I have been quiet in this space the last month – During that time I have been busy getting my daughter settled into college, transferring my professional license, and writing Soul Translations. The latter is what I wanted to talk about today. From the start my focus for Being the Difference has always been about taking control of one’s personal story in order to create change at a broader level. In the Hawaiian spiritual belief of Ho‘oponopono I was taught that when you clean up a “spot” inside yourself you clean it up in everyone in the entire world. In taking a course in Landmark many years ago they talked about personal transformation spreading to transformation in family, then friends, then the community, and then globally. In my work with Lauri De Julian there is the idea that each of us in our meditations act as node of sorts, and that we can connect with each other across the world to spread our intentions using each other as anchors. As always, the same concept may show up in slightly different forms – from practical “earth anchored” to aetheric and “sprit anchored” and everything in between.
The Soul Translations are a means to all of this. They are, in the words of Henry Nouwen a form of “Spiritual Hospitality” – a form of deep listening where the person I am talking with “becomes curious about their own nature.” When I do a Soul Translation my objective is to become an open space for another person’s heart and spirit. I will notice patterns in what they say and my own heart, mind, and soul work together to tap into the person’s internal language. The language of metaphor and symbol that resonates within them and within which their personal history that they are is combined to find their essence, their values, their own purpose and passion and to make all of this transparent for them.
I have been told that the Soul Translations have revealed to those who have received them aspects of themselves they were unaware of. That they were inspired by the person that they encountered within the writings. That the Soul Translations shines light on the darkness and shows the path they have taken and may still be on to be and live their highest self and purpose.
I have been honored to work with those who have opened their Akashic Records to me, the collective wisdom of their lives, so that I may, through my best efforts, allow the wisdom of their lives to be open both to them and to others that the Soul Translations are shared with. For the Soul Translations provide a collective wisdom of multiple lives and the gift I have been given and developed over years to bring them to the surface of this present world allowing the potential growth and learning for others to show up and resonate with those who read them.
Below is a “mini-translation” I did with Abigail Pansacola – a therapist in the Los Angeles Area – which I am sharing with her permission.
In her own words: Josh, this is so wonderful. Thank you so much. I realized that as I was reading it, I felt like I was reading about someone else — someone that I was in awe of. Then I caught myself and felt a little silly. I love the idea of a soul translation – because these may not be words I live up to on a daily basis, but through them you really captured the essence of my inspiration and joy. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love it.
All I Needed to Know about Social Justice I Knew at Seven (The Capacity to Love and Grow)
Her push for Social Justice came early
At seven overhearing her father’s friend talking
Of his inability to express his love freely
Without fear of death or imprisonment
Born in the Philippines
Living in Saudi Arabia
Already having lived with the freedoms of the United States
She could not accept that just because on person
Loved another
That others should ever be able to decide that the love they shared
Should be punishable by death
And so at seven it began
A thirst to right inequities
While building the capacities of individuals, communities, and even countries
To be open for growth and change leading to the free expression of love
And the possibility for all to develop themselves as the unique individuals that they were
Dr. Hanning
Her parents activists
She learned from them
To seek mentors who would further her understanding of her own capacity
To act as force for growth, transformation, and infinite possibility in the world
She did not necessarily know this when she began to study with him
She just knew that what he taught, how he taught
It resonated deep within her, excited her,
Inspired her to take action
For in his teachings she recognized the truth of what he said
That there is Infinite Importance of a human being
Just because they are
A Human Being
In that she also recognized in herself
Her Infinite Importance
As a Human Being
To develop that knowing in others
Mission Statement: To Develop the Power and Strength of Individuals, Organizations, and Communities to Recognize their potential and Reach it
However, Her Vision Reaches Further Than This
She has the capacity to hold vision for others who have not learned to see themselves
She knows what each human being is capable of
However her vision reaches further than this
She sees the capacities of organizations to foster and develop positive change
She sees the gaps and imperfections
Recognizing within those organizations the possibility of so much more
However her vision reaches further than this
Writing a grant she developed the possibility of voices in a community
Not just any community, Skid Row
To begin the process of envisioning who they will be in 2050
She has the capacity to hold vision for communities who have not learned to see themselves
Forty years out
However her vision reaches further than this
Each day she strives to build her ability to see the capacities of individuals and communities
Further and further out
Each day she takes what she learned at Seven
Each day she sets forth to develop the possibility
for an individual and a community to see themselves in love
for an individual and a community to see others in love
And still her vision reaches further than this
Conversations
Understand
She has always taken her conversations of compassion and justice
To the places on the map where others fear to tread
At Seven the conversation was on the rights of others to love who they love
While living in Saudia Arabia
at a time where even those conversations could be dangerous
That was simply the first conversation
Femicides in Mexico
Service in action in Los Angeles Prisons
Community leadership with parents in impoverished communities
She is always creating conversations for change for justice
Creating conversations that build individuals, people, and communities
Breaking the Broken Window Effect
It started as a parenting group
She developed the group’s abilities
To see their own part in their families
To recognize their own roles as leaders to their children
She encouraged them to see themselves as more than just parents
More than just leaders to their children
She encouraged themselves to see themselves as leaders in a community
In which their children would grow
She encouraged them to see themselves and their children as she saw them
As human beings capable of infinite growth
As individuals worthy of infinite love
Simply because
They were human
Together, she and they fixed the windows of a community
Information about Soul Translations will be coming to Being the Difference soon as well as other testimonials regarding their positive impact on those receiving them – for now if anyone is interested in this service you can message me, Joshua Potter-Efron, on Facebook or email at jpottere@gmail.com. A Full Soul Translation consists of a 60-90 minute conversation and generally has a minimum of 8-12 pieces of poetry/story connected to them. At this point I am providing them for 120 dollars although this may be moving up to 150 dollars as the process tends to take 3-4 hours minimum including both the initial interview, the process of writing, and small edits/changes after the initial completion.