Activist for the soul, Eileen Flanagan’s latest book hits stands

Eileen Flanagan is a teacher and a writer. But much more than that, she is an activist for the soul. Any notion to the contrary will quickly be dispelled upon reading her latest book, “The Wisdom to Know the Difference: When to Make a Change–and When to Let Go.”

Released from Tarcher in September 2009, the book turns the Serenity Prayer into a practical guide to a more peaceful and productive life. Flanagan interviewed many fascinating people about how they figured out the things they needed to change in their lives or in the world around them and what they needed to just accept and let go. The book talks about all kinds of personal issues like divorce, career change, illness to things that have a broader social impact such as racism.

Flanagan’s second book, it is already receiving praise. “Chocked full of Quaker wisdom and everyday stories that become parables in Flanagan's hands, this is one of those rare books that give us as readers permission to be–to fully and completely ‘be,’" says Phyllis Tickle, author of numerous books on spirituality. Suzanne Farnham, who founded Listening Hearts Ministries and co-authored Listening Hearts and Grounded in God, writes, “Down to earth with strong spiritual underpinnings. This book draws from actual situations of real-life people as they struggle to become their true selves

Flanagan, a mother of two, leads workshops on spirituality and teaches in the Liberal Arts Department of University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She spent time in Africa with the Peace Corps, where she experienced the “great inequalities of the world.” She also worked for a non-profit organization that was advocating for a national health care system in the United States, a job that taught her “much about the dynamics of influencing change.” A few years of full-time activist work made Flanagan realize the importance of spiritual grounding, so she became a resident student at Pendle Hill, a Quaker retreat center in Wallingford, PA, where she began to write, something she had enjoyed since childhood.

Flanagan is, herself, an example of someone who lived the Serenity Prayer and learned early to have courage to make changes. Raised Catholic in the Philadelphia area, she left the Church in her freshman year of college when she realized she wasn’t sure she “believed everything in the Profession of Faith.” For several years she felt closest to God in the woods, but eventually found her spiritual home with the Quakers. Interestingly, her husband is Catholic and they are raising their children both Catholic and Quaker.

“When you live from a place of trust, every aspect of your life becomes easier. You waste less time stressing about a flat tire or a cranky toddler, and have more energy to spend where it can make a difference. The purpose of my writing is to help people develop this trust,” Flanagan says.

A few people interviewed in the book that you might have heard of include: Dan Gottleib, family therapist and Philadelphia radio talk show host, who shares what he learned about accepting the things he cannot change from the car accident that left him paralyzed; Hilary Beard, who explains how she developed the courage to leave a deadening job to fulfill her purpose as a bestselling author; and Hal Tausig, founder of Untours, who shares how going bankrupt as a cattle rancher prepared him to found “The Most Generous Business in America.”

Others interviewed in the book include: Melvin Metelits, who explains how surviving cancer helped him find serenity and reconnect with the insights of his Jewish tradition; Malik Mubashshir, who finds the similarities and differences between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam’s teachings on taking action and letting go; and Rob’Bin White Morton, a Katrina survivor who describes learning inner peace the hard way.

Flanagan’s writing is smooth and unobtrusive, peaceful and unencumbered. There is no flash evident, just thoughtful rumination, with an excellent command of the craft of writing. She weaves between and among stories effortlessly, creating a crescendo that culminates in a picture of the resiliency of the human spirit. For example, she writes about Philadelphian Hilary Beard, who had a successful corporate career, but wanted to pursue something creative, like writing, that was totally opposite from the vision her family had for her:

Meanwhile in her spiritual support group Hilary was learning new spiritual principles, like the idea that how you think affects what you manifest in your life. She decided to test this concept by imagining the life she really wanted as a writer, making a collage that represented her dreams, and forming a group with a few work colleagues who also wanted to change their lives. “We got together and applied business strategic planning to our personal lives,” she explains. “I created objectives, goals, strategies, and measures of success for every area of my life.” Going through her objectives, she realized that she had the skills and self-confidence to achieve everything she wanted. The only problem was that she didn’t really trust that God would support her if she became an artist.

Many will enjoy this book, which chronicles the way people, like you and me, make some of the toughest decisions in our lives. This book is a testament to the human spirit and Flanagan is the perfect author for it. She neither gets in the way of the writing or the subjects nor does she try to coerce an opinion on the reader. She leaves enough spiritual space for the readers to go on their own soul-searching journey, to reflect on their own strength of character. This quiet space for thoughtful rumination is a gift for any reader, especially given the cacophony of shrill voices in the media that are mainly ego-driven. Flanagan’s gift should be enjoyed by everyone.

For more information on Flanagan and her speaking engagements/workshops, please go here.

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Checkmate: Weaver’s Way Chess Club Captures Admirers

Negotiating life can be challenging, but learning how to negotiate a chess board might help you through life’s adversities and quests.

“I attribute my success in business to the success I’ve had playing chess,” says Maarifa Roho, a self-employed multi-business owner who runs the Weaver’s Way Chess Club.

“In the sales realm, there is an opening where you have to establish a rapport and lead the sale along to the next level. The opening can last days, weeks, years or ten minutes, the same as in chess,” he says. “In the middle game, you’ve established a rapport, and now you’re trying to guide your prospect through to the end game, which is the close. I’ve seen a lot of sales people, just like chess players, who get to the end game and can’t make the sale, can’t put away an opponent of equal strength.”

Roho’s enthusiasm for the game is evident. At 44, he’s been playing for about 20 years, having started while living in San Francisco. Up until about three years ago, he managed the Franklin-Mercantile Chess Club in downtown Philly. When Weaver’s Way wanted to re-launch its chess club, Roho jumped at the opportunity.

The weekly meetings, which began earlier this summer, take place on Monday nights, 6:30-8:30 pm, at 555 Carpenter Lane, Mt Airy, Philadelphia. Beginners (like me) and experts show up and enjoy the camaraderie. “My vision is to keep it fun and add in things that people are searching for, such as a casual league, tournament play, and maybe a second night,” Roho says. He’s even thinking about having a marathon night and an “online” night where people bring their laptops and play.

The game of chess began in India around the 6th century, although some accounts trace it back to 2nd century B.C.E. China. In India, the game was known as chaturanga, which translates as "four divisions of the military" – infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariotry, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. It spread quickly to Arabic countries, where the pieces were abstract representations because of religious restrictions on human representations. From Moorish Spain, realistic and abstract pieces have been found, reflecting the confluence of Christian, Jewish and Muslim peoples. The game eventually made its way throughout Europe.

Chess was a favorite among royalty and the upper class, and considered a sign of cultivation. Knights in the Middle Ages were expected to excel at it. Women of leisure took to the game because it could be played indoors while seated. It was, in fact, one of the early equalizers between the sexes.

Religious leaders in all early cultures periodically banned the game, as it was lumped in with other games of “chance” (spectators used to bet on moves). The latest prohibition came in 1979 when, after the Iranian revolution, religious leaders banned the game for 10 years because it was considered too intellectual. For the most part, however, religious leaders throughout time have turned a blind eye on the sanctions, particularly among the upper class, which allowed the game to remain popular, spread to various cultures, and eventually take hold with the middle class.

The game as played today bears a remarkable resemblance to the original, although the pace is much quicker today. One of the more interesting developments, however, has been the emergence of the queen, replacing the general, an advisor to the king. One of the first reports of a queen dates to the early 1300s. In the book “Birth of a Chess Queen: A History,” Marylyn Yalom posits that as historical queens became more powerful, so did the chess queen. Initially, the queen could move only one space diagonally, the same restriction put on her predecessor, the general. But by the time Queen Elizabeth I sat on the throne of England in the late 1500s, the chess queen was the most powerful piece on the board.

Historically, more men than women play chess, including at Weaver’s Way Chess Club. Roho encourages women – and girls – to come out and play. Boys as young as 7 years old have shown up (including my 8-year-old son). It’s a lot of fun and the seasoned veterans are generous with their knowledge. “If you’re a beginner, get all your pieces active and try to control the middle,” says Arn Specter, an activist for peace and social justice, and an excellent chess player whose strategizing strengths in chess translate well to his maneuvering in Washington. Roho also suggests reading Lev Alburt’s books on chess, written for all levels.

I’ve looked at some books (not Alburt’s), but don’t like that they all contain pages and pages of chess board mock-ups. I told Roho that I want to read a book that is mostly text, to better understand the game. He said, “You need to get in the habit of visualizing the board and visualizing your move before you make it.”

My beginning game has improved since attending the chess club, and now I’m trying to develop my middle game. In the mean time, my son and I are having loads of fun playing, learning, and meeting other chess enthusiasts.

Sweet Muses

Sweet Muses

All the hallow’s eve
Spirits like bats unfold
Their black hearts wings
Swoop down on you

Tender is the dark moon
Full of secret promises
Whispering ancient air
Right here right now

Kiss the muses tender
Hold out for more of more
Bury me with sweet breaths
Till I never say no

Tight within the long day
Open as summer breeze
Friend to loyal secrets past
Squeezing hugs from thin air
Pouring out your hard earned love
Like window for wind

I stand straight and solid
Under the mystic rock
She cradles time forever
Carrying my body clock
The streetlights blink
We all scramble one and all
Searching for the mirror image
Within the hallowed walls

Secrets kept and shared aloud
Whispered through the mist
Caressed alone and with sweet muses
I long to long not long for long...