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In this, “Best Of” series,” Robert asks listeners, spiritual practitioners, leaders, and mentors to reflect on ways to be more inclusive. He suggests modeling by those in positions of leadership to reveal how they integrate tendencies to idealize their own religion or spiritual teaching.
Join Robert in the final episode of the series regarding spirituality and religion. TMC continues to discuss the role of certainty in our religions and spiritual paths. Robert shares many of his own personal stories with his teachers to highlight some minor and major ways in which he experienced the dangers of certainty. How in many cases, the rigidity and demand for full compliance within the group ultimately led him to turn away from the communities themselves. While you listen, perhaps his experiences resonate with your own.
Including Uncertainty On The Path You’re On – Episode 52 Access the full episode . . .
This week on TMC Robert focuses on the importance of seeing the dangers of certainty as it applies to religious spiritual approaches or even anti-spiritual approaches. It is like putting on a blindfold and not differentiating between faith and being 100% sure. Being open to inquiry actually expands our ability to create a deeper faith with humility and a greater more grounded sense of humanity. In addition, each of us has the potential inspiration of including our doubts as alternative views of how to love.
Understanding the Perils of Certainty – Episode 51 Access the full episode . . .
Robert and Dave continue the topic of spirituality and how our deepest beliefs affect not only us individually but the health of the planet as a whole. Robert believed at 18 that what he most desired was to become awakened. He believed that he could sidestep the fear and realness of death and firmly grasp the ultimate truth with such work. He found instead a great reverence for not knowing and shares his deeper insight of cultivating faith with a healthy amount of doubt.
The Wisdom of Doubt – Episode 50 Access the full episode . . .
Robert encourages us this week to really do our best to listen to our most heartfelt selves. Let us bring as much realism as possible to our imagination of caring for ourselves, our nuclear families, our global family, and our precious planet earth. We have not been taught to do this or how to do this. In this episode, we are given guidance. If we can expand our caring we can begin to embrace our global challenges. It is not required for us to be from a particular religion or spirituality.
This week on The Missing Conversation we continue to penetrate into the dangers of exclusive teachings and the benefits of inclusiveness and unity. Gain insight with Robert and Dave as they open up about some of their early experiences with the charismatic guru archetype. They discuss the risks of blind faith in leaders who do not hold themselves to the integrity of their teachings and how seductive it can be to let yourself believe fully without any healthy doubt. If I just surrender here, all else will be taken care of for me.
Building Modern & Inclusive Spiritual Traditions – Episode 45 Access the full episode . . .
All the messengers of the key religions have an immense value and a unique angle from which they have something priceless to offer. In this compelling episode, Robert explores the idea of being aware of our conditioning and offers an alternative narrative where we can both observe our own wisest individual responses to our lives and return to the core values of our greatest teachers. We often become indoctrinated in our religions and we are so frequently shown how to live in a way that is quite isolated from our hearts and simple wisdom at a young impressionable age.
How much have you wondered about the purpose of your life? What’s the reason for your existence in this world today, tomorrow and in both small and large ways? Perhaps, as Robert explores, everyone’s purpose can be fulfilled if we really understand and live with a greater sense of inclusiveness. Simply put, it’s a way of caring for people outside your circle of friends, your family, or your communities. It’s caring for our endangered planet; it’s caring for those in utter poverty and those who need our help the most.
Why is inclusiveness the purpose of our life? – Episode 43 Access the full episode . . .
Almost every religion in the world says that its teachings are the key to helping humanity. In this episode of The Missing Conversation, Robert explores just how much of our actions match what we have to say about our religious teachings. Pause for a moment and think about the percentage of our wealth that’s going toward bettering humanity and the planet. Now, what percentage of that wealth is inclusive — how many people are genuinely struggling to get help, to be given work opportunities, housing and a chance to live in a way that can be dignified, no matter their religious and spiritual affiliations?
If one were to examine and study the core tenets of every major religion or spirituality around the world, they would most likely find a shared sense of compassion, caring for others, and love. Yet, even with these profound similarities, people tend to view those not from their religion as different from them. In this episode of The Missing Conversation, Robert talks about the importance and benefits of inclusive faiths that share international values.