We have all stayed too long in what doesn’t work. The “what doesn’t work” can apply to relationships, jobs, addictions, chronic pain, unresolved conflicts, enmeshment in family drama, affiliation to a religion, organization, or institution—just about anything we become involved in.
On the other hand, there are times in life when we don’t stay long enough. We don’t hang in there through thick and thin in a relationship or affiliation that really can work. There is also the mystery of timing, feeling and responding to the opportune time. Ultimately, our readiness depends on the ping of a timer not in our hands. Time is a player in all our comings and goings. We can find psychological and spiritual practices to help us open to our own perfect timing for the big decisions in our lives and then act in accord with it.
Our Winter term’s study of Sacred Earth: Sacred Soul laid out the history of the ancient Celts and their legacy to the 21st century. Their readiness to accept the teachings of Jesus as a profound extension of their faith in the sacredness of all life produced the golden age of Celtic Christianity. Our own hunger to experience and live into those principles in the midst of today’s fragmented world suggests a similar readiness, both personal and cultural, to grow into deeper ways of seeing and responding to the wholeness and holiness of life. In our Spring session of word and Life Dr. David Richo will explore that state of readiness in his new book, Ready. His unique expertise in combining spirituality with psychotherapy will lead our path forward as he guides us in learning to read ourselves and the reality around us so that we can move into healthier relationship with the sacred flow of life in today’s world.
This completed series took place May – 5, 12, 19, 26, 2022, via ZOOM
BOOK PURCHASE LINKS
LISTEN NOW — SESSION RECORDINGS
SESSION 1: May 5
Introduction to Series (31 minutes) — Introduced by Judith McDermott
SESSION 2: May 12
SESSION 2: MAY 12 VIDEO
SESSION 3: May 19
SESSION 3: MAY 19 VIDEO
SESSION 4: May 26
SESSION 4: MAY 26 VIDEO
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
“Ready posits that making important decisions is not about drawing up lists of pros and cons, consulting experts, or honing your willpower. Rather, it is about knowing yourself deeply, inhabiting each moment fully, and then letting the world speak to you in its infinite wisdom (which is not separate from your own). If you’re looking for a way to make decisions you can trust, this book is for you.”—Susan Piver, author of The Four Noble Truths of Love
“Ready is a superbly succinct guide through the entanglements of fear, doubt, regret, and grief to a deepening trust of our decisions about our commitments and the skills needed to time them exquisitely. The journey through the practices is to be expertly companioned by a wise elder and a caring friend.”—Linda Graham, MFT, author of Resilience
“Ready is the antidote to one of the most common crossroads we all experience as human beings—knowing when it is truly time to stay or go. Let this insightful guide support you in learning the language of readiness and cuing the courage required to make the big changes you seek.”— Amanda Gilbert, author of Kindness Now
David Richo, PhD, MFT, is a psychotherapist, theologian, teacher, workshop leader, and writer who works in Santa Barbara and San Francisco California. He combines Jungian, poetic, and mythic perspectives in his work with the intention of integrating the psychological and the spiritual. His books and workshops include attention to Buddhist and Christian spiritual practices.
Find out more about Dr. Dave Richo and his books:
Word And Life Spring 2021 Program: Wholeness and Holiness
Word And Life Spring 2020 Program: Triggers