Todd has been leading compassionate communication workshops in business, religious and community groups since 2012. Todd’s participation in the Houston NVC board stems from the desire to further his own learning and to foster the spread of compassion in the world. He is convinced that empathy is the key element in transforming the world and that NVC is central to practicing empathy in a practical way. He would like to be part of the change he sees in the world by spreading NVC as far and wide as possible. As a new board member in the North Texas Area, Todd invites collaboration with his local community as well as through projects such as these: US-CLO‘sHBCU Oral History Project.
Gard Jameson received his PhD from Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2005 and his BA from Stanford University in Religious Studies. He teaches Asian Philosophy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is the author of five books, Footprints on the Sands of Time, Phaethon, Monkey, and Ramayana, Our Mythic Moment, the last three books reflecting upon three grand epics from the West, China and India. He and his wife cofounded Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada, vmsn.org, a charitable clinic that provides free medical, dental, and mental healthcare to those without access. He serves as the Vice Chair of The Charter for Compassion, Co-Founder of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, caanv.org, Co-Founder of the Southern Nevada Interfaith Council, interfaithsn.org, and Compassionate Las Vegas, compassionatelv.org. He also serves as the outreach coordinator of Contemplative Outreach, founded by Thomas Keating, in Southern Nevada. His latest book is titled The Peace Pilgrim Pictures, using the images of the magnificent artwork of Nicholas Roerich, to illustrate the spiritual journey.
About Search of the New Compassionate Male with Clay Boykin. I am convinced that amidst all the turmoil in the world a New Compassionate Male is emerging, and this New Compassionate Male is emerging as the New Archetype. ~ I am on a journey to every corner of the planet. I am on a journey within; a journey of self discovery to learn what it means to be a compassionate male. ~ I do not have the answer, but I know there is a spark of compassion emerging within every man and within every woman. Regardless of sexual orientation, nationality or religious tradition I invite you to join me. Let’s travel together and find answers to questions like: Who is this man? What makes him compassionate? Is he born this way, or how is compassion learned? Is there a place or time where compassion is not relevant? How many ways does the compassionate male show up in the world Together, we can find him. Together, we can hold a mirror up for one another and find the compassion within ourselves. ~ The more adversity there is in the world, the hotter the ember of compassion burns within. It may be smoldering and unrecognizable at the moment, or burning brightly lighting and warming others. ~ Who is the New Compassionate Male? Join me in our search.
Free On Amazon: Circles of Men: A Counter-Intuitive Approach to Creating Men’s Groups – Compassionate men gather differently. – “With this book, Clay Boykin has created a spiritual blueprint for men around the world. Not only does this book provide a detailed guide for starting and maintaining a men’s group, but it also contains rich insight into the struggles and challenges of being a spiritual male in today’s western culture.” – Review on Amazon
Life Skills Coach with a compassionate and counterintuitive approach to working with people and organizations, Author – Circles of Men: A Counter-Intuitive Approach to Creating Men’s Groups, Founder – Men’s Fellowship: Circles of Men Project. As a life skills coach and business leader, Clay Boykin has developed a compassionate and counterintuitive approach to helping people and organizations find their purpose, direction, and path in the world. Clay’s life purpose is to help make the world a better place by helping raise compassion consciousness among men. He is the author of, Circles of Men: A Counter-Intuitive Approach to Creating Men’s Groups and has dedicated his next twenty years to make the world a better place by cultivating compassion consciousness among men. He Founded the Circles of Men Project in 2012 which has grown to a worldwide network. Clay facilitates retreats and workshops and has led them in both the U.S. and Kenya. Clay hosts both men and women on his podcast: In Search of the New Compassionate Male, which he launched early in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Clay is a former United States Marine Corps officer and in 2007, after 38 years in the corporate world, a mystical experience sent Clay on a journey through his own dark night of the soul, later emerging to find his calling.
Clay shares his story of finding peace during the midst of a heart attack in the fall of 2007. He then found himself laid off and experienced his dark night of the soul for the next two years. He metaphorically reached the top but found himself wondering what it was all for and what to do next.
“The new compassionate male is emerging as a new archetype.” – Clay
What is the new compassionate male? Clay is on the search for the answer. The whole world is currently going through massive change and there is a lot of time for reflection within. It is something you can feel even if you can’t articulate it. He shares of tremendous stories of people who are also joining him in the search.
Watch the video called the My Mandala of Lifewe spoke about on this episode. Find out more about Clay on his website and check out his podcast, In Search of the New Compassionate Male.
In this interview, Jonathan, Dana White and I talk about a fascinating project created by Dana and inspired by the gentle power in Jonathan’s voice and the depth of his character. The project is an interpretation of the eight-one verses of the Tao Te Ching, by Dana and is a beautiful work in progress that can be found on YouTube by searching: Dana White Tao Te Ching.
Jonathan Staggers is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was a star football player for Helias High School in Jefferson City, Missouri. He starred as a running back/wide receiver at the University of Missouri before playing six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Green Bay Packers, and the Detroit Lions of the NFL. For the past twenty-three years Jonathan has been a Breema Instructor with The Breema Center in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I am grateful to each of my guests who joined us this first year of the Podcast. Together, with my Producer, Dennis Tardan, we published over 70 podcast episodes. Our guests joined us from: U.S., Kenya, Australia, Canada, Rwanda, Tasmania, Malawi, U.K., and Sardinia. Each from their own frame of reference affirmed that a New Compassionate Male is emerging as the New Archetype.
Pedro L. Rodriguez is a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor in a New York State Correctional Facility, His life mission through his vocations has been to encourage, empower, and equip men in their life and faith journey. He is also a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach, and Certified Spiritual Life Coach. He was involved in full-time Christian ministry for 21 years as a pastor of three churches in New York City and also worked for a well-known International Ministry, based in New York City, where he was the Assistant Program Director, Spiritual Mentor and Bible Teacher.
He has been involved in Men’s Group / Men’s Work since his youth. Beginning with:
A social Christian Club in High School, known as The Seekers
Men’s Home Bible Study Group in the late 1980’s for three years
The Promise Keepers in early 1990’s
Men’s Christian Fellowships
Men’s Spiritual Retreats
A weekly Spiritual Men’s Group for two years.
A Recovery Self-Help Men’s Group which he started and facilitated for three years.
Therapeutic Treatment Men’s Groups.
Created and facilitates two Facebook private men’s groups called Latino-Hispanic Men’s Group (October 2017) and The Men’s Book Club International (October 2018)
Most recently he has formed an in-person Men’s Group, called the Circle of Men based in Upstate New York in July 2018. He continues to lead and facilitate that Men Circle bi-weekly.
Websites:
Circleofmencny.com (Site scheduled to be launched on 2/16/21)
In high school track I was not much of a sprinter so I never learned just how to pass the baton, and on the rare occasion when called upon in practice to fill in and run with the relay team, I sometimes fumbled or dropped it. What I did learn was that I had endurance. I would run the half-mile, the mile, and later in life, the marathon. (I ran one in a row.)
In the early spring of 1999, the day before the Motorola Austin marathon, I drove the route and came up with twenty-seven words that became mantras dedicated to each of the 26.2-miles, each representing something or someone special: faith, hope, love, courage, Mother, Father, vulnerability, compassion, etc.
The following morning the energy in the air was palpable as the starting horn blasted and we all took off; a sea of bobbing heads, and the arms, torsos and legs, and the feeling of being one with the people around me. I clocked just under 9-minutes the first mile; a respectable pace, but too fast for me for the distance. With each mile marker there were people cheering, live music playing, and hands reaching out with cups of water; all a reminder to slow down and pull the next word from my small fanny pack and begin the next mantra.
Eventually, behind the thinning tail of the pack I crossed the finish line on Auditorium Shores. A finisher’s metal was handed to me to place around my own neck, as well as a thermal blanket to wrap around myself like a centurion’s cape.
Now, almost every day when I drive downtown across some portion of the route I reflect on the word for that mile of the race and, for a moment, I feel it all again; the excitement, the heart pounding, the pain and fatigue, the humbling pride; another memory turned metaphor to reflect upon.
Today, it’s hard to believe that after almost nine years, almost 450 weekly gatherings, and over 20,000 collective man-hours invested in the overarching topics of male spirituality and compassion, it’s time to pass the baton.
Nothing is going away, the circle, the network, the connections, holding space for one another, it will all continue. But, for me the change is a bit scary to say the least. At the same time, I am excited to share that a seasoned team of guys is picking up the baton and bringing fresh energy to our Monday contemplative circle. I will still be involved, participating and facilitating from time to time, but this will enable me to increase my focus in two key areas:
First, my podcast, In Search of the New Compassionate Male. It is resonating with more and more thought leaders around the world. They are surfacing to join the search and I want to continue to provide a platform for them to be heard.
Second, I will be investing more time into my Life Skills Coaching which I am offering to both men and women. This, to help fund the Search.
I believe that during this incredible time if change, the New Compassionate Male is emerging as the new archetype. I have witnessed it within our circle and within myself, and it is being confirmed with each podcast episode.
I am truly grateful and blessed to be on the path with so many heart-centered and compassionate men and women, and I am looking forward to our collective, and unfolding future; somewhat of a marathon ahead perhaps, but one filled with excitement, if we choose.
Arun Wakhlu, (born 1955) is the Founder Director and Chief Mentor of Pragati Leadership Institute, Pune, India . He is also theChairman of Pragati Foundation, an NGO dedicated to unfolding Joy, Peace and Abundance through facilitating connections, conversations and co-creation. He is the initiator of Poorna Pune, (Compassionate Pune), and the Foundation for Peace and Compassionate Leadership.
Arun holds a B. Tech degree from IIT Delhi, and a PGDBA from IIM Ahmedabad. An eloquent presenter, insightful coach and a Master Facilitator, Arun has logged over 30,000 hours of facilitation and coaching internationally. He has worked to develop leaders in leading organizations (Business, Education, NGOs and Governments).
An accomplished writer, Arun has published more than twenty eight papers and written the award winning book “Managing from the Heart”. He has helped pioneer the concept of “Wholesome Development” and “Wholesome Leadership” aimed at working from joy for prosperity with peace. His latest book ( co-authored with his father Prof. Dr. Omkar N Wakhlu ) “One Wholesome World” , is a practical game changing manual for global transformation post COVID-19.
Arun’s seven core strengths are Compassion, Creativity, Optimism, Enthusiasm, Relationship Building, Strategic Mindedness and Resilience. He loves life, and sees it as Love In Full Expression!
Life Skills Coach, Clay Boykin, speaks about the unique and counterintuitive approach of the Circles of Men Project he launched in 2012. The Project has grown into a global network of men seeking to find the compassion within themselves and a aim for a higher level of consciousness. – Clay works with both men and women to help them find their true essence and support them in finding their true purpose and developing life skills for living out that purpose. [email protected]
Kirby Hiscox, Clay Boykin and Dennis Tardan have a conversation about the origin and evolution of the Circles of Men Project and In Search of the New Compassionate Male. Where does a man turn for support when he is stuck and isolated? Where does he go to learn trust in other men or to find his center? These questions burn within most men at some point in life. The Circles of Men Project launched in 2012. It is a weekly gathering of men in a safe space where on one is judged or fixed.
Kirby was along side of Clay when Clay launched the Circle in April 2012 with a dozen men. Since then the Circle has almost a thousand men locally and from around the world. Over 450 Monday evening gatherings have taken place since the launch.
If you're looking for clarity or just need a fresh perspective, I'm here to help. Click here for a complimentary 20-minute 1:1 chat. No pressure, just a conversation to see how I can support you on your journey.
Today, it’s hard to believe that after almost nine years, almost 450 weekly gatherings, and over 20,000 collective man-hours invested in the overarching topics of male spirituality and compassion, it’s time to pass the baton.
