I’m glad you found us!

A Brief Personal Introduction.

I’m Beth Banning and I’d like to tell you little bit more about myself and why I’m willing to sit in front of my computer exploring the world via the Internet and write these blog posts. I love it, that’s why. I have found this to be one amazing way to investigate new things, develop my own personal understandings, and to share what I know with others.

I am a student of life. Always have been and always will be. My passion is people. I just love us! We are extraordinary, diverse magnificent beings. I’m very curious and interested in our behaviors, motivations and our interactions with one another. This is been true for me as long as I can remember.

The Road I’ve Traveled.

I clearly remember the moment that I decided there was something missing for me in the way people interacted with each other. It was in junior high school during a riot. In those days, sadly, riots were commonplace. I watched my younger brother being pushed down the stairs. This was a terrifying moment for me and also a turning point in my life. I began questioning… What is causing this? Why is everyone so angry? and my questioning has continued to this day.

Because I love people, learning and experiencing life. And I love sharing, giving and contributing anything I can to others, I have made this my life’s work. So in this blog, I will offer understandings that Neil and I have developed, I will offer practical strategies that I have personally used to create a life I love and because I continue to search I will also offer new and useful tips that I find along the way.

My Commitment To You

I offer all of this with love and to support you in boldly exploring your life, consciously choose what works best for you, and live your life authentically and with integrity for the highest good of all concerned. I believe with all my heart, if each of us take 100% responsibility for creating the life we desire, the world will be transformed from one of eat or be eaten to a world that works for everyone. Where we as human beings can live our true nature– where the joy of contributing to each other flourishes and no one goes without. I am here for you.

With love and appreciation for who you are and what you contribute to the world,

Beth

To expand on my introduction in our first post a little bit…

As long as I can remember I’ve been a “seeker of truth.” I’ve explored many different ideas, philosophies and religions on my journey down this path. And, while I am no by no means a scholar of world religions, I’ve dipped my toe into the waters of most far Eastern, Middle Eastern and Western religions, as well as a number of the esoteric and mystical traditions.

At one point in my past I was quite involved in the Full-Gospel / Charismatic / Fundamental Christian religion, even holding the post of Chairman of the Deacons. But at this point I would probably describe myself as another “spiritual but not religious” type (to help further overuse that now almost trite “personal profile” description.)

On my journey I’ve practiced what we quoted Buddha as saying: “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it…” Though, I first heard it articulated in Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians, where he tells us to: “Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.”

Exploring the definition of “good” hastened my departure from the “religious” practice of Christianity as it is exercised today. My exodus came about primarily as a result of the religious reliance on moralistic dogmatism as a way to control the flock, rather than teaching people to depend on that “indwelling spirit” which is able to practice the discrimination that both Buddha and Paul talk about.

So, my journey in large part has been about developing my personal ability to discern the difference between what I’ve been taught and what I can discern as true from myself. And to be able to hear the still, small voice inside that knows this difference, in spite of the roar of those who claim authority.

This has been my quest to discover and hold fast to what I can know as true.

So how does all of this “abstract analysis of the global picture” relate to a New Age Self-Help blog?

I am immensely grateful for what I’ve discovered along this path, and the amazing differences these things have made in my life. My desire to contribute these insights and understandings to others is what leads me to express them in ways that can help others develop the practical skills they need to create lasting transformation in their lives.

I’ve come to believe that this quality of transformation in a person’s life requires a fundamental shift in thinking from the moralistic dogmatism that is in the “air” which most people breathe in and out every day. This kind of “right/wrong”, “good/bad” thinking is the foundation that supports our culture’s belief in scarcity, domination and its practice of “survival of the fittest.” It is the cause of most of what’s least fun for people in the world today.

I think it will be the dawning of a New Age when people learn to throw off the mental shackles of our cultural heritage by learning to think for themselves, as Buddha and Paul suggest. It seems to me that this is an “inside job.” No one else can make a person do the “observation and analysis” necessary to “test all things.” This is a Self-Help journey.

My commitment is to support your success in moving father down your path, wherever your still, small voice may lead you. This New Age Self-Help blog is the latest addition to the tools we’ve created to help you do that. I hope this effort supports your success and I hope to hear your suggestions about the ways it could do that, the ways that it does, and the ways it doesn’t.

Committed to Your Success,

Neill Gibson

Welcome to the first of many New Age Self-Help blog posts. Our goal in this blog is to provide you with personal growth and professional development skills and techniques to help you improve relationships, increase self-esteem, support full self expression, relieve stress and reduce anger so you can lead a happy and more satisfying life.

In this post, we’d like to take the time to introduce ourselves and give you an idea of what’s important to us about these topics.

We are Beth Banning and Neill Gibson and we will both be writing posts. We each have very different styles of writing and thinking. So even though we usually end up in similar places, the roads we travel to get there can be quite different.

Neill is more analytical, abstract and typically a global-big picture kind-of-guy. Beth is more linear and typically uses more everyday language, and is definitely a glass-half-full kind of gal.

As we said in the About Us section of our blog, we believe that the shortest path to a happy life is found through conscious choice. Our mission is to play a significant role in supporting the global evolution toward greater consciousness that supports a shift from the belief in scarcity, domination and “the survival of the fittest,” to a global culture that embraces the values of abundance, prosperity and inter-reliance–one that promotes “the evolution of everyone.”

We are confident that the most effective way for this shift to happen is one relationship at a time, beginning with the relationship we have with ourselves and then extending that shift out to the people in our lives.

Our vision for this blog is to share with you what we’ve learned along our journey. Our desire is to support you in the process.

You may find some of the information we offer in our blog will be familiar to you, while some will seem radically different than what you’ve learned in the past. You’ll probably agree with some of our opinions, be shocked by others, hopefully inspired by many, and possibly even irritated by a few.

As Buddha said:

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe anything because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything because it is written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

Whatever your reaction or response, our goal is to offer ideas that promote conscious conversation, inspire conscious action and to create a more conscious world. We look forward to your comments and questions, and the opportunity to support you in your personal evolution and your ability to create more happiness in your life and your world.

With Love and a Commitment to Your Success,

Beth and Neill