Old news. Bad news. Fake news. Sometimes you want to shut down and get no news at all! I aim to change that by focusing on good people doing good works. I visit with artists, educators, civic & spiritual leaders, musicians, business owners, students, volunteers, and everyday citizens who are using their creativity, resources, and talents to bring hope, happiness, and goodness to their corner of the world.
Episodes
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
Ep. 91 - The Magic Feather - A Beacon Series Interview Ft. Don Jose Ruiz, Toltec Shaman and author of "The Medicine Bag: Shamanic Rituals & Ceremonies for Personal Transformation" from Hierophant Publishing
==========
There are events in our lives that charged with a specific energy. These moments can feel electric. Time perhaps feels bent. Sensations get prickly, and details seem enhanced. To the outside world these make look like nothing more than the ongoing and ordinary ebb-and-flow of occurrences, but for the soul connected to the happening these grooves in the timeline take on new meaning. For the experiencer, these moments are made holy, and there is high value in the ability to go back to them and experience the wisdom and lessons many times as the wheel of life turns on. When I was a boy I had an experience like this, and even as young as I was there was an awareness that I should create a remembrance of the experience, so I gathered a small item from nature and kept it close to me; I keep it close still.
This became a practice throughout my life, and as the small totems of remembrance grew I started keeping them in a small and simple leather bag. For years it has moved with me along the timeline, mostly hanging in a visible space where I rest, that is until recently.
Several months ago I discovered the book “The Medicine Bag: Shamanic Rituals & Ceremonies for Personal Transformation” by Toltec Shaman, and author of “The Fifth Agreement,” Don Jose Ruiz. Many mornings I would bring Jose’s book with me on my dawn walks at a nearby cemetery, a place that I go to connect with Spirit and to pray for the living souls whose remains lie there. Day-by-day Don Jose’s words clarified the value of the medicine bag but expanded its value far beyond the small leather pouch and the contents inside. Something old was shaking loose inside my heart, space where I’d been keeping this medicine bag somewhat secret and safe from the eyes of the world. Jose’s book was asking me to share it with the world in a new way that I had not before. Inspired, I reached out to Don Jose’s publisher, and he graciously agreed to share his time with me on “Find the Good News."
This conversation was absolutely pivotal to me. Even still, I am riding along with the pleasant current of our visit. Jose radiated sweetness and kind energy that was palpable even across the great space between us. He listened to my experiences with love, and the words he offered in return carried the aroma of truth that I have come to appreciate from great teachers of wisdom.
Don Jose Ruiz is connected to his ancient heritage, and like his father Don Miguel Ruiz, he continues to practice, expand, and share the Shamanic wisdom of their Toltec ancestors. In our visit, Jose shared highly personal family stories, connecting them directly to the details of our talk, humanizing and grounding each of them with clear and meaningful connections with strands running directly into his heart.
In truth, this conversation was an invitation far beyond the pages of his new book “The Medicine Bag." In the midst of the conversation, Don Jose Ruiz invited me into the medicine bag that is his heart. In some small way, I feel as though I am there still.
I encourage you to untie the tight leather cord that may be sealing your heart, your medicine bag, tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
==========
SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS ON PATREON >> www.Patreon.com/FindTheGoodNews
==========
MEET DON JOSE RUIZ >> https://www.facebook.com/ToltecLife/
BUY "THE MEDICINE BAG" >> https://bookshop.org/books/the-medicine-bag-shamanic-rituals-ceremonies-for-personal-transformation/9781938289873
==========
FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
==========
SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
•••••••••••••
SULPHUR TODAY >> www.facebook.com/sulphurtoday / #SulphurToday
•••••••••••••
BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
•••••••••••••
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
Ep. 90 - The In Zone - A Beacon Series Interview Ft. Chris Niebauer, Ph.D., Author of "No Self, No Problem: How Neuropsychology is Catching Up to Buddhism" from Hierophant Publishing
==========
I once read that the very toxic escalation of ego-driven “me” culture started its ascent with the invention of the mirror. Long before one could truly see their own reflection with clarity, the best way to gain a clear picture of the self was in a relationship with others. The mirror came along, the self became even more infatuated with the appearance of the self and thus began our evolutionary slide into the maddening nature of influencer culture and selfies.
We see images of ourselves—digitally displayed and shared—more than any other time in human history. Inflated egos rule the signals, indoctrinating us into tribes and cults of personality, and somewhere in this maelstrom we cling to identities that are little more than piles of historical rubbish, random filaments of experience and memory are drawn together to form a conscious being that I call “me." I look over there, and I see another cluster that I call “you."
What happens when we start sifting through the curated bits and pieces that make up these selves we’ve become so enamored with? Am I my brain, my body, my memories, my nerves, my breath? When I feel love in my heart, where is my heart exactly, and what do I even mean by that? When I am sad and I suffer, where is the suffering and who is it happening to? What about my love for you, or the compassion that is activated when you are in pain? Is this indicative of a connected and collective bond between you and I that dissolves the common concepts of individualism and identity that we are familiar with? I brought these questions and more to my conversation on Find the Good News when I visited with Chris Niebauer, Ph.D., author of “No Self, No Problem: How Neuropsychology is Catching Up to Buddhism.”
In the early 90s, Chris noticed many similarities in psychology, neuroscience, and the teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and many other Eastern spiritual traditions, and he has explored these intersections for over two decades. What Chris presents is a confirmation that the latest research in neuropsychology resonates with the Buddhist doctrine of “no self,” which refers to the solidified ego identity as a fabrication of the left side of the brain. This doesn’t mean you don’t exist, or that you are somehow not real, but rather that the ego that you’ve identified with is perhaps not the real you at all.
What’s beautiful about Chris Niebauer's book, the exercises it contains, and this conversation is that they encourage us to go on an expedition into inner and uncharted zones that challenge who we think we are. “No Self, No Problem” brings us to a shared space outside of corrosive hyper-individualism, beyond the “otherhood” of the left brain, and into the right-brain experience of brotherhood.
Now, tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
==========
SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS ON PATREON >> www.Patreon.com/FindTheGoodNews
==========
MEET CHRIS NIEBAUER, PH.D. >> https://chrisniebauerphd.com/
BUY "NO SELF, NO PROBLEM" >> https://bookshop.org/books/no-self-no-problem-how-neuropsychology-is-catching-up-to-buddhism/9781938289972
==========
FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
==========
SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
•••••••••••••
SULPHUR TODAY >> www.facebook.com/sulphurtoday / #SulphurToday
•••••••••••••
BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
•••••••••••••
Thursday Jun 11, 2020
Thursday Jun 11, 2020
Ep. 89 - The Gathering Fire - A Beacon Series Interview Ft. Diana Rowan, Author of "The Bright Way: Five Steps To Freeing The Creative Within" from New World Library
==========
15 years ago I was asked to speak to a group of graphic design students about creativity in the field of graphic communications. As I sat down to draft my presentation I asked myself, “What is creativity, and where does it come from?"
This question led me down a track far outside the field of graphic design, on into the nature of reality itself, and I have come to believe that creativity is an actual spiritual force, not unlike love, and that when tested it can be seen manifesting in kaleidoscopic ways throughout creation. If I were going to speak to these students about creative design then I would have to speak to them HONESTLY about the nature of creativity and how design proves the existence of this ordered, balancing, and glorious force. Not only is this creative principle in us, but it is outside of us. When we recognize it, connect to it, and apply it, wonders emerge.
That all sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? And one would think the realization alone would change your life. Happily ever after! Well, that’s not the case, at least not for me. Knowing isn’t doing, and I, like many, get stuck.
Sometimes creative momentum takes a full-stop, and getting the creaking pipes flowing again can be a real challenge. This is precisely why, I believe, special beings like Diana Rowan—author of “The Bright Way: Five Steps To Freeing The Creative Within”—are born into this world. They’re here to help the rest of us get unstuck, to get the elements of our creativity harmonizing again.
Part story and part call-to-action, her bright way could motivate even the most passive creative among us. Because her “bright way” method is elemental in nature, it is easy to adopt, apply, and understand because the metaphorical reminders exist all around us.
As you’ll learn in her book, and in this conversation, Diana is no stranger to being stuck herself. Her “bright way” path draws together the teachings of wisdom traditions from around the world in a fresh and palatable way.
I was not surprised to learn that Diana is an accomplished harpist. It compliments her kind and ethereal tones as she shares what she has learned.
If you’ve ever poured sand on your own fire of inspiration, then heed the advice of Diana Rowan. Creativity is in you, particular to you, waiting on you to say “yes." Your creativity wants to be loosed on the world, and lead you along a brighter, lovely way.
Now, tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
==========
SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS ON PATREON >> www.Patreon.com/FindTheGoodNews
==========
MEET DIANA ROWAN >> https://www.dianarowan.com/
BUY "THE BRIGHT WAY" >> https://www.dianarowan.com/book
==========
FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
==========
SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
•••••••••••••
SULPHUR TODAY >> www.facebook.com/sulphurtoday / #SulphurToday
•••••••••••••
BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
•••••••••••••
Friday Jun 05, 2020
Friday Jun 05, 2020
Ep. 88 - The Shimmering Truth - A Beacon Series Interview Ft. Ellen Meredith, DA, EEMAP, Author of "The Language Your Body Speaks: Self-Healing with Energy Medicine" from New World Library
==========
When is the last time you stopped and really listened to your body? What physical aches do you live with daily? How are compensating for them? Do you have chronic issues that seem to never go away? Maybe, like many, you just feel off, heavy, out of balance, or worn down. Perhaps, like many people all across the world, you treat each and every creak and groan with pharmaceutical solutions that carry a landslide of negative side effects in their tailwind. What if there were other ways to approach the creaks and groans in your body?
In this episode, I visit with energy medicine practitioner Ellen Meredith, author of “The Language Your Body Speaks: Self-Healing with Energy Medicine.” Ellen has been practicing energy medicine for over 35 years, and during that time she has helped countless individuals harness the power of their body—their energy body—to bring balance, wellness, and health back to their lives.
Her book is a wonderful mix of stories, examples, and exercises that help people get in touch with their source code, the original human language, the language of energy. Ellen took the time to walk me through one of her key practices, and she applied her guiding insights to a personal practice of my own, enhancing it in ways I had not considered.
This conversation is a wonderful companion to Ellen’s new book and the good work she continues through her energy medicine practice. If like me, you have even the most rudimentary understanding of human energy, then this is a good place to start your path to healing and health in a very multi-dimensional way.
Now, tune your attention to this Good News Beacon, and press play on a little good news.
==========
SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS ON PATREON >> www.Patreon.com/FindTheGoodNews
==========
MEET ELLEN MEREDITH >> https://www.facebook.com/ellen.meredith.77 and https://listening-in.com/
BUY "THE LANGUAGE YOUR BODY SPEAKS" >> https://bookshop.org/books/the-language-your-body-speaks-self-healing-with-energy-medicine/9781608686759
==========
FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
==========
SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
•••••••••••••
SULPHUR TODAY >> www.facebook.com/sulphurtoday / #SulphurToday
•••••••••••••
BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
•••••••••••••
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Ep. 87 - The Slippage Ft. Heather Regan White - Find the Good News with Brother Oran
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Ep. 87 - The Slippage - Ft. Heather Regan White, Journalist with the Southwest Daily News
==========
We live in strange times, made stranger and more disorienting by a steady stream of conflicting news and information signals from sunrise to sunset. Sifting through these competing signals and processing them to find relevant bits that add value to your life can be an exhausting grind with the potential to wear down a mind’s ability to discern truth from fiction.
Many are able to recall a time before the excessive pings-and-dings, reminders, alerts, and the ever-present “breaking news” ticker tape. In truth, my sheer exhaustion with this perpetual flow played a large role in the creation of “Find the Good News” podcast. I suppose we all have my general sense of being fed up for that.
Still, among the overlapping signals, there are those clear voices that curate and create content that is trustworthy. These are transmissions that I desperately crave, untainted and unbiased by politics, devoted to sharing plain information that can be made useful immediately without clawing through disorienting layers of spin and fog.
In this episode of “Find the Good News” I get to share my conversation with one such voice that I have come to appreciate. Enter my conversation with Heather Regan White, a journalist in my hometown of Sulphur, Louisiana.
Heather has been reporting, writing, and sharing for 25 years, and in that time she has become a clear and resonant sound of awareness in our community. As much as I appreciate her good work in our local paper, “The Southwest Daily News,” I have grown just as fond of her even and balanced presence on social media. In a community congested with competing “information station” groups and pages that have more in common with daytime talk-and-fight shows than they do with journalistic integrity, it is refreshing to know that a clear signal like Heather’s is readily available.
In my mind, Heather is an ally in the mission to cut through the noisy world of spin, and it was an absolute pleasure for me to have this candid visit with her.
Next time you get online or pick up a paper to see what’s going on in the world, you would be doing yourself a favor to look for a byline by Heather Regan White. You’ll be guaranteed to get the truth delivered by a dedicated journalist, and from time-to-time, there might be a well-balanced and educated opinion to go along with it.
Now, it’s time to make space in your heart for the common good, clear a corner for some good old-fashioned, hometown truth, then press play on a little good news.
==========
SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS ON PATREON >> www.Patreon.com/FindTheGoodNews
==========
MEET HEATHER REGAN WHITE >> www.facebook.com/heather.reganwhite
==========
FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
==========
SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
•••••••••••••
SULPHUR TODAY >> www.facebook.com/sulphurtoday / #SulphurToday
•••••••••••••
BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
•••••••••••••