12 Habits Zoom Parties 2023
On the Third Monday of each month, we hold a “12 Habits Zoom Party” on the Zoom video conferencing platform in collaboration with our partners at Humanity’s Team, with a special guest to go deeper with that month’s habit, and give all our peer partners a chance to share stories and ideas, ask questions, and meet others in our intentional practice community.
These have been absolutely fabulous and mind-widening conversations, if you'd like to get plugged into the fun, and get access to each monthly Zoom Party, become a peer partner and Join the Playful Path to Heaven on Earth!
2023 Archive
January 2023 – Lend a Hand with Stephanie James
We had a wonderful time at our very first Monthly 12 Habits Party with Humanity's Stream, focusing on January's Habit. “Help Others”. Facilitators Elanie Parke, Steve Bhaerman, Swami Beyondananda, Kurt Griffith, were joined by our special guest for January Stephanie James, life coach, therapist, author, filmmaker, and renowned podcast host. Stephanie shared with us her thoughts and deep insights on helping others and finding fulfillment in reaching out. It was an wonderful session!
February 2023 – You Count with Christopher Life
Due to some technical difficulties, we were unable to record our February Zoom party. However, we do have something from our special guest that we'd like to share with all of you.
A Conversation with Independent National Conference Convener Christopher Life
from Front and Center with Steve and Michael
Join Independent National Conference convener Christopher Life in a lively discussion about how we the people can stopping fighting one another and unite to restore the missing element in government by the people – the people! Here is the paradox of our times. The body politic seems more divided and polarized than ever – and yet the great majority of us would much prefer working together to actually solve problems, rather than blame the “other side” for them.
March 2023 – Resolve Conflicts with Susan Campbell
This was an excellent and powerful night with Susan. There was great sharing and powerful experiences from our participants, taking on this challenging and often emotional issue. One of the important takeaways from this evening was it is so very important to lead with our humanity, not political opinions or talking points. And we need to listen as much, if not more, than we speak. Everyone wants to be heard; and if you want to be heard, then you have to listen, too. When we cultivate the ability to accept that another‘s lived experience might be different than our own and set aside judgement, it allows our differnces to exist with much less conflict. Instead of shouting matches, we have conversations.
In the Native American World, we have the tradition of the Talking Stick. When the people gather with an important issue. we sit in circle and pass the stick, often decorated and made sacred. Only the person with the stick may speak, all others must listen. In this way all the people are heard.
April 2023 – Take Care of Your Environment with Mitchell Rabin
A truly dynamic and enlightening session with Mitchell Rabin, International Speaker/ Workshop Leader, Holistic Coach and Host/Producer of A Better World Radio & TV. We explored what it truly means to be a citizen of planet Earth. One of the themes that was powerfully underlined that we as humanity are not apart from the natural world, but a partof the natural world. We exist in relationship with the Earth and everything we share this world with. By embracing this concept, we move from being consumers of the Earth, to caretakers, “as opposed to careless takers,” as the Swami reminds us.
May 2023 – Be Grateful with Kurt Griffith
We had a fabulous Be Grateful Zoom Party for May, where 12 Habits Producer Kurt Griffith shared his indigenous and multi-racial wisdom, that gratitude lies at the heart of all human and natural relationships. He used the elements of the Native American sweat lodge ceremony as a metaphor for how appreciation integrates us with every aspect of the ceremony and with one another.
There was a “surprise” piece of input from a participant named, Kathleen. She observed that, to her, the word “grateful” has always been “grating” rather than pleasantly warm and inclusive. She had an insightful suggestion for us, that we consider changing May’s habit from “Grateful” to “GREATful.” Thank you, Kathleen.
June 2023 with Phil Moore, exploring the possibilities of Reaching Higher for the generations to come.
We had an amazing Zoom Party for June, where our special guest Phil Moore, Author of “The Future of Children: Providing a love-based education for every child, ” shared his experience of 42 years of teaching at Upland Hills Farm School and the insights and wisdom he came away with. Unsurprisingly, there was an indigenous connection and viewpoint reminding us that we are all deeply connected to the natural world and everything around us - an important value to instill in young people and future generations for the good of our species and the planet.
One of the fascinating insights Phil shared was about how being an “ordinary” student helped him become an extraordinary teacher. He also shared stories of students who “reached higher” and created extraordinary lives for themselves, including Upland Hills alumnus, “Rocket Man” Eric Roberts, a Spacecraft Engineer!
July 2023 - with Humanty’s Team's Steve Farrell.
July’s Zoom Party guest was Steve Farrell, Worldwide Executive Director of our project partner, Humanity’s Team, and author of the recently released, “A New Universal Dream.” At our “party” Steve shared how he stepped away from his lucrative success as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur to turn Neale Donald Walsch’s dream into Humanity’s Team. His choice to “get involved” – and forego income for several years – helped bring forth a worldwide organization that has brought evolutionary awareness to millions. Our conversation also reinforced the idea that the 12 Habits of Unity practice is a key way for “Humanity’s Teammates” to bring “oneness” to their lives and world as a daily practice.
August 2023 - Know Who You Are with Jill Marcy.
This month’s Zoom Party guest was Hypnotherapist and Spiritual Philosopher Jill Marcy, who took us into a deep dive into human consciousness and spirit. In part of her conclusion she stated, “The Golden rule, treat others as your wish to be treated. As you are they, and they are you. It is so simple. We are both unity and Individual consciousness in one.”
The density of Jill's initial presentation caused Elaine to comment, “you delivered a 360 page book in 20 minutes.... Everything that you said in twenty minutes, – just packed together, the karmic Cosmic, and universal wisdom, that we get in pieces from all these places.” Her presentation, and the discussion that followed, explored the commonality of the human experience and human consciousness in deep and uplifting ways, including our ability to comprehend the nature of the universe! We also learn that to understand humanity in a deeper way, we must strive to understand ourselves.
September 2023 - Do Your Best with Darren Starwinn.
In our September Zoom party for Do Your Best, we had Quantum Healer Darren Starwynn as our special guest. Darren took us on a fascinating journey exploring all the many ways we could realize our best selves and ignite our “Superpowers.”
Here's just a taste of the far-ranging conversation –
“When you do your best you generate virtue. According to Kaballa money is the material expression of virtue. In our society – the American Dream – people have been inspired to do their best to go from poor to wealthy by doing their best over a long time period. This is virtuous as long as you share your wealth to help others to be happy and successful. Yet this has been misused through greed and control factors, excess power of big corporations, racism and more. We need to focus more on creating virtue and inspiring others to do so, with a vision of blessings for all.”
– Darren Starwynn
October 2023 - Be Patient and Listen with Antonia Albano.
In our October Zoom party for Be Patient and Listen, Antonia Albano was our special guest.
Antonia introduced us the fascinating intricacies of Sacred Geometry, and the necessity of patience to persue her journey of exploration.
In October's conversation Antonia introduced us to the amazing principles of new sacred geometry, most particularly the new Golden Infinity & the Sacred Geometries of Love, all incorporating the golden ratio which occurs throughout nature, and Infinity, which is a foundational concept of the universe. The deep value of being patient and listening became apparent over time as each presented itself as part of a bigger whole here to assist all life in its evolution.
November 2023 - Show a Positive Attitude with Marci Shimoff.
In our spectacular Conversation with Best-selling Author of “Happy for No Reason,” Marci Shimoff, we were treated to a deep dive into the very nature of Happiness itself, understanding it, and its basis in our very DNA. We learned how our circumstances and critically how our attitudes and habits effect our happiness.
There is far too much to review, but a few gems include learning about the concept of the “happiness set-point” – essentially our default happiness state. “Researchers have found that we all have something called a happiness set point. And your happiness set point is like a thermostat setting. And no, what matter what happens, whether it's really good or really bad, you are going to tend to return to your happiness set point unless you do something consciously to change it.”
if you missed it, we highly recommend taking in the replay, it's an hour well spent full of extraordinary positive advice for us to claim and elevate our own happiness and the the happiness of the people around us. We also explored the important and critical role of appreciation and gratitude in being happy. This was one of our best events of this experiment year.
December 2023 - Celebrate Community, Family, & Friends
with Misa Hopkins.
We had a delightful Conversation with Misa Hopkins in December. Here is a part of that discussion where we touched on the healing that comes through self-acceptance. Misa describes her experiences with some of the women she has worked with, some of what happens through the practice of truly seeing and celebrating each other —
“And there's this beautiful transformation that happens... We watch this amazing energy open as the women are learning to love the wounded parts of themselves, not as broken and irreparable or faulty, but as wounded and seeking emotional fulfillment.
“And as they start feeling more and more emotionally fulfilled, they're celebrating more and more and more of themselves and their lives, because then now they can see it. Because that is the nature of the child's spirit within us.”
It was one of our best hours of the year, with a truly beautiful soul. Learn more about Misa's work at: misahopkins.com.
More to come
Video replay links are posted the month following the original webcast. Peer Partner Members on our email list will receive access to the live Zoom Parties and the replay links usually the week after.
So what are you waiting for, sign up now, it doesn't hurt!
