Stephen Dinan's blog

Shift List on Twitter

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:55:11 -0700

The Shift List on Twitter: 30 Inspiring and Evolutionary Leaders That You'll Want to Follow - http://bit.ly/njcQk

A New Era Begins with Obama

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:35:09 -0800

I believe that November 4th, 2008 will live long in the history books as the moment that marked the transition from one American era to the next. The most obvious aspect of this transition was moving beyond the legacy of racism to elect an African-American president, opening doors of possibility to minorities across the country. However, Obama represents far more than that, which is why his election will prove to be a major historical shift.

America Awakens

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:35:40 -0800

Long have we labored to perfect this nation,
Shedding the false images that do not reflect our true nature:
We are one people, indivisible,
Born of wholeness and to
Wholeness we return.

With one momentous leap,

The Ocean of Shiva and Shakti

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:06:15 -0700

As I float in the gently rolling swells beyond the break, my feet aligned with the setting sun and eyes to the sky, I feel a wave of awareness extend throughout and then beyond my body. In that moment, I begin to understand on a cellular level the deeper purpose of the “Yoga and Surf” retreat that I am on: a true initiation into the rhythms of the ocean. Day by day, my body is reconnecting with its oceanic roots, slowing my staccato mental rhythms into a more natural pulse and flow.

Integrating the progressive and conservative sides of ourselves

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:32:09 -0700

Last weekend I had an interesting insight about my sense of identification with being progressive. One of the root motivations of progressives is change of the society. When I identify primarily with being progressive, I can become frustrated or impatient with the pace of change and try to push it faster than the society is willing to go, which can create backlash.

One Minute to Speak to the World

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 08:13:27 -0700

If you had one minute to broadcast to the world, what would you say?

That’s the premise behind the new site we’ll be launching soon at www.oneminuteshift.com, with one minute videos that capture messages of wisdom or inspiration and set them to powerful video and audio. We’ve been thinking of them as miniature broadcasts of global consciousness – a touch of something transcendent. The short length will allow anyone to take a minute out of their busy days to connect with a deeper source.

A Summer of Peace

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 08:18:40 -0700

Two months ago, after a fundraiser for Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, I woke up with a crystal clear vision for how San Francisco could again provide a platform for the leading edge of our culture: a Summer of Peace in which the best practices, organizations, and leaders from around the world are focused on transforming the roots of violence in the society as a whole.

Post Conference Reflections

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:28:59 -0700

Help us sculpt the next IONS conference by completing this survey before 2008!

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Dean Radin to appear on Oprah

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 14:43:52 -0800

Our Senior Scientist Dean Radin has been invited to appear on Oprah, offering a scientific perspective on three mediums who will be on the show. He'll be filming the show this week and we'll do a larg

Taking Responsibility for Transforming Iraq

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:40:20 -0800

Those who have questioned the moral or strategic merits of the Iraq War have largely been vindicated in the public eye. Prominent Republicans have broken ranks to join the vast majority of progressives in seeking rapid exit from the growing quagmire.

Balancing Optimism and Realism

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:15:13 -0700

Over the last year, I’ve been writing columns that aim to create an evolutionary path forward that brings the higher expression of both ends of our political spectrum together in a more sacred whole. Now, with 11 days to the midterm elections, I find myself at a crossroads: the time is now for specific, short-term recommendations for how to engage politics in a more conscious way in the following days, but I’m still unclear on what to recommend.

Creating a Wonder of the World

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 18:06:52 -0700

With midterm elections looming and partisanship on overdrive, I find myself curiously disengaged. So much energy, money, and time are being poured into short-term attempts to win power, much of it directed towards generating more fear – fear of terrorism on the one hand and fear of further Republican misuse of power on the other.

Lady Liberty

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:05:51 -0700

Recently, I was reading Thom Hartmann’s 2005 article on political branding, which led me to reflect on the psychology of political identity. While his analysis was fascinating, I came to different conclusions about what the left really needs right now. The right wing has succeeded in wrapping itself in the flag of patriotism, creating a political identity of loyal, religious Americans who are strong and self-reliant. The right’s visual logo is the flag itself. Hartmann is quite accurate in portraying the right as having done a more effective job at creating an enduring identity than the left, regardless of what we think of the actual policies.

Learning from Hezbollah

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 19:48:36 -0700

The recent war in Lebanon was devastating on many levels, from the loss of human life to decimated infrastructure to massive ecological destruction. The long oil slick that rivals the Alaskan Valdez spill and has engulfed much of the beautiful Lebanese coast provides a sickening reminder of the aftermath of war – everything is affected by the black ooze.

Consecrating the Warrior

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:54:00 -0700

One of the most vexing questions for those who want America to evolve to the next level is how to handle the warrior qualities that we’ve developed in our country. We are a country steeped in violence, from our high murder rates to our lust for bloodsports to our excitement at crushing an “enemy�? in battle. Like the Romans who encouraged and cultivated martial culture through coliseum “sport�? and battlefield glory, Americans have been trained to love violence in film, games, and sport, which has fed our growth into becoming Earth’s dominant military power.