This week we will spend time with authors of books and blogs that we are particularly fond of that come from the Compassion 2.0 network of friends and family. The topics will be wide-ranging and cover human compassionate experience and flourishing from a variety of perspectives.

Convener:
Jim Garrison, President Ubiquity University

Moderators:
Tom Eddington
Tom Eddington is an author, Executive Coach, Business Advisor, and Executive Producer of documentary films. As a scholar of Conscious Leadership, he is passionate about bringing more conscious leadership into the world which he does through his coaching and advisory work, film and media projects and Board positions. As CEO of Endangered.global he brings his commitment and experience to impacting climate change and biodiversity loss. He holds an M.S. in Organization Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Carson Kelly
Carson is an entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in technology start-up management, Enterprise Software Sales, Nonprofit Governance, Civic Engagement, Product Development and Positioning, Business Planning, and Strategy. Carson lives at the intersection of product and organizational culture interventions that are scientifically validated. He believes care based cultures is not "soft" but the basis for expansive ideation. This results innovation around product development and operational excellence, and it can be validated through new models of ROI. Carson is a firm believer that there are business models that align human and environmental benefits with venture-scale business models. The models that do this embrace our neurobiology, and are true expressions of human brilliance.

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July 8th, 2024

Day 1 “Full Body Yes”

From goodreads:

“Stop treating your work and your life as separate. Work shouldn't be a burden that takes place outside of your “real life.” It should, and can, be a source of happiness and authentic meaning—if you work from the inside out. In The Full Body Yes, LinkedIn’s Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs Scott Shute shows how the evolution within companies lies in the evolution of ourselves. After all, a company is the sum of its we decide where, how, and why we work. Through a four-step action plan, Shute demonstrates how the journey to a working life of happiness and authentic meaning is fueled by compassion. Through guided activities to cultivate compassion for yourself and others, you’ll move toward a work lifestyle that allows you ● discover what is important to you, so that you can spend more time doing just that ● recognize and empower the deeper part of yourself ● measure your success by your own happiness ● allow yourself to develop and evolve at work ● love and serve all of life (including yourself) Everyone deserves to do work that makes them happy, and to find happiness at work. With compassion, we can all get there.”

Scott Shute | Co-Founder, Changing Work
Scott is an activist for conscious business leaders who proudly put people before profit

“I believe every organization deserves to thrive because its employees embody its values. So, if picturing an engaged and resilient workforce makes you feel your plans are on the right track, I’m so glad you’re here. Because when I give a keynote, I’m not treating it like a one-way sermon that makes me look good, and your teams feel inferior. I treat it like a chance for your people to press pause and make a conscious decision to reset. No unrealistic expectations. No pie-in-the-sky thinking. It’s time to educate and ruminate on purpose and practicality in the workplace and make self-development the route to great results.”

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July 9th, 2024

Day 2 “The Third Harmony: Nonviolence and the New Story of Human Nature”

From goodreads:

“In the latest fruit of a brilliant career, Michael Nagler argues that nonviolence--not just as a tactic but as a way of being--is the only way to unite deeply divided people and enable progressive movements and leaders of all stripes to fulfil their promise and potential.”

So many of the problems that beset us--war, poverty, isolation, and the climate crisis--have their roots in an old story about the universe: we are purposeless matter in a random void, and scarcity, competition, and violence are inevitable. Citing the convergence of modern science and the essence of the world's wisdom traditions, Michael Nagler argues for a new story: the universe is conscious and purposeful, humans are spiritual beings, and cooperation and collaboration are our natural way of interacting. This "new story" has had other champions, but Nagler is the first to realize that a piece is missing. For the new story to take hold, we have to embrace nonviolence, not only as a social change tactic but as a way of life.

Nonviolence is the only power strong enough to "move the heart" toward this deep and revolutionary change in worldview. Nagler refers to this as the "third harmony," which is the harmony within and among us to resolve the crisis of the human image. Calling on us to realize the urgency of nonviolence for resolving our personal and collective problems, Nagler focuses on how to shift to our story on a personal, everyday level and then integrate it into the very foundations of our understanding of humanity and community, for our sake, for the sake of future generations, and the sake of nonviolence itself.

Dr. Michael Nagler | American Peace Activist; Professor Emeritus UC Berkeley
As Professor Emeritus of Classics and Comparative Literature at UC, Berkeley, Michael Nagler co-founded one of the first Peace and Conflict Studies Programs in the United States. He co-founded the Metta Center for Nonviolence in 1983 and continues to dedicate his life to the values of meditation, spirituality and nonviolence with a particular appreciation for the role of science (as the son of a biology teacher). A dedicated nonviolence aspirant, he was the recipient of the Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for “Promoting Gandhian Values Outside India” in 2007.

He is co-host of Nonviolence Radio, a popular radio show and podcast for nonviolence learning and exploration. He is author of many articles and books including The Search for a Nonviolent Future: A Promise of Peace for Ourselves, Our Families, and Our World; The Nonviolence Handbook: A Guide for Practical Action; and The Third Harmony: Nonviolence and the New Story of Human Nature. Most recently he directed and produced a documentary on nonviolence: The Third Harmony. He continues his work for peace at the Metta Center for Nonviolence to this day.

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July 10th, 2024

Day 3 “The Compassion Remedy”

From goodreads:

“Compassion has long been considered a "soft" skill in health care - nice to have, but ultimately unnecessary in a science-driven field. However, recent challenges in delivering care (including but not limited to the global pandemic) have revealed the need for a more compassionate approach to protecting the health and well-being of patients and medical staff alike.

Compassion is a state of being that affects psychological health and our physiology. When applied in a pragmatic fashion, compassion can lower stress levels, alleviate anxiety and depression, improve overall physical health, and allow us to navigate challenging situations with more grace. Cutting-edge research is now revealing just how powerful these psychophysiological effects are, and how even basic compassion-based practices can have long-lasting effects on both physical and mental health.

This book will empower you to understand what compassion truly is-and just as importantly, what it isn't, so you can care for yourself and others at the highest level of integrity, both in and out of clinical situations. Packed with insightful stories, illuminating research, and pragmatic instruction, this book is the definitive guide for healthcare providers who wish to bring more balance and joy to their work every day.”

Catherine Wergin Schweikert | Author, Physician Assistant
”Driven by passion and a commitment to influencing positive change, I have devoted my career to exploring the concept of compassion and its transformative power in everyday life and healthcare. My extensive research and hands-on experience in this field has shaped my conviction in the inherent power of compassion in fostering wellness, promoting resilience and enhancing relationships.

I earned a PhD in Applied Psychophysiology with an emphasis on the effects of compassion on the human mind, body and soul. I have researched how compassion can shift our perspective and improve our interactions in myriad ways. Trained by the renowned scholars at Stanford University’s CCARE program I have effectively developed and delivered compassion programs that are utilized in diverse environments including both personal and professional settings.”

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July 11th, 2024

Day 4  “How to Train a Happy Mind”

From goodreads:

“Eager to share the life-enhancing benefits he found in Buddhism, skeptic Scott Snibbe presents this 8-step program that allows anyone to build positive mental habits. Inspired by the ancient Buddhist path to enlightenment yet firmly grounded in modern science, How to Train a Happy Mind is the first mainstream book to show how you can achieve happiness using analytical meditation. Working in much the same way as cognitive behavioral therapy, analytical meditation goes beyond the calm-inducing practice of mindfulness to actively train the brain through easy-to-follow narrative visualizations.

Breaking the path down into concise steps and written in a relatable tone with plenty of references to popular culture, this is the ideal book if you recognize your mind as both the source of your problems and the source of your solutions.”

Scott Snibbe | Author - “How to Train a Happy Mind” 
Scott Snibbe is a new media artist, author, and entrepreneur. He serves as the executive director of A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment, and hosts its popular meditation podcast. Snibbe’s first book, How to Train a Happy Mind, will be released in March, 2024, featuring a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As a pioneer of interactive art, Snibbe’s installations have been incorporated into concert tours, museums, and airports; and he has collaborated with musicians and filmmakers including Björk, Philip Glass, Beck, and James Cameron. His work can be found in the collections of New York MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and other institutions. 

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July 12th, 2024

Day 5 “The Attention Activist”

From Substack:

“Hi - I’m Jay. I have a simple two-step philosophy for this substack:

1) Keep writing.

2) See what happens.”

Jay Vidyarthi | Meditation Teacher, Designer
Jay Vidyarthi is an attention activist and the founder of Still Ape - the world's first UX design studio focused exclusively on mindfulness, compassion, and wellbeing. He is working toward a society where access points to self-care and collective transformation are as diverse as the people who need them. He also teaches mindfulness to individuals and groups, where he inspires people to reclaim their freedom of attention in our culture of influence.

As a human-centered designer, Jay's been involved in creating Muse: the brain sensing headband, Sonic Cradle, the Healthy Minds Program, Brightmind, and 10+ more mindful technologies. He helped start the Mindful Society Global Institute and serves on its advisory council. He’s taught design at major institutions and his work and ideas have been recognized and featured internationally (Harvard, MIT, CHI, UToronto, Mindful.org, Forbes, Vice, World Happiness Week, Fast Company, TED, TransTech200, UX Awards, etc).”