Commitment

COMMITMENT

My husband and I went to the 12th International IONS conference: Science and practice of transformation. The conference was hold in La Quinta a few hours drive from Los Angeles. IONS is founded by Edgar Mitchell, PhD and a former Apollo Astronaut.

Lynne Twist and Edgar Mitchell

Before the conference started we had a great opportunity to visit our good friend Kevork Artin (Coco) who has restaurants in Santa Monica, California. Being with Coco means to us being with a true Angel. Born in Armenia but lived with his family in Syria were his father worked for the American Embassy in Damascus. When Coco was 18 he left to live in the USA. When he arrived he had really to start from scratch. Coco devoted his life, made a commitment to the world to serve others with healthy and tasty food. Even in moments that he faced difficulties he did not give up his focus and dreams. I personally met Coco during a Yoga retreat with Rod Stryker held in France. My dearest friend Kalpena invited me by telling that she would come to France to take part in a Yoga retreat of Rod Stryker. I would have liked to join her in almost any occasion not knowing where I went into. I found myself during the exercises in the most (im)possible positions wondering whether I really was able to survive. In one of my most devastating moments (for about 12 minutes in the downward facing dog – mountain position) I looked behind trough my legs and I saw Coco in the same position making notes to describe the impact of the exercise. I was and I am still amazed. While having many possibilities to talk to him I was inspired by even more activities he is normally doing and his deep consciousness. His passion for cooking, healthy ingredients, his knowledge of body, mind and spirit and his unconditional love to serve and to take care for others made that he touched my heart. I feel very fortunate that Coco became my friend. When we arrived it was if we were always together and we shared immediately our latest news. Due to Coco we had the very best preparation for the conference and we went with an open loving heart and mind.

Coco, Walter and me enjoying each others company

During the conference we were able to listen to outstanding performances. Listening to people that make a difference and who feel committed to others and that are not afraid to show their knowledge, wisdom, creativity, beauty and the commitments they made. I enjoyed every single second of being in the conference and I will never forget the performance of Van Jones. Introduced by IONS as: Van Jones “Champion's alternatives to violence and incarnation in urban America. A Yale educated attorney, he is president op the Ella Baker Center in Oakland, California. Under the slogan “Green-Collor Jobs, not Jails” he works to build a green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty”. I felt overwhelmed by his sense of humour, his radiance and brilliancy. His words full of care, respect and love entered my heart. His sourcing for truth, honesty, integrity and never given up hope is still not enough to describe him. Two other human beings that offered me the rememberance of compassion and love are Lynne Twist and Hafsat Abiola. These two “Angels of light” telling their own stories and what commitment really means. “Lynne is a global activist, fundraiser, author, and founder of the Soul of Money Institute. Lynne has raised hundreds of millions of dollars and has trained thousands of fundraisers to be more effective in their work for organisation that serve best interest of all-eradicating poverty, empowering woman, nurturing children and youth, and preserving the natural heritage of our planet”. Lynne is mother of three children and exchanged with us her personal experiences by being a mother and being committed to her projects to create a better world. As an example of true commitment she was and is still completely supported by all her family members. James O’Dea the president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences said about Hafsat: “She is Royalty”. I agree completely with him. Her smile opened my heart and her personal story even more. “Hafsat was born in Africa, educated in America, and is currently living in Asia. She is an activist and writer. Trough KIND, an organisation she founded, and several other initiatives, she works to unleash woman’s wisdom and leadership in the service of creating a better world”.

Hafsat Abiola

I want to thank every single person that I met during this great event. I received a beautiful CD: “Mozart voice of Serenity” Soothing Mozart Melodies for Relaxing and Healing with the voice of Nancy Fox & Jane Stopyra, that I would like to recommend. Coming back to Los Angeles we had some more time to spend with Coco and enjoying every single moment of our stay. On the last day of our one week in the USA we visited the SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP founded 1920 by Paramahansa Yogananda a true paradise in the midst of one of the biggest cities called Los Angeles.

Paramahansa Yogananda

Self-Realization Institute

Coco and Walter both interested in Flamenco music and both guitar players and me committed to the gypsy soul visited in Hollywood a guitar builder. Whole his life committed to music and art. Music channelling true his body, music in every single manifestation and action. Music is his life. The world has changed he told us without regret, but in peace. People are less interested in hand made guitars, now they prefer the electrical guitars. I started with 9 other people and I am the only one left. His face is smiling and devoted to his music while starting to play.

Talking about commitments I can only think about the commitments I made and I am more than ever convinced that I should focus on them. Creating a peaceful world, introducing concepts and theories to create better living and working environments. Bringing people together from the whole world that made commitments. Many people ask me about what I think about Personal Development and it is not easy to explain in a few words what I mean by Personal Development or to make a truthful definition and to explain my ideas about it. One thing I know for sure is that Personal Development without connecting and making commitments to a broader perspective is nothing more than an artificial facelift for egocentric and selfish behaviour. When the letter I is written in capital it means that WE is more often not or less important. Shaykh Yassir Chadly (presenter during the conference) explained about the I: “When the I is most important, when our focus is on the uniqueness of the individual we start to think that I is the center. It is the I that dominates. If the I dominates then we will face wars, conflicts and separation”. Swami Chidanand Saraswati (presenter during the conference) said: “Many people ask me: Swami I WANT PEACE and I want to know how I can reach this peaceful state. According to Swami Chidanand Saraswati the answer can be found in the question. “Just skip the I WANT and we are in PEACE. I love to thank all the people that we met and for all the possibillities we received. I want to express my gratitute to the many great teachers I had. I want to share some names with you. Deepak Chopra, Roger Gabriel, Rod Stryker, Swami Persaud, Elly van Soest and last but not least my one and only beloved SAI MAA. I will be always commited to your teaching. Inspiring, motivating and always bringing peace, compassion and love. To be the change you want to see in the world. (Mahatma Ghandi)

Let us all make a commitment.

Comments

[nice]

Dominique Jacques is a world-class Alexander Technique teacher. She trained under FM Alexander's principle proteges, Walter Carrington, and has over 30 years of experience.

[nice]

Dominique Jacques is a world-class Alexander Technique teacher. She trained under FM Alexander's principle proteges, Walter Carrington, and has over 30 years of experience.

[Denis Giromini]

Dear Erna,
I congratulate you on your new blog.I appreciate your wish to share with others and so contribute improving the world.
I enjoy every week to read your report.Long life for this blog.

[Emmanuelle M.]

In Ethiopia, the I exists only by and through the WE (the family, the community ...).On the other hand, the uniqueness of the I does create a very special and always renewed WE, and that may be a good reason to help develop unique, mature and balanced Is.
During my latest (and 5th) experience in Ethiopia, this WE alltogether praying did create a power of love, an energy that made me feel God was here around us.
God was here to welcome my baby to the Christian orthodox ethiopian church for his baptism, just because all these people around us, curious enough about us to come and share it with us, did believe in it.
The power of WE was so special just because everybody thought that the Other, as a unique human being, was so very special (me for each one of them and each one of them for me).
Hopefully I can go back soon in order to multiply this kind of experience.

[Walter Baets]

Congratulations with your new blog, that is dealing with issues that are increasingly important in the corporate world and the world in general. I am sure you and your blog are going to make a real difference. If I would not have been present on the IONS conference, that I indeed can advice to everybody, I would have even more enjoyed you passionate report.
All the best and go on. The world need people like you.

[Vinay Rathod]

Dear Erna,
Its wonderful creation, the frame is the same (i know it by heart as i did lots of work for walter's blog) it reminds me my golden period when i was in Euromed, working with walter and you all the time. I am very much thankful to you and walter for being like what you are to me.I am always trying to implement all the good things i learnt from you, to serve the people to make this world more better.Now i feel more responsible for the things happening around me and I became more spiritual to fight with everything, as spirituality gives me inner strength. I would like to be a part of all the activities you and walter are doing for the human community. I am always there when you need me, forever. Thank you again to be a very nice mother and walter as father to me.