09-16-16 Finding Grace in a Chaotic World – A Conversation with Justine Wills Toms
With all the bad news flooding in on us all the time, how can we stay centered, find grace – and still actively pursue making the changes we need to make in our personal as well as our collective world? This is the question Dr. Miller explores in this fast-moving yet deeply inspiring conversation with Justine Toms, who, with her late husband, Michael Toms, created the now legendary radio show, New Dimensions Radio.
Their show has been the longest-running and most successful independently produced interview program in the history of public radio. Featuring leading-edge thinkers, scientists, artists, healers, ecologists, spiritual leaders, and social architects. New Dimensions frequently hosted Dr. Miller in his early days of developing the field of Mind-Body Medicine. This visionary aspect of the Toms’ contribution is evident here. In this conversation Dr. Miller and Justine review some of the dramatic changes that have taken place in our culture over the last 30 years spiritually, politically, and in the health care system. Justine has just published a wonderful book, Small Pleasures–Finding Grace in a Chaotic World, and discusses this collection of short writings about the simple things that make life rich and so worthwhile. The book is a mixture of diary and essays, a perfect way to make her point: simple pleasures ultimately mean more than grand enlightenment or even sophisticated wisdom.
They explore the important meaning of the African proverb, “a friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when you are down,” and some of the research that demonstrates the power of collective wisdom and collective intelligence. Their conversation ranges from the impact of the industrial revolution on human culture, the current danger of “silo thinking” and the need for us to become more connected. It is time to join with friends of the heart–both for our individual development as well as support for our being activists without driving ourselves crazy.
