Better Place Project with Steve Norris

Dr. Kyra O’Keeffe, PhD, is an educator and speaker who celebrates love, or the direct experience of our shared being. 

She earned her masters degree in Educational Neuroscience at Harvard University and her Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences at Stanford University, where she studied ego—or “the performance of the separate self”—in the American educational system. She then taught at Stanford, before leaving to pursue her own spiritual aims more fully. In 2019, she met Francis Lucille and Rupert Spira, who shared their understanding of the ancient wisdom of non-duality, which delivers the freedom, peace and happiness that lives eternally at the heart of our being.  Now, she is joyfully celebrating love—or the direct experience of our shared being—with anyone and everyone who is interested.  

She shares this message through juicy stories, simple observations, at-home experiments and a fierce blend of modern research and ancient spiritual wisdom.

To learn more about Dr. O'Keeffe, please visit:
https://kyraokeeffe.com/

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit:
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
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Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
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To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

Today’s story brings together NFL star Anthony Harris and a grieving 11-year-old girl named Audrey Soape.  Unfortunately, Audrey lost both her father and her grandfather in the months leading up to her church’s father-daughter dance.

In an inspiring act of kindness and compassion, Harris flew to Texas to give young Audrey a night she will never forget!

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit:
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
(Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

Today’s story was submitted by Joseph J. Mazzella to Sunnyskyz.com and reminds us to cherish every moment we have while we’re still here.  

Mazzella reflects on his childhood growing up across the road from a 4-H Camp where he would swim, play basketball, ride his bike, play in the woods, and above all, get a quarter from his Nana and buy himself, as he describes it, "a sweet can of Coca Cola to quench my thirst and lighten my heart."

In Mazzella's letter, he talks about what he would tell that boy now if he could go back in time. And his message is sage advice for all of us.

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit:
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
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Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

We go back to Baltimore for this week's Feel Good Friday Episode, where we tell the story of Brandon Jones' quest to cook his dying mother-in-law's favorite broccoli tempura, that she used to order from Ekiben restaurant every time she came to town.

Brandon sent an email to the Chef and Co-Owner of the restaurant, Steve Chu explaining the situation and asking for the recipe.  Steve immediately responded and said that he'd drive the 6 hours to meet Brandon and his wife Rina, and personally cook the food for his mother-in-law and serve it to her hot and fresh!

One small victory for humanity!

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit:
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
(Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

In this tear-jerker of an episode, Steve tells the story of soccer star Ian Wright's surprise meeting with a long-lost teacher who had meant the world to him, and who he thought had died.  Ian describes him as the first positive male role model he had had in his life.

His teacher, Sydney Pigden, was an ex World War II fighter pilot who had flown over Buckingham Palace at the end of the war.   He told Ian, that he was more proud that Ian played for England, than him flying over Buckingham Palace.

This episode is dedicate to my Mom, my brothers Jim and Mike, and my sisters Karen and Anne, and all school teachers past and present who are making such a huge impact in the world.

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit:
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
(Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

Believing in the "Transformative power of the ocean," Dan Fischer sought solace surfing the waves of Newport, Rhode Island after the death of his father and a close friend.  After one of those surf sessions where he had written his father's name on his surfboard, he decided to do a Tiktok video inviting others who had lost someone, to send in their names, he'd write it on his board, and take them out for "one last ride."

His video went viral, and before he knew it, the healing power of the ocean was not only healing him, but thousands of other people mourning the loss of a loved one.

"I've spent many nights sitting out there alone at sunset, connecting with the beauty of nature to heal," Dan says. "Now, I have thousands of loved ones joining me…it's truly hard to explain just how truly moving that is for me. I just hope to help in some small way."

For more information, please visit the following links:
Website: https://www.onelastwaveproject.com/
Tiktok: @OneLastWave
Twitter: @OneLastWave
Instagram: @OneLastWaveProject

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit::
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
(Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

Dr. Rich Blundell is an ecologist working at the interface of art, science, nature and culture. His research examines how transformation happens across the scales of person, place and planet. As a cultural communicator, Rich tells a scientific story of the universe that includes art and human creativity as natural phenomena. Dr. Blundell’s research and work has received numerous grants and awards including, The National Science Foundation grant for Science Out There, the Michael Brinkman Award, and The Deep Time Values video award for An Earth Story. Blundell’s creative video work has appeared on PBS, National Geographic and his art has hung in numerous galleries. 

In this episode, we chat about:

* Ecological Intelligence - “The intelligence of nature as expressed through human thought and action.” 
* Earthling Theory and what makes us human?
* Philosopher Michael Polanyi's Tacit Knowledge
* Embodiment
* Enactivism
* Dr. Blundell's work with Rita Leduc at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest 
* The connectedness of Art & Science
* The usage of Block Chain and Crypto in the Art and Science world.
* Oika
* Climate Change
* Science vs Spirituality

For more information on Dr. Rich Blundell, please visit: https://oika.com/

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit::
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
(Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

This week’s story shine's a light on one of the most courageous humans you will ever come across, Nathan Ogden.  Back in December 0f 2001, Nathan, an accomplished snow skier, accustomed to catching big air, was hauling down the mountain and launched himself off a huge jump soaring more than 30 feet in the air.  But this particular jump went horribly wrong and Nathan crashed, crushing his spine, leaving him in a wheel chair and endless hours, days and months ahead of him to regain the use of his arms and hands.  Through all of this, Nathan held hope that one day he would walk again.

That is until an unfortunate series of events that led to Nathan breaking his neck a 2nd time, this time even higher up, wiping out all the work he had done for 13 months to regain the use of his hands and arms, and leaving him permanently paralyzed.  But even that didn't stop Nathan from going on to accomplish so many amazing things that most of us only dream of. Listen to this inspiring story where Nathan teaches us that we can do virtually anything we choose in life, in spite of the sometimes overwhelming obstacles put in front of us.

To donate to his charity, please visit:
ChairTheHope.org 

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit::
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
 Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
 (Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

Encore Presentation of this Better Place Project Global Storytelling Series!

Irmela Mensah-Schramm is a 75-year-old activist who set out to erase symbols of hate in the world. Often referred to as “Graffiti Grandma”, she’s spent the last 3 decades removing and covering up Nazi imagery and racist graffiti in Berlin, Germany. She’s removed 88,300 Neo-Nazi stickers since 2007 and continues to fight against racism and discrimination. 

In this episode, Irmela describes her experiences growing up in post-World War II Germany and the events that led her to find purpose in removing racist and xenophobic graffiti. We hope that her extraordinary story will leave you feeling inspired as we begin the new year. 

 If you wish to make a donation, visit www.hass-vernichtet.de

Song credit for this episode: "Liebe" by German band Neufundland

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit::
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
 Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
 (Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]

This week's 7-minute feel-good short story is about the NHL Hockey Coach, Brian Hamilton who was working on the bench of the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken's match when I determined young medical student named Nadia Popovici, who was sitting right behind the bench, noticed a peculiar mole on the back of his neck that she thought might be cancerous. 

So, she decided to type him an urgent message on her phone saying "The mole on the back of your neck is possibly cancerous.  Please go see a doctor" and she held her phone up to the plexiglass while pounding to get his attention.  Well, she certainly got his attention.  Enough so, that he decided to go get it checked and sure enough, the doctor diagnosed him with stage 2 malignant melanoma, and told him "You definitely have an angel looking out for you."

Excerpt from the podcast: "What I love about this story is it completely stems from one human’s concern for another…a complete stranger nonetheless.  We are all truly in this together.  Many of us would have said 'who am I to intervene in his life regarding a private matter like this?' and never said a word.  But when Nadia’s concern for Brian’s well-being, was stronger than her desire to 'stay out of it,' or just 'not get involved,' both her world and Brian’s world suddenly shined just a little bit brighter. She has taught us that a small act of kindness, compassion, concern for a fellow human being, not only has the power to make someone’s day, it literally saved someone’s life. "

To become a Better Place Project Member (and receive free BPP Merch) and support our show, please visit::
https://www.patreon.com/Betterplaceproject

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:
 
 Website: BetterPlaceProject.org
 (Leave us a voice message directly from the home page of our website)

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj
 
 To follow Steve & Erin on Instagram:
@SteveNorrisOfficial
 @Erinorris

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast

Email: [email protected]

To stay connected with Better Place Project and for updates and behind the scenes info, please follow us on social media:

Website:
https://www.betterplaceproject.org/

Instagram: @BetterPlaceProj

To follow Steve on Instagram
@SteveNorrisOfficial

Facebook: Facebook.com/BetterPlaceProjectPodcast
Twitter: @BetterPlaceProj
Email: [email protected]