Is it just me, or has life got a bit crazier than usual lately? Somedays I feel like I’m on a roundabout that keeps speeding up, and I’m not quite sure how to slow it down or get off. The beauty of meditation is that it can help us find a little pause in the [...]
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Archive for the Doing good category
Take a pause: Mindful in May
Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013
Posted in Being the change, Changemakers, Doing good, Sitting still | No Comments »
Give a little Tuesday
Wednesday, November 28th, 2012
Today is ‘Giving Tuesday’. It seems only fair that organisations working to redress the economic, environmental, social and spiritual impacts of rampant consumerism would get their turn in the spotlight, right? The first thing I want to say is that more often than not, the most efficient and effective way to take action on issues [...]
Posted in Changemakers, Doing good, Ways to help | 2 Comments »
End Sex Trafficking Day
Friday, October 26th, 2012
Erin Giles knows what a calling sounds like. She watched a film about sex trafficking, was horrified by what she saw and knew it was time for her to do something about it. We all know what that feels like. But we don’t always know quite what to do next. Erin did what I recommend everyone [...]
Posted in Being the change, Changemakers, Doing good | No Comments »
Put Yourself Out There
Tuesday, October 9th, 2012
Yesterday I wrote about the need to practice your passion and hone your skills. Today I wanted to talk about the shadow side of this approach and highlight one more essential element for doing your good work, and being a force of positive change in the world. The shadow of ‘honing your skill’ is that [...]
Posted in Being the change, Changemakers, Doing good, Good things | 3 Comments »
The United Nations Superhero Man
Saturday, October 6th, 2012
While I’m on the theme of superheros and humanitarian work, I had to share this. It’s a music video from Norwegian brothers, Bard and Jegard Ylvisaker about U.N.’s former emergency relief coordinator, Jan Egeland. “When hand grenades are flying, there’s just one man you can trust. When there’s war and all is hell, send in Jan Egeland! The United Nations Superhero Man. Mad [...]
Posted in Doing good, Good things | No Comments »
The Shadow Side of Caring
Friday, September 28th, 2012
Everyone carries a Shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is.” - Carl Jung All Superheroes have a Shadow Side. In fact some people have argued that Batman is only a superhero because he has embraced his Shadow Side, without this self-knowledge (and the power that comes with [...]
Posted in Doing good, self care | 3 Comments »
Heroism, Dependency & Exit Strategies: an interview with Batman
Thursday, August 23rd, 2012
(Batman ‘Word’ by Defiant Ant) I’ve always wondered, is it lonely work, being a superhero? It’s not so bad. I have Robin. Right, but a sidekick is not quite the same as a friend is it? Maybe not. But he does admire me, he looks up to me. My point exactly. A friend loves you, [...]
Posted in Being the change, Doing good, Five questions: Interviews with Change-makers, Story-telling, Writing | 13 Comments »
What the world needs from you
Saturday, August 4th, 2012
The planet doesn’t need more ‘successful’ people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every shape and form. It needs people who will live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these [...]
Posted in Being the change, Courage, Doing good, Service | 9 Comments »
Portland, power and connection: reflections on a summit that’s not really about domination at all
Saturday, July 14th, 2012
Last week I was in Portland, OR. Portland is one of my favorite places in the whole world. Partly because some of my favorite people in the world live there, partly because of the food (if you go to Portland please eat tacos here, Thai here, Indian street food here, pie here and icecream here) and partly because of all [...]
Posted in Being the change, Connecting, Development, Doing good, Service | 20 Comments »
Does Aid Need a 12-Step Program?
Friday, May 11th, 2012
“Let go and let God.” It’s a mantra of the self-help group, Alcoholics Anonymous. After spending a couple of weeks in Afghanistan, I’m wondering if it’s time for the international aid community to adopt the same approach.
Tags: 12 step program, accountability, aid effectiveness, aid innovation, aid workers, Alcoholics Anonymous, capacity building, CBODN, Chesapeake Bay Organizational Development Network, community ownership, community participation, community-based organizations, country ownership, donors, foreign aid, foreign assistance, grassroots organizations, InterAction, InterAction Forum, international aid, international development, local leaders, MIDEGO, organizational development, philanthropy, social enterprise, USAID, volunteers
Posted in Development, Doing good, Letting go | No Comments »
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Welcome! I'm Marianne. I'm a writer, human rights advocate and yoga teacher. Creator of the 30 Days of Yoga course. Author of Zen Under Fire, and a Huffington Post contributor.
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