• Is it possible that the solution to our challenges can be found in a simple experience?
• Are you willing to EXPLORE the possibility?

Individuals

.....In Critical Path, Buckminster Fuller invites us to EXPLORE "what the little individual can do that can’t be done by great nations and great enterprises." He suggests that we look at what needs to be done and just do it, finding joy in the doing.

.....The big question remains…"How do you obtain the money to live with and to acquire the materials with which to work?" The answer is precession. Precession is the effect of bodies in motion on other bodies in motion. When any one of us begins to actively live our life in the joy and peace of our birthright, we provide the pathway for others.

.....Instead, we have used our energy and creativity to build weapons of mass destruction and establish an ever-increasing competitive work ethic leaving many of our fellow human beings without the minimum requirements to sustain life. Our current global community sees resolution to this problem only when everyone believes exactly as those in charge require. Who, I wonder, gets to determine the appropriate pathway? Therein is another challenge…who is really in charge?

• Have we have lost sight of the simple concept of wanting everyone to have the same advantages that we desire for ourselves?
  
• Would you be willing to EXPLORE what would happen if our individual efforts were focused elsewhere?
  

.....Buckminster Fuller’s statement: "Precession cannot be accomplished competitively." certainly gives a place to begin our EXPLORATION. Rather than seeking the common thread that bridges our differences and builds upon our strengths, we continue to demand that every one adhere to a common belief – the only one that is determined to be right. Since we are not perfect clones of one another, does this concept really make any sense?

• Would you be willing to EXPLORE another possibility?
  
• Is it possible that our perception of what is could be distorted?
  
• Is it possible that we continue to live in the illusion?

"...I sought to reform the environment, not the humans. I determined never to try to persuade humanity to alter its customs and view-points."

Critical Path by Buckminster Fuller

Education

.....The Quiet Miracles Model For Change provides a foundation within the educational system by meeting the need of students, teachers, administrators, staff and bus drivers for a less stressful working and learning environment. Simple techniques used first by the staff and then shared with students provide the platform for this innovative concept.

.....Educators and parents have searched for ways to address the needs of our children and many programs are now available. It is our task to look honestly at these programs and ask ourselves if we are getting the results we seek.

• Is our school environment less violent?
• Are our children learning at an accelerated rate?
• Is the stress level of our teachers going up or down?
• How is that affecting our teachers…our children?

.....Rather than adding another technique to an already overwhelming list, we suggest that you first experience how the Quiet Miracles program can benefit you personally. This is a most important component of the program and is supported by information provided by J.C. Pearce in a presentation to the Council for Excellence Through Self-Esteem and The Joyful Child Symposium. He said: "We now know that 95% of the child’s learning process goes on automatically, through unconscious imprinting to the models available…on average, only 5% of the young child’s mind is available to us for conscious manipulation through verbal training. All our demands, instructions and orders to modify the child’s behavior address only 5% of his learning process. Our unexpressed thoughts and feelings teach his other 95% - below the level of consciousness. By age two, our children reflect back to us our hidden faults: they have imprinted who we really are and not who we say we are."

• Are we a reflection of what we see being modeled by those around us?
• Take a close look at the models available to us…what patterns are we reproducing?
• Is the 95/5 learning process continued as adults?
• Would you be willing to EXPLORE the possibility that a solution to this problem we face in our education system might be as simple as looking at how we model what we believe…or think we believe?

Healthcare

.....Healthcare professionals have sought innovative and practical ways to more completely meet the needs of their patients. As a broad range of care options are being requested by patients, many unfamiliar complementary techniques are being integrated into more traditional settings. These changes present a unique challenge to administrators and staff, often creating more questions than answers. I suggest that we might first address the needs of over-stressed staff and support personnel as we create this expanded healing environment. Is it possible that doing so would facilitate over-all changes to unfold within the facility more easily?

.....Herbert Benson, chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine at Deaconess Hospital in Boston, MA encourages this approach because it can save money, teach people new skills in dealing with pain, help them manage their health needs and because it provides a different perspective for health professionals as they address their own personal needs and those of their patients.

Correctional Facilities

.....Anytime a population is separated from their children, families and the outside world, the management of that population becomes a challenge to those in charge. Not only is the staff required to maintain discipline, they are also asked to help inmates sort through the many emotional problems that accompany incarceration. This high stress, ever-changing environment requires special attention.

• How are we meeting the needs of inmates and staff? How does the staff stress level affect the inmates?
• Could this be the catalyst for disruption within the facility?
• Are we providing resources that support the inmate when they are released?
• What are we doing that supports a long-lasting change in behavior? top

Political System

.....Apathy, lack of interest…even with our renewed patriotism, these statements still haunt us. Many still desire to become active participants in our political system. Many of us are just tired of the same-old, same-old. Our candidates talk about change and promise to be the catalyst for it just as soon as they are elected. I believe they arrive with the full intent and desire to make the changes they envision. Their attempts, however, fall upon deaf ears. What are we missing? I invite you to consider, again, the quote from Buckminster Fuller: You never change anything by fighting the existing. To change something, build a new model and make the existing obsolete. Is it possible that we are just throwing new ideas into an obsolete model? Does our approach continue to look like what we have been doing that we know doesn’t work? We spend more money on campaigns, television and media spots that reflect information out of context and targeted to the emotional and sensational torture of an opponent…what’s wrong with this picture?

.....What happened to the premise that anyone could hold office in this FREE country? That concept has certainly left the building, just like Elvis! How do we return to the simple concepts of honesty, fair dealings, truthful disclosure, and trust in the integrity of those in office as well as those who put them there? Is it possible that building a TEAM could change the outcome? Is anyone willing to really listen to dialogue from those who actually do the voting? Is anyone willing to turn their back on the big money and trust the integrity and judgment of those they will represent? It will certainly take extraordinary people to fill these shoes but I believe that they exist and are ready to step forth and change the way things are done. Will you lead, follow or just ignore the invitation?

Churches and Organized Religious Institutions

.....The gathering in Navarre, Florida had been casual and enlightening. As we ended our time together, a young woman asked me if I had read The Red Tent because her experience had been what she called "a red tent experience." Curious about what she meant, I purchased the book and began to read. I felt the power of this book through the words of its author, Anita Diamant. While in a workshop in Tarpon Springs, Florida shortly after that, I told "The Red Tent" story to another group of women and found the response was the same.

.....Soon after that, I was given The Woman With The Alabaster Jar by Margaret Starbird. Once again the message was clear as I moved through her words…a quest for the forgotten feminine – in the hope that its return will help restore a healthy balance to planet Earth. What clue lies hidden within these words?

.....In our desire to make changes in our own lives, in our families, in our communities and in our global community, we must begin to look at how we became unglued to begin with. My EXPLORATION began and reached deep into the heart of our organized religious structure.

• What are the models we see within our churches?
• Do we sit in judgment because someone doesn’t subscribe to our way of thinking and believing?
• Are we quick to share the gossip that we hear about another
• Are we modeling a sense of value and fair play to our children?
• Are we living what we profess to believe or just giving lip-service?top

.....As I read about the early Hebrew culture, their strengths, their commitment to one another and the family unit, and how they functioned within their extended family in harmony, I began to see a common thread. Their very existence was supported by their focus on the extended family unit. In our world today, we are so scattered about in our day to day activities that we rarely take the time to know what the other family members are doing or how they feel about what is happening in their lives. This is in no way to lay blame at the woman’s feet; rather it is to understand that women, in our desire to become equal and liberated, forgot our piece in the life puzzle. We saw our role of glue as less important and began to tear away the very fabric of our human existence. We moved away from our role as nurturing teacher, believing it to be a sign of weakness and of little importance in a man’s world. It is, in truth, the very glue that holds everything together. Rather than building on our strengths to make the changes we felt were needed, we adopted the male model greatly diminishing our ability to make the very changes we desired.

.....While I strongly believe that this is not a message for women to the exclusion of men, I do believe that it must begin with women. A recent landmark study at UCLA provides insight into why women play such a significant role. The study shows that women respond to stress by releasing a hormone called oxytocin, which encourages "tending and gathering." These actions release even more oxytocin providing a calming effect. This does not occur in men. Science now supports what we have known…it is the woman’s role to create Calm Within The Chaos. "Let it begin with me" becomes the foundation from which we begin the rebuilding.

.....The Master Jesus provided a model of tolerance and unconditional love. He was certainly aware that He did not come to do this work alone and gathered The Twelve to assist Him in this great undertaking. He created a TEAM and together they changed the course of history. Is it possible that the torch has been passed to us?

• Would you be willing to EXPLORE the possibility that we can reweave the tattered fabric of our religious institutions by returning to the simple values of truth, compassion and tolerance for our unique differences?
• Are you willing to stand tall for your beliefs and support another’s privilege to do the same?
• Can you embrace our diversity knowing it is our greatest strength – the very foundation upon which our country was founded?
• Are you willing to EXPLORE the possibility that we would be better stewards of our planet, ourselves and our neighbors if we were committed to the simplicity of unconditional love and fair treatment?
• Would we better serve our faith by extending an invitation to anyone searching for a place of refuge, hope and community by opening our church doors and our hearts? top

.....Before you begin to defend your particular church or denomination, would you be willing to look honestly at the bigger picture? All is not well. Yes, the seeds of hope are sprouting and honest DIALOGUE will support their growth. Once again, will you seize the opportunity or ignore the invitation?

Corporate/Business

.....We are entrained to a global environment that is turning up the stress volume. According to studies conducted at such notable institutions as Harvard, HearthMath and the Menninger Clinic, stress affects our well being on all levels…physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. In an article from USA Today (May 1991) stress has become a workplace hazard. The article further states 75 to 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians result from stress related disorders. The American Institute of Stress and the American Psychological Association agree, Employee turnover, unscheduled absenteeism and waning morale all affect the bottom line.

.....The Institute of HeartMath defines stress as the body and mind’s response to any pressure that disrupts their normal balance. It occurs when our perceptions of events don’t meet our expectations and we don’t manage our reaction to the disappointment.

.....Dr. Graham Burroughs, President of the International Society for Investigation of Stress, after years of reviewing the research on stress found that the problem could be reduced to two basic causes: problems in perception and problems in communication.

• Could it be that the solution to the problems within our work force could be solved as easily as integrating the simple concepts of the Quiet Miracles Model For Change which address these very issues?
• Could this cost effective measure be a model to bring pride back into our workplace and a sense that our efforts are being appreciated?
• How would that affect your bottom line? Would you be willing to EXPLORE the possibilities?

The Quiet Miracles Model For Change begins with YOU and encourages an EXPLORATION of ALL the options that are available for your use. top