence Obsolete Movement and

Counterculture Community Development Experiment

Making Violence Obsolete Training Day

Saturday January 21, 2017

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Frederick Friends Meeting House

Frederick, Maryland

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

Look for details on future open training event days.

Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.

New Horizon Small “Zones Of Peace” Project Presents…

A Table Talk Discussion

Creating Non-Violent Conversations

January 16, 2017 Martin Luther King Dinner Event

Potluck Dinner, Diversity, Music and More

Asbury United Methodist Church, Frederick, MD

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

The New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Project, led by Anastasia Rosen-Jones and Sue deVeer, will facilitate a table talk discussion on “Creating Non-Violent Communication,” focusing on the skills of “Dialogue versus Debate.”

Other topics will be discussed along with a grand annual opportunity for an evening of community building.

Join us!

(Rescheduled) Making Violence Obsolete Training To Feature New Horizons Bus Ride Story Adventure

Did you know that our last Making Violence Obsolete training day was ice stormed out?

Did you know, too, that my 50th (career) anniversary celebration also had to be rescheduled due to icy roads? (Look for reschedule details in the future.)

(If you love/like me, Anastasia) Were you lucky enough to know that we had a wonderful surprise mini-celebration anyway (with a bigger event to be rescheduled at some future date)?

Well, all of the above did transpire, including– thank goodness the wrap up of 2016– with the holiday season!

Now it’s time for us to get our Making Violence Obsolete show on the road again!

(With high hopes that by next year at this time we will have already taken a real, live bus filled with like-minded others for a real live Bus Ride Story Adventure).

In the meantime, we are ready now to roll out again for our next training date. 

Details below.

Making Violence Obsolete Training Day

Saturday January 21, 2017

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Frederick Friends Meeting House

Frederick, Maryland

For qualified experiment participants only.

Training format also available to the general public by special arrangement.

What a wonderful way this will be, if you can join us, to start off the new year!

Here are a few thoughts to consider if you wish to be a part of our 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 it can do that – and -- how it can.  

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

Join us as an officially approved

Making Violence Obsolete Experiment participant.

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. 

Coming soon in late 2017: 

The (for real) Bus Ride Story Adventure

Follow our blogs for details as they develop over the coming year.

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

On The Second Day Of The New Year, 2017

So here we are in 2017, at last!  

(Also posted on Anastasia The Storyteller)

With the calendar days of 2016 past! And, with current events primed to linger on for a long, long time, especially those having to do with our presidential election for who knows how long.

May the force be with us!  We are sure going to need it to navigate life as it now looms.

As I have been suggesting in recent blog articles, the way I see it a paradigm shift is what’s going to do me best.

How about you? 

Have you figured out yet what is your best way to chart a course for the year ahead?

I asked this question of several of my friends last evening at dinner as we celebrated the new year. That was before our table discussion sunk into two of them, a married couple, getting into combat about money! Their long term grudges toward one another, defining the tone. Not much fun for us onlookers, right?

That episode and the general trend of making resolutions at the new year, as to how one might clean up one’s act, got me to contemplating, as I drifted off to sleep last night, of some personal work I need to do on my own spouse relationship.

It wasn’t all together pleasing for me to see where I, too, have some long held, old and stale forgiveness work to do myself. The mere thought of that might have been daunting. However, upon further investigation, particularly drawing upon the teachings of Steven Levine and his wife, Ondrea, the former having recently passed away last year, I quickly came to realize that walking a path of healing and forgiveness is a central tenet of how I know I must live my life. My most important values; tikkun olam, Hebrew for healing the world, and tikkun adzmi, healing oneself, demand that of me.

So I made a pledge to do more in that area this coming year, insofar as my relationship with my Beloved goes. I am a bit challenged by this plan for my personal life, but not nearly as much as I am about applying this practice to Donald Trump, as president.

Had he lost the election, I know I would have found the application of this exercise much easier.

With Trump in the White House, I just don’t know!

How does one apply reconciliation processes where there is no truth?  I believe truth and reconciliation are partners.

I just don’t know how best to proceed, in this instance, other than being mindful that lovingkindness is a path I believe in though somehow it seems rather out of order here in this new U.S. reality at this time.

However, I am  taking from the words of Viktor Frankl (paraphrased) –

When we have lost all other freedoms, each of us still has the freedom to decide how to think about things. Vktor Frankl, Man's Search For Meaning

So, I conclude, at least for today, that I must continue to ponder this big existential question; forgiving Donald Trump and his "team," while I enjoy the chickadees and large family of cardinals feeding at my bird feeder outside my office window today. And the various other simple pleasures of my life, like the warmth I am now feeling from a hearty fire in my wood burning stove and the nutritious lunch of holiday leftovers I am about to have.

And, while I also wish you a very Happy New Year, 2017!