Hindsight to Insight Retrospective

Listen to the Hindsight to Insight Retrospective episode NOW from our Unity Online Radio archive

or download the podcast from iTunes

Original air date: Monday, December 15, 2014

Malayna and Stacy are going to look back at the past year in pop culture to mine it for gems of insight! We’ll look at the trends, events, and highlights, and maybe even provide some follow-ups on past guests. As always, the conversation will turn, and tangents will be traveled, but like a well-told Hollywood tale, the year’s life lessons and themes will be wrapped up with a bow, just for you! 

From Malayna’s Pre-Show Notes — but be sure to listen to see how the conversation really went!

It’s about Connection — getting to know what we already love, and getting deeper…

Jan

• How to Consume the Media Without Letting It Consume You – Original air date: Monday, January 27, 2014
• When I Grow Up: Then and Now – Original air date: Monday, January 20, 2014
• Sharing Our Pop Culture Influences – Original air date: Monday, January 13, 2014

Our Article:  Three Steps to Being a Conscious Consumer of Pop Culture on Unity.org

From the Resource page of Unity.org under 2014 theme

• The 2014 Unity yearly theme is Come Home: Realize Your Higher Self. You always have a home in Spirit, and you carry it with you. When you consciously link your mind with Divine Spirit, you rise to another level of being and living—as your higher Self.
• Jan – Expect Good – I affirm my good and accept the best

ONE	Unity, One Presence and One Power; divinity; undivided; masculine principle. The number of new beginning.

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/january-meaning-and-symbolism.html –

• The month of January was named after Janus for his ability to turn one face to reflect upon the past and a yet another face freshly pointed upon the future…. Janus, with all his hindsight and foresight opens doors of both reflection of our past and contemplation of our future.
• In essence, the god Janus is kind of a bellhop or doorman for the mansions within our soul.

Feb

• Super Bowl Spirituality and Groundhog Day Gratitude – Original air date: Monday, February 03,
• Love and Olympics: Games People Play – Original air date: Monday, February 10, 2014
• Pop Culture, Presidents, and Metaphysics – Original air date: Monday, February 17, 2014
• Global and Generational Pop Consciousness – celebrity guest Erika Eleniak

Original air date: Monday, February 24, 2014

This week, with celebrity guest Erika Eleniak, the Pop Conscious gals will be discussing pop culture that goes global and what captures the attention of young people. Do movies like E.T., (in which Erika was a cast member) still resonate with young people today?

Erika’s book – What Do You Do, If You Lose Your Lalabaloo? Link on our FB & Twitter, or search amazon “Eleniak Monroe” (Daniel Monroe, illustrator)

• What’s Your Sign – The word February is born from the Latin word Februarius, from Latin februare meaning to “purify” or “expiate.”
• Unity.org – Teach Compassion
• 12 Powers = Strength – green (green = heart chakra in vedic system)

TWO	Creative principle; male and female; spiritual and material realms.

March

• Supernatural, Metaphysical, and Spiritual – Original air date: Monday, March 31, 2014 – w/Sherry Hursey
• What Unity Kids Are Into – Original air date: Monday, March 24, 2014
• Love Powers the World – Original air date: Monday, March 17, 2014 (Stacy shares the five redeeming lessons she learned from watching the TV show The Bachelor, and Malayna shares the messages she gleaned from an international wedding and media that entertained her on her long journey home.)
• The Making of a Minister – Original air date: Monday, March 10, 2014
• The Oscars: The Power of Good Storytelling – Original air date: Monday, March 03, 2014

Sherry Hursey connected us with Lilly’s Light – (lillyslight.com), our sponsor for season 3 and Contagious Optimism! Our current sponsors!

• WYS? – Named after the Roman god of war, Mars, he was also god of agriculture and fertility – spring! “March meaning embodies a kind of reigniting of the hearts and consciousness of humankind. This month we feel the initial kicks of Spring from the deepest womb of the Mother (Earth). And like our ancestors, we are quickened…our soul- palettes are whetted for new conquest and bold assertion and we set a course for forward-momentum.”
• org – Express Wholeness (I am whole in mind, body and spirit)
• 12 Powers = Wisdom, yellow, solar plexus (How do we march forward? What direction is best?)

THREE

Every level of being –Mind, Idea, Expression; Spirit, Soul and Body; Superconscious, Subconscious and Conscious minds.

APRIL

• Pop Music to Rock Your Sundays – Original air date: Monday, April 28, 2014 w/Adam Chester
• Environmental Pop Culture for Earth Day – Original air date: Monday, April 21, 2014
• Be Your Own Superhero – Original air date: Monday, April 14, 2014
• God, Jesus, and the Bible in the Media – Original air date: Monday, April 07, 2014 (Noah movie)

Adam Chester – http://adamchester.com/ – Surrogate Elton, Author of S’mother, and “Eight Days and Nights” in honor of Hanukkah. It’s been played on KOST 103.5FM in Los Angeles for the past several years thanks to the best DJ in the world…Mark Wallengren.

• Wiki – aperire, “to open”, in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to “open”, which is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of ἁνοιξις (anoixis) (opening) for spring. Since some of the Roman months were named in honor of divinities, and as April was sacred to the goddess Venus, her Veneralia being held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her equivalent Greek goddess name Aphrodite
• org –Create Balance – centered in spirit, my life is in balance
• 12 Powers = Love – Harmonizing power

FOUR	Foundation. It can be in the form of a time of preparation or the four basic aspects of being – Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, Physical.

 

Openness + Oneness = Vulnerability

Listen Now in our Unity Online Radio Archives or from iTunes

Original air date: Monday, October 20, 2014

With Contagious Optimism Live and two Uniteen events, Malayna and Stacy have been on a bit of a spiritual high, with hearts wide open to Oneness.  But with all our walls down, vulnerability is inevitable.  So this week, join Pop Conscious in exploring how being vulnerability is an essential part to any heartfelt story, we’ll find courage from the Hero’s Journey to support us as we walk our own paths consciously.

Malayna’s Notes — from before the show.  You’ll have to listen to hear where it went in reality!

Contagious Optimism – videos on YouTube Smile TV Group

Harold Payne – Trust and Vulnerability song he created for us –

Share from Contagious Optimism Program – esp: Sekou, Tim Harris, Kathy Buckley,

Grey’s Anatomy – I love voice over narrations! (Sex & the City, Twilight movies) – most recent –

http://greysanatomylifelesson.tumblr.com/tagged/season11

On an operating table, a person is at his most vulnerable. Naked, exposed. Skin is not a very tough armor. It’s soft, easily broken.…

Surgeons are bred to be invulnerable. It’s very hard to lay ourselves spare because we know how deep some injuries can go. But vulnerability isn’t the opposite of strength. It’s a necessary part. We have to force ourselves to open up, to expose ourselves, to offer up everything we have and just pray that it’s good enough. Otherwise we’ll never succeed.

– Meredith Grey (Season11, Ep.3-Got To Be Real)

A few episodes ago…

There can be beauty in getting lost. Sometimes we have to get lost to find each other and sometimes we find each other, only to get lost all over again. We can’t always control it, the thing that’s going to set you adrift. And as you stand there on your front porch staring at the life you are about to leave behind, you have to accept it’s gone, it’s lost. Just like you. All you can do now is stand very still, breathe in the moment and try to be open to wherever the wind’s going to take you next.

– Meredith Grey (Season11, Ep. 1-I Must Have Lost It on the Wind)

 

Harry Potter – had to be willing to die…

Hero’s Journey – little deaths

Brene Brown – research professor on a range of topics, including vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. She is the author of two #1 New York Times Bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection (2010) and Daring Greatly (2012). She and her work have been featured on PBS, NPR, TED, and CNN.[2][3]

Her TED talk went viral: Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability – 2.5 million views

She’s in the top 20 of TED Talks –

• Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? – 7 million
• Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are – 4.8 million
• Jill Bolte Taylor’s stroke of insight – 2.9 million
• Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius – 1.9 million
• Colin Stokes: The hidden meanings in kids’ movies – 1.9 million
  • Watching “The Wizard of Oz” and “Star Wars” with his son and daughter made communications expert Colin Stokes wonder about the stories we celebrate. Thanks to a growing awareness of gender representation, the world is now safe for girls in armor – but is the hero journey we’ve gotten used to inherently limiting? This funny and thought-provoking talk from TEDxBeaconStreet will make you look twice at your favorite films.

From http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/KingPatel/news/?a=109015#jxoi6oX076sZUDLH.99

In 2011, Spider-Man co-creator and former Marvel president, Stan Lee launched his first Indian superhero, Chakra the Invincible, and now three years later, he’s actively developing a film version to bring the character to life in the world’s largest film industry, Bollywood. The project is being co-developed by Lee‘s POW! Entertainment and the Indian character entertainment company Graphic India with meetings currently taking place between the production companies and several leading Bollywood directors, producers, and writers.

The original comics series centers on Raju Rai, a tech genius living in Mumbai, who in an attempt to unlock the secrets of human potential, develops a technically-enhanced suit that activates the mystical Chakras of the body and unleashes newfound abilities and powers. The film version would focus on a grown-up version of the character going up against his arch-enemy, Boss Yama.

This also wouldn’t be Bollywood’s first attempt at the superhero genre as in recent years they’ve seen the likes of 2011’s Ra.One, which starred and was produced by international megastar Shahrukh Khan, and the long-running Krrish trilogy (2003-2013), which stars Hrithik Roshan. Both proved to be huge international successes at the box office.

Experiencing Contagious Optimism

Listen NOW from our Unity Online Radio archives or download the podcast from iTunes

Original air date: Monday, October 06, 2014

Pop Conscious is always looking for ways that media spread hope, while informing and entertaining. So we’ll talk about unlikely places we’ve been inspired when we needed it, and surefire tools for a lift at any time. We’ll also share more about how you can experience the Contagious Optimism movement!

Stacy’s Notes:

Books:

Contagious Optimism: Uplifting Stories and Motivational Advice for Positive Forward Thinking by David Mezzapelle
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin E. P. Seligman

Creating Optimism by Bob Murray and Alicia Fortinberry
Radical Optimism: Practical Spirituality in an Uncertain World by Beatrice Bruteau

The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living by Dalai Lama

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner

Songs:

Happy – Pharrell

What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin

Movies: Cinema Siren’s Top 10 Optimistic Films

Malayna’s Notes:

When I need a boost of positive thinking I turn to ideas that catch me, cuz ideas are catching

• Movies like The Secret or What the Bleep – (Celebrates its 10^th Anniversary at AwakenedWorldFilmFestival.com or AGNT.org
• …or Jane Austen movies, or the mythology of Harry Potter, or Joe V. the Volcano – cartoony Hero’s Journey
• TV that guarantees a laugh – Friends, I Love Lucy, or have messages like Grey’s Anatomy, Sex in the City,
• Music – singing and dancing around the house is vibratory, physical, endorphins – walking

Event Last night – I experienced such a high! With Friends from KROQ – a place I loved so much I volunteered (and got college credit).  We went to see the band ABC at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills. We went up to say hi to Richard Blade, the DJ we worked with 26 years ago (Richard can still be heard, nationwide on Sirius XM on First Wave.)  And he announced to the whole theater, on mic, that we used to be his interns. A girl I knew from working at R&R — Radio & Records, (not the new Unity Online Radio show with Revs Richard Maraj & Richard Rogers…shout out to our former Regional Consultant, Stacy’s predecessor!) came over to say hi to Tracey and we got to be reconnected. All of us ended up being superfans in the front row, making eye-contact with Martin Fry and band members while we mouthed the words of Be Near Me, Poison Arrow, The Look of Love, When Smokey Sings, All of My Heart, How to be a Millionaire, Vanity Kills… Richard Blade seems ageless, as does Martin Fry – what’s their secret? I think it’s doing what they love.

Yesterday’s Daily Word – Inspire (10/5/14):

“Inspiration comes through many channels—people­ I meet, places I visit, words and pictures that stir my heart and spirit. When I am inspired, I feel new energy and connect to something bigger than myself. I aspire to reach new heights and achieve goals I may not have imagined possible. …I am confident and excited about the possibilities ahead. With God as my guide, I am motivated to grow beyond my self-imposed limits and to claim my happiness and be of service to others. I respond to Spirit’s call with confidence and joy.”

 I boiled my high down to three basic things:

1. Friends: people who understand and support you in being who you are, people who lift you up and give you the courage to your best and most authentic self.
2. Passions: doing what you love…so much you’d do it without getting paid for it…what excites you, lights you up. The spiritual power of Zeal, enthusiasm. When you’re doing that with others who feel the same, your energy seems to be multiplied exponentially. “Great energy”
3. Overcoming Challenges: Being positive doesn’t mean that we pretend challenges don’t exist – it means looking beyond the challenge, knowing that it’s not the (whole) Truth. Sharing ways that we’ve overcome, and reminding each other is empowering.

 Unity grew out of a group of like-minded people seeking to overcome challenges positively too – as did CSL, AA,

Contagious Optimism These are encapsulated in this event this weekend – great stories, time to talk with them, make friends with people of like mind, shared passions, positive music, and break bread – dinner!

Harold Be Thy Name

Listen right NOW in our archives at Unity Online Radio or download the podcast from iTunes!

Original air date: Monday, September 22, 2014

Harold Payne is his name, actually, and he’s a multi-platinum songwriter, singer, collaborator, and master improviser, as well as a Posi award winner. He’s written songs for artists from Peter Paul and Mary to Snoop Dog. We can drop a few more names too: Rod Stewart, Patti LaBelle, Kelly Rowland, and Damon Albarn from Gorillaz and the Blur frontman. There are more, but you’ll have to listen as Malayna and Stacy talk to Harold and learn more about him, and his part in Contagious Optimism Live!

He wrote us a song, (and performed a few more!) and shared about walking a path through India among other things.  Together we connected a ritual practice from Bali to America’s Gangsta culture, and spoke of authenticity, spontaneity, vulnerability and trust!

Spreading Contagious Optimism

Listen NOW in our archives at Unity Online Radio! 

Or download the podcast from iTunes!

Original air date: Monday, September 15, 2014

Pop Conscious welcomes author David Mezzapelle, the man behind the book Contagious Optimism: Uplifting Stories and Motivational Advice for Positive Forward Thinking. The bestseller has become a multimedia force and something of a movement.

They’ll talk about the value of uplifting personal stories from people around the world, and the power of sharing our life’s adventures, and how entertainment can benefit. Tune in to find out how to catch the bug and spread the joy!

 You may be surprised to hear what David Mezzapelle identified as his pop culture influence from childhood!  Listen and learn!