This is Joe's World

Despite the pressure to conform, showing your true self is the path to more satisfying work.

When I worked in banking, I saw a lot of pressure to conform. To get ahead and gain favor, many employees made their best efforts to reflect the values that were dominant within their organization. Whether a workplace was fiercely competitive or extremely team-orientated, people’s success depended on conforming in terms of physical attire and “talking shop” to show they could fit in socially. This generated a great deal of stress for employees whose backgrounds, values, and perspectives did not readily fit the prototype for success in their work environments.

By Patricia Faison Hewlin


So, about 20 years ago, I started to conduct some research on what drives conformity and delve into the experience of suppressing authenticity at work.

According to that research, about a third of employees in North America feel pressure to suppress their personal values and pretend to go along with the values of th…

"I first met Master Mingtong Gu 8 years ago. A friend had invited me to his studio in Petaluma, CA, for a qigong workshop. Qi (chee) means life-force energy, gong means cultivation. Slow, easy movements. Low risk enough. And evidence-based. I was a doctor of internal medicine, trained to think critically and methodically, cautious of anything that might fall into the realm of "miracles." But I was also desperate. I had suffered for years with complex autoimmune illnesses, including Hashimotos thyroiditis and chronic fatigue syndromethe shadow conditions of Western medicine." Cynthia Li shares a stirring first-hand account of her introduction to Qi Gong, and insights into the profound shifts this ancient practice catalyzed in her life.


Read Article

This routine has been shown to boost our memory, combat depression and anxiety, and reduce pain—all without expensive equipment, special skills, medications, or taking hours out of our day. But is meditation really a practical addition to our busy lives? One of our favorite creators puts it to the test.

Why do so many people swear by meditation as a way to live better? Is it really all it’s hyped up to be? Could taking 20 minutes to literally do nothing seriously help us be more successful in all areas of our lives? Maybe even sleep better? Here’s a practical look at how meditation can integrate into anyone’s life from one of our favorite creators!

By Sam Burns


Read Article

"In 1990, I had the opportunity to meet a 106-year-old Buddhist Lama living in a cave in a remote part of Nepal. As I was walking up the highest mountains in the world, I realized that I had a chance to actually ask a question of the old wise man in the cave. As I was walking, I contemplated what I should ask him that would be of benefit, not just for me, but for all of us because most people dont have the opportunity to ask a question of a 106-year-old Lama in a cave. I thought about it really deeply and what came to me was, what can we do to bring healing and protection to the Earth?" Cynthia Jurs, Founder of the Gaia Mandala Global Healing Community, shares more in this interview.


Read Article

Infinite Potential is a new film that "takes us on a mystical and scientific journey into the nature of life and reality with David Bohm, the man Einstein called his spiritual son and the Dalai Lama his science guru. A physicist and explorer of Consciousness, Bohm turned to Eastern wisdom to develop groundbreaking insights into the profound interconnectedness of the Universe and our place within it." Watch the film here.

Thousands of joyous people flock to the tiny town of Paducah, Kentucky every year to celebrate one particularly special pastime they all have in common. And the reason for such fanfare and togetherness will have you pulling out your most treasured items to hold them close!

Every year, one harmonious patchwork of people (complete with their own Queen!) comes together in Paducah, Kentucky to celebrate the unity of quilted fabric in the sweetest chaos you’ll see today. Their epic squares of our lives warrant every nook and cranny of their pandemonium—and who knows, you may find your own story reflected in one of their works, as well!

By Boris Riabov


Read Article

In 2004, Noe Alvarez dropped out of college and ran a 6,000-mile relay with indigenous people through North and Central America. His new memoir about that time is called Spirit Run. More in this NPR interview.


Read Article

Soon after he was born, Linda Scotson's son, Doran, was diagnosed with severe athetoid cerebral palsy. Doctors said he would never be able to sit, stand, walk independently or feed himself. But Linda, an artist with no background in medicine, was determined to find a path forward. Today, 41-year-old Doran has an athletic body, runs half marathons, travels independently and is a talented artist, who continues to gain ability and skills. His mother now has a PhD in neuroscience, decades of research under her belt, and is the founder of the Linda Scotson Technique-- an approach that has restored functionality and well-being to thousands of people navigating a wide-range of health conditions, including autism, brain injuries, anxiety, hypertension and much more.

by Awakin Call Editors


Linda Scotson is an artist-turned-neuroscientist, and founder of the Linda Scotson Technique (LST) -- an approach that has restored functionality and well-being in the lives of thousands of peopl…

Dr. James Gordon weighs in on the mental health challenges we face during the pandemic and what we can do to cope.

What happens when the whole world is facing a massive threat, like we are now with coronavirus? According to psychiatrist James Gordon, founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C., the pandemic is setting off a community-wide mental health crisis. It’s creating anxiety, uncertainty, and isolation that are similar in some ways to what communities feel when enduring war, mass school shootings, opioid epidemics, or climate-related disasters.

By Jill Suttie


Gordon has worked all around the world helping people deal with trauma and its aftermath, including refugees of several war-torn countries, U.S. military personnel, and those struggling with end-of-life challenges. His recently published book, The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma, outlines practices he teaches to help people cope—not only during a pandemic, but any time they…

Could kids’ (or even your) most annoying traits actually be a huge strength just waiting to be nurtured? Thought leader Josh Shipp takes us through how to support our kid’s unrefined skillset—and keep our own sanity, as well!

Do you remember that kid in your class, long ago, who was the class rascal: constantly joking around and getting all of the attention from the teacher? Or perhaps, this isn’t such a distant memory for some of us; perhaps, we can peer down at our own angel children right now and detail, with the utmost clarity, their most persistent traits and habits that have a knack for testing our patience. But could it be that these very behaviors that drive us insane are actually their greatest strengths in disguise? Here’s how to turn a “problem” into a success!

By Callie Burkey


Read Article

"A fighter for civil rights who was raised to value empathy and was fascinated by Gandhi's India, Bill Drayton believes that Ashokas entrepreneurial model, to which he has dedicated himself for years, can change the world. Drayton created Ashoka 40 years ago and it now has the largest network of social entrepreneurs on the planet. Drayton insists that technological progress creates a new inequality that must be addressed before any other."


Read Article

According to a new book, the secret to longevity isn't just diet and exercise—being connected and kind matters, as well.

When you think of healthy habits, what sorts of things come to mind? Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables? Trying to get your 10,000 steps per day? Training for a 5K?

By Elizabeth Hopper


While these things certainly matter for health, a new book suggests that we’re overlooking an important part of wellness if we focus only on what we eat and how much we exercise. Instead, if we want to maximize our physical health, it may be just as important—if not more so—to focus on our social relationships and to treat others with kindness.

That’s the argument science writer Marta Zaraska makes in Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism, and Kindness Can Help You Live to 100. Zaraska was always concerned with optimizing her family’s wellness, but new research made her start to question her approach. While reviewing studies, Zaraska noticed that, again and …

What should we do when everything feels so out of control?

Living with so much uncertainty is hard. Human beings crave information about the future in the same way we crave food, sex, and other primary rewards. Our brains perceive ambiguity as a threat, and they try to protect us by diminishing our ability to focus on anything other than creating certainty. 

By Christine Carter


Research shows that job uncertainty, for example, tends to take a more significant toll on our health than actually losing our job. Similarly, research participants who were told that they had a 50% chance of receiving a painful electric shock felt far more anxious and agitated than participants who believed they were definitely going to receive the shock.

It is no surprise, then, that there are entire industries devoted to filling in the blanks of our futures. See, for example, the popularity of astrology apps, or the prestige of management consultancies dedicated to strategic planning. Fundamentalist religions c…