45 Comments

Haha money sure does talk! And I love how you are wielding it to make good in the world - bravvo!! I'll respond again on this, but I've really enjoyed reading your thoughts, and even got into some of your old Cosmic Fuel Pump videos - yaaas!! So many *vibes* with you, Sue!!

I've got a strong case to make for what we-the-people can do - it's what you've already been doing - bringing together those around you in community. The BIG question: what are the barriers that hold folks back from doing this today in their neighborhoods? Time/Money. Third spaces. And, there's the question of what we do when you finally do get people together - preach?? Nope, not gonna open minds that way.

Our project is Village (www.VillageCo.org) - all-volunteer non-profit approach to localized community without the agendas or doctrine. Its not solving the problems directly, it's just taking a massive NEXT STEP - bringing folks in all their differences, TOGETHER.

And, I realize this is not quite what you have been writing about, Suzanne. While I'm like 110% on board with your vision (wisdom councils & coalitions), I think that before we sell folks on that, we first need to get to know them. And they need to get to know you. It's how this all works, changing minds is relational work.

I'd use that $50k to launch a non-partisan, no-agenda movement for local connection and community - a truly we-the-people movement - and break down those barriers between us. If we were to accomplish that, we'd then have a powerful platform to start talking about collective action and change.

Thanks for all you do Sue!!! Yay!!!

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Village is a beautiful website and I'll explore more of it next week after I'm not immersed with essay contest entrees. Local dealing is vital as we also deal with mass movement ideas, and this looks very interesting. For what's on my drawing board that might be part of your model:

CIRCLES OF TRUST - 8 people meeting on a regular basis. It's such a doable, free way to help each other.

It's on my Roadmap to the Future: Part Three/What we-the-people can do now https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/roadmap-to-the-future-part-three.

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Thanks Suzanne! For my part, what I've been called to do, was to clear off my drawing board (it was quite robust, systemic, & global) and focus on just one part of it - Village. In growing that over the last 4 years I've come to see that this one piece itself will take a lifetime of effort to get going. So, that's my part. I'm not sure how to plug in anymore with grand plans, but I trust the mystery behind all this to lead me.

In the meantime, I'm really enjoying watching your old Cosmic Fuel Pump episodes and laughing at how deeply relevant these themes are today as they have been for all of history.

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Right on for sticking your neck out beyond where it's a sure thing it stays on your body. So much through history has been accomplished that way -- a spark and then a conflagration. Understanding the evolutionary nature of the big game we're in, the idea of a 5-year plan seem antiquated. I really look forward to checking your Village out.

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You're welcome to visit Village Seattle anytime - we meet virtually on Tuesdays at 6pm pacific. Tonight is our monthly Musical Cafe we do before the program starts. Happy to send you the deets or you (or anyone reading this) can rsvp here: https://airtable.com/appc1h0izKlzgDwUb/shr8d5LA3XIZ4oCPt

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So tempting to show up but such a backlog of entrees. Will sign up but might not make it this time.

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Wow Jason ! As an ex-decision maker on which UK Rural ventures were to be funded by the European Parliament, I am interested in your worthy project. Our 13 member board enjoyed a nice monthly buffet and chat, but in my 2 years on board we were prevented from disbursing funds, so I walked away in disgust..... but I had learned much, and decided to forge a better path. This has led to me to daily promoting Suzannes Essay. I have a back story, some of which can be found on my stack. Currently building an arts support unit in Nederland, & prepping to buy land in France for a similar project. My method is to provide "in kind" seed funding. I have subscribed to your VillageCo. Peace, Maurice

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Thanks for reaching out, Maurice! I'm pleased to hear you align with our project. ☺️ I connect with your story about distributing money - I was director of a cancer foundation which sat on a formidable reserve fund which could have done some great things, but to my dismay sat idly gaining interest to delight the board while I was persistently declined with each disbursement request. Alas, our money system favors the pooling and not the distributing! I enjoyed reading some of your stories and am curious about your old books and current interests. We should connect to chat more - would you mind schedule us for a video chat using this link? https://calendar.app.google/6ze9XYbE1PNgVdYy6

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Hello: One big answer to what to do when you get together is meditate. I teach the form I have been practicing for 40 years. It has transformed my consciousness. It is a fast path and an Immortality Path.

In 2009, my brain started to emit what in the traditions is called The O Soma Drop. Others label it as the Philosopher’s Stone, The Golden Elixer, or Amrita of the brain. The Bible speaks of it as the Water of Life in Revelations 22:17

The Phenomenon purifies the body over time as you learn to work the internal alchemical process. Maintaining the sweet spot and a continuous internal flow state.

Ultimately, the path leads to a Breatharian lifestyle. Transformation from meatarian, then vegetarian, then fruitarian, then liquidarian/watarian and then Breatharian. It is a transformational path healing all three bodies: the trikaya.

My knowing is that if enough folks step up to to the work of transformation, WE will create the tipping point for our species and establish Immortality as the norm on this planet. I do mean that literally: Everlasting Life. It doesn't happen overnight and it does takes work.

If you are curious to learn more about the dynamics my book Zen and the Art of Subration is on Amazon. The updated version will be out in a week or two. I am working with a literary agent to Uplift it.

Many Blessings,

Ashoka Annamaya Ishays

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Namaste, Ashoka :-) I wholeheartedly agree - meditation, inward work being the thing that makes the outward changes. All of our Village gatherings include an opening and closing grounding - for some it's their first experiences with this inward journey. Thanks for sharing your own journey - I have heard of the "golden elixir" before but have never met anyone who experienced it personally. My meditation experience has illuminated a long path on which I see a hint of what you are sharing. I question your use of the term "immortality" - does that have a similar meaning to you as it does in popular culture, that your body will continue on?

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What a great pleasure it is that subscribers are talking to each other. A dream coming true!!!! About the subject here, although we are in the same big picture, in the consciousness realm this one is as far from my playing field as you could get. My direction is outer, for what a joint force of us could do, but if each participant has a rich inner life, so very much the better.

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Hi Sue, wow, what a way to move energy! I am very curious and current exploring ways in which to "plug" deep, embodied female based wisdom into the current mechanistic world view. I've got plenty of ideas. Some I am already working on but curious if there is space to co-create. I am aware that you are of a different generation to mine and what you currently model is very much the matriarch role, which is fundamental to culture. So, I would be super keen to dream up co-creation. How would my knowing be in service to your knowing and of others. Here in this space and in other places such as this. I, like you, want to devote my life to supporting this transition our world seems to be inviting in.

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I've done some trying to get a sort of think tank of knowers, but rugged individualism still runs strong among our thought leaders. With the submissions for the essay contest I'm thinking that some of the people submitting could be the thinkers. Stay tuned. I'll work on that.

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Oooohhh that feels so interesting and exciting! I’m tuned! 😉

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Love your offer to build Suzanne's impact I have been helping to drive the caring curious to her daily, for about a month now. I have subscribed to you too. Peace, Maurice

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Hi Maurice nice to meet you. Now we are connected. Thanks for subscribing and beautiful that you are supporting Suzanne. Excited for what might arise from all this weaving…

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Wonderful to see how Suzanne has delivered the impetus, to grow the connecting fibres, to inspire us all. Time for another restack, methinks. Peace, Maurice

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I would include the collective of edutainers I'm in cooperation with in the use and those funds (www.CosmicLabyrinth.world)

I'm hypothesizing that our first use of these FUNd$ would be to create the pronoaic Augmented Gaming Platform we have been designing which can engage and incentivize GenZ and the inner child in all of us adults to be more proactive/hopeful by participating in more grassroots community service, ecorestoration projects, food justice projects, and becoming more civically literate and engaged in local/neighborhood civic engagement/decision making.

One of our team members, Charlie Trinh, who is now a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and a medical astrologer, is a seasoned game developer (worked for Disney for over 5 years developing their games). We also have a brilliant collective of farmers, teachers, healers, yogis and community activists.

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That will take more study time than a reader of essay contest entries has now. You're energy is so dynamic that I look forward to seeing more. Given how ambitious your enterprise is, it occurs to me that perhaps things will be suggested to me that major funders might go for!

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Wait, I’m confused. Don’t you want to give the prize money to people who have lived experience, essential skills, a plan for execution, and most importantly heart centered community? That’s exactly what Indy has just articulated here for you to see.

As a pediatric intensive care unit nurse for almost a decade, now working in pediatric primary care, projects like these are urgent. The youth needs educators like us to support them with embodied resilience - meaning we must also be supported to do this work if it’s to be sustainable.

As a member of this collective, I urge you to reconsider your dismissal of this proposal by my colleague Indy Rishi Singh.

I also invite you to connect more deeply with our work to feel what we bring to the communities we serve. 🙏🏽

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I'm not dismissing Indy, who has become a valuable ally. I don't know where you got that idea, but don't hang onto it!

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That's all I need...plus, I'll check out that link. I'll give it my best shot. Lot's a miracle-making going on here, so I'll dig up something respectable...not about me but about US...and how we can all create everyday miracles that lead to huge ones...proven. Thanks for what you're doing...always. Dk

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Aloha! My name is Sandra and I am apart of the Cosmic Labyrinth(http://www.CosmicLabyrinth.world). It’s wonderful to read all these comments. What excites me about the vision Indy shared, as a dream architect, is building a virtual bridge that leads straight into the heart of the communities. Using the technology available to weave and promote empowered resilience as Diana said. I’m grateful for heart centered investors like yourself Suzanne for funding these essential impact movements. “Coming up with ideas to save the world” surely is ambitious as much as gamifying it is :) but I believe it starts and ends with us. Having an aligned team is that is embodying the change we want to see in the world is the catalyst that is called for at this time. I appreciate you taking the time to read and respond to all the messages. Reading your blog I kept feeling a sense of legacy and I’m curious… what is the legacy you’re wanting to leave behind?

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Glad it is working. Money used in the right way, that's for sure. That's how we get a different world by 2050. Although you are thinking of increasing the reward for a further competition, it would be better if it was sustainable and your funds multiply in the process of increasing ideation and actual social validation. Be well!

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It's not "a competition." I'm looking for what to put money into that would excite me for the great good it could do. Sustainable would be swell, but I'm not putting limits on any parameters it would have.

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Where do I find "Saving The World," if you please? I can't get past the spam check.

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I'm trying to submit my essay, but could not get past the spam check. I can't find "Saving The World" in order to get the first word...or the "Post Content" field.

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Anybody having trouble with the system send your essay to me in email: suzanne@mightycompanions.org

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I've done the deed, and written my essay. Not certain which is more effective...posting below in the "Start Writing" box, or going to the link and posting it there. I'm eager to get it in by the deadline, prize or no prize, because it's really about US...and how we can get to that point you've posted. To me, THAT'S the prize. Thanks for creating this opportunity for all of us.

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Agreed. “Could” works better. 🤠

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Well, um, you have answered my question. I spent a lot of time over the weekend trying to fit what I thought I should write into this endeavor until I finally threw it all out and wrote from my heart what felt the most real and authentic thing I could write. I'll give it a day or so to percolate, so to speak, and will submit the final version soon. Prize or no prize, I think it will suffice to inspire and motivate dynamic thinking and dialog.

Meanwhile, I am convinced as the die-hard, eternal optimist that I am, that we can and we will find a number of ways to get through and beyond the chaos and insanities of present times, and am eager to be part of the national...even global...dialog that will get us from here to there...which is the title of my essay. This effort of yours is genius-level inspiration, which does not surprise me at all. More than "genius," it is deeply heartfelt and compelling, and should create the Ripple Effect that Leo Buscaglia wrote about and spoke at length about decades ago, and dedicated his professional life to accomplishing. Your Ripple Effect with this stands a good chance of being a sea change and even tidal lift to humanity. BRAVO!!

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From your lips to God's ear, as they say, for "the national...even global...dialog that will get us from here to there!" Getting real, though, "should create the Ripple Effect," would be better as "could create the Ripple Effect."

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It's helpful to know how you feel on reading what I have said, as it clearly didn't answer what you had in mind when you said, "If it changes behaviour then I want to know about it." If you want to know how it works, it's explained in the 'casebook' of 15 stories of changed lives and communities, in which Marian tells the story of change, and I then give an explanatory account of how and why that happened after learning to see emotions in different situation within this new mental framework. It's called, Emotional Logic: Harnessing your emotions into inner strength. Hammersmith Health Books, 2021. I would be interested to know (all in good time!) if you think my essay answers what you have in mind. It's about getting the inner strength of personal values out there effectively. Thanks for taking the time to respond like this, by the way.

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It seems strange there is no summary page or paragraph about it. Is it breathwork? Does it do body things? How about meditation? You don't even know what category it's in, and having to do extensive reading to tease that out seems like a missing piece in your materials. And so there is a missing piece in the essay you sent. Maybe an exercise for you to create something informative?

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Well, this has been a fascinating exchange, Suzanne. Saying that Emotional Logic is a learnable conversational skill that changes everything doesn't work for you. It doesn't open a door of curiosity. But if anyone IS curious to learn a simple skill, that is all based around making the best response to asking someone else in a situation, "Hey, what are you worried you might lose here?" then they can make a start on their journey of curiosity at https://relatedness.net/insights . Live in hope!

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Curious, but I may already know that. Or I might not be attracted to whatever the process is. You have to click on the different links on the page you sent me to, and when I did click on the first one it wasn't getting to anything I could learn about it from. You'd have to give me at taste of what you you're selling and not just your assurances and your testimonials to get my participation.

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I have the advantage of seeing USA from 'beyond the pond', being near Plymouth, UK. Having worked with my American friends in Oregon and further south for a few years, I hear you, Suzanne, when you say you have an outer action focus that you recognise could be strengthened by improved inner resources. My experience has been that many of my American colleagues have not recognised that emotions are the social messaging of our PERSONAL VALUES in nonverbal language - facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and subtle pheromone chemicals released in perspiration. All these communicate basic dispositions to react to protect those hidden values. What people around the world mostly do not naturally do is NAME those values so they can talk constructively about them. It is being able to do that which will change the world. Rather than just clash nonverbally with emotively driven behaviour, missiles, guns and legal conflicts, knowing the Emotional Logic of healthy social adjustment can work through the effective communications in any and every external system that is set up among communities. People would get to the point much more quickly, and value each other's differences much more deeply, when they learn how to activate their inner Emotional Logic in their daily conversation. It's already gone international... elcentre.org

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I've spent a little time trying to find out what your system does, and I was getting testimonials for it but no description of it. "About" says it's "a personal development tool." So I am in the dark. But, regardless, becoming self-aware is basic and it's not my bailiwick. I'm looking for what self-aware people could l do. And if you've come up with what improves people's behavior I'd love to know about it..

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Hi Suzanne. Emotional Logic is MUCH more than just a self-awareness type of personal development. It definitely DOES improve people's behaviour. For example, in a boys school it was widely taught and resulted in a 42% reduction in confrontational behaviour. People have set aside legal cases and chosen to get on with life constructively instead. It is used in Jerusalem to bring together Arab and Israeli women in reconciliation groups. It has been taught in Kenyan prisons, reducing suicides and massively reducing re-offending behaviour after release. It was used in a North London de-radicalisation community project on the streets. If taught in American schools it would have a way of reducing mass shootings. It's way beyond mere 'emotional intelligence' as understood in the K-R change curve. The Emotional Logic method is a set of conversational skills with a mental framework that empowers people of all ages to see through emotional expressions to the underlying personal values that are being challenged by setback, disappointment and hurts. It then gives people a solution-focused, ACTION PLANNING APPROACH to building cooperation with those who differ from you. It achieves this by seeing beyond feelings, behaviours an beliefs to agreeing which named personal values people agree they can build a future upon. As my essay/story will go on to say, this process could happen in government committee meetings, business strategy meetings, family homes, international project development teams, you name it... It definitely changes behaviour, because behind every behaviour there is a story, and the EL method enables people to retell that story to each other using the language of values challenged, which can potentially be recovered by a shift of behaviour IF THEY ARE NAMED AND SPOKEN OUT.

If the 'About' section of the website doesn't say that, then I'll have a word with the people who run that and see what they think. Thanks for giving your feedback. I hope you enjoy the story, because the third phase of it could be achieved with the sort of prize you are generously offering.

Best wishes

Trevor

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I had no critique of it, just didn't know what it consisted of. It got a lot of praise, but the site seemed to then steer people to enrolling in courses without supplying any insight into what they were enrolling in. It's like what you've written here.

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Hi Jason, happy to chat in writing about any of this, but sadly my hearing is too poor for vids or phone calls. You have my E address. Peace, Maurice

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Sorry...but quick question so I don't have to scroll around for the guidelines: Limit on words/pages, please...?

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Well, um, what question am I answering? Previously, with an extended deadline for submission to February 21, is my essay contest. All info is here: https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/an-essay-contest-its-january-1-2050. In this post today I'm looking for a game to play, so to speak, that I'd put $50,000 into. No rules, no word limit, just talk to me about what you/we would do with it.

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