via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/R3fhFkIlY3/
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Like kefir? This goat milk kefir mmm-good. Love it.
Like kefir? This goat milk kefir mmm-good. Love it.
via Tumblr http://angelojohnlewis.tumblr.com/post/34582686788
Whoa, look out. Jello’s comin’ at you from all seven...
Whoa, look out. Jello’s comin’ at you from all seven chakras. Lock the doors and protect your daughters. Here come Jello, baby!
via Tumblr http://angelojohnlewis.tumblr.com/post/34571981931
Sign of the times from the material age…
Sign of the times from the material age…
via Tumblr http://angelojohnlewis.tumblr.com/post/34567680013
Me and my buddy Jackie at a diner, friends for whoa 30 some...
Me and my buddy Jackie at a diner, friends for whoa 30 some years (at Cinnaminson, NJ)
via Tumblr http://angelojohnlewis.tumblr.com/post/34567594101
One of my mottos for living…
One of my mottos for living…
via Tumblr http://angelojohnlewis.tumblr.com/post/34567339888
My buddy JCO getting ready for a day trip to somewhere in New York from Stonington, CT. Given the choice, he'll always choose riding his bike over driving his car
via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/RXucXNIlaY/
Saturday, October 27, 2012
"Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is..."
“Ordinary men hate solitude.
But the Master makes use of it,
embracing his aloneness, realizing
he is one with the whole universe.”
- Lao Tzu (via lazyyogi)
via Tumblr http://angelojohnlewis.tumblr.com/post/34417572775
But the Master makes use of it,
embracing his aloneness, realizing
he is one with the whole universe.”
- Lao Tzu (via lazyyogi)
via Tumblr http://angelojohnlewis.tumblr.com/post/34417572775
"That's how I roll..."
Old not-seen-for-awhile friend sees I responded to her email at like 2:30 in the a.m. “What the f….. are you doing up!?,” she emails back, getting ready for her morning flight to El Salvador. I see here note at like 6:30 after three-and-a-half hours of sleep.
“When I’m at the crest of an energy change, I often sleep three-to-five hours a night. That’s how I roll…”
via Tumblr http://angelojohnlewis.tumblr.com/post/34416254491
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Angelo John Lewis wants to hear your stories!
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Angelo John wants to hear your stories on Storylane. Join nowCheck out some of Angelo John's stories here
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Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Michael Bookbinder
Around 1970 or so, I met Michael Bookbinder, whom I’m told was behind the book “Way of the Peaceful Warrior.” At the time, I was involved with macrobiotics and certain people in that circle were getting into spiritual things. These folks had met Michael and had “light attunements” with Michael, and I so I signed up for one. The reading — Michael called them “light attunements” changed my life. Michael had tapped into a cosmology that was based on numerology (or so I was later told). According to Michael, everyone had certain energy patterns that they were here to express and complete. It didn’t matter if you had one or many; it didn’t make you greater or lesser than anyone else. They kicked off in sequence, meaning that once you worked through the lessons of one, the next one would kick and so forth. Each had a negative and a positive quality. Michael told me that mine were “inner creativity,” “spiritual law” and “outer creativity.” The negative of the “inner creativity” was “doom and gloom.” “And you can be doomier and gloomier than most people,” he said with a kind of chuckle. The positive was the ability to heal. “You can just lay hands on someone, not knowing where the points or meridians are, and you could heal them,” he said. The next he said was “spiritual law.” I don’t really understand “spiritual law,” I told Michael. He sort of laughed and said, “you will.” Then he said, there are two kinds of laws, man’s law and spiritual law. Man’s law is like the speed limit, it changes a lot, whereas spiritual law is eternal. And the last was outer creativity. ” This is what you are here to do, and you can be very productive at it.” Michael also told me that I had a spiritual gift. “I can’t tell you what it is, but I can tell you it represents strength,” he said. “You’ll recognize it.” The last thing he told me was to learn to recognize the difference between sympathy and empathy. In one of them, there is the tendency to get down there in someone’s pain and share it with them. The other is compassionate, but more neutral, letting the person have his or her own experience. He told me the story of a guy who always came to him to borrow money. Michael lent him the money a couple of times, but the third time he said “no.” The guy didn’t take this well, and maybe even cursed him. But sometime later, he came back and thanked Michael. “You were the only one who had faith in me, and didn’t try to buy me off.” Anyhow, everything that Michael told me has come true. He planted a seed in me that has grown.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Nothing to Prove
When I'm doing otherwise, I sometimes remember what my first teacher said: "I think the most compassionate thing I have to say is that I have nothing to prove." http://thirtypoemsinthirtydays.com/Sixth%20Poem.htm
Monday, September 26, 2011
Every American Should Read This Book
I just finished reading Tamim Ansary's "Destiny Disrupted, A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes" and highly recommend it. Aside from providing a valuable narrative of a history that few Americans are familiar, the book helped me understand the most vexing issues of the day: the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Iranian/American conflict, Afghanistan and Taliban. Ansary is a wise, gentle and compassionate guide who is in many ways as critical of Islam as he is the Western project. Give this book a read and, if you like it, pass the word.
Here's Ansary talking about his book on YouTube:
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, July 09, 2010
Our Friends Would Like Your Feedback
Hi There,
I hope you're having a good summer.
This is just a quick note to ask for your feedback.
Two of our colleagues, Carole and Jane, are the first team we've offered to help as part of our Facebook Project of the Week. The two are in the process of promoting their online e-Liberation Course and are looking for suggestions as to ways to attract customers. That, hopefully, is where you come in. Please go to our Facebook page, click on "Join the Discussion," and post any suggestions you may have.On the Join the Discussion page, you'll find a complete description of the course and what they're trying to do.
I'll ask Carole and Jane to choose the best selection received by Sunday, July 11 at noon EST. The winner will receive a gift certificate to play our Clarify Your Goals game. So, please go online and give Carole and Jane your best thoughts. I hope to see you online. Angelo PS: Would you to receive feedback on your project or goal? Nominate yourself to beour next Facebook Project of the Week by sending me a brief email telling me about your project.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Where to give feedback to Carole and Jane on their FB Project of the Week.
Ask Carole and Jane questions on their FB Project of the Week at any of these places:
Help Out Carol and Jane! Advise them on their project via the Facebook Project of the Week! #fb
What you'll find below is:
- A description of Carole and Jane's Project
- How to give Jane and Carole feedback
Here is Jane and Carole's Project:
We are two online coaches and facilitators who are in the process of preparing for our second Elearning Professional Development Course, which is designed to help people take charge of their own e-learning. Our challenge is to create a marketing strategy that would attract participants from around the world.
To date our marketing strategy is mostly just to send an email announcements to our contacts, advertise on our Ning site and post viral advertising in Twitter, plus posting a link to our courses on our colleague's sites. We have some participants for our July course, and we could use any suggestions you might have to improve our marketing for our September courses.
More particularly we are looking for ideas on marketing that will enable us to generate a demand for this type of just-in-time, just-for-you professional development.
Before you advise us, please ask any questions you might have.
We'll answer all your questions publicly and then receive your advice.
Thanks, Carole and Jane
How to respond:
- Ask questions of Carole and Jane on twitter @gameofgames, using the hashtag #GOGPOW
- OR on our Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/gameofgames). Click on Discuss +
- OR on Hootcourse
Next:
- Visit our Facebook Page to see answers to your questions.
- Give Carole and Jane your best advice via Twitter (use the #GOGPOW hastag, Facebook (Click on Discuss +, or Hootcourse.
Want feedback on your Project? Nominate yourself to be our Project of the Week.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
100 Day Challenge
The 100 Day Challenge.
Together We Play BetterPowerful personal and business growth programs designed specifically for coaches like you! We have a variety of great games for you to play to expand your business and the rest of your life. Before we get into the details, have a look at these four fun rules for coaches that will set the stage for you.
Rule #1 for great coaches:
ALWAYS PLAY BIG IN YOUR OWN LIFEAs a Coach you are out in the world inspiring and challenging people to play a BIG game in life. In order to do that with powerful alignment of word and deed, you MUST be playing a big game in your own life. Truly, it is the only option for you.
At the same time, as a Coach, you also know that to truly play BIG you need a highly supportive environment. This is what you will find in the CoachVille 100 Day Challenge - a powerful coaching environment designed for YOUR success.
Rule #2 for great coaches
PLAY WITH PURPOSEMost people have been trained in the “Industrial Mind”, so they perceive play as frivolous. It is our mission - as the global community of coaches - to challenge this perception of play! We are out to prove that we can PLAY WITH PURPOSE in the areas of life that matter most. AND achieve great results while creating an experience of the joy of play rather than the stress and drudgery of work.
That is what we will all do together in these 100 Day Challenge programs - each one is designed as a game.
Rule #3 for great coaches
TOGETHER WE PLAY BETTERTo step out into the world as a Coach, you MUST be a strong advocate for community and collaboration, co-creating an environment of profound support. You also know that when you play alone it is far to easy to hide out and play safe. In the 100 Day Challenge program EVERYONE plays publicly. You will be seen and known - no hiding or disappearing when it gets tough.
If you have participated in athletics or performing arts then you have experienced “the edge” that comes from knowing that other people will be watching you play! With our new community game system you will experience “the edge” throughout the program because your game card and results will be seen by everyone else in the game.
Next...
Here is how each 100 Day Challege program is designed1) Each week on Monday you will participate in a team training session (by teleclass) lead by one of our Coach Training staff.
In the first session you will design your vision for the game. The first week is called pre-season - you will craft your online vision board with words and pictures that bring your game to life.
On subsequent weekly team calls each session will include engaging team dialogue, practicing skills and exploring strategies for playing your game better. Each week you will play your game and accumulate points by completing exercises, taking actions and getting results.
2) This is followed by a daily check-in call.
There are two ways that we do this. In small group programs (30 players or less) this will be a 15-minute buddy call. In larger group programs (31 players or more) we orchestrate a 30-minute call with our coaching staff where you meet with the whole team for celebration, inspiration and accountability.
3) The program is boosted by our incredible online community game system. Here you create your player profile, virtual vision board and your personal game card.
Each week you will customize the game card with your action and result plan for the week - knowing that it will stretch you a bit (or a LOT ;-) out of your comfort zone. Then you will hit the “commit” button and the new game begins. Play time! Meanwhile your team mates will see what you have committed to on your game card and you will see theirs as well.
Rule #4 for great coaches
DESIGN A WINNING ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE
THE ENVIRONMENT ALWAYS WINS!This provocative and profound coaching mantra has more truth than we often realize. When you design a winning environment you shift from Will power into World power. Or has Thomas would say: You can delegate your success to your environment.
That is why we have designed a winning environment that will PULL you toward the success you desire. This includes:
- A coach leading the team calls
- You will play on a team of colleagues
- You will have a team-connect call every day
- You will play publicly using the community game system. This creates a highly visible accountability system that is quite motivating.
- You will be inspired by your team mates as you share and collaborate using the CoachVille Coach Connect feature.
Imagine...
What you will create with the Human Spirit of Play evoked in your life!
Who you will become with a truly inspiring environment urging you forwardIs your masterpiece waiting for you to step up?
Is your heart calling for you to take the risk and really play?
Is your attraction power as a Coach hinging on your courage to play a BIG game yourself?I hope so!
A BIG Opportunity is coming - another great reason to play now!
We are creating an environment with several key strategic partners where we will need A LOT of coaches who are capable of leading a 100 Day Challenge program as the Head Coach or hosting the daily check in calls as an Assistant Coach. As we recruit coaches, we will look first and foremost to coaches who have actively PLAYED in the 100 Day Challenge programs.
Here is the catalog of 100 Day Challenge programs
on the schedule...The 100 Day Play BIG Challenge
When Playing BIG is your only option
Hosted by Coach Dave Buck, MCC
March 29, 2010 -> July 5 2010 Mondays 3 PM ET
Invest: $1,495 / $1,295 before March 1st
Maximum Players: 16Brief Description
Playing BIG is your only option when your vision or your situation demands that you become something more than you are right now. Or when you know in your hearts’ desire that NOW is your time to…
- Expand who you will become
- Express something important
- Experience something profound
When this happens it is a BEAUTIFUL thing because you KNOW that you are being called outside of your comfort zone of familiar patterns of thought, feeling and action to serve a greater purpose in the world.
In this 100 Day challenge program YOU design your big game and then as we play together we will explore the 15 Proficiencies of Playing BIG - each one packed with possibilities for growth and expansion of who you are.
For example, #5 Play-Ability is the ability to bring your game to life in everything you do. This quality of “aliveness” has the potential to transform individuals, teams, communities even humanity.
March 29th 2010; 15 Mondays 3 PM ET with Coach Dave
Invest $1,295
March 29th 2010; 15 Mondays 3 PM ET with Coach Dave
Invest 3 payments of $450
via coachville.com
This is an updated version of the original 2001 Coachville Challenge , designed by late, great Thomas Leonard (www.ThomasLeonard.com). The Coachville Challenge served for me as the incubation period in which I began to design the Game of Games (www.gameofgames.com). Initially, I conceived of the Game being a live, face-to-face game. But all of my advisors, drawn from participants of the 2001 Coachville Challenge, lived in other places. It was not practical to bring them together with me to co-design or help me design the GOG. So this led to the development of the virtual Game of Games experience.
I see now that Thomas' successor is now offering an update version of the challenge (much more expensive than the original, BTW -- and more expensive than the current Game of Games). His is a very nice guy, but I think even he would agree that he is not nearly on the same level as his mentor, the visionary genius Thomas Leonard, who helped define the profession of life coaching as we know it, and the format of teleclasses.
Thomas, my old mentor, I miss you, I salute you. I wish to give others, as you gave me...
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Exploring the Metaverse: Virtual Worlds and Games for Learning | Australian Flexible Learning Framework
Date: Thursday 25 March 2010 at 12:30 - 1:30pm (AEST)
Location: http://tinyurl.com/egems-virtualworlds
This is an Elluminate event. This is 24 March 9:30 PM EST. Some of the most interesting work in online education and training is happening in Australia.
Friday, March 19, 2010
The Technology Chronicles : We're addicted to social media, even in bed
via sfgate.com
From the survey: "there's the 7 percent of people who said they wouldn't mind being interrupted during sex by an electronic message."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=59366#ixzz0ifP...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world
via ted.com
She is even more idealistic than I am about gaming and serious games.
Monday, March 08, 2010
BBC News - Mapping the growth of the internet
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SuperPower: a season of programmes exploring the power of the internet.
(Source: ITU)
Secret War On The Dollar
Read the Shocking Bulletin That Washington Does Not Want You To See
www.UncommonWisdomDaily.comNexus One by Google
Smart, Slim, Speedy & Simple To Use From Just $179 w/ Plan. Buy Online!
www.google.com/phoneIs Your Bank In Trouble?
Free list Of Banks Doomed To Fail. The Banks and Brokers X List. Free!
www.MoneyAndMarkets.com
via news.bbc.co.uk
Fascinating chart of worldwide internet usage, graphically illustrating the haves and have nots.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Managing Information: A Special Report (10 Articles +) from The Economist « ResourceShelf
Managing Information: A Special Report (10 Articles ) from The Economist
The report consists of 10 articles and an audio report. We%u2019ve excerpted on a couple of paragraphs from a few of the articles. The rest of the articles are linked near the bottom under %u201CAdditional Articles.%u201D Some excellent material here and for those of you who enjoy and/or use statistics about info, this report has a lot of them in one place. Let%u2019s get started.
Wal-Mart, a retail giant, handles more than 1m customer transactions every hour, feeding databases estimated at more than 2.5 petabytes%u2014the equivalent of 167 times the books in America%u2019s Library of Congress (see article for an explanation of how data are quantified). Facebook, a social-networking website, is home to 40 billion photos. And decoding the human genome involves analysing 3 billion base pairs%u2014which took ten years the first time it was done, in 2003, but can now be achieved in one week.
All these examples tell the same story: that the world contains an unimaginably vast amount of digital information which is getting ever vaster ever more rapidly. This makes it possible to do many things that previously could not be done: spot business trends, prevent diseases, combat crime and so on. Managed well, the data can be used to unlock new sources of economic value, provide fresh insights into science and hold governments to account.
[Snip]
There are many reasons for the information explosion. The most obvious one is technology. As the capabilities of digital devices soar and prices plummet, sensors and gadgets are digitising lots of information that was previously unavailable. And many more people have access to far more powerful tools. For example, there are 4.6 billion mobile-phone subscriptions worldwide (though many people have more than one, so the world%u2019s 6.8 billion people are not quite as well supplied as these figures suggest), and 1 billion-2 billion people use the internet.
The best way to deal with these drawbacks of the data deluge is, paradoxically, to make more data available in the right way, by requiring greater transparency in several areas. First, users should be given greater access to and control over the information held about them, including whom it is shared with. Google allows users to see what information it holds about them, and lets them delete their search histories or modify the targeting of advertising, for example. Second, organisations should be required to disclose details of security breaches, as is already the case in some parts of the world, to encourage bosses to take information security more seriously. Third, organisations should be subject to an annual security audit, with the resulting grade made public (though details of any problems exposed would not be). This would encourage companies to keep their security measures up to date.
All Too Much-Monstrous Amounts of Data
Wal-Mart, a retail giant, handles more than 1m customer transactions every hour, feeding databases estimated at more than 2.5 petabytes%u2014the equivalent of 167 times the books in America%u2019s Library of Congress (see article for an explanation of how data are quantified). Facebook, a social-networking website, is home to 40 billion photos. And decoding the human genome involves analysing 3 billion base pairs%u2014which took ten years the first time it was done, in 2003, but can now be achieved in one week.
All these examples tell the same story: that the world contains an unimaginably vast amount of digital information which is getting ever vaster ever more rapidly. This makes it possible to do many things that previously could not be done: spot business trends, prevent diseases, combat crime and so on. Managed well, the data can be used to unlock new sources of economic value, provide fresh insights into science and hold governments to account.
Quantifying the amount of information that exists in the world is hard. What is clear is that there is an awful lot of it, and it is growing at a terrific rate (a compound annual 60%) that is speeding up all the time. The flood of data from sensors, computers, research labs, cameras, phones and the like surpassed the capacity of storage technologies in 2007.
[Snip]
Only 5% of the information that is created is %u201Cstructured%u201D, meaning it comes in a standard format of words or numbers that can be read by computers. The rest are things like photos and phone calls which are less easily retrievable and usable. But this is changing as content on the web is increasingly %u201Ctagged%u201D, and facial-recognition and voice-recognition software can identify people and words in digital files.
%u201CIt is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information,%u201D quipped Oscar Wilde in 1894. He did not know the half of it.
This article also includes and interesting and useful chart titled, %u201CData Inflation.%u201D
For example, 5 megabytes=The Complete Works of Shakespeare%u20262 gigabytes=1 to 2 hour movie (compressed)%u20265 petabytes=The amount of mail delivered this year by the U.S. Postal ServiceAudio: A Conversation with Kenneth Cukier (A Correspondent for The Economist)
Information has gone from scarce to superabundant. That brings huge new benefits %u2013 but also big headaches.
Additional Articles
A Different Game: Information is Transforming Traditional Businesses
Clicking For Gold: How Internet Companies Profit From Data on the Web
The Open Society: Governments are Letting in the Light
Show Me: New Ways of Visualising Data
Needle in a Haystack: The Uses of Information About Information
These days metadata are undergoing a virtual renaissance.
New Rules for Big Data: Regulators are Having to Rethink Their Brief
Offer to Readers (Download PDF Version of the Complete Special Report)
Buy a copy of the complete report.Source: The Economist
This entry was posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 and is filed under Digital Repositories, Info Management and Retrieval, Information Industry, Technology and Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
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My two most essential print manages: The New Yorker and The Economist
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Essential Reading: Google Buzz | Personal Branding Blog - Dan Schawbel
Google Buzz has been talked about nonstop since it came out, from Fox News to NPR and back again. Stories typically range from security flaws to tips on how to best use the new social network. Buzz is Google%u2019s current attempt to have a social network and compete against the likes of Facebook. What%u2019s different about this network is that it leeches onto Gmail%u2019s current user base, which is already used by around 176.5 million people. As a symbiote, Buzz
taps into your current Gmail network and shares your content with your Buzz followers, much like Twitter, but in a gated environment, much like Facebook. It may appear like a %u201CTwitter clone,%u201D but most heavy users say it resembles %u201CFriendFeed,%u201D where you can publish more than 140 characters and assemble large discussions with your followers. It even has the %u201Cliking%u201D system that is familiar to FriendFeed and Facebook users.
1. Use Your Google Profile as a brand portal
Google announced %u201CGoogle Profiles,%u201D quite some time ago, but now we%u2019re seeing the importance of these profiles emerge, with the launch of Buzz. It%u2019s obvious that Google wants your profile to become your personal brands portal on the web. They want you to share your profile URL instead of the URL%u2019s for your other social networks because you can link to all of your other profiles from your Google one. Also, just like a Twitter profile, you can verify your Google Profile to make it seem more legitimate.
Three main benefits of having a Google Profile:
- When someone googles your name, your profile shows up at the bottom with your picture. If you don%u2019t create and complete your profile, then someone who shares your name can own that spot. Search results display three profiles per searched name.
- It has %u201CGoogle juice,%u201D which means that the websites you link to from your profile will have a boost in the search engine. It will eventually mean that your buzz%u2019s, through your profile, will also rank high for certain keywords.
- It acts as a central hub for all the information you share, your professional and personal information and contact information. In this way, it allows you to manage your digital identity, as well as others.
A Google Profile, if completely filled out, should answer these five questions:
- Who is this person?
- Where else are they located on the web?
- How do I connect with them?
- What value are they creating?
- How many people are following them and who is following them?
When you first create your Google Profile, make sure everything is filled out. This includes, basic information such as your name, location and companies you%u2019ve worked for. Also, before creating your profile, make sure that you registered your Google account name with your full name and not a nickname because you can have a custom URL (http://google.com/profiles/firstname.lastname). This is an important move for personal branding because of name recognition. Next, you want to add the same avatar/picture that you use with all of your other profiles. Then, check off %u201CDisplay my full name so I can be found in search.%u201D I%u2019ll leave the other two check boxes, that have to do with privacy, up to you. Fill out your bio and include links throughout it. You should use the same bio, word for word, that can be found on your blog or website.
Finally, add links to your website, blog, and prominent social profiles (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn) that you%u2019re active on. Use the full names and URL%u2019s when you add each site because it%u2019s good SEO. Order the sites from the site that best represents you as a brand to the least. If you want, you can also add your Flickr photos into your profile by going to the %u201CPhotos%u201D tab when in edit mode. To take this one step further, you can purchase a domain name (yourname.com) at MyDomain.com (sponsored link) and redirect it to your Google Profile.
2. Syndicate external content into Google Buzz
There%u2019s no doubt that Google will prioritize Buzz in search, which means that content, engagement and authority is important for ranking high. For instance, on Twitter, if you%u2019re a power user, with a large following of influential users, and you tweet, then it%u2019s highly probable that it will rank high in search. This, one can assume, will be similar to how Buzz operates, but only for users that make their profile and feed public.
While many of my followers believe you shouldn%u2019t link your Google Buzz account to your other social networks, I believe that it%u2019s the only way to scale your online identity. As we join more and more social networks, yet focus on the few that are really paying off for us, we will have to scale our personal brands to remain active on those networks.
You can add %u201Cconnected sites,%u201D such as:
- YouTube
- Flickr & Picasa
- Google Reader
- Google Status
From my experiments, I%u2019ve noticed that people respond much better to fresh and not syndicated content, but if you shy away from adding these services, then it will appear like you%u2019re an inactive user (if you don%u2019t have the time to manage your Google Buzz account).
3. Create tighter relationships with close contacts
So far, Google Buzz is positioned as a social network for your friends and close business contacts, instead of a megaphone that you can use, such as Twitter, to market yourself to the world. It is possible that this may change and Google might create a separate space, away from Gmail, for Buzz though. Since Buzz draws upon your current %u201Cinner circle%u201D of Google contacts, it gives you the ability to stay and touch with people that are important in your life. Just like any community, you have to share useful information, leave comments, help others and be personable, if you want to use it successfully.
You can even develop your relationship on Google Buzz by using the mobile iPhone application! This way, you can interact with other Buzz users around you and you%u2019ll be notified when they buzz, which might be uncomfortable at first, but pose for an interesting networking opportunity.
4. Promote your Google Profile/Buzz account
Since Google Profiles contain your personal and professional information, in addition to your lifestream, it%u2019s wise to start promoting this single URL to all of your contacts, instead of each individual site. Why promote your blog, Facebook fan page, YouTube channel and eight other URL%u2019s, when you can promote one that can connect other people to all of them? When you promote your Google Profile, make sure the URL appears like this: http://www.google.com/profiles/dan.schawbel#buzz. This way, when someone clicks the link, they will be taken directly to the %u201Cbuzz%u201D tab in your profile.
Ten places to promote your Google Profile:
- Open up all of your social media profiles and add a link to your Google Profile.
- Instead of listing one hundred URL%u2019s on your business card, list your website/blog and your Google Profile URL.
- In your email signature, put your URL.
- If you guest post on a blog or write an article for an online site, put your URL in your byline.
- Write a blog post talking about Google Buzz, while listing your own account.
- You get one URL in your Twitter profile, so add your Google Profile URL there.
- Add a Buzz Wordpress plugin to your blog so that people can promote your posts to their Buzz accounts.
- Update your Google status with an announcement that you%u2019re using Google Buzz and link to your profile.
- When commenting on blogs, use your Google Profile URL instead of your website or blog.
- Have other Buzz users promote you by sharing great content in the first place.
Google Buzz is here to stay. You%u2019re probably already using Gmail and if you%u2019re not, then you should really make the jump soon because having a Hotmail or Yahoo account is outdated and will make people perceive you as someone who isn%u2019t keeping up with the times. Remember to complete your Google Profile, connect all of your websites, build relationships and promote your profile wherever you can. There%u2019s no doubt in the future that the people who have build their personal brands on Google with Buzz will gain more visibility in search and become more successful.
Related posts:
- 3 Step Personal Branding System A lot of people I%u2019ve spoken to don%u2019t know where...
- A Secret Personal Branding Tip For MyBlogLog One of the social networks that I feel is...
- Personal Brand Audit: What%u2019s Your Google Score? This is part 3 in the %u201CPersonal Brand Audit%u201D series....
This is ESSENTIAL reading: not only about Buzz, but about Google's central role as spoke in the wheel of online presence.
Buzz by weirdchina - Robert Kong Hai from Buzz
ig List of Tips And Tricks for Google Buzz---------------------------------------------------------
How To Do Everything in Google Buzz
http://www.fastcompany.com/1546226/how-to-do-everything-in-google-buzz-including-turn-it-off5 Google Buzz Tips for the Advanced User
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/5_google_buzz_tips_for_the_advanced_user.phpHow to Make Google Buzz Follower Lists Private
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-your-google-buzz-follower-lists-private-2010-24 Google Buzz Hacks for Users, Developers, and Haters
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/4_google_buzz_hacks_for_users_developers_and_haters.phpHow to Disable Google Buzz
http://techie-buzz.com/how-to/enable-or-disable-google-buzz.htmlHow to Hide Update Count in Gmail
http://techie-buzz.com/how-to/hide-google-buzz-update-in-gmail.htmlGet Rid of Email Updates from Google Buzz
http://techie-buzz.com/how-to/hide-archive-google-buzz-updates-in-gmail.htmlAdd any Blog or RSS Feeds to Google Buzz
http://www.google.com/buzz/bradfitz/PPjHXDhANAC/Want-to-connect-your-blog-or-some-other-feed-toHow to Bring Google Buzz Updates to Twitter
http://blog.louisgray.com/2010/02/how-to-bring-your-google-buzz-entries.htmlHow To Integrate Facebook, Twitter, and Buzz into Your Gmail
http://mashable.com/2010/02/12/facebook-twitter-buzz-gmail/How To Make a Google Buzz Desktop App
http://mashable.com/2010/02/13/google-buzz-ssb/How To Embed Your Google Profile Into Your Blog
http://www.google.com/buzz/layne.heiny/9Tj2ew5Aar3/Embed-Your-Google-Profile-Into-Your-Blog-Ive-beenHow To Add a Google Buzz Button To Wordpress
http://www.techlifeweb.com/2010/02/12/add-a-google-buzz-button-to-wordpress/How to send group updates and direct messages on Google Buzz using @replies
http://www.google.com/buzz/mntetai/8eG1fLaJ8Hw/As-posted-by-Dewitt-Clinton-How-to-send-group------------------------------------------------------------
If you receive too many Buzz updates in your Inbox at an annoying rate, but you like having them nonetheless to keep track of your conversations
http://hollywooddigital.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/google-buzz-tip-1/------------------------------------------------------------
jQuery plugin that embeds any Google Buzz posts into a website.
http://jquery-buzzbee.appspot.com/------------------------------------------------------------
Google Buzz Keyboard Shortcuts - Cheat Sheet!
http://kosciak.blox.pl/2010/02/Google-Buzz-Cheat-Sheet.html------------------------------------------------------------
“Verified name” badge
Get Your Google Buzz Profile Verified
http://techpp.com/2010/02/12/get-your-google-buzz-profile-verified/
via google.com
Buzz = conversational social network; twitter = broadcast social network. If you are a buzz or twitter person, follow weirdchina
From Louis Gray - Why Buzz Beats Twitter, Facebook and Friendfeed
Why Buzz Beats Twitter, Facebook, and Friendfeed - Search Engine Journal
Buzz is a breath of fresh air in an increasingly noisy social media world. Why do I think it’s superior to Twitter, Facebook, and Friendfeed? Let’s take the easiest comparison first: Buzz vs. Friendfeed Right now, Buzz basically is Friendfeed but with immediately greater penetration. Real conversations with more people. [BTW I know I have Buzz on the brain because I just tried to create itali...
via google.com
If you don't have a gmail account, consider getting one now. Otherwise, you will quickly be seen as "behind the times" (if you care about such things). In addition, consider creating a Google Profile. This IMO is the best hub for your online presence.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Old School Germantown (Powerpoint w/sound)
Check out my first poetry/music/powerpoint mashup. Had a lot of fun creating it. I expect to do more.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
International Leadership For Serious Games Gathering...
Check out this website I found at networkedblogs.com
I'd like to go to this -- in Boston, week of May 24th 00 although I disagree with the overall premise. Serious Games IMHO has NOTHING really about technology. It is more about philosophy - a new way of looking at the world
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Productivity Games
Sounds like an oxymoron, but there are such things as productivity games. My own Game of Games is any example.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Business virtual needs - Hypergrid Business
Check out this website I found at ow.ly
Good article about issues confronting businesses that might wish to use virtual worlds, such as Second Life.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Participate
Today, marks the 19th Message of the Day, I've spoken in the 641-715-3800, ext 55310 Voice mail box. I have 21 more to go, to reach my goal of posting 30 messages in 30 days.
Well, yesterday, I finally stopped improvising and wrote the rudiments of a script before talking into the telephone.
The script follows, on the theme of Participating. Do you see any worthwhile thoughts here?
Participate!
The Message of the Day is "Participate, participate in your experience..."
I was reflecting:
What does it mean to be fully engaged?
What does it mean to be fully embracing life?
The key is participating, participating in your experience and experiencing your participation.
I just like to read a few quotes and share a simple story.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French writer and aviator:
“The notion of looking on at life has always been hateful to me. What am I if I am not a participant? In order to be, I must participate.”
Goethe, German writer:
“We are forced to participate in the games of life before we can possibly learn how to use the options in the rules governing them.”
John Dewey, American philosopher
Such happiness as life is capable of comes from the full PARTICIPATION of all our powers in the endeavour towrest from each changing situations of experience its own full and unique meaning.
So here's a story:
A long time ago, I participating in an Insight Training Seminar, among the many human potential seminar that were big in the 1980s and 90s. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot about myself. One thing I distinctly remember was the beginning of the seminar and the seminar leader encouraging participants to participate as much as possible, and to not sit back and watch the seminar unfold before them.
So five days later, after the seminar was over, a bunch of us testified as to the positive impact the seminar had on their lives. But there were several -- perhaps even a majority -- who said what the seminar leader had predicted they'd say: "I wish I would have participated more. I wish I would have gotten more involved."
From time to time it is easy, I think, to sit back and be a spectator on this moving train that is life. But we miss out on a lot by sitting back and watching the dance go on all around us.
We need to get involved. We need to participate in our experience. And experience our participation.
So, to close this message of the day, I 'd like to close by a quote from William Arthur Ward, one of America's most gifted writers of inspirational sayings.
“Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.”
And that's the message of the day.
Have a wonderful day.
PS: All of the other messages are posted here.
Well, yesterday, I finally stopped improvising and wrote the rudiments of a script before talking into the telephone.
The script follows, on the theme of Participating. Do you see any worthwhile thoughts here?
Participate!
The Message of the Day is "Participate, participate in your experience..."
I was reflecting:
What does it mean to be fully engaged?
What does it mean to be fully embracing life?
The key is participating, participating in your experience and experiencing your participation.
I just like to read a few quotes and share a simple story.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French writer and aviator:
“The notion of looking on at life has always been hateful to me. What am I if I am not a participant? In order to be, I must participate.”
Goethe, German writer:
“We are forced to participate in the games of life before we can possibly learn how to use the options in the rules governing them.”
John Dewey, American philosopher
Such happiness as life is capable of comes from the full PARTICIPATION of all our powers in the endeavour towrest from each changing situations of experience its own full and unique meaning.
So here's a story:
A long time ago, I participating in an Insight Training Seminar, among the many human potential seminar that were big in the 1980s and 90s. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot about myself. One thing I distinctly remember was the beginning of the seminar and the seminar leader encouraging participants to participate as much as possible, and to not sit back and watch the seminar unfold before them.
So five days later, after the seminar was over, a bunch of us testified as to the positive impact the seminar had on their lives. But there were several -- perhaps even a majority -- who said what the seminar leader had predicted they'd say: "I wish I would have participated more. I wish I would have gotten more involved."
From time to time it is easy, I think, to sit back and be a spectator on this moving train that is life. But we miss out on a lot by sitting back and watching the dance go on all around us.
We need to get involved. We need to participate in our experience. And experience our participation.
So, to close this message of the day, I 'd like to close by a quote from William Arthur Ward, one of America's most gifted writers of inspirational sayings.
“Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.”
And that's the message of the day.
Have a wonderful day.
PS: All of the other messages are posted here.
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Message of the Day Has a Home on the Web!
One of the things I've learned halfway into this Message of the Day project is that few people are motivated to pick up the phone and call-in. However, people will visit the website and listen to my rantings.
I suppose it makes sense. People are generally on the web, when they find out about the latest message. From there it's a simpler matter to click on the Message of the Day link and listen to the message.
I was originally going to create a separate Message of the Day mini-site, but drop.io makes creating a site rather superfluous. Although I suppose I could by doing so create a simple Google Adwords campaign and bring in a few dollars for my efforts. Maybe even put up a simple discussion board around the message topics.
But I do after all have to do other income-producing tasks. Seems in a way, like a pity. But that's the way it is.
I suppose it makes sense. People are generally on the web, when they find out about the latest message. From there it's a simpler matter to click on the Message of the Day link and listen to the message.
I was originally going to create a separate Message of the Day mini-site, but drop.io makes creating a site rather superfluous. Although I suppose I could by doing so create a simple Google Adwords campaign and bring in a few dollars for my efforts. Maybe even put up a simple discussion board around the message topics.
But I do after all have to do other income-producing tasks. Seems in a way, like a pity. But that's the way it is.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Within Thirty Days
Just purchased the www.withinthirtydays.com domain. (Check back soon if nothing's there!) Have an idea for a 30 day project and need support? Twitter me @angelojohn.
30 {Insert Content Here!} in 30 days
Last week, I began my Message of the Day project. The idea is to create daily voice mails that can be accessed by calling 641-715-3800, Code 55310. Pretty much the first thing in the morning, I record an unscripted message and announce its existence to my social networks.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the idea for doing this came nearly a decade ago from a friend of mine, Rene Molenkamp. Rene is a life coach, consultant, and ex-Jesuit priest who in the early internet days had the idea of sending out a daily spiritually-oriented message to the members of our Diversity and Spirituality organization. It was just an idea we batted around, with Rene having more enthusiasm for it than me.
Ten years later, I decided to put the idea into practice, voice-mail style.
But this wasn't the first time I started a "thirty days" project. Maybe five years ago, I started the Thirty Poems and Thirty Days project on Ecademy.
The project was controversial on Ecademy. Nearly every day, I got dissed by some of the other posters, who either didn't like my poetry or didn't like my project. I did have a few defenders, but the haters tended to drown them out.
Anyway, I persisted and it was great fun. I'd carry my tape recorder around, come up with an idea for a poem, write it and post it. I then interacted with people who posted reactions to my poems.
But eventually life took over: there just came a point where I made other things more important than coming up with a poem. However, I completed 18 poems, about half of which are decent. And I still plan to complete the book I envisioned (but what will I call it: almost Thirty Poems in Thirty Days?).
Nothing in particular save intuition motivated me to begin this particular endurance test. I'm enjoying creating my Message of the Days now, but I've only just begun, with something like 23 voice mails to go. I really am determined to go the full 30 days this time.
What would help a lot is encouragement. I get some from my small coterie of regular listeners, but I could use some more, so please!
Call and listen to the message of the day today at 641-715-3800, Code 55310. After listening to the message, you can if you want leave me a message.
If you like it, tell your friends about it.
I'd love to hear what you think.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the idea for doing this came nearly a decade ago from a friend of mine, Rene Molenkamp. Rene is a life coach, consultant, and ex-Jesuit priest who in the early internet days had the idea of sending out a daily spiritually-oriented message to the members of our Diversity and Spirituality organization. It was just an idea we batted around, with Rene having more enthusiasm for it than me.
Ten years later, I decided to put the idea into practice, voice-mail style.
But this wasn't the first time I started a "thirty days" project. Maybe five years ago, I started the Thirty Poems and Thirty Days project on Ecademy.
The project was controversial on Ecademy. Nearly every day, I got dissed by some of the other posters, who either didn't like my poetry or didn't like my project. I did have a few defenders, but the haters tended to drown them out.
Anyway, I persisted and it was great fun. I'd carry my tape recorder around, come up with an idea for a poem, write it and post it. I then interacted with people who posted reactions to my poems.
But eventually life took over: there just came a point where I made other things more important than coming up with a poem. However, I completed 18 poems, about half of which are decent. And I still plan to complete the book I envisioned (but what will I call it: almost Thirty Poems in Thirty Days?).
Nothing in particular save intuition motivated me to begin this particular endurance test. I'm enjoying creating my Message of the Days now, but I've only just begun, with something like 23 voice mails to go. I really am determined to go the full 30 days this time.
What would help a lot is encouragement. I get some from my small coterie of regular listeners, but I could use some more, so please!
Call and listen to the message of the day today at 641-715-3800, Code 55310. After listening to the message, you can if you want leave me a message.
If you like it, tell your friends about it.
I'd love to hear what you think.
Friday, September 18, 2009
The Network of Light - A Vision
I expanded on this -- even read a poem! - on today's (Friday, September 8's) Message of the Day, which you can listen to by calling 641-751-3800, code 55310.
Here's the back story and an old article describing the vision of the Network of Light.
The Back Story
I was in New York City visiting an old and dear friend, the late Rachele Rhodes, who was in from California visiting her daughter and another friend. Rachele and I had Chinese at a restaurant overlooking Central Park and had such a good time together that we decided to extend our visit. So rather than put her on the train to her next destination of Philadelphia, I drove her halfway to the train station in Trenton.
During this drive, the idea for the Network of Light emerged.
You see Rachele had a particular challenge in the area of money. Although there was a time in her life when she was somewhat successful player in the human potential movement, she had developed a mysterious cancerous condition way before I met her in the acupuncture office of my friend Francis Mastrogiovanni in Osaka, Japan.
When I met her, I didn't know anything about her condition. I was just struck by what I perceived as her deep spirituality, and her ease at being in the world. Very quickly, we became fast friends. She was instrumental in helping me establish a Japanese satellite conference of the Boston-based Human Unity Conference, moving from Osaka to Tokyo to make this happen. She also was part of a network of people I knew who were associated with the Emissaries of Divine Light, a spiritual organization and the steward of that year's Human Unity Conference.
I later learned about Rachele's condition, for which she tried every conceivable form of treatment. She once told me she was the subject of a kind of panel, in which physicians gathered around a table in an auditorium and discussed her how best to treat her. She had consultations with some of the world's finest surgeons, had been to see the psychic surgeons of the Philippines, had done so many things in search of healing that she had compiled a thick file on conventional and alternative cancer therapies. She even counseled other individuals, including an ex-husband.
But neither her condition, nor her poverty seemed to trouble her much. I saw her as one who operated with a level of trust that was greater than anyone I'd ever met, (even though one of her two daughters basically saw her as a basket case, living on the kindness of friends).
But Rachele really wanted to work. She compiled a resume of the work she had done in the human potential movement, got counseling from career specialist, and kept inquiring. She'd get a little sick and then went at it again. It was heartbreaking having to watch her go through all this, but for her I guess it was just what she needed to be doing, nothing more or less.
This was pretty much were she was when I saw her in New York.
As we were driving to Trenton, suddenly the notion I'd been kicking around for some time hit me. It came to me -- this vision of the Network of Light -- out of left field.
You see, at the time I was establishing myself as a coach and consultant. As a one-man show, I had it in my mind to discuss with Rachele the possibility of hiring her to help with my business. After all, I knew that she had very competently performed that role for a number of individuals, some of whom were quite renown. Why not ask her to do the same for me?
But when I presented the idea to Rachele, her reaction surprised me. You know, she said, people always ask me to do things like this, like helping them get clients. She cited the times she did this, particularly for this nutritionist she knew. These helpers know I'm good at helping them -- in fact, it isn't unusual that it's me who ends up counseling the people I bring to the practitioner -- but being a helper like that just isn't what I want to do.
At that moment, I realized that I wasn't really looking for someone to work for me. I was looking for something more cooperative and collaborative, some form of relationship that involved mutual support. But not just a friendship, something deeper somehow. What I sensed was the possibility that a small group of people might establish themselves as a spiritually oriented mini support group. And that each members of THAT small group would also have membership in interconnected but separate small groups who were operating more or less the same way, but with a different intent. One might be a group that was focused on supporting their members entrepreneurial interests; another might be group studying medicine. All of these groups would support one another and comprise a network of mutually supporting groups.
I was then moved immediately to call my friend Jesse de la Rosa to put this plan into action. Jesse, Rachel and I became what we called a node of the Network of Light. We'd meet twice a month over the phone and share stories. It felt loving and supportive.
But our association didn't last particularly long, mostly because I -- the leader -- lost energy for it. My challenge had always been that I would often envision an exalted scenario of some sort or another, but then I would notice the holes in my pockets and realize that I needed money. That need would drive me away from that exalted scenario, and into doing temp work, leading the scenario to wither and die.
But I still persisted. I enlisted Martha Lasley of the consultancy, Leadership That Works, to the cause. Her father allowed us to use an office in a private Princeton club to do a presentation/workshop on the method. My friend Terry Lane designed a beautiful website on what we called NOL. You can probably find some images of it on the Wayback Machine, that site that preserves old websites.
I even noticed that there were others who were working on similar ideas around the world. One was a group in France that called itself the Network of Light, another was a couple of individuals involved in the legendary Findhorne Community.
But the idea proved to big for me to realize. So I let the ownerhsip of the www.networkoflight.com website lapse. I moved on. This was maybe 13 years ago.
To some extent I've abandoned this vision. I think in many respects I was trying to recreate artificially something that already existed.
Anyway, here's an FAQ I wrote back then.
What is the Network of Light?
"What is the Network of Light?
The Network of Light is our term for the web of interwoven relationships between inwardly directed, spiritually oriented individuals, groups, and organizations around the world. These entities are the organic cells or clusters of the larger Network of Light. They evolve, learn, and form relationships with other cells on the Network.
"What is the work of the Network of Light?"
The work of the Network of Light is to actively participate in the co-creation of the Divine Plan. “Members” of the Network of Light are Light Workers, the receptors who attune to the greater will and allow themselves to be used as instruments for the greater good.
"What is the vision for the organization, 'The Network of Light'?
The organization, the Network of Light, exists as a servant to the will of the actual Network of Light, which has always existed and will always exist. The organization’s role is to serve as facilitator, catalyst, and linkage agent. The organization aspires to make visible the nature and structure of the actual Network of Light and to serve the will of network members.
"What is the mission of the Network of Light organization? "
Our mission is threefold:
• To share new models and tools for helping individuals cope with the demands of the post-Millennium age
• To nurture, link and support inwardly-directed, spiritually-oriented individuals, small groups, and organizations around the world
• To support and nurture the creation of clusters or small groups of individuals who wish to align in the spirit of spiritual support.
"What is an example of a tool that might help individuals “cope with the demands of the post-Millennium age?”
One example is the cluster, or spiritual alignment group. On these pages are suggested strategies for forming your own clusters and using them as a means to enhance personal growth.
"I’d like to start a cluster. How do I get started?"
You can get started on your own by using the resources on this site. We hope eventually to have a cadre of mentors who will help anyone who wishes to start a spiritual alignment group.
"What do you mean by “inwardly-directed, spiritually-oriented individual, groups or organizations”?
We are drawing a distinction between those whose perspective is shaped and formed primarily by outward influences and those whose are directed more from within. An extreme example of an outwardly directed individual is one who professes blind obedience to a particular religious dogma. An extreme example of an inwardly directed individual is a mystic.
Conclusion: An imagination can be a dangerous thing.
Thoughts?
Here's the back story and an old article describing the vision of the Network of Light.
The Back Story
I was in New York City visiting an old and dear friend, the late Rachele Rhodes, who was in from California visiting her daughter and another friend. Rachele and I had Chinese at a restaurant overlooking Central Park and had such a good time together that we decided to extend our visit. So rather than put her on the train to her next destination of Philadelphia, I drove her halfway to the train station in Trenton.
During this drive, the idea for the Network of Light emerged.
You see Rachele had a particular challenge in the area of money. Although there was a time in her life when she was somewhat successful player in the human potential movement, she had developed a mysterious cancerous condition way before I met her in the acupuncture office of my friend Francis Mastrogiovanni in Osaka, Japan.
When I met her, I didn't know anything about her condition. I was just struck by what I perceived as her deep spirituality, and her ease at being in the world. Very quickly, we became fast friends. She was instrumental in helping me establish a Japanese satellite conference of the Boston-based Human Unity Conference, moving from Osaka to Tokyo to make this happen. She also was part of a network of people I knew who were associated with the Emissaries of Divine Light, a spiritual organization and the steward of that year's Human Unity Conference.
I later learned about Rachele's condition, for which she tried every conceivable form of treatment. She once told me she was the subject of a kind of panel, in which physicians gathered around a table in an auditorium and discussed her how best to treat her. She had consultations with some of the world's finest surgeons, had been to see the psychic surgeons of the Philippines, had done so many things in search of healing that she had compiled a thick file on conventional and alternative cancer therapies. She even counseled other individuals, including an ex-husband.
But neither her condition, nor her poverty seemed to trouble her much. I saw her as one who operated with a level of trust that was greater than anyone I'd ever met, (even though one of her two daughters basically saw her as a basket case, living on the kindness of friends).
But Rachele really wanted to work. She compiled a resume of the work she had done in the human potential movement, got counseling from career specialist, and kept inquiring. She'd get a little sick and then went at it again. It was heartbreaking having to watch her go through all this, but for her I guess it was just what she needed to be doing, nothing more or less.
This was pretty much were she was when I saw her in New York.
As we were driving to Trenton, suddenly the notion I'd been kicking around for some time hit me. It came to me -- this vision of the Network of Light -- out of left field.
You see, at the time I was establishing myself as a coach and consultant. As a one-man show, I had it in my mind to discuss with Rachele the possibility of hiring her to help with my business. After all, I knew that she had very competently performed that role for a number of individuals, some of whom were quite renown. Why not ask her to do the same for me?
But when I presented the idea to Rachele, her reaction surprised me. You know, she said, people always ask me to do things like this, like helping them get clients. She cited the times she did this, particularly for this nutritionist she knew. These helpers know I'm good at helping them -- in fact, it isn't unusual that it's me who ends up counseling the people I bring to the practitioner -- but being a helper like that just isn't what I want to do.
At that moment, I realized that I wasn't really looking for someone to work for me. I was looking for something more cooperative and collaborative, some form of relationship that involved mutual support. But not just a friendship, something deeper somehow. What I sensed was the possibility that a small group of people might establish themselves as a spiritually oriented mini support group. And that each members of THAT small group would also have membership in interconnected but separate small groups who were operating more or less the same way, but with a different intent. One might be a group that was focused on supporting their members entrepreneurial interests; another might be group studying medicine. All of these groups would support one another and comprise a network of mutually supporting groups.
I was then moved immediately to call my friend Jesse de la Rosa to put this plan into action. Jesse, Rachel and I became what we called a node of the Network of Light. We'd meet twice a month over the phone and share stories. It felt loving and supportive.
But our association didn't last particularly long, mostly because I -- the leader -- lost energy for it. My challenge had always been that I would often envision an exalted scenario of some sort or another, but then I would notice the holes in my pockets and realize that I needed money. That need would drive me away from that exalted scenario, and into doing temp work, leading the scenario to wither and die.
But I still persisted. I enlisted Martha Lasley of the consultancy, Leadership That Works, to the cause. Her father allowed us to use an office in a private Princeton club to do a presentation/workshop on the method. My friend Terry Lane designed a beautiful website on what we called NOL. You can probably find some images of it on the Wayback Machine, that site that preserves old websites.
I even noticed that there were others who were working on similar ideas around the world. One was a group in France that called itself the Network of Light, another was a couple of individuals involved in the legendary Findhorne Community.
But the idea proved to big for me to realize. So I let the ownerhsip of the www.networkoflight.com website lapse. I moved on. This was maybe 13 years ago.
To some extent I've abandoned this vision. I think in many respects I was trying to recreate artificially something that already existed.
Anyway, here's an FAQ I wrote back then.
What is the Network of Light?
"What is the Network of Light?
The Network of Light is our term for the web of interwoven relationships between inwardly directed, spiritually oriented individuals, groups, and organizations around the world. These entities are the organic cells or clusters of the larger Network of Light. They evolve, learn, and form relationships with other cells on the Network.
"What is the work of the Network of Light?"
The work of the Network of Light is to actively participate in the co-creation of the Divine Plan. “Members” of the Network of Light are Light Workers, the receptors who attune to the greater will and allow themselves to be used as instruments for the greater good.
"What is the vision for the organization, 'The Network of Light'?
The organization, the Network of Light, exists as a servant to the will of the actual Network of Light, which has always existed and will always exist. The organization’s role is to serve as facilitator, catalyst, and linkage agent. The organization aspires to make visible the nature and structure of the actual Network of Light and to serve the will of network members.
"What is the mission of the Network of Light organization? "
Our mission is threefold:
• To share new models and tools for helping individuals cope with the demands of the post-Millennium age
• To nurture, link and support inwardly-directed, spiritually-oriented individuals, small groups, and organizations around the world
• To support and nurture the creation of clusters or small groups of individuals who wish to align in the spirit of spiritual support.
"What is an example of a tool that might help individuals “cope with the demands of the post-Millennium age?”
One example is the cluster, or spiritual alignment group. On these pages are suggested strategies for forming your own clusters and using them as a means to enhance personal growth.
"I’d like to start a cluster. How do I get started?"
You can get started on your own by using the resources on this site. We hope eventually to have a cadre of mentors who will help anyone who wishes to start a spiritual alignment group.
"What do you mean by “inwardly-directed, spiritually-oriented individual, groups or organizations”?
We are drawing a distinction between those whose perspective is shaped and formed primarily by outward influences and those whose are directed more from within. An extreme example of an outwardly directed individual is one who professes blind obedience to a particular religious dogma. An extreme example of an inwardly directed individual is a mystic.
Conclusion: An imagination can be a dangerous thing.
Thoughts?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
My "Message of the Day" Project
OK, First a shameless plug.
The genesis was through a conversation whoa maybe 15 years ago with Rene Molenkamp back in our Diversity and Spirituality Network days. Endlessly inventive, Rene had the idea of sending out a spiritually-oriented message of the day via email.
About a decade later, I decided to give it a try, via voice message. I record a daily message, and a caller calls 641-715-3800, Code 55310 to hear it and maybe respond back. Today, I recorded my fifth message and have the intention of continuing this for at least 30 days.
Here's where I need your help. Please call 641-715-3800, Code 55310 and listen to the message. If you feel so moved, leave me a message. If you like the message, tag this note or share the number with your friends. I'd love to have this whole thing go viral and watch it spread. Being weak, I could use some encouragement to keep this going.
So please call the message, listen, and then leave your response. If you want, leave your phone number on your message if you'd like me to call you back. I'd also like some suggestions as to future topics.
Thanks for reading this and being in my life.
- Please call 641-715-3800, Code 55310 and listen to my Message of the Day
- After you listen, leave me a message if you're so inclined.
- Be sure to leave your phone number if you'd like me to call you back
- Don't be shy, let me know what you think
The genesis was through a conversation whoa maybe 15 years ago with Rene Molenkamp back in our Diversity and Spirituality Network days. Endlessly inventive, Rene had the idea of sending out a spiritually-oriented message of the day via email.
About a decade later, I decided to give it a try, via voice message. I record a daily message, and a caller calls 641-715-3800, Code 55310 to hear it and maybe respond back. Today, I recorded my fifth message and have the intention of continuing this for at least 30 days.
Here's where I need your help. Please call 641-715-3800, Code 55310 and listen to the message. If you feel so moved, leave me a message. If you like the message, tag this note or share the number with your friends. I'd love to have this whole thing go viral and watch it spread. Being weak, I could use some encouragement to keep this going.
So please call the message, listen, and then leave your response. If you want, leave your phone number on your message if you'd like me to call you back. I'd also like some suggestions as to future topics.
Thanks for reading this and being in my life.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Saturday, August 30, 2008
My Town Immigration: A Few Thoughts
About eight years ago, there are next to no Mexicans in my town. Lately, Mexicans -- nearly all from Oaxaca -- are easily the biggest minority in town. In this 4,500+-population town there are Mexican restaurants, convenience stores and more. Just like in SoCal, there is a place where guys congregate in the morning, making themselves available for work. The local community health center has had to add bilingual workers, and local drug stories do a tidy business in phone cards that allow callers to call Mexico cheaply.
Suddenly, our small park evenings are filled with guys playing soccer or basketball. The local school now has kids coming in that speak little English, making it necessary for the school to hire translators. The local pantry, formerly place where area homeless people went to supplement their diet, now has a Mexican majority. Likewise the local thrift store. Likewise a lot of places.
I am to the left of Ron Dellums on most issues. However, what has been happening to my town has given me pause. The US, conservative on many areas, tolerates illegal immigration. It lets kids of illegals who are born here become full citizens. It allows kids to go to school and provides free healthcare. We are much more tolerant of illegal immigrants that pretty much other developed country, who for the most part ghettoize folk or treat them as less than human.
I think the best of all worlds would do away with borders entirely. People can create laws, but people will find away around them. Basically, people will find a way to get to places that allow them and their families access to a better life. People in developed countries get lazy and shun the kind of work their forefathers happily took on. They don't want to work 18 hours a day, and they don't for the most part want to work with their hands.
You don't have to go very far to see the passions this whole situation engenders. Go to any newspaper site or open discussion forum. People complain about Mexicans, Brazilians, whomever. They dream of an American that simply doesn't exist any more. Where minorities were minorities and acted like minorities. And now there's this guy called Obama. What is the world coming to?
There are no easy solutions. About the only thing Bush got right during his presidency was his "guest worker" proposal. McCain, the senator of a border state, saw the sense of it also. But the Republican base doesn't like it. There are people who think that the whole mess would be solved by forcibly exporting folk back to Mexico. But come on, that's not going to happen. Forget the morality of the thing. Can you imagine how much it would cost?
Me, I mostly get to practice my Spanish. The guys'll talk with me, but the women mostly just look straight ahead. They are focused on their kids, getting them into schools, getting them ready to exploit this new rich land.
My little town, now like a lot of towns across the USA.
It's a brown nation now, Amelia. Getting more so every day.
Suddenly, our small park evenings are filled with guys playing soccer or basketball. The local school now has kids coming in that speak little English, making it necessary for the school to hire translators. The local pantry, formerly place where area homeless people went to supplement their diet, now has a Mexican majority. Likewise the local thrift store. Likewise a lot of places.
I am to the left of Ron Dellums on most issues. However, what has been happening to my town has given me pause. The US, conservative on many areas, tolerates illegal immigration. It lets kids of illegals who are born here become full citizens. It allows kids to go to school and provides free healthcare. We are much more tolerant of illegal immigrants that pretty much other developed country, who for the most part ghettoize folk or treat them as less than human.
I think the best of all worlds would do away with borders entirely. People can create laws, but people will find away around them. Basically, people will find a way to get to places that allow them and their families access to a better life. People in developed countries get lazy and shun the kind of work their forefathers happily took on. They don't want to work 18 hours a day, and they don't for the most part want to work with their hands.
You don't have to go very far to see the passions this whole situation engenders. Go to any newspaper site or open discussion forum. People complain about Mexicans, Brazilians, whomever. They dream of an American that simply doesn't exist any more. Where minorities were minorities and acted like minorities. And now there's this guy called Obama. What is the world coming to?
There are no easy solutions. About the only thing Bush got right during his presidency was his "guest worker" proposal. McCain, the senator of a border state, saw the sense of it also. But the Republican base doesn't like it. There are people who think that the whole mess would be solved by forcibly exporting folk back to Mexico. But come on, that's not going to happen. Forget the morality of the thing. Can you imagine how much it would cost?
Me, I mostly get to practice my Spanish. The guys'll talk with me, but the women mostly just look straight ahead. They are focused on their kids, getting them into schools, getting them ready to exploit this new rich land.
My little town, now like a lot of towns across the USA.
It's a brown nation now, Amelia. Getting more so every day.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Reappearance of Rev. Wright: Black on Black Crime
The sudden rash of press conferences by Rev. Jeremiah Wright seemed to me like a classic example of one African American tearing another one down. Not a naive man, Wright must have known that his rantings could have the effect of crippling Obama's candidacy. But Wright didn't really care. His interest was in advancing his own misinformed agenda, not matter what the fallout.
Perhaps this is an isolated case, but I can't help but think of this as yet another example of one African American male cutting another African American male down to size. Wright, maybe unconsciously, is saying to Obama: "you aren't really all THAT. And let me remind you of who you really are."
Perhaps this is an isolated case, but I can't help but think of this as yet another example of one African American male cutting another African American male down to size. Wright, maybe unconsciously, is saying to Obama: "you aren't really all THAT. And let me remind you of who you really are."
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Hillary, the Inevitable
I love this comment about the probable Democratic nominee:
Maureen Dowd quotes, The New Republic's Leon Wieseltier,
“She’s never going to get out of our faces. ... She’s like some hellish housewife who has seen something that she really, really wants and won’t stop nagging you about it until finally you say, fine, take it, be the damn president, just leave me alone.”
Maureen Dowd quotes, The New Republic's Leon Wieseltier,
“She’s never going to get out of our faces. ... She’s like some hellish housewife who has seen something that she really, really wants and won’t stop nagging you about it until finally you say, fine, take it, be the damn president, just leave me alone.”
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Building Citizen Journalism Microsites
A blast to be involve with building citizen journalism microsites such as this one. A good challenge to overcome my deep-seated laziness. A good way to bring to bear all that I have learned.
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