Barbara Berger & Tim Ray’s Newsletter

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How my Karma became my Dharma

It’s really interesting how Life has a way of revealing our pathway to us, even if it doesn’t always work out like we imagined it might. In my case, the two new books that just came out by me are a living example of this truth:

My autobiography
My Road to Power – Sex, Trauma & Higher Consciousness
And 
Healthy Models for Relationships –The Basic Principles Behind Good Relationships with Your Partner, Family, Parents, Children, Friends, Colleagues and All the Other People in Your Life

The first book – my autobiography – is really about my karma, my background, the path Life presented me with in my early years, my running away from home at an early age in protest against the Vietnam War and how my husband Steve and I went underground and ended up getting political asylum in Sweden and how I then moved to Denmark…  So yes it was a long and traumatic road for many years indeed.

But one of the really interesting things I’d like to share right now, is the connection between my autobiography and my other new book “Healthy Models for Relationships”. Because the truth is there’s a deep, important connection between these two books. And the connection is – what does it mean to come from a dysfunctional family like I did? That, obviously, was my karma… which led to my life’s work (my dharma!), trying to understand how we can relieve human suffering and help humankind live together in peace and harmony. A heartfelt desire that stems all the way back to my childhood and the dysfunctionality of my family of origin. So I had to start from the beginning and ask what, in fact, is a dysfunctional family or relationship? What does it mean for one’s life and development? Which led me to study and explore and discover what healthy relationships actually look like… which is what I write about in my second new book.

The short version of what I discovered is that in healthy relationships there is respect for the basic human rights of each individual member to be who they are, as well as healthy boundaries and clear, respectful communications and agreements between family members. If you are in doubt as to whether or not you come from a well-functioning or dysfunctional family or whether or not you are in a healthy or dysfunctional relationship, my book “Healthy Models for Relationships” provides a checklist for comparing your relationships to healthy ones.

For more, see either or both of my new books “Healthy Models for Relationships – The Basic Principles Behind Good Relationships” and “My Road to Power – Sex, Trauma & Higher Consciousness”.

Love,

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NEWSLETTER NO. 136 / APRIL 2022

Our Mental Health and the War in Ukraine (spoken article)

Written by Barbara Berger. Narrated by Marie T. Russell.

Our Mental Health and the War in Ukraine

Never before in human history have we had access to such graphic pictures, photos, images and stories in real time about what is going on with our neighbors just down the road (so to speak) in Europe. Never before have we been able to see, feel and experience up close the utter devastation and horror that is unfolding in the lives of so many of our fellow men and women right now. But today, thanks to television and social media, we are able to do this. We are able to experience all of this horror in real time. And it’s utterly heart-breaking. Utterly heart-breaking…

So therefore, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s okay to be devastated, sad, depressed, outraged, horrified, enraged, angry, disappointed, confused, terrified, helpless, anxious, fearful, ashamed, desperate… and whatever other words we can put on the desperation we are all feeling every time we watch the news or look at our smartphones. It really is overwhelming… it just is… to see all the slaughter and destruction unfolding in Ukraine right before our eyes. What can we do but feel devastated and let our souls weep and mourn in the face of such utter madness and disregard for human life? This is the only natural, human response… this is what it means to be human. So yes, we can weep and weep we must. We must allow ourselves to be human and feel and mourn… because in truth we are one human family. And these are our brothers and sisters.

And then, at the same time, so many of us are trying to keep the high watch and remember all the love and goodness that exists at the same time in the world around us. And we can also focus on all the stories of bravery and kindness coming out of Ukraine and Poland and the surrounding countries and of all the people who are trying to help in whatever way they can wherever they are. And then we can also remember and notice the everyday goodness and kindness of so many of the people we meet every day wherever we live in the world. Yes, that is there too. Right in front of our eyes.

So yes, perhaps this is what it means to be human today… to walk the tightrope between utter despair and hope. To wake up each day trying to do whatever we can – each one of us – wherever we find ourselves to bring forth this inherent goodness, this original goodness in ourselves and in every person we meet on our pathway. Because yes, we are all one human family. YES WE ARE STILL ALL ONE HUMAN FAMILY!

Blessings to you wherever you are in this mad, crazy world...

#ukraine #freeukraine #peace #stopwar #healing
Barbara

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NEWSLETTER NO. 135 / MARCH 1, 2022

FREEDOM FOR UKRAINE!

Faced with the outrageous Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are all asking ourselves – what can we do? How can we help?

As far as I can see, these are the things we can do:

- Go to Ukraine and fight! If you are strong enough physically and have the courage, you can join the Ukrainian people’s fight for freedom and democracy. There is no better cause than this and you will be a true hero forever.

- Become a volunteer helper on the borders of Ukraine and join the many people in Poland and other countries who are welcoming the millions of refugees who are fleeing death and destruction.

- Donate money to support the above.

- Donate money to the various charities to help provide food and medical aid and assistance to all the people who are suffering inside Ukraine and who are fleeing.

- Pressure our governments to send more aid.

- Pressure our governments to send more weapons to Ukraine.

- Pressure our governments to put even tougher sanctions on Russia.

- Volunteer wherever you live to help the various charities raise money and other forms of aid for the people of Ukraine.

- Welcome refugees from Ukraine to our respective countries and help them in any way we can.

- Continue to take to the streets and demonstrate in front of Russian embassies and other Russian buildings and businesses around the world for Russian forces to immediately leave Ukraine.

And finally, PRAY FOR PEACE:

Let us pray for the good people of Ukraine. Let us envision the return of peace and stability to this tormented country. May the people of Ukraine find peace and security again in their lives. May there be safe havens on their pathways, wherever they are. Let us keep them in our hearts and minds and send them love and peace and healing. Blessings to the people of Ukraine, now and forever more. #Ukraine #peace #blessings #prayforUkraine

Love to all our brothers and sisters inside and outside Ukraine,
Barbara