You would think that conversation would be a normal human activity in which to engage. However, blatantly inviting conversation among strangers or “chatting” as my friend, Phil Durnford calls it, is a not only unusual, it’s frowned upon by officials in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Phil who defines himself as a “Joyist” and thus “the antithesis of a terrorist” initiated his “Let’s Chat” campaign in Calgary, Canada last year in attempt to discover what was available from talking to people in the public square. Although Phil appears to be totally normal, he is an elf in disguise bringing magic with him wherever he goes.
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Posted May 29th, 2009 by Judith Cohen, MCC, CPCC
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Posted May 27th, 2009 by Judith Cohen, MCC, CPCC
It has been over twenty-four hours since the California State Supreme Court refused to rule the egregiously homophobic Proposition 8 unconstitutional. I’m still in shock that the court found it legal to take away the rights of a group of American citizens. While I am sure that history will prove this decision to be the last gasp of a dying bigoted agenda, it saddens me that the court deemed this proposition worthy of any respect at all.
I find it ludicrous that supporters of Proposition 8 find that the marriage of two lesbians or gay men undermines the institution of marriage. How can the marriage of two men or two women possibly undermine another marriage that is healthy? It seems to me that supporters of Proposition 8 view marriage as a special club. It is only open to a couple composed of one man and one woman. Any other combination must be excluded. If one is to use marriage as a weapon of exclusion, I think that love should be the exclusionary determinant. If you do not love one another, you definitely should be persuaded not to marry. As long as love, respect and honoring of each partner is present, why is it necessary to forbid people to marry? Read the rest of this entry
Posted May 18th, 2009 by Judith Cohen, MCC, CPCC
What does trust have to do with opportunity? Trust is the gateway to exploration. When you know that you can rely on others to provide safety and support, it is easy to create and use opportunities to good advantage. In the absence of trust, we often create shelters that box us in rather than keep a window open for new possibilities. Consequently, we narrow our chances to try new behaviors, meet new challenges or exercise our creativity.
Trust is based upon our belief and confidence in others to rely upon their integrity, ability and strength to come through for us. We invest them with a shared responsibility for our welfare. When people consistently do what they say they are going to do, when there is compassion and closeness, the space to safely reveal one’s vulnerabilities and there is reciprocal courtesy and attention paid to one another, trust thrives. In the absence of any of these behaviors, trust will diminish and disappear. Read the rest of this entry
Posted May 15th, 2009 by Judith Cohen, MCC, CPCC
What’s the big deal about opportunity? The answer lies in its very definition. According to the Random House Dictionary an opportunity is “a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.” The Opportunity Game is played by shifting every situation or condition so that it is favorable for the attainment of some goal that is important to you. Naturally, there are many opportunities that you seek to avoid. Those that deliberately cause pain, injury or death to yourself or others are clearly opportunities to be avoided. However, even in seemingly negative situations there are possibilities to be explored.
The key to becoming masterful at playing The Opportunity Game is to be agile in mind and heart. In the game of life, the rules frequently change, often without prior warning. You must be prepared to catch whatever is thrown your way and run with it to the finish line. Your ability to quickly shift your attitude or perspective about any given situation will afford you far more opportunities for success than if you are stuck in a mindset that doesn’t support you. An old Taoist parable speaks well to this issue:
When an old farmer’s stallion wins a prize at a country show, his neighbor calls round to congratulate him, but the old farmer says, “Who knows what is good and what is bad?” The next day some thieves come and steal his valuable animal. His neighbor comes to commiserate with him, but the old man replies, “Who knows what is good and what is bad?” Read the rest of this entry
Posted May 14th, 2009 by Judith Cohen, MCC, CPCC
President Obama has decided to fight to bar the release of photographs documenting abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan by United States military personnel. This reversal of his previous stance seems to fly in the face of his promise of transparency in government. I’m sure that the President has thought long and hard about this decision. There are good reasons to chose to release the photographs just as he now feels that it is in the interest of American troops to withhold their publication. I can’t help but wonder however, if withholding the photographs is actually more in service of protecting our egos than protecting American troops.
These pictures of brutality and torture should inflame anyone who sees them. Read the rest of this entry