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Fox's Chain Of Kindness

Nov 27, 2019, 7 comments, 22 smiles Monday was the first day of Thanksgiving vacation, so Fox and I decided to go see Methuselah, the 4,851 year old tree that both Hafiz and Pavi had raved about. It exceeded all expectations. Something about hugging a tree that can hold 30 people around its huge trunk humbled and inspired me. I could sense that Fox was affected as well, but I can't quite articulate how. When we hiked down the trail to get a better perspective, we found a small hut that someone had built out of branches. Fox climbed into the hut and said, "Dad, can we do a homeless walk today?" I said what I always say when my sons ask me something that is not what I really want to do, "Maybe." After driving down the hill, we went out to lunch with my cousin and his daughter. Waiting for our food, Fox asked if he ... Read Full Story

Nuggets From Wendy Palmer's Call

Jul 20, 2019, 6 smiles Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Wendy Palmer. Wendy Palmer is a leadership coach who teaches how to become more connected with one’s strength, dignity, and warmth in order to be more “noble, awesome and shiny.” She uses the principles from Aikido and mindfulness to offer simple tools to increase leadership capacity. Wendy holds a sixth-degree black belt in Aikido and has practiced mindfulness for more than 45 years. Aikido is a non-violent Japanese martial art which incorporates the philosophy of "extending love and compassion especially to those who seek to harm others." When she first saw the movements of Aikido, Wendy “felt a sense of coming home – a returning – like waking up and remembering the part of myself that hungers for essential contact with the universe.” Wendy had grown up around horses and Aikido has a similar way of working with intensity and ... Read Full Story

Nuggets From Kevin Adler's Call

Jul 14, 2019, 5 smiles Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Kevin Adler. Kevin F. Adler is a successful technology and social entrepreneur who is the Founder and CEO of Miracle Messages, a nonprofit working to end homelessness by rebuilding social support systems by reconnecting homeless people with their loved ones. Miracle Messages evolved when Adler heard from one homeless person: “I never realized I was homeless when I lost my housing, only when I lost my family and friends who supported me.” Adler says “relational brokenness is at the heart of homelessness: social disconnection is part of the experience. Along with this come feelings of shame, embarrassment, self-loathing, and uncertainty. A lack of reliable access to the internet and digital illiteracy combined with these emotional barriers keep many homeless individuals further isolated from their potential support systems.” Through tenacity and technology, compassion and community, Adler is showing us that everyone ... Read Full Story

Kevin Adler: Rebuilding Social Support Systems For

Jul 10, 2019 This week's Awakin Call guest: 'Kevin Adler: Rebuilding Social Support Systems For HomelessReflection questions: Our guest this week believes that relational brokenness, isolation and social disconnection, rather than merely the loss of housing, are at the heart of homelessness and many other afflictions. He uses stories to help us see that everyone is "someone's somebody." How do you stay genuinely connected with all portions of your friends and family, even those of different means?

Nuggets From Tsering Gellek's Call

Mar 16, 2019, 3 smiles Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Tsering Gellek. Tsering Gellek works to preserve sacred Buddhist art, artifacts and culture throughout Asia in order to promote human dignity, tolerance and global engagement. She is director of the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute founded by her father, Tarthang Tulku, a Tibetan Buddhist monk. She is a self-proclaimed bridge builder between cultures and time periods. From her first major projects directing the installation of large peace bells at the most significant Buddhist holy sites throughout India and Nepal, to being the first female director to lead the renovation of Nepal’s oldest monument, the Swayambhu Stupa, to her current role developing programs with universities and centers of learning around the world, and to harness the power of sharing between the East and the West, Tsering investigates how the past can “support the possibility of adapting to the present moment, and more ... Read Full Story

A Quote I Was Reminded Of...

Mar 14, 2019, 1 comments, 10 smiles At last night's Awakin Circle, reflections on the passage, Three Qualities of Holiness, reminded me of this quote:

Nuggets From Jessica Roach's Call

Nov 04, 2018, 6 smiles Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Jessica Roach. Jessica Roach is the Co-founder of Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT), a nonprofit providing community-based maternal-child health and birthing support in Columbus, Ohio. Roach's family stories reflect the communal birthing tradition that's rooted deeply in black history. Her great-grandmother was a healer who assisted local women in childbirth in an area of Irondale, Ohio, before women of color were admitted to hospitals. Roach came to appreciate the vital role her great-grandmother played in supporting the community only later -- after Jessica had her own varied experiences with childbirth, became a nurse, and embraced similar healing practices. ROOTT, a Black women-led reproductive justice organization, offers affordable doula services, healthcare provider trainings, and consultation to meet their clients' environmental stresses and to address the staggering infant mortality rates in the African American community. We'll post the transcript of the call ... Read Full Story

Clare Dubois: Toward A Nature-Based Feminine

Jan 24, 2018, 3 smiles This week's Awakin Call guest: 'Clare Dubois: Toward A Nature-Based Feminine ConsciousnessReflection questions: What does feminine consciousness mean to you, and how can tapping into feminine energy help address planetary crises?

Paying It Forward Humbly

Dec 25, 2017, 3 comments, 13 smiles Dear Service Space Community, On this holy day, I can't help but think that I might not be here today if it weren't for all the blessings and support I received from this ecosphere. I can never pay back the kindness I received during my healing journey, but I will continue to try and pay it forward. On that note, I would like to offer anyone and everyone a copy of the book I just published about the healing grace of cancer. Please share this link with anyone who might be served by this humble offering. Click here for a free copy. The book will be free for the next five days starting on Christmas. Thank you all for all you have done visibly and invisibly for me and my family these past few years. I love you all. With Aloha, Makala Kozo Hattori

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Nov 28, 2017, 2 comments, 25 smiles After four years, I'm still in awe of ServiceSpace. Not casual, leisure-time awe, but jaw-to-the-floor, rock-your-world awe. This weekend, my son, Jett, and I went to Karma Kitchen. Jett loves Karma Kitchen even though it is an hour drive each way on a Sunday when he could be playing video games. I have a feeling that he thrives off the energy and smiles, but he also really likes the food. :) After making the rounds of hugs from Joserra, Richard, Audrey, Fab, Sangeeta, Maya, and so many others, we sat down to eat. Samantha, our server, was so calm and smooth that it settled Jett down when he was starving. While stuffing himself with buttered naan, Jett asked, "Dad, does this restaurant serves the same food when it is not Karma Kitchen and charge for it?" "Yes, son, it is called Taste of the Himalayans," I replied. "How much does it cost to eat ... Read Full Story

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