Show Notes
When things are at their darkest, what is it that “allows you to see promise and allows you to see beauty?” Joanna begins her exploration of some of the most difficult emotions and circumstances we face in a surprising place: with gratitude. This episode introduces the concept of the spiral, the basic structure of the Work That Reconnects.
In this episode:
Why it’s necessary to speak our darkest thoughts out loud
How to follow our fear and pain into a state of profound gratitude
The spiral of the Work That Reconnects: gratitude, honoring our pain, seeing with new eyes, and going forth
Bonus Exercise: “Gratitude Meditation”—the first stage on the spiral
We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.
More from We Are The Great Turning
In Episode 10, “We Are the Great Turning,” Joanna shares a story called the “Shambala Warrior Prophecy,” which was told to her by her friend, Tibetan Monk Chogyal Rinpoche. Joanna was tasked with teaching this prophecy in the West, and it’s one of her most famous teachings.
This bonus episode will support you to take the main insights from Episode 10, “We Are the Great Turning,” deeper into your life.
As this journey around the spiral comes to a close, Jess brings us back to the table with Joanna for one last profound conversation. Joanna shares an ancient Tibetan prophecy, “The Coming of the Kingdom of Shambhala,” which shows us that the way we build the Great Turning is through compassion and insight into the radical interdependence of all things.
This bonus episode will support you to take the main insights from Episode 9: “Live the Questions Now” deeper into your life.
When it comes to building the Great Turning, it’s natural to have questions: What is my individual role in it all? How do we win? Who do we fight? While Jess wrestles with her desire for a “prescription” of what to do, Joanna invites us to “live the questions” instead. In this episode, we learn about the three dimensions of the Great Turning and the way forward: community, relationship, and solidarity.