People all over the world have used the symbol of the Ouroboros to signify cycles, immortality, the eternal unity of all things. Renewal. Renewal is something that we can do every day, in every moment. The opposite is homeostatis, which we’re actually psychologically more inclined toward. Still what we really want is transformation, to get [...]
Welcome | april 2012
If we could reach down to the bottom of our (soul, heart, spirit, call it what you will), then we might grasp what nerve leadership hits. It goes beyond what is best for me or what I’ve been taught or what I value. It is more than perfect obedience to an idea. It is more [...]
Welcome | march 2012
There used to be an ad for Virginia Slims cigarettes when I was growing up. Its tag line was, “You’ve come a long way, baby.” And there was always an sepia tone photo of a Victorian woman trying to hide the fact that she was smoking a cigarette, while in color there was some young, [...]
Welcome | february 2012
There’s a fairly old joke among Black folks that says we were given February to celebrate our heritage because it’s the shortest month of the year. Meaning, of course, that’s about as much as we could expect. I often consider the juxtaposition of Black History Month and St. Valentine’s Day. When I think about the [...]
Welcome | january 2012
Historically, people tend to start big things on the first of the year. Political and history-making decisions aplenty have occurred on the first: Lincoln freed the slaves, Ellis Island opened, Castro took power in Cuba, Nixon’s top aides were found guilty of obstruction (Watergate), and the Portuguese named a place already on the map: Rio [...]
Welcome | december 2011
There are a lot of celebrations worldwide this time of year. South Africa celebrates the Day of Reconciliation (December 16), Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day (December 8), and Finns and Kenyans celebrate their independence (December 6 & 12 , respectively). Of course, there are those better known celebrations: Hannukah, Kwanzaa, the Muslim celebration of Eid [...]
Welcome | november 2011
Nonviolence, waged with steady uncompromising discipline has brought down governments worldwide. Organized disobedience with the willingness the see one’s opponent as human unsettles those who are set on using force to get what they want. The Occupy movement’s steady growth encourages a look at a different way to be–a different way to be human and [...]
Welcome | october 2011
“In the process of helping the earth to heal, we help ourselves.” ~ Wangari Maathai In India, banyan trees are called trees of knowledge and trees of life, a fitting symbol for our October theme, sustainability, which by definition is “the capacity to endure.” In a world out of balance we have to rediscover equilibrium [...]
Welcome | september 2011
“We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.” –Mary McLeod Bethune September is commonly the month that kids go back to school, leaves in the Northern hemisphere begin turning from green to gold, [...]
Welcome | august 2011
A month with no national holidays, August is often considered one of the hottest months of the year. The heat rises as the sun blocks our view of the dog star, Sirius, giving August its own personal phrase, “the dog days of August.” It is the same month that Dutch sailors brought Africans to Jamestown [...]
Welcome | july 2011
In this issue we wanted to take a look back at several of the stories we’ve included in transform. reflecting on their importance. Given that July is a month in which many, many countries have won their independence perhaps it’s appropriate. No doubt they were all looking toward where they were going, rejoicing about what [...]
Welcome | june 2011
We often think of storytelling as the thing a teacher, parent, or older sibling did when we were little. They’d sit beside us and read (or tell) a story. But stories are more than that; stories are primary to our lives. They are the way we communicate nearly everything, from the spoken to the unspoken. [...]