The Next Chapter with Charlie

As a board member for the charity WELLS OF LIFE, Charlie is off again to Africa to oversee the well spring of support for this organization and their simple work of drilling wells for people without clean water.  Until he returns, here's a look back at what that incredible organization and its founder, Nick Jordan, and what they are doing to make a difference in the daily lives of so many villagers.

Stay tuned to hear more about their mission when Charlie returns!

Charlie is in Uganda with Wells of Life again. So stay tuned for some more updates and up-to-date reports. But while he's gone, here's another look (and listen) at one of his best where he examines some of life's basic questions.

Show Notes 

This week I intend the topic of core beliefs and how they evolve over a lifetime.

For example, when a person begins skiing, at any age, the slope provides a giant masterpiece to be explored and experimented with. After time, we find our paths and routes that we most enjoy and so we begin to use them more often. 

Before long our skiing experience begins to be limited to the grooves of the path we have laid and son that path becomes a rut which is quite difficult alter. 

Now take that example and consider that I have discovered that over the years we have lived the more ruts we have developed in which often there is little room for creativity and change. As a result our lives become comfortable and predictable, when all along there resides deep within a little imp pleading for change and new ways. Some hear that voice and some don’t.

I have read that is why retired people are attracted as a means of learning new ways of life and seeing people in other cultures. Their comfort zone is no longer quite as comfortable. Many of us long for something new and something exciting. 

But my question is, why wait for retirement? What if we were to attempt to broaden the scope of our lives to include adventuring into areas that were once unacceptable and even taboo? What if we were to experiment with other belief systems, other cultural styles of life, new activities, and a generally open mind to accept beliefs and ways of life that challenge our personal status quos?

You can get more information and regular updates from Charlie at thenextchapter.life

Show Notes 

My guest today, Marc Ottestad is all about connection—connecting people, connecting ideas or patterns, and connecting to God.

Marc is a “Next chapter” kind of guy because after 30 years of business leadership, Marc is entering a new season, one he is calling his “final act” and that is… coaching leaders one on one towards the freedom of being their best.

You can reach Marc at [email protected]

For more with Charlie Hedges please visit www.thenextchapter.life

Show Notes 

Today… I want to discuss a most disheartening subject. That is mental illness and homelessness in Orange County, and I want to give special attention to the recent events in Santa Ana. You see, until recently several hundred homeless people were living in the Santa Ana riverbed until the county forcefully removed them with no plan of restoration or providing temporary housing. And one of the results is that hundreds of homeless people have begun moving to the main streets of Santa Ana, hugely impacting business and tourism.

My guest today is my good friend Cynthia Sitton who is an especially experienced in this troubling chain of events. Her delightful art studio in downtown Santa Ana has become unwelcome and even frightful to anyone desiring to visit her amazing studio located in an area with a vigorous goal of rebuilding an inviting and professional art community.

Her knowledge of the subject of homelessness is vast as, for more than a decade, Cynthia has attempted to manage the life of her very severely schizophrenic daughter living homelessly and addicted to drugs.

You can reach Terry at www.cynthiasitton.com

For more with Charlie Hedges please visit www.thenextchapter.life

Show Notes 

My guest today is our good friend, Terry Hershey. If you’re a frequent listener of the show then you’re familiar with Terry, who is a regular guest. Terry is a prolific writer, conference keynote speaker, renowned landscape architect, and spiritual advisor.

Today, I want to chat with Terry about how to recognize all the hidden gifts in our life if we just have the eyes and heart to see them. I think we will also discuss that subject of Sankofa, which is al about “selective blindness.” 

So without further introduction let’s welcome Terry Hershey on the show 

You can reach Terry at www.terryhershey.com

For more with Charlie Hedges please visit www.thenextchapter.life

Show Notes

Today we are honored to have with us from Sardinia, Italy Elena Perella, founder of Sentidu, which is an original life coaching process she developed after years of study and personal experience.

Elena says that since she was a child she has been very sensitive to other people's suffering, which awakened an interest in human behavior, that later became a real passion.

She received a Master’s degree from The Netherlands, in Latin American Studies with a focus on Literature and Cultural Anthropology. Her study helped her to better understand the reasons and dynamics that cause people to act as they do.

Her work in international environments reinforced her natural openness to people from diverse backgrounds and beliefs, and fine-tune her abilities to understand people's emotions and be receptive to them.

Elena then decided to move back to Sardinia, Italy, where she went on to further shape her own business, Sentidu Life Coaching.

To wrap up this introduction I’d like to read Elena’s description of her work:

“In creating Sentidu my life experiences were fundamental because it is from those experiences that I relate to my clients. I suffered from a severe depression, eating disorders and I was also a victim of domestic abuse. By coaching myself throughout them, I changed my life and felt inspired to support people who are ready and eager to learn about themselves.”

With that said let’s move on to Elena Perella. 

For more on Sentidu please visit sentidu.com

You can reach Elena at [email protected]

You can get more information and regular updates from Charlie at thenextchapter.life

Show Notes 

Today we are going to discuss a newer movement that I am seeing in our society today, especially with Millennials and, oddly enough, retiring Baby Boomers. I’m observing that movement as one going from the American ideal of Making Money to one that is more concerned with Making a Difference. I’m calling this show, From Money to Meaning.

My guest today is Mike Olsen. Mike was a successful Civil/Structural Engineer and Project Lead at an engineering firm when he decided earlier this year to accept to a full time role as Operations Manager of the non-profit, Wells of Life. This new job requires ten hours each day in addition to work on the weekends. And he did this all for a significant reduction in salary.

So I wonder… what in the world drives the Mike Olsen’s of the world to make such a decision 

Listen in on the show to discover some fascinating alternative lifestyle choices.

You can reach Mike Olsen at [email protected]

Please visit Wells of Life at www.wellsoflife.org

You can get more information and regular updates from Charlie at thenextchapter.life

Show Notes 

For the last three shows I have attempted to discover the basic tenets of atheism, theism and a form of Hallucinogenic Spirituality, all in an effort to understand how people approach their inner and outer lives.

After the three shows aired Paul asked a handful of people their impressions of the show. The overwhelming response was: we just don’t really care at all about religion or politics—both are so messed up. 

So Paul and I at the last minute decided to take on this subject, no notes, no plan. Except: to talk about why so many people are not interested in voting, declaring party affiliation and even more important the subject of God. 

The result was a fascinating discussion. I hope you enjoy.

You can get more information and regular updates from Charlie at thenextchapter.life