Finding Our Purpose in Life - Some Tools

Hi All,

Although we are - ultimately - all one and thus intimately interconnected with each other as well as "the whole" (humanity, all species, our community, our ecosystem, our culture, our planet, our universe, the multiverse), everybody is also unique and different from everybody else. Sages from various cultural and spiritual traditions have said that this uniqueness has a particular function: we all have a specific purpose to fulfill in the grand scheme of things, i.e. we all have come here to serve the whole with our unique interests, abilities, and talents.

Since it is often very difficult to figure out what our true purpose is, here a few links that will hopefully inspire you.

Deepak Chopra: "What Is the Purpose of Life?" (short video & short blog text)
http://intentblog.com/deepak-chopra-what-is-the-purpose-of-life/

Deepak Chopra: "Are You Living Your True Purpose" (short article):
http://www.healyourlife.com/author-deepak-chopra-md/2013/06/lifeshelp/intuitive-guidance/are-you-living-your-true-purpose

Wayne Dyer: The Awakened Life (audio-version of book):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAM9lqLotBo

Myers-Briggs Personality Test:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
Or:
http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Dharma Test:
http://www.spirittype.com/dharma-test/

Finding Your Purpose in Life - Some Steps to Take:
http://addicted2success.com/life/11-actions-you-can-take-today-to-discover-your-lifes-purpose/
Or:
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Your-Life's-Purpose
Or:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prescriptions-life/201311/helping-you-find-your-life-purpose


Please choose whatever appeals to you - or something else - and share your experience if you wish.

I hope you will enjoy discovering who you truly are - at least at this moment :)

G

Building a Research Library

Hi All,

Thank you all again for sharing your highly interesting presentations in class and on this blog! Since quite a few people were interested in similar topics, I think it might also be useful if you could share links to interesting articles, websites, and projects you have come across in the context of your research. I know that some of you added links in your individual presentations already. I just would also find it useful to collect them in a little research library here. Maybe with a focus on 1) sources that analyze the  problems that exist in today's world and 2) sources that suggest solutions for these problems.

The purpose is to have these sources all together in one spot for potential future team-projects!

Thank you!

gudrun

Image from: 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Interior_view_of_Stockholm_Public_Library.jpg

A Voice from the Future

Dear All,

Please listen to this voice from the future speaking about The Four Laws of Creation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-EZiN-EVnM

If you would like to learn more about Bashar - and his medium, Darryl Anka - please click on the following links:

Waking Universe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyNwxRMgJbY

Official Website for Bashar:
http://bashar.org

Please comment on anything you find worth sharing in this context :)

Thank you!

gudrun

Image from: http://www.wholejoy.com/wholeness/bashar.html

Animals and Human Animals

Dear All,

In recent years, humans have become increasingly aware of the similarities that exist between the consciousness and behaviour of non-human animals and their own.
Consequences of this awareness are:

• a growing realization that the way humans have been exploiting and torturing animals for economic gain (e.g. food, clothing, research, entertainment, etc) is inhumane and criminal
• a stronger demand for basic animal rights
• an increasing interest in researching animal consciousness and behaviour.

Please have a look at the following websites:

Article about Animal Consciousness:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21528836.200-animals-are-conscious-and-should-be-treated-as-such.html#.UphNVqXfK0s

Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness:
http://fcmconference.org/img/CambridgeDeclarationOnConsciousness.pdf

Conference about Animal Consciousness:
http://fcmconference.org


3 TED Talks about Animal Consciousness:

bonobos (apes) not only understand spoken English but are able to learn  to communicate in writing:
Susan Savage-Rumbaugh: The Gentle Genius of Bonobos (TED)
http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_savage_rumbaugh_on_apes_that_write.html?quote=113

dolphins who think, talk, are creative, conscious, and aware:
Diana Reiss: Thinking Dolphins (TED)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0FiM50Uhzc

whales and dolphins who communicate by sound:
Peter Tyack: the Intriguing Sounds of Marine Mammals (TED)
http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_tyack_the_intriguing_sound_of_marine_mammals.html

… and:
Einstein, the Talking Parrot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbrTOcUnjNY

Also really interesting: the Animal Communicator:
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/11936/The-Animal-Communicator

Please share your thoughts about this topic with the rest of us!

Thank you,

gudrun

Image from: http://teamcarterlces.com/Plants_and_Animals.htm

Do the Math - the Movie

Hi All,

Please watch the movie Do the Math and share your response and insights - as well as action plans and/or suggestions should you have any -  in a comment.

Here the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3glP5azwfiE

If you would like to find more about Bill McKibben and the 350.Org, please check out the following websites:

Bill McKibben:
http://www.billmckibben.com

350.Org:
http://350.org

Thank you!

gudrun

Annie Leonard's The Story of Stuff Project

Hi All,

Please watch Annie Leonard's very short but excellent The Story of Stuff (in particular if you are NOT familiar with it) as well as the sequels The Story of Change and The Story of Solutions - and think about all three videos.

Links:

The Story of Stuff Project (webpage):
http://storyofstuff.org

Info Videos:

The Story of Stuff:
http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/

The Story of Change: 
http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-change/

The Story of Solutions: 
http://storyofstuff.org/movies/the-story-of-solutions/


If you find them informative, please check out Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff Project website, which includes links to several more videos that are also highly enlightening, among them:

The Story of Bottled Water:
http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water/

The Story of Cosmetics:
http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-cosmetics/

The Story of Electronics:
http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-electronics/

Feel free to comment on any of these videos - or share your own thoughts about the topic(s) raised.

Thank you!

gudrun

Poems by Rumi

Hi All,

I wanted to invite you to read one (or more) of Mewlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi's poems. You can find quite a few at the following - non-academic :) - site: http://www.poemhunter.com/mewlana-jalaluddin-rumi/poems/?a=a&search=&l=3&y=0

Rumi wrote his poems in the 13th century - but his ideas are still (or perhaps, again) of great importance  today. The original poems are in Persian. So what we are reading are only translations. However, I think they are still quite powerful, and I hope you will enjoy them!

Please comment on one (or two) of the poems that you find particularly interesting….

If you are not familiar with Rumi and his time, please click on the following link for a brief introduction: http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/Mowlana_Poet_of_Life_s_Dance.htm


Thank you!

gudrun

Image from: http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/Mowlana_Poet_of_Life_s_Dance.htm