A dear friend of mine has been passionately exploring the roots of American Philosophy. Reading his blog and talking with him about what he is discovering is helping me to understand, appreciate and value the spirit of enterprise which is so distinctly American.  When you take the impulse of enterprise beyond just the material, something very interesting starts to emerge in your own consciousness.  You start to wake up to the pragmatic implications of depth and directionality, as well as the desire to have proof that your deeper thinking actually translates in action. 

In the spiritual work I am involved in with my teacher Andrew Cohen, the whole path and goal of Enlightenment is about the implications and profoundly practical translation of the highest spiritual experience on the way one lives one’s life.

Jeff is exploring the roots of this new understanding of Enlightenment, which have emerged through some of the unique contributions the American Philosophers have been exploring over the past 200 years. His blog is appropriately called Evolution, Enlightenment, and American Philosophy.   It is a very fascinating perspective that helps explain and shed light on a deeper side of American culture. Please enjoy!

Terri Hinton

terri

Sponsorship Coordinator Catalyst

What's your role at Gaia Community? I get to sell our advertising… which I love to do. I talk with individuals in different companies who are interested in reaching out to the Gaia Community. I help them determine the most effective way to do this. We work out an advertising plan that can include creating their own profile, banner ads, stand alone emails to all of us about their great product or service, and anything else creative that might come up.

What do you most enjoy doing (or what are your greatest passions)? My greatest passion has been the pursuit of truth and wisdom. I also love the complexity of human relationships, the silence of meditation, the emptiness of freedom, and the commitment to change that demands more then I want to give. Simply put I love life, and take serious my own contribution to what matters.

What's your favorite thing about our community? This community is filled with individuals who recognize that it is important to live with purpose and commitment. This opens up all kinds of potentials.

What do you love about working here? The freedom and shared commitment to living our ideal, changing ourselves, developing ourselves, in order to better serve the life we are living. It is an incredible opportunity to be involved with people who are interested in development and growth, and respect and honor that in each other.

 [Meet the rest of the Gaia Team]

I am just heading into a "Revolution Retreat" with 92 other men and women. I look forward to sharing the results of this investigation in the coming weeks, months, and years. And check out this video, it is all about Enlightened Communication, and why this is important. We are living in a unique time. Let's figure out how to use this to change this world. I am convinced this is the next step in our evolutionary trajectory.

more soon!

I found it very serendipitous that a friend of mine sent me the link to an article by Kevin Kelly from Wired magazine. Why? Because in it he describes how convinced he was that Wikipedia would never work... and how much it has changed his thinking in the deepest sense that it actually does. Given that Zaadz is now Gaia, and there are all kinds of questions about whether or not this "will work" I found this article absolutely refreshing... a reminder of just how much is possible...  After all, Zaadz and now Gaia are always proving that when enough individuals care enough... the result is always good. Check this particular quote out...

“Before we say, "Impossible!" I say, let's see. I know all the reasons why law can never be written by know-nothing amateurs. But having already changed my mind once on this, I am slow to jump to conclusions again. The Wikipedia is impossible, but here it is. It is one of those things impossible in theory, but possible in practice. Once you confront the fact that it works, you have to shift your expectation of what else that is impossible in theory might work in practice.”

read the rest… it’s fantastic.