Beauty & Mr. B

Talking with a friend, a '20s-something friend, the subject of retirement came up... "Now that you're in the workforce, having finally graduated from college, how do you approach the subject of saving for retirement?" His answer surprised me, and got me to thinking. It went something like this: "My concerns are more existential than that. Like, by the time I might be ready to retire, will the Earth even be able to support human life? Retirement is not really that much of a concern for me." Wow! This is big!! And, so, the conversation began. How do we understand the crisis of existence on planet Earth-- its nature, roots, solutions -- and how might we engage with others in conversations that are positive, energizing, and actually might help to move the needle forward. Please join me as, in conversation, we go deep on a number of paradigm-shifting perspectives to fundamental questions regarding the present state and future of this mysteriously intelligent and beautiful planet.

I speak often, openly, about the qualities and powers of the spirit, together with my musings on history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and everything else. Never, however, before this episode have I shared with listeners how I, myself, experience the spirit. In this episode I share how, early in the morning, often I feel the chill of a dawn breeze and, with it, a spirit that awakens and regenerates my soul. How do I understand this?  What allows me to experience the spirit?  And, what I am I to do with the powers of the spirit, now received, during my day, my days, indeed, over the course of my life? In this time of year, when so many honor the Holy Spirit, I offer you this, my own spiritual experience…

In this episode I present listeners with a brief overview of how, together, we might begin to rethink the whole idea of education. The established "education" system ... is dead, period! Therefore, it's time for us -- that's right, you and me -- to develop the capabilities that will be required to create a new system, one that, gradually over time, will empower and inspire future generations of students to take charge of their own education and participate in the progress of society. I'm excited about this initiative, and my hope is that you, too, will take part in what's now starting to become possible. More episodes (and blogs) will follow -- I promise! --  where I will dig deeper -- beyond this overview -- into the depths (and heights) of each concept introduced here!

I was thinking about how to welcome the new year in a world that is disintegrating before our very eyes, and then I stumbled upon this indigenous wisdom. This gratitude, which continues to draw me in, has helped me to regain my footing and illumine the path forward. I, therefore, wanted to share it with you... my dear brothers and sisters in humanity!

This is it, listeners, the culmination of my series of diary entries that examine the phenomenon of modern anger. It's, I think, what we've all been waiting for, the truth we need to overcome the chronic underlying anger that holds us back -- in order that we can begin to engage in the process of advancing toward the vision of what we as individuals and society can become ... individuals who are active agents in the progress of our own lives and protagonists in the furtherance of civilization as it moves forward in the direction of material prosperity and universal, spiritual peace, for all humankind.

Well, so far in this exploration of modern anger, Mr. B has considered various ways that anger is often expressed in society today, the true emotion at the root of modern anger (you might be surprised!), and, most recently, what exactly serves to trigger our feelings of anger. Now, the time has come for Mr. B to explore why exactly,  we react to anger the way we do: Why do we tend to run and hide from feelings of anger? Hmm... Here's a hint. It has something to do with the way that we have been taught to understand the meaning of power in society today!

In this diary entry, Mr. B continues to explore the phenomenon of twenty-first century anger: What triggers anger?!? He's already taken a look at some ways that anger is expressed in society today. He's already denied, then admitted, his own anger. Mr. B has even explored the truth about anger, of what emotion truly lies at the deepest root of this modern phenomenon of anger. (If you haven't already listened to that entry in this series, you may be surprised!). Now, in this episode, it's time to dig just that bit deeper ... into what actually triggers anger, what brings anger to the surface, and into why the frequency and intensity of modern anger, individually and collectively, seem to only keep on rising. 

Well, Mr. B's come clean: He's finally admitted that, no matter how hard he's tried to deny it... He's still angry!! In this episode, Mr. B does his best to understand that anger is, really, the outward expression of something internal, buried deep within the heart, the essential core of who we truly are -- LOVE. Please join Mr. B as he continues with Part II of his three-part diary exploration of how we, in the twenty first century, experience the emotion of anger.

Mr. B is about to walk through a door that's "supposed" to remain closed, to enter a space censored out of "correct" public discourse, a place to be avoided and denied ... the bitterness and anger, even contempt, that exists within our inmost selves during these troubled times. In this episode, Mr. B brings this 21st century anger to the surface where an open, direct, and honest discussion of this paralyzing inner state can emerge and the process of healing begin ... in order that our lives -- and the life of society -- can move forward again.

What does modern spirituality look like? In this, the third diary entry of his second season, Mr. B moves beyond modern society's censorship of open, public discussion of spiritual questions to consider what it actually means, today, to walk along a truly spiritual path. This question is important -- as within it lies the potential to unlock not only our own potentials as individuals and but also the capacities of the whole of society for genuine progress -- a question that Mr. B does his best to struggle through in this segment of "Mr. B's Diaries..."

Let's face it, the reality that so many in the world today live within the midst of tremendous suffering, both material and spiritual. Can we help those who suffer, or ourselves? How? Simone Weil has left us with some wise counsel, advice which Mr. B shares in this, his second diary entry of his new podcast season. Please, take the time to listen... In these times, honestly, what can be more important than learning how to bring healing to each other, ourselves, and the world?

In this, Mr. B's first diary entry, he explores a scientific fact that called into serious question his own sense of identity, the reality of "who Mr. B actually is." Hey, after listening, please ... join the discussion at Mr. B's updated and expanded website, www.beautymrb.org. See you there!!

This is the last installment of the final episode of "Season One." It builds on the others, and is intended to bring our discussion of the question, "what is beauty?," full circle... from what constitutes beauty to how the statement, "I know in my heart," qualifies, in fact, as a truth that is beautiful. This segment begins with a story -- with Mr. B's story, in fact -- of how his life has gradually moved toward his heart, addresses the practicalities of how the process of personal transformation might start, and concludes with a vision for how each of us can contribute to the transformation of our world into a more beautiful place.

In this segment Mr. B moves past an examination of the quality of "beauty" and begins to consider the truth of the translogical statement, "I know in my heart." This is a truth that exists beyond the ability of the human mind to fully comprehend, a truth so large that it can only be held within the vast expanse of the human heart. Join Mr. B as, here, he starts to unfold the process of reconnecting with the heart of our most true selves.

It's time, finally, to dig into the meaning and importance of beauty in our lives! In this episode, the first of three parts, Mr. B explores in some depth the quality of beauty. What makes something, anything, a thing of beauty? Why does beauty exist? What purpose does beauty serve, in our own lives and in the life of society? All this leads to a discussion, which starts in this episode, of what beauty, exactly, attracts Mr. B, of what Mr. B finds in his life to be most beautiful? Tune in, and explore what beauty means to Mr. B....

I know that Mr. B has lately been encouraging listeners to really dig in and engage actively in the living out of personal growth, so it only seems right that now Mr. B would take some risks himself ... like embracing the mysteries of the most beautiful of the literary arts, poetry! Here, Mr. B shares five of the poems that have mystified and challenged him, provides just enough commentary (he hopes) to inspire us to embrace our inner poet, and does his best to help listeners see poetry as a fountain of light --of truth and guidance --in the sea of darkness that is the world today.

This episode continues with what it means to truly grow as a person and become an active agent, a protagonist, in the progress of society. Mr. B starts this episode with a discussion of what is required for an individual to begin "living" growth and then he provides listeners with two examples. One example, in story-form from the 19th century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, describes a modern age, ours, that has become less and less capable of authentic and meaningful action. The other, written by Christian Wiman, a professor of literature and religion at Yale University, recounts through his own experience what it might look like to move away from our closed minds and toward the opening of our hearts in the direction of truth.

This episode explores the meaning of "growth," especially personal growth. In this, Part One, Mr. B outlines the modern idea of growth, and he does his best to recover what "to grow" was originally meant to convey. You might be surprised! In Part Two, next week's episode, Mr. B will consider how someone might begin to move beyond understanding and actively participate more effectively in the process of living growth.

We've been brought up with the idea that each correct answer we accumulate constitutes another bit of knowledge we possess. In this episode, Mr. B openly questions the equation of knowledge with the possession of correct answers. Instead of a paradigm that bases knowledge upon the answer, Mr. B proposes that a more complete paradigm of knowledge must be centered on the asking of questions. It is only when we move beyond the one correct answer, to embrace all the questions which follow, that we will recover the beautiful natures of our own curiosity and our inherent desire for endless learning...

In this episode, Mr. B examines how the ways that we understand words, our language, influences what we see as real and true. By taking a close look at three words, Mr. B hopes that, like him, listeners will come to appreciate more of the beauty that exists in the world and within ourselves.

This episode examines the relationship between beauty and sadness. Here, Mr. B explores the nature of sadness itself, a few realities of sadness in modern society, and, moving past this narrow conception of reality, Mr. B seeks to accept and embrace the compassion and communion that can be found within the beautiful depths of sadness.

This episode examines how narrowly society has trained us to view reality, provides an example of what it means to view reality from a much wider angle, and outlines some reasons why it might be worthwhile to begin cultivating the discipline of viewing reality through the widest possible perspective.

In this first episode, Mr. B introduces his podcast. He starts off by breaking down the podcast title, "Beauty & Mr. B," asking two questions: Who is Mr. B, and what does Mr. B mean when he refers to "beauty"? Before this episode concludes, Mr. B outlines how he views the audience for this podcast. Hopefully, after listening to this introduction, you will want to become part of this audience, accompanying Mr. B on this journey...

This is a short introduction to what "Beauty and Mr. B" will be about. It begins to ask some of the big questions that Mr. B will consider, and it provides a glimpse into the nature and scope of the discussions that will hopefully follow... starting with Mr. B's first full episode, which describes the story of how this podcast came into being. Please stay tuned!!