                    |
 Bob's not the only one who enjoys the inspiration and beauty of Chautauqua. I
too have been going to Chautauqua for many years and this year my family and I
were able to overlap for a few days with Bob and Megan, making the experience
even more delightful.
As Bob has noted, Chautauqua is a setting designed
for intellectual stimulation and spiritual renewal. Yet, I was still amazed when
I overheard a conversation between two Chautauquans as they were reading
through the Chautauqua Daily, a newspaper which highlights the events and learning
opportunities on the grounds each day.
"Dad, the lecture this afternoon should be interesting and good for us," said
one to the other. "He'll be speaking about a topic that is very different from
what we think and believe."
"Good for us?" I thought, "Don't we all prefer to hear perspectives that are
similar to our own, resonate with us, and confirm our agreements?" But this man
was saying the opposite of that; he was expressing a genuine interest in hearing
from someone who would present an opinion different from his own.
So often we get stuck in the rut of reading books on similar topics, going to
seminars and lectures that focus in our own areas of interest, or watching programs
that share our already established views. What if, instead, we made it a
practice to integrate opposing opinions into our experience? What if we
intentionally included persons of various belief systems into our conversations
and decision-making?
Our lives would certainly be made richer through the questioning and stretching
of our own paradigms; our experience of the world made deeper by tapping into
the wisdoms of a larger and more diverse pool; and our empathy and tolerance
made stronger in knowing other persons beyond their surface.
Coaching Inquiries: Consider who sits in the pew with you at your place of
worship or peers across from you at your lunch hour. Do they look like you,
sound like you, or believe as you do? Do you create opportunities to interact with
those who are different from you? How could you integrate new and opposite
perspectives into your thought processes?
 To reply to this Pathway, use our
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Email Erika.
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Erika Jackson
(Erika@LifeTrekCoaching.com)
LifeTrek Coaching International
Columbus, OH
U.S.A.
Telephone: 614-565-9953
Fax: 208-977-7793
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