How can I go in Search of the New Compassionate Male and sidestep racism. On May 25th, at the same time as we sat in our men’s circle contemplating the topic of Aspirations, George Floyd was murdered. When I learned about it the next morning I wondered to myself what George Floyd’s aspirations were. I learned later that his second grade school teacher found a project of his where he aspired to become a U.S. Supreme Court Judge. This is an excerpt of a conversation with Renée Yaworski on the evolution of the MFN Circles of Men Project.
Mandala–The Sanskrit word for “circle.”
A circle designed to have meaning of a cosmic order.
This is my mandala.
My life in symbols,
In sacred geometry
In the relationship in the white space between the words
Enfolded within the universal circle.
Created and recreated over many years.
Growing in depth and breadth as I grow.
A reflection of my expanding consciousness.
Revealing who I truly am.
Pulling all the scattered aspects of my life together.
One tiny pencil stroke at a time.
Here I find my center.
Knowing that I will create it again,
and again,
as I evolve and grow with time.
This is my mandala.
Today, Alfredo Gomez is a compassionate male, but life growing up was tough. Born in Mexico into a family of twelve children, Alfredo struggled to cope with an aggressive and angry Federale father; the equivalent to a Texas Ranger. In this podcast, Alfredo shares about how he coped at home. He talks about his family’s move to Texas at age twelve where he experienced racial discrimination in school for the first time, suffered severe anxiety, and came dangerously close to committing suicide. How he grew up managing his own anger with life, then bringing his best to the world, is a heart warming story worth pausing for.
All is not what it appears to be. The dynamics beneath the surface may surprise you. Dennis Tardan, Renée Yarworsky and Clay Boykin explore this question from varying perspectives. For a man, fear of being laughed at often lies just below the vibrato; for a woman, it’s likely to be fear for her safety including fear of being killed.
Brecia Kralovic-Logan posed a very interesting question in reference to men and compassion. “What if the young men mentored the older men?” – Brecia is an artist, author and champion of creativity. Over the last 30 years she has taught thousands of art workshops at schools and colleges; art organizations; international, national, and regional conferences; museums; and at her studio. Kralovic-Logan’s award-winning artwork has been exhibited nationally and is in the permanent collection at the Ventura County Museum of Art and History, as well as private collections.Kralovic-Logan has been a speaker for International events including art conferences, women’s conferences, and peace conferences.
She is the author of the book: The Spiral of Creativity- Mastering the Art of a Spirited Life. She is currently the founder/ director of the Women’s Woven Voices: an international, collaborative art project that promotes the empowerment of women through writing, weaving, and sharing their stories. Lean more about Brecia and her work at: https://breciacreative.com
Join us as we go “In Search of the New Compassionate Male.” Perhaps you have a story, idea or message that needs to be shared. Contact me at: https://clayboykin.com
Have you ever been told that you have a blind spot? I have many times and my first reaction is to reject the notion and tell the person they are wrong. But, the truth of the matter is that they are right.
Granted, they are probably referring to the way I am acting or responding to a certain situation, but the fact is, we are all born with a blind spot.
Look this gentleman straight in the eyes, cover your right eye and move your head towards the screen and back again. What happens? That’s right, the coin suddenly disappears, like magic! Try it.
When I listen deeply to another person more is revealed than merely the point they are trying to get across or the story. Often times I will say, I hear you, I see what you are saying. My mind has just translated the words and inflections into a picture my mind’s eye can see. But I can’t always see what they are saying. Inasmuch as I do have a blind spot in my eyes, so does my mind’s eye have a blind spot, if not more than one.
What is the blind spot in your life? Do you take time to reflect; to go within and find it? Rather than thinking of it as a blind spot, perhaps it is a growing edge. Perhaps it is a door through-which a greater truth can be found.
Rumi said: “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
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