When Corporate Greed and Public Skewering become Personal

I always know when I need to write about something, because it just won’t leave me alone until I do. A bit to my horror, today I find myself writing about something I, on many levels, abhor. Corporate greed and politics. Ugh. But…here I go…

My mind has been swimming these past few days with images of the Senate interrogation, and the subsequent media indictment, of the CEO of Wells Fargo Bank – my cousin, John Stumpf. This is a first for me, to have feelings about some corporate head being interrogated. However, this time it feels personal because I know John. I know his family. I know the deeply embedded values and general goodness of his parents and the 11 children they raised.

When I watched the video of Senator Warren’s interrogation of John, I saw things from an entirely new perspective. I’ve been a fan of Ms. Warren for years. I applaud her hard work on the behalf of the people, and her consistent drive to put an end to greedy corporate practices that drive up profit and pad the pockets of CEOs. Including John Stumpf’s. 

However, I was sickened by the headlines that brought me to the video. “Watch Elizabeth Warren skewer John Stumpf in Senate Hearing.” A public skewering – that’s what it looked like and felt like to me. Is this what we’re after now?

I was sickened by the interrogation itself. What I saw was a politician with an agenda (albeit, in my opinion, an important and necessary one) hammering away at a man, pulling isolated facts out of a pool of countless pieces of truth, and posing “questions” that could only bolster the facts she had pulled. There was no room for Mr. Stumpf to explain or provide a broader perspective.

What I saw was a man – a good man, in my opinion – getting skewered. It felt to me like Ms. Warren’s direct interrogation style has become sport. I saw thinly veiled glee in her face as she, again and again, trapped the man in his own answers, while making it impossible for him to provide a larger perspective. “That’s not what I asked.” Repeatedly, this was what I heard when he attempted to provide a bigger picture.

Would I have even noticed this if it had been another CEO from another bank in that chair? Likely not. In fact, I would probably have been cheering her on. Go get ‘im, Elizabeth!

But instead, I found myself filled with a nagging question: where was the quest for the bigger truth that could actually shed light on how practices like this emerge in companies? Because sales incentives like the ones implemented by Wells Fargo are not only common in corporate America, they are the standard. And, make no mistake about it, they impact the way folks do business all the way up and down the corporate ladder. 

“You should resign,” she quipped. Really? Would John’s resignation even make a dent in the issue of corporate greed?

Because clearly this is about greed. Corporate profit. Making the shareholders money each quarter. It’s about the engine that drives corporate America at every level. Going after one man, or even one company, is not going to get at the root of it.

In the grand scheme of corporate greed, this “scam” is tiny. I’m not implying, in any way, that it was okay. But let's put it in perspective. It resulted in 2.5 million dollars profit over the course of several years, in a company whose annual profit runs in the many-billions column. Peanuts compared to the corporate greed we witnessed in the 2008 bailout. And those guys skated away. With billions. “Skewering” John Stumpf, or even Wells Fargo, cannot make up for the pass that was given back then.

If we want to really get at the core of corporate greed in this country, we need to go to its roots. The system is so seriously flawed that it will take a grand effort to even locate the roots. I encourage Senator Warren to continue her hard work on our behalf. And I encourage her to open her perspective, to learn from these CEOs, To listen. Because there is much left unsaid in this case. In my opinion.

I encourage John to tap into his own deep roots, the values I know he was raised with. Perhaps having a leader like John at the helm of the largest bank in this country is exactly what’s needed to make deep and lasting change in a broken system. In my dream, I see men like him recognizing that the corporate system is corrupt, that it is run by greed. Only the folks from the inside can really provide the larger perspective on how our business model has gone so wrong. They need to be willing to speak out, willing to step forward and make changes. Even changes that will impact their bottom line.

And…they need to be heard by those who have the power to make changes in the laws that regulate the industry. Perhaps the only way to make real and lasting change is for folks like Elizabeth Warren and John Stumpf to team up. What a concept, eh?

So, I walk away with a bigger perspective. I see with more clarity how important it is to stop taking sides, stop operating as the “good guys” against the “bad guys.” Because it was less clear to me, in this case, which was which. 

As long as we continue to push our own agendas exclusively, to hold our own perspective as the only truth, we will stay in the same kettle of soup. Courageous action is required here, on all sides of a complex issue.

Do our elected officials have the courage to look for the root cause of greed-driven corporate (and for that matter, political) practices and make changes that can truly impact the future of business in our country? Rather than going for the low-hanging fruit and “skewering” those individuals who get caught in the act?

Do the corporate leaders have the courage to make changes in their practices that they KNOW are out of balance, that put profit above the good of the people? Will they ever stop putting their own personal income above the good of their employees and their customers?

Do we, as consumers, have the courage to face the whole truth? To show, every single day with every single purchase we make, our values? Will we recognize that this is the only way we can say no to supporting greedy business practices?

Do we all have the courage to see the entirety of this flawed system that WE have participated in for generations, that WE have allowed to become so strong it seems impossible to change?

Most importantly, do we have the courage to dream a more fair and equitable business model for our country, and to hold on to that dream no matter what?

Dream big, my friends. It is so needed.

With respect,

Zardoya

Just Breathe

Just Breathe…

How many times have you heard these words in your life? Usually when we’re in some sort of struggle – we’re frightened, or we’ve had a big shock, or we’re in pain. The classic scenario is a woman in labor: hoo, hoo, hee. Right?

Why does breathing help us during situations of distress? What is it about the breath that calms us, centers us, and brings us back to our bodies?

We breathe countless times each day, in and out, in and out. It’s the very first thing we do when we’re  born, and the very last thing we do before we die. Breath sustains life. We all know this; if we go without breath for more than a couple of minutes, our brain begins to shut down. How often do we actually think about this process, though?

When we take a deep breath we send a signal to our vagus nerve, which stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system. Our parasympathetic nervous system lowers our heart rate and breathing rate, relaxes our blood vessels, and puts our body into a state of calm and healing. Pretty cool, right? One deep breath is all it takes to start this process. 

Go ahead, try it right now…a slow, deep breath in…and slowly breathe out. Can you notice a shift?

But there is SO much more to it than that. When you zoom in on this process even more, the magic starts to reveal itself. When we breathe in, we’re taking in a combination of molecules we need to sustain life. Oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen. We breathe out carbon dioxide. These are invisible particles, not manifested in we-can-see-it-and-touch-it physical form. They enter our bodies through our airway and go deep into our lungs. Here’s where the alchemy happens – our lungs serve as the bridge between the unmanifest world (air) and the manifest world (the cells of our body). 

When we breathe air into our lungs, it enters these tiny little sacs deep in our lung tissue called alveoli. From there, the vital molecules are passed into the into the arterioles, then the arteries, and then carried to every cell in our physical being. Life-sustaining oxygen, magically passed from the ethereal world of unmanifest form into the very real, manifested, corporeal matter of our body.

How is this not a miracle? With every single breath, with every beat of our heart that circulates the vital molecules to our physicality, we are saying yes…yes…yes to life.

I invite you to pay attention to your breath throughout your day. Notice when you’re inclined to feel constriction, or to hold your breath. Notice what happens when you consciously take a slow, deep breath. Feel the alchemy happening in your body. Appreciate the miracle of choosing life again and again, with each breath you take.

The beauty of it is you can do this practice any time, any place. No one needs to know – you can practice deep breathing during a meeting, or even during a fight! 

Notice the shift in your physical body, and also notice the shift in those around you. Because here’s another secret about breath: it moves energy.

But that’s for another time, another post. 

For now, play with breath, with this life-sustaining force we dance with every moment of every day.

With love and respect,

Zardoya

Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind.

This message is too important not to share. I have nothing to add...please read all the way to the bottom. It's worth every moment. 

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I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations, ask you to understand an Indigenous perspective on what has happened in America, what we call "Turtle Island." My words seek to unite the global community through a message from our sacred ceremonies to unite spiritually, each in our own ways of beliefs in the Creator.

We have been warned from ancient prophecies of these times we live in today, but have also been given a very important message about a solution to turn these terrible times.

To understand the depth of this message you must recognize the importance of Sacred Sites and realize the interconnectedness of what is happening today, in reflection of the continued massacres that are occurring on other lands and our own Americas.

I have been learning about these important issues since the age of 12 when I received the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle and its teachings. Our people have strived to protect Sacred Sites from the beginning of time. These places have been violated for centuries and have brought us to the predicament that we are in at the global level.

Look around you. Our Mother Earth is very ill from these violations, and we are on the brink of destroying the possibility of a healthy and nurturing survival for generations to come, our children's children.

Our ancestors have been trying to protect our Sacred Site called the Sacred Black Hills in South Dakota, "Heart of Everything That Is," from continued violations. Our ancestors never saw a satellite view of this site, but now that those pictures are available, we see that it is in the shape of a heart and, when fast-forwarded, it looks like a heart pumping.

The Diné have been protecting Big Mountain, calling it the liver of the earth, and we are suffering and going to suffer more from the extraction of the coal there and the poisoning processes used in doing so.

The Aborigines have warned of the contaminating effects of global warming on the Coral Reefs, which they see as Mother Earth's blood purifier.

The indigenous people of the rainforest say that the rainforests are the lungs of the planet and need protection.

The Gwich'in Nation in Alaska has had to face oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, also known to the Gwich'in as "Where life begins."

The coastal plain is the birthplace of many life forms of the animal nations. The death of these animal nations will destroy indigenous nations in this territory.

As these destructive developments continue all over the world, we will witness many more extinct animal, plant, and human nations, because of mankind's misuse of power and their lack of understanding of the "balance of life."

The Indigenous people warn that these destructive developments will cause havoc globally. There are many, many more indigenous teachings and knowledge about Mother Earth's Sacred Sites, her chakras, and connections to our spirit that will surely affect our future generations.

There needs to be a fast move toward other forms of energy that are safe for all nations upon Mother Earth. We need to understand the types of minds that are continuing to destroy the spirit of our whole global community. Unless we do this, the powers of destruction will overwhelm us.

Our Ancestors foretold that water would someday be for sale. Back then this was hard to believe, since the water was so plentiful, so pure, and so full of energy, nutrition and spirit. Today we have to buy pure water, and even then the nutritional minerals have been taken out; it's just empty liquid. Someday water will be like gold, too expensive to afford.

Not everyone will have the right to drink safe water. We fail to appreciate and honor our Sacred Sites, ripping out the minerals and gifts that lay underneath them as if Mother Earth were simply a resource, instead of the source of life itself.

Attacking nations and using more resources to carry out destruction in the name of peace is not the answer! We need to understand how all these decisions affect the global nation; we will not be immune to its repercussions. Allowing continual contamination of our food and land is affecting the way we think.

A "disease of the mind" has set in world leaders and many members of our global community, with their belief that a solution of retaliation and destruction of peoples will bring peace.

In our prophecies it is told that we are now at the crossroads: Either unite spiritually as a global nation, or be faced with chaos, disasters, diseases, and tears from our relatives' eyes.

We are the only species that is destroying the source of life, meaning Mother Earth, in the name of power, mineral resources, and ownership of land. Using chemicals and methods of warfare that are doing irreversible damage, as Mother Earth is becoming tired and cannot sustain any more impacts of war.

I ask you to join me on this endeavor. Our vision is for the peoples of all continents, regardless of their beliefs in the Creator, to come together as one at their Sacred Sites to pray and meditate and commune with one another, thus promoting an energy shift to heal our Mother Earth and achieve a universal consciousness toward attaining Peace.

As each day passes, I ask all nations to begin a global effort, and remember to give thanks for the sacred food that has been gifted to us by our Mother Earth, so the nutritional energy of medicine can be guided to heal our minds and spirits.

This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony or it will bring the end of life as we know it. Starvation, war, and toxic waste have been the hallmark of the great myth of progress and development that ruled the last millennium.

To us, as caretakers of the heart of Mother Earth, falls the responsibility of turning back the powers of destruction. You yourself are the one who must decide.

You alone – and only you – can make this crucial choice, to walk in honor or to dishonor your relatives. On your decision depends the fate of the entire World.

Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind.

Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary people in a time of such terrible danger?

Know that you yourself are essential to this world. Understand both the blessing and the burden of that. You yourself are desperately needed to save the soul of this world. Did you think you were put here for something less? In a Sacred Hoop of Life, there is no beginning and no ending.

Chief Arvol Looking Horse is the author ofWhite Buffalo Teachings. A tireless advocate of maintaining traditional spiritual practices, Chief Looking Horse is a member of Big Foot Riders, which memorializes the massacre of Big Foot's band at Wounded Knee.

Read more athttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/26/important-message-keeper-sacred-white-buffalo-calf-pipe

"The Great Turning"

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is listen to NPR programming. This morning I heard Krista Tippett's interview with Joanna Macy for her program On Being. I strongly encourage you to click this link and listen to the entire program. It's a real gem.

In the interview, Joanna Macy speaks of what she perceives to the "the great turning." She describes this as a transition from a society shaped primarily by industrial growth to a society structured to be life sustaining. 

Photo by Denny Luan at Unsplash

Transitions, you know...they can be rocky. They are, in many ways, a leap of faith.

Just the other day, a remarkable young friend of mine posted on Facebook "Feeling grateful for all the good in my life right now but also struggling to feel any sort of good when there is such an incredible amount of bad in the world right now."

These words went straight to my heart. What would it like to be in my twenties during this time of transition? A conversation with my brilliant nephew this week also touched me deeply, as he shared his views on politics and the upcoming election. So yes, the youth are feeling it...we are all feeling it, even those of us with enough years under our belt to have a broader perspective.

So how do we hold on to the hopeful vision of stepping into a life sustaining society?

Here's what Joanna Macy had to say:

"It's okay not to be optimistic. Buddhist teachings say that feeling you have to maintain hope can wear you out! So just be present. The biggest gift you can give is to be absolutely present, and when you're worrying about whether you're hopeful or hopeless, or pessimistic or optimistic—who cares? The main thing is that you're showing up. That you're here, and that your finding ever more capacity to love this world. Because it will not be healed without that. That's what will unleash our intelligence and ingenuity, and our solidarity for the healing of our world." 

These words also went straight to my heart. They touched a place deep inside of me that knows this truth: as long as we cannot embrace the wholeness of ourselves, the wholeness of this world, we will remain in the same kettle of soup. 

By wholeness I mean ALL of it—the hope, the fear; the sublime, the depraved; the “good,” the “evil.” The entire messy existence of humanity. It’s ALL ours.

How do we embrace the depraved, the evil? We become present to it. We witness it. We see it as truth. We try to see what’s behind, to understand the truth of the source of it. Because there’s no denying it’s here. It’s present. To deny it does nothing but put off the inevitable time when we finally can see it.

This is true in the society as a whole, but it’s also true inside of ourselves. Those parts of us that we keep hidden, hoping no one will notice. Those parts of us that remain unexpressed because what if people think….?

Image by naturalawakenings.com

Growing our capacity to love the world. Growing our capacity to love ourselves. And others. That is true healing.

I invite you to notice those times when you separate yourself from what’s going on in the world; or when you cordon off parts of yourself and censor your actions. You might notice a constriction in your body, tension, impatience. Judgement. Anger, even hatred. 

Notice these feelings, and then expand into them. See the truth of what’s happening, harness your own intelligence and ingenuity rather than being spoon-fed what you’re supposed to think and feel. 

Feel into how big you really are.

Ever hopeful and ever present-ly yours,

Zardoya