TAKE “THE OTHER” TO LUNCH

TED TALK BY ELIZABETH LESSER

Submitted By:Mit KotechaPGP30207Personal Branding

WHO IS ELIZABETH LESSER ?• CO-FOUNDER OF OMEGA INSTITUTE, THE US’ LARGEST LIFELONG LEARNING CENTER FOCUSING ON:

• HEALTH

• WELLNESS

• SPIRITUALITY

• CREATIVITY

• SOCIAL CHANGE

• AUTHOR OF ‘BROKEN OPEN: HOW DIFFICULT TIME CAN HELP US GROW’ AND ‘THE SEEKER’S GUIDE: MAKING YOUR LIFE A SPIRITUAL ADVENTURE’

• FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LESSER HAS WORKED WITH LEADING FIGURES IN THE FIELDS OF HEALING—HEALING SELF AND HEALING SOCIETY.

• FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS, LESSER HAS SPEARHEADED OMEGA’S POPULAR WOMEN AND POWER CONFERENCES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

TALK IN A NUTSHELLElizabeth explores

two sides of Human nature within us

The Mystic The Warrior

This Talk can be harnessed to elevate the way we treat each other

Elizabeth shares a simple way to begin real dialogue

with “the other”

With someone who doesn’t agree with you Ask three simple questions to find out what is really in their hearts

Luncheon Technique

ELIZABETH’S TWO CONFLICTING PERSONALITIES

The Mystic The Warrior

• Trying to peer beyond what Albert Einstein called "the optical delusion of everyday consciousness.“

• Her years as a mystic have made me question almost all my assumptions.

• They've made me a proud I-don't-know-it-all.

• When the mystic part jabbers on and on like this, the warrior rolls her eyes.

• This part is concerned about what’s happening around in this world right now.

• As a warrior Elizabeth has done quite a few things in her life – she has worked for women empowerment, political issues, etc.

It is crazy-making to house both the mystic and the warrior in one body.Elizabeth has always been attracted to those who pull that off.

“THE OTHER”

This word is being demonized by our culture and has created a division

amongst us.The way one can become a Mystic Warrior, one should also respect and deal with

“the other” in the same way.

There shouldn’t be any “the other” for anyone.

RARE PEOPLE TO WHOM ELIZABETH IS ATTRACTED

The Mystic The Warrior

Mystic Warrior

• Housing both the mystic and the warrior in one body and have pulled that off

• Who devote their lives to humanity with the grit of the warrior and the grace of the mystic

Concept of “Ubuntu” - "I need you in order to be me, and you need me in order to be you."

"The problem with the world is that we draw the circle of our family too small."

"I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be this is the interrelated structure of reality."

Learning These three Mystic Warriors were not born with any Saint Gene. In reality we all have the same capacity as they did, we jus need to do their work now.

NEGATIVE OTHER-IZING: REASON FOR VIOLENT EXTREMISM"Four-and-a-Half-Years of Struggle Against Lies,

Stupidity and Cowardice."This was the first title for the Adolf Hitler’s book - “Mein Kampf”.•  "Mein Kampf" -- "My Struggle" -- the book that launched the Nazi

party.• The worst eras in human history, whether in Cambodia or

Germany or Rwanda, they start like this, with negative other-izing. • And then they morph into violent extremism.

That is why Elizabeth is launching this new initiative of Taking “The Other” to Lunch

NEW INITIATIVE : TAKE “THE OTHER” TO LUNCH• WHY THIS INITIATIVE ? --- TO COUNTERACT THE TENDENCY TO “OTHERIZE”• WHY LUNCH ? --- AS WE ARE BUSY PEOPLE• WHO ALL TO TAKE TO LUNCH ? --- IF YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN, YOU CAN TAKE A

DEMOCRAT TO LUNCH, OR VICE VERSA• WHAT IF ONE LOSES ONES APPETITE BY THIS IDEA ? --- START MORE LOCAL, BECAUSE

THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF THE OTHER RIGHT IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD.Anyone whose lifestyle may

frighten you, or whose point of view makes smoke come out

of your ears. -Is eligible for this Lunch

The Luncheon Technique

GUIDELINES TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION ELEVATED• DECIDE A GOAL : EXAMPLE – YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW EACH OTHER AS YOU MAY

HAVE NEGATIVELY STEREOTYPED THE OTHER

• SET A FEW GROUND RULES AND AGREE UPON THE SAME WITH YOUR LUNCHMATE

INSIGHTS FROM THESE LUNCH SESSIONS

• HELPS IN ESTABLISHING TRUST ON “THE OTHER” AS THESE SESSIONS ALLOWS BOTH PARTIES TO POUR THEIR HEARTS OUT AND UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER BETTER

• PERSON STARTS BELIEVING IN THE SINCERITY OF “THE OTHER”

• IT ACTS LIKE A FIRST-STEP TOGETHER TOWARDS THE ‘UBUNTU PLACE’ WHERE SOLUTIONS TO MOST INTRACTABLE-SEEMING PROBLEMS CAN BE FOUND

SO ARE YOU TAKING “THE OTHER” TO LUNCH ???

Things one needs to know before taking this Initiative

It is a Slow Process

Difficult to Initiate

Ubuntu work is slow and reaching there is

even more difficult

Because• It's two people dropping the pretense of being know-it-alls.• It's two people, two warriors, dropping their weapons and reaching

toward each other.