soulforcepolitics

Today’s guest is journalist Phil Rucker – the White House Bureau Chief for the Washington Post whose co-authored book, “A Very Stable Genius – Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America†debuted number one on the New York Times best-sellers list. In the midst of doing the full circuit of interviews on late night talk shows, National Public Radio, and all the major media outlets last week, we got to sit down with Rucker for an in-depth conversation about this hot new book on our show.

I first got to know Phil Rucker when he was covering the Statehouse beat in Annapolis. I was a new Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly; he was a cub reporter for The Washington Post. In addition to my role as a legislator, I was also an elected member of the Democratic National Committee. In 2008, my experience as a superdelegate to the national convention and the attention that presidential candidates Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton were lavishing on people in my position was highlighted in a front-page story Rucker wrote for The Washington Post, entitled, “On the Fence and In the Spotlight.†We held high professional regard for each other and it didn’t surprise me when he was promoted to cover the national political scene. Phil’s talents had him on a trajectory for great things.

A Pulitzer Prize winner, Rucker is now the White House Bureau Chief, giving him access to an array of primary sources that generate one of the most unfiltered views of this presidency. This, in part, is what makes “A Very Stable Genius†such a timely, interesting, and historic read for anyone that wants to better understand what is happening day-to-day behind the scenes in the Trump White House.

Let us take you there in our fast-paced, fun, humorous, provocative, and wide-ranging interview with one of America’s top journalists.

Today’s guest is a seventh-generation Virginia farmer whose inspiring journey to the heart of sustainable agriculture made him a New York Times best-selling author for his compelling book, “Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers’ Markets, Local Food, and Saving the Family Farm.” Join us for a heart-warming, soul-touching, and humorous look at the wisdom Forrest Pritchard has gained directly from nature to guide his farming practices in a way that is steeped in listening to the land and its animals.

Forrest reminds us that we have choices about what we eat and where we get our food — and those decisions have impacts far beyond our immediate gastronomic pleasures.

Food is medicine. We explore what that means, while diving into a deeper understanding of the consciousness that is awakening more land stewards to the ancient system of regenerative farming.

Today’s guest is the author of an incredible book that I strongly urge you to add to your collection, “Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change.” Sherri Mitchell was born and raised on the Penobscot Indian Reservation and her professional career spans work as an attorney, policy advocate, civil rights educator for the Maine Attorney General’s office, and founding director of the Land Peace Foundation. In this compelling book, she shares with us knowledge and lived experiences that weave together the political, scientific, ethical, and spiritual aspects surrounding a multitude of complex issues that we must traverse for a deeper collective healing from the trauma of colonization.

This book brings forward unique wisdom teachings from First Nations people that can set us all on a better course. In this podcast, we explore how to silence ourselves to hear the wisdom of our highest authority and how quantum entanglement probes us to right our relationship to life itself. We discuss the myth of separation and how oneness and sameness are not equal. We deconstruct the ways that water has been colonized and how this threatens our very existence. We acknowledge the power of co-creation and untangle how our rights must always be grounded in a corresponding set of responsibilities. We end our conversation with a fascinating review of Indigenous teachings on the roles of sacred feminine and sacred masculine energies and how to keep them in balance for a harmonious way of being. Through it all, you will be struck by the deep intuitive knowing that comes from a way of life that is guided by sacred instructions. May this be the invitation for you to walk in the world in this more enlightened way as well.

“How would the world be different if politics were rooted in radical love?”  In this kick off to Season 2 of the #SoulForcePolitics podcast, join Grammy and Oscar award-winning rock star Melissa Etheridge and our host, Heather Mizeur, for an in-depth discussion on how radical love can change politics as usual.

Few have inspired me more in public life than Robert F. Kennedy.

Imagination, courage, and determination. Justice, fairness, and equality. Compassion, mixed with toughness and discipline.

He promoted unity over division.

He encouraged dissent to strengthen conviction.

His heart was in charge, and it led him to personally witness and uplift the despair, hopes, and dreams of America’s unfinished business in forgotten pockets of the nation – from Native American reservations to the fields of migrant farmworkers; from urban blight to rural hunger. Bobby Kennedy reflected the consciousness of our best selves.

He practiced Soul Force Politics.

50 years ago we lost Bobby Kennedy to an assassin’s bullet when he was shot after winning the Democratic presidential primary in California on June 5th, 1968. Fortunately, words themselves never die. And in his book, “RFK: His Words for Our Times,” author C. Richard Allen collects, edits, and introduces us to the core of Robert Kennedy’s work through the use of his own words from testimony and speeches Kennedy gave in his short but profound career in public service.

In today’s show, we speak with Rick Allen about this book, Bobby Kennedy’s life and contributions to public policy, political thought, and the imagination of what can still be accomplished to live up to our country’s greatest calling – the belief that we can always aspire to be a better, more perfect union where equality and justice for all are the cornerstones of our democracy.

Thanks for listening and I hope that you will be inspired to read this incredible book and find the Bobby Kennedy that resides in your own heart’s desire to act for good in the world. RFK’s words are most definitely a timeless call to action and we need his wise guidance now more than ever.

Today’s show connects you to two extraordinary, transcendental artists that are world-renowned pioneers in showcasing the exploration of consciousness and use of psychedelics to influence the visionary art realm and the expression of the sacred. I go to New York’s COSM — Chapel of the Sacred Mirrors – to interview Alex and Allyson Grey in their personal art studios.

You truly must have a sense of their art to fully appreciate this interview. This is where the limitations of audio production can be challenging – so be sure to capture at least a passing view of a few pieces of their artwork that we have showcased on our website and/or the MizMaryland Facebook and Instagram pages.

Beyond the appreciation of Alex and Allyson’s other-worldly artistic talents, I have always perhaps most loved our conversations about consciousness, connection, and explorations of the sacred realms. Their views are very much in alignment with our mission at #SoulForcePolitics.

And a basic warning I should offer with this episode. We engage in an open-minded discussion of the impact that psychedelic medicines have had on the Greys in forming mystical experiences that have had a deep impact on their visionary artistic expression and world-view. I am aware that this can be a controversial topic for some listeners. I invite you to be open to a different perspective, as I have had my own shift in understanding how these medicines might be beneficial to some if undertaken with the right intention and under responsible guidance.

I always relish the role of being a thought leader and having the guts to jump into these types of conversations that can be controversial – and at the same time, this topic is very near on the edge of becoming more mainstream as just this week, New York Times best-selling author, Micheal Pollan has released his new book, “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.â€

So it’s time for us to start having this dialogue more openly in our communities. Artists and other creatives are often on the front-lines of helping us explore the unknown.

Thanks for listening and I hope that Alex and Allyson and I will open up new inspiration for you to be more creative, more revolutionary, and more willing to explore the depths of your own consciousness and sacred connections as a result of our conversation.

Today’s guest is former New York Times journalist Warren Berger, the author of the provocative book, “A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas.” Explore with us the power behind one of the most underappreciated tools – one that has been available to us since childhood – the art of asking meaningful questions to ignite change and unleash innovation and creative mastery.

Do you have the courage to ask good questions of yourself and others? Are you willing to subject your bias to interrogation? Should your organization have a Mission Question rather than a Mission Statement? Most of us are quite familiar with the concept of brainstorming. What are the benefits of questionstorming?

Why? What if? How? – these are the tools of 21st Century excellence.

“How might we” is a beautiful invitation that successful leaders are incorporating into their philosophies of exploration. The value of questions is rising in our culture faster than the value of answers. Are you ready for this cultural shift?

Join us for today’s conversation to learn how you can use questioning to create your own shifts in politics, consciousness, and community engagement for a better world.

Today’s guest is Jennifer Hofmann, author of the super-popular Americans of Conscience Checklist, which provides her 70,000 online followers with a weekly advocacy list of clear actions to address the undermining of core values by decisions at the local, state, and federal levels of government. Jennifer Hoffmann’s unique approach promotes heartfelt engagement in the work of the Resistance without amplifying polarization. Her lists are free from partisan hype, insults, and vilification. Rather, she combines no-frills policy guidance with a reminder of the importance of self care, promoting gratitude, and noticing evidence of good in the world. Jennifer joins us from Salem, Oregon via our first experiment with a Skype-Studio recorded interview. Stick with us for a mind-meld with a fellow progressive activist and a supporter of thoughtful civic engagement to strengthen our Democracy.

To spend five minutes with Jen Tullock is to be in stitches. She carries comedic turns-of-phrase and brilliant language choices that sear into your heart, open your mind, make you think, force you to laugh, and leaves you begging for more.

Jen isn’t just a smart and lovable comedian, though. Her serious acting credentials are stacking up to build an impressive resume. She and her ever-present co-collaborator, Hannah Utt, created, wrote, and (Hannah) directed, and starred in the mega popular Super Deluxe Original Series, “Disengaged†– the story of a lesbian couple who stumbles into a hasty engagement on the eve of the Supreme Court’s ruling that legalizes same sex marriage and the ways that decision both strengthens and tests their relationship.

Later this year, Jen Tullock and Hannah Utt will team up again to star alongside actors Alec Baldwin, Judith Light, and Ludacris in a feature film they have co-created at Sundance Labs called, “Stupid Happy.”

And soon to be released as a Netflix original movie on April 6th, Jen Tullock joins Dave Franco and Abbi Jacobson in a film titled, “6 balloons†– a story of how a family struggles to deal with a brother’s heroin addiction and the pressures to enable his need for “just one more fix.â€

Listen for yourself to experience the talent and insight that oozes from one of our nation’s most promising up-and-coming LGBT artists.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Shouldn’t EVERY DAY be about love? How perfect that today’s show is dedicated to a discussion about the philosophy of love, patriotism, politics, and social justice with a man whose life, actions, and words are the very reflection of a fierce dedication to kindness, love, and compassion. Today’s guest is a United States Senator from New Jersey, and sometimes rumored potential 2020 Democratic candidate for President, Senator Cory Booker.

What I find most compelling about this public servant — above and beyond his dedication to an array of social justice issues that make my heart sing — is his non-apologetic devotion to love and his willingness to publicly proclaim his service to a higher good. That’s much of what our conversation centers around today, as Senator Cory Booker is the walking, living, breathing definition of what I mean by the need for Soul Force Politics in our country.

Our guest today is one of my favorite authors, Robin Wall Kimmerer, who gave us all the gift of her book, “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.”

Elizabeth Gilbert, who you know as the author of “Eat, Pray, Love,” fame calls this book “A hymn of love to the world.”

Gilbert goes on to describe the ways that Kimmerer takes us on a journey that she says is “every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise.”

This book’s indigenous wisdom became a guidepost on my own life’s path.  I’m excited to share Professor Kimmerer’s profound teachings and insights with all of you.

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.  She is SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment