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Dr. Mike Obsatz, Professor Emeritus at Macalester College Archives
January 2023
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The Holiness of Authenticity6/9/2022 My brain is filled with facts
Concepts, ideas, thoughts, Experiences, awareness My brain has been processing For many years After 80, it is bloated, exhausted Information came in From a family And from a troubled world What is true? What is false? What is real, or illusion? The data keeps pouring in From media, people and Direct experience When does the brain get to rest? While sleeping? New data comes from dreams Lies, deceptions and Manipulations from day one How do we develop trust? The world is angry The world is hurting The world is filled with self-hate So we follow our heart And let our brain rest Because it is tired of it all Authentic living is amazing When we no longer care What others think of us And how can they begin To understand The complexity that we are? Gathering the soul pieces And knowing that trust Comes only from the inside It is a miracle that we survive The constant chatter And assumptions, the lies It is a miracle that we survive And maintain our center When some attempt to destroy us Our very essence Is a precious gift Given by God We claim our heart and mind Claim our understandings And claim our freedom As we bask in the holiness Of our authentic self Still intact, still radiating love
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Cherish the Gifts6/9/2022 We are One with the One We are given a body
To care for and love And nurture and strengthen As we grow older We are strong in body We are given a brain To care for and use To learn concepts, Ideas, and to reason We are strong in mind We are given a heart To grow with compassion And understand feelings And love, hurt, and grow We are strong in heart We are given a soul To provide faith and hope And see connections Among all of the earth We are soul-centered We are given a planet A place to live and thrive With natural beauty And need for balance We care for the earth We are given people to love Who support us in all we do So we don't have to journey All by ourselves We are a Universal family So we can live in gratitude For all we are given And integrate mind, body Soul, planet and people We are grateful Oneness consciousness Is about seeing the blessings The connections, the similarities And not focusing on differences We are One with the One It is the ultimate belief system That confronts evil and Promotes justice, fairness, Equality for All We are One with the One Cherish and use the gifts By being and spreading love And trusting the Universe To sustain us through all challenges We are One with the One
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When I was much younger, I used to enjoy listening to Peter, Paul and Mary. One of their most popular songs was "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" It was a song about war, destruction, and death.
I was a student at Brandeis University, near Boston, in 1959 - 63, and Mary's sister was a student at our school. So, she was able to book PPM frequently. I saw and heard them sing numerous times. Their song is actually an anti-war song of frustration. "When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn." And now it is sixty years later, and there is horrific war raging in Ukraine. Many people have been killed, and there is a massive destruction of buildings and resources. Over three million refugees have left, seeking some safety in Poland and elsewhere. It seems that we have always had some deadly conflict somewhere over the last sixty years. Governments declare war. Dictators declare war. There is a fear of scarcity, of not having enough, of people who are different. There is entitlement -- "this is rightfully mine." It can be called the Promised Land, or Manifest Destiny. But whatever it is called, is about destruction and resources and people. In Ireland, one million people starved to death due to the British Empire. Empires have always taken over less powerful places and converted them into their ways and beliefs. People have been displaced, uprooted, and had everything of theirs destroyed. Families are torn apart by wars. Suffering is everywhere. Death is all around. It is Lent now, and Easter is coming. Good Friday is the time of Crucifixion -- killing. Passover is coming commemorating the Jews being freed from slavery. The Jews were persecuted for centuries. The Resurrection reminds us that there is life after death, and new beginnings. We want to believe there is life after death. In America, Native Americans, Blacks and many immigrant groups have been subjected to violence, slavery, segregation, racial profiling and death. America was founded by a revolution that conquered Native American land and resources. Native Americans were murdered, and some were put on reservations to live. It was their land and resources that were taken over. The flowers are always plucked, and the people at the bottom who are just going about their business of living their daily lives are decimated. What can we do about this continuous suffering? Change consciousness from Empire Consciousness to Oneness Consciousness. We must generate feelings of compassion, connection, and love for the world to be saved from annihilation. We need to believe there is enough for everyone if we share the abundance of resources. When will Emperors and Empires ever learn to change their consciousness? When will we study war no more. Chants of the 1960's continue to ask for and beg for peace.
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A Time for Resilience6/9/2022 We are now experiencing a time of turmoil, stress, and uncertainty.
Here are some of the challenges of our times: Russia is invading the Ukraine, with fear-based bravado. Other neighboring countries are at risk, and refuges are leaving the Ukraine in great number. Climate change has affected all of us with wildfires, flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, massive melting of ice, Extreme temperatures are common. Violence and rage fill some of our cities, as oppression and racism are revealed. Young Black people are dying due to police brutality and biases. The pandemic (COVID-19) has killed close to one million people living in America. The danger does still exist even though new cases are down. We still have to be careful. For some at risk, there is still no physical signs of love and affection. Front line health care professionals are burned out. There is political division and hostility -- power struggles, and decisions made on the basis of greed. January 6, 2021 could have led to a complete collapse of our democracy as we know it. Children and parents are struggling with school closures, possible teacher strikes, and constant changes in CDC guidelines about wear masks and social distancing. It is a time of chaos, blatant aggression, and fear. Maintaining a calm center is challenging. Maintaining a sense of order amidst the chaos takes remarkable energy, mindfulness, and hope. We need to be lights in the dark world more than ever. We need to pray as if everything depended on God and act as if everything depended on us. Provide food for the hungry, homes for the homeless, and rest for the weary. If we trust that God is in charge, we must quiet our minds, and moderate the amount of information that comes into our brains. Be informed, but not be inundated with overload. Meditate, pray, relax in nature, live in gratitude for each moment. Pray for those who are hurting, grieving, and suffering. Provide economic and emotional support whenever we can. This is our challenge and opportunity in 2022.
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Trustworthy Mentoring1/25/2022 Trustworthy Longterm Consistent Mentoring: The Antidote to Empire Consciousness, Childhood Trauma, Oppression, Abuse and AbandonmentDr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey have written a book about childhood trauma called "What Happened to You?" One of the problems with early childhood trauma is that it changes the victim's brain chemistry. There is a fear of abandonment, a mistrust of life, a protection of one's fragile vulnerability that comes when one is been unloved, abandoned and hurt badly as a small child. This emotional wounding is not easily cured.
Trust is the cornerstone of maturity and healthy risk-taking. Iyla Van Sant has written about four kinds of trust -- trust in self, trust in others, trust in God, and trust in life itself. When this trust is eroded due to early trauma, it is challenging to regain it. There is also cross-generational trauma. If one's ancestors have been persecuted, abused, oppressed, and marginalized, this emotional trauma is passed on from one generation to the next affecting the body and the brain. Many minorities who were enslaved, hunted, or killed carry this historical trauma experience into the present. Whenever there is Empire Consciousness, there is always the consequence of trauma. Empire Consciousness requires hierarchy, domination, power and control over others -- especially those who are seen as "different." All bullying is the result of Empire Consciousness and leads to fear, anger, rage, and shame. Desire for control and self-protection is the natural response to trauma and abandonment. This leads depression, isolation, loneliness, and fear. Building a trusting relationship takes time and matching of those who are ready to show vulnerability and reveal personal pain. If one is going to overcome the suffering and torture of abandonment and abuse, gradual opening up is required. Mentoring by a consistent, loving and trustworthy older person is one way that abused and abandoned people can overcome their trauma. Abraham Maslow said that safety is our first primary need. When one is traumatized very young, he or she does not learn skills such as coping and discernment. Interpersonal communication, emotional openness, and understanding the complexity of life's circumstances come when one has been loved, supported, and guided into mature adulthood. So -- traumatized people lack developmental skills and coping mechanisms. They are so fear-motivated that they don't learn to love themselves and trust that they will be all right. Empire Consciousness continues the idea that only those who come out on top will be all right. There is not enough for everyone, and some people will just have to suffer and do without. Scarcity thinking produces hoarding and scarcity becomes a reality. Oneness Consciousness is the solution to such overwhelming pain and suffering. In order to love one's child, one must love oneself, and see the beauty and glory in everyone else. Mature parenting comes when one has been loved and guided as a child, or when one has worked hard to overcome early childhood trauma and re-wire brain chemistry. We need mentoring programs for wounded children and adults that explore these issues, and screen carefully for loving, trustworthy, and mature mentors.
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The Face of Grace12/28/2021 Grace means that we are loved by God unconditionally. Grace means that we are forgiven for our misguided actions--before they occur, when they occur, and after they occur.
Grace means that we are totally accepted for who we are, and we don't need to earn it. If we can feel this acceptance and love, we are free from having to conform to a worldly norm of beauty, success, or accomplishment. When we live in grace, we can accept others, love them even though they are imperfect, challenging or self-absorbed. Grace is related to being gracious, and living in gratitude . Grace is a sign of open-heartedness, and compassion.
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Presence, not Presents12/20/2021 This is the season of shopping, buying, and spending. Commercialized Christmas has become the norm in America. Getting stuff, giving stuff, and wanting stuff.
Enough about stuff. What really matters is compassion, connection, listening, loving, and being present. Our presence is the ultimate present. Nothing matters more than that. What does it mean to be present for someone else. It means spending time, energy and caring about someone is really doing, on the inside. Empathy is valuing other people enough to care about their well-being. It is sitting with, holding a hand, giving a smile, and supporting the journey of another. Oneness consciousness is about seeing the connection among all of creation. It means advocating for the oppressed. It means supporting those in need. It means truly being oneself and paying deep attention to others' needs and feelings. Empire consciousness, on the other hand, is about domination, power, prestige, rank control, judgment, fear, and separation. Jesus' message was to move to a "higher" state of being, of consciousness, and not be mired in worldly chatter, external power and prestige and shallow words. It is interesting how "King of Kings," "Lord Over All" and "Prince of Peace" have become the descriptors of the One who taught that there are no kings, lords, or princes in God's eyes. Could it be that the world doesn't really understand the deeper meaning of the Jesus message? God is love, life is a miracle, and our purpose to share, love, and connect. You can't stuff that in a box.
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Connection, Gratitude, Compassion, Oneness11/30/2021 The Spiritual Meaning of Thanksgiving and ChristmasThanksgiving is a time when we slow down and appreciate all of our blessings. It is a holiday of gratitude. However, it is also important to remember that British people stole the land they claimed was theirs from Native Americans, in true Empire Consciousness fashion.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, and the reminder about Oneness Consciousness. It is a time to enjoy family and friends, and live in the knowing that love and compassion are the only to ways to true joy and peace. We celebrate these holidays by spending time with loved ones, eating together and exchanging gifts. However, the greatest gifts of these holidays are Gratitude and Oneness Consciousness. We can't buy them in stores at the mall. They come from inside ourselves, when we connect spiritually and emotionally. Connection is the the Ultimate Gift of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Connection to self, to others, to Spirit. This Connection is crucial for our well-being, and the well-being of the planet. How do we make amends to Native Americans for forcibly taking over their land? What kind of justice have they received? It seems that we can live in Gratitutde and Compassion with all of creation by being mindful of our own behavior and being aware of Empire Consciousness of those who are in power. Do we share what we have with others? Do we try to help those who have been persecuted and oppressed? To we see the Christ Spirit, the Divinity, in every person, no matter their appearance, background, or beliefs? The birth of Jesus is about the birthing of Oneness Consciousness. Thanksgiving is about remembering those who suffered and the hands of others in power. These are spiritual holidays, not commercial enterprises. They are about internal awareness rather than outward appearances.
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80 Years Young10/17/2021 Life is pretty amazing. I turned 80 today -- and it feels surreal. Just yesterday I was young, raising my three kids. Now, I have 5 grandchildren ages 3 - 12.
I remember the hard times, and how lonely and sad I felt. Growing up on a farm, working every day, being bullied at school -- these circumstances seemed very challenging to me. I don't know how I made it through. Married 3 times. Each time, I had my reasons. My reasons changed over the years, and I am grateful I got to start over. Endings were not easy -- but they needed to happen. I have succeeded in many ways. Got a Ph.D. at 25. Taught for 40 years at a reputable college. Published three books, one of them winning the Minnesota Book Award and the Catholic Press Association Award. I have led numerous men's and boys' groups. I have presented 300 or more workshops on shame, male socialization issues, spirituality, healing, and transformation. So -- all these successes. All these opportunities. All this overcoming. And I am in pretty good health. My doctors and pharmacists know my name, and always help me cope with any health issues. I have 40 good friends. I have known several of them for 20 - 48 years. So -- what have I learned? Here are a few items to note: Be grateful for the good stuff. Put out the good stuff as much as possible and let go of the results. Stop caring about what others think of you. Don't expect perfection -- from yourself or others Grieve all the sadness in the world. See yourself as a walking miracle. Forgive everyone, including yourself and life. Trust -- but do it selectively. Not everyone is trustworthy. Listen to the depth of others. Don't give much advice. Laugh and smile as much as possible. Don't get overly involved in social media. Pay attention, be mindful. Love nature, animals, birds -- the earth itself. Connect spiritually in ways that work for you. Realize that not everyone is ready to grow. Stop judging everyone and everything. Realize that sometimes the biggest disasters created the most learning oppotunities. Love yourself, even when you mess up. You are as young or old as you feel -- age is just a number. Let go of the need to "be right." Life is both simple and complicated. We are still learning. Enjoy food, sleep, companionship. We are more alike than different. Dance and sing whenever possible. Namaste, Dr. Michael Obsatz |