Audio – Page 94 – Lisa Colón DeLay | Spiritual Formation and the Way of the Desert Elders

Soul School – Lesson 17- Love What Was Lost

• SOUL SCHOOL comes out every Wednesday!
• On FRIDAYS return for a fascinating guest interview/conversation. (FIND THE other ones HERE.)

IF you enjoy Soul School, you represent the core listeners of Spark My Muse. Kindred Spirits.

Pay close attention for something new this month. I’m calling it Soul School-Varsity Club. (I was going to call it “Master Class” but, well, OPRAH…and it sounded a little pretentious for me to say it like that… So, nope.

Varsity Club is an access point to dig deeper into the Soul School topics because they interest you and you want to hear more. The Varsity Club is like upgrading from just a bite of cake to a slice of cake. MMM cake.

I’ll go into greater depth in video lessons, offer one-to-one opportunities to meet with me once a month if you want to, do some Q & As, have helpful devotional/worksheets resources for you to use, and also some extra goodies for a reasonable subscription cost.

(If you are already a Patreon PATRON for $5 or more….you are automatically in the Varsity Club. Done. Want to be a Patron? Do that HERE.)

Let me know what you think about the Varsity Club idea and if you’d like to be a part of it. What do you think should be included? I’d love to hear from you as I work out the details…just CLICK HERE to let me know.

More info will come soon.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:34 — 11.8MB) | Embed

When I recorded today’s episode I was alluding to Matt Khan’s work, but I used my own analogy of a WHITE FLAG on the hill of your heart.

• Here’s Matt’s book about loving loving what arises.

EPS 47: Specific Behaviors That Lead to Happiness – Guest Benjamin Hardy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:15 — 62.1MB) | Embed

I like to define happiness as “sturdy joy” and there is some science that shows us that specific behaviors increase it in our lives. Benjamin Hardy’s article on the topic caught my attention and I had to have him on the podcast to share his findings.

Scroll down for detailed show notes and don’t forget to come back every Wednesday for a “Soul School” episode and each Friday for a special guest episode.

Ben is a writer and a PhD candidate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Clemson University.

Ben’s twitter

Ben’s website

SHOW NOTES

MIN: 1

Slipstream Time Hacking the book and Ben’s philosophy on “experienced time” and perceived reality.

The movie Interstellar

MIN 4:
Shortcuts to goals.

Medium

MIN 7:30
How do you define “happiness”?

State of mind no matter the circumstances.
Do something every day that terrifies you.

MIN 9:
Living according to your beliefs.

MIN 10:
Principles vs. moods
“every principle has a promise”

Happiness cannot be directly pursued. Happiness comes first (not after you get something or somewhere). “Happiness is the way.”

MIN 12:00
The Myers-Briggs test and being future thinking and not here and happy now.

Kolbe A Index text

MIN 14:30
“Be where you are.”

MIN 16:00
Studies show that Anticipation is better than the actual thing.
The Soul School episode on that very thing.

MIN 18:30
High Stakes and no exits and “the point of no return” and big promises

MIN 19:30
Tim Ferriss the stick works better than the carrot.

MIN 20
The endowment effect

MIN 22:00
#8 Do something every day that terrifies you.
Darren Hardy “Be courageous 15 seconds a day.”

Our anticipation builds up fears to think the outcome or experience are much worse than they actually are.

Push yourself to grow.

MIN 25:30
Most risks are inflated by our perceptions.

MIN 28
We adapt during our experiences. We can take on challenge to create growth.

MIN 29
#9 Put the important before the urgent

Defend the important from the urgent thing that suck away time from you.

MIN 32
Put things in order.

MIN 34
“If you wait for too many tomorrows you’ll find that you got a lot of empty yesterdays.”

Steven Covey

MIN 36
Setting time limits and realizing what your time is worth.

MIN 38
#10 Forego the good to pursue the best
Bad on your values.
“Never let a goal to be accomplished be more important than a person to be loved.”

Jim Collins “Good is the enemy of great.”

MIN 40:30
Ben’s goat farm experience with his wife Lauren.

WWOOF

VIDEO

Read the whole article:

The Secret to Happiness Is 10 Specific Behaviors

Soul School – Lesson 16 Skills Trump Passion

Welcome to Soul School – your Hump Day treat. Your midweek boost! (WEDNESDAYS)

Today comes some wisdom I gleaned from Cal Newport.

On FRIDAY come back for a longer conversational guest episode!

I liked Cal’s take on working towards skills that are rare a valuable.

It flies in the face of a refrain we often hear, “Follow your passion!”

In a recent Soul School I told you that the Secret Sauce I kept hearing from the many people I speak with indicated that people followed their curiosity and created something useful often found success and meaningful work. LISTEN HERE. On that journey they were doing the very thing Cal talks about, “becoming so good they couldn’t be ignored.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:54 — 13.6MB) | Embed

EPS 46: Community Life and The Power of Confession (part 2)

As promised this is the part 2 with Tammy Perlmutter about Communal Life. Below are photos from Tammy.

To hear PART 1, click HERE.

Listeners asked questions about the particulars of communal life and I had questions too. Tammy and I recorded another episode and we also discuss the terrifying and powerful concept and discipline of confession in a way you may not have heard before.

This is a good one!

• Scroll for the detailed show notes by the minute, and please, please, please, share this episode with others!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:42 — 69.6MB) | Embed

SPARK MY MUSE is a twice-weekly broadcast!

Friday episodes are longer conversational ones with guests. Find the full list here.

Wednesday episodes are shorter, potent ones called “Soul School” with homework for you overachievers–you know who you are. Find the full list here.

Spark-LIVE: Catch some of the Spark LIVE-as-it-happens. The LIVE discussions with friends, viewers, and guests are on interesting topics about 3 times per month. They are great. Catch the Replays you may miss here at the website.

• To join in for the LIVE events you Sign up HERE; (YES they are FREE).
BUT! follow me on Twitter for links and info too. (Some discussions are listed elsewhere with with colleagues on their accounts and not on mine, so I’ll tweet out links.)

Show Notes

Tammy Perlmutter is a talented creator who lives (along with her husband and daughter) with the intentional community of Jesus People USA, a commune of Christians that dates back over 40 years.

MIN 2:
Q: What is the hardest part about living in community for people who first come to live with you?

MIN 4:
Q: How does the “common purse’ work? Can you make your own money and keep it for things you want to do or must everything you make go into the common purse?

MIN 8:
Q: How are conflicts dealt with?

MIN 10:
Q: How do shared meals, food, and cleaning work?

MIN 13:
Q: Personally, what is the hardest part about living in community and what’s the best part?

MIN 15:
Q: What are the main challenges and needs within the communal setting?

MIN 17:
Our Lady of the Mississippi Abby, Dubuque, Iowa.

Being an oblate near Chicago.

MIN 21:
On being downwardly mobile and simplifying things, and considering the essentials in our lives and relationships.

MIN 26:
On why Tammy started writing.

MIN 30:
Cornerstone Magazine

MIN 32:30
Explaining “the gift of going first”

MIN 37:30
“Confession feels like a fever breaking.” (Lisa)

Jean Vanier

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

MIN 39: The power of confession to create breakthroughs.

“Confession is discipleship.”

Creating trust and community.

Depression and sin dissipate when exposed to community and life together.

MIN 44:
Tammy’s final thoughts on community. Being, not just doing.

MIN 48:
The invitation to those of us not living in communal situations.

PHOTO COLLAGE from TAMMY:

Jesus People USA is a self-sustaining , tent-making community. We support our home, church, and ministries through businesses we have created.

Jesus People USA: A church & an intentional community, living together, creating a place to discover who you are and to be challenged to live an authentic life in Christ.

Wilson Abbey: Community. Faith. Art. Concert venue, theater, art gallery, conference center in Uptown, Chicago.

JPUSA Internships: 3-12 month internships in specific businesses and ministries.

Group Missions: Bring your small group, church, youth group, family!

Friendly Towers Low-Income Senior Housing

Cornerstone Community Outreach: Homeless shelter

The Rummage Room: A re-sale boutique whose proceeds go entirely towards Cornerstone Community Outreach.

Uptown Tent City: Providing protection, support, and material needs for homeless living under the viaducts in Uptown.

Zeppelin Design Labs: Avant-Garde Audio and Electronic Products.

Grrr Records:The home of Glenn Kaiser, GKB, The Crossing, Leper, Aracely, Exegesis, Resurrection Band (aka Rez), Anti-World System, and many others.

Tone Zone Recording Studio

Citizen Skate Shop

Everybody’s Coffee: Professionally-trained baristas devoted to making delicious, soul-warming, fresh brewed fair-trade coffee and urban artisan baked goods.

Nine3Nine Creative: A web and graphic design business doing top quality, cutting edge work.

Lakefront Roofing Supply

Lakefront Sheet Metal Supply

Belly Acres Designs: High-quality screen printing.

Deeply Rooted: A Gathering. A one-day faith and creativity gathering in Chicago for women, taking place in May and November.

Photos:

#1 Worship

#2 Fellowship

#3 Work

#4 Social Justice

#5 Art

#6 Music

Dear listener,

What did you think about this episode?

• Have you too been guilty of ditching situations, relationships, and people when things get messy, uncomfortable, or inconvenient?

• What has helped you live a more authenticity community-minded life?

• You can share your thoughts at the Spark My Muse group page here.
If this topic interests you, listen to the episode with activist Shane Claiborne who started the intentional inner city community in Philadelphia called The Simple Way. HEAR that here.

Soul School – Lesson 15: Don’t Fear the Shake Up

Work for creative people, and for all sorts of people, looks different now. Don’t fear the shake up.

Do you hate the question, “What do you do for a living?”. Have you ever asked it of someone and then felt like it was the wrong question to ask as soon as you said it? I have a few suggestions and a really funny story about my own experience too.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:50 — 13.5MB) | Embed

Soul School comes out each WEDNESDAY!

In January (2016) I’m talking about the concepts of calling and meaningful work.

For more on how you can join in that worldwide endeavor for yourself, in your own way, visit the #synCREATE page.

Spark My Muse listeners tend to be over achievers. Feel like getting some extra credit points? SOUL SCHOOL has homework each week–just for kicks–and you can share your thoughts about the episode or “report your homework” at the Spark My Muse group page here and see what others are doing and saying.

Remember to Subscribe to the podcast to get the next episode!

FRIDAY episodes are longer and feature guests.

Thank you for listening to Spark My Muse. You’ve spent your time with me and it means a lot.

I recommend the weekly newsletter.
Get it here. It comes out every Friday afternoon and delivers links to the new episodes of the week and the LIVE events and posts too, so you never miss a thing.