Lenedra Carroll on Terrorism and Charity: Jewel’s mother/manager talks to Steve McCardell Since the arrival of her album Spirit, I’ve been curious about Jewel Kilcher’s brand of spirituality. I wondered just what her ideas were, and how she came to them. In particular, I noticed her close relationship with her mother and manager, Lenedra Carroll, and decided that Ms. Carroll must have a fascinating story all her own. With the recent release of her book The Architecture of All Abundance, I found that I was right. With its descriptive subtitle, Creating a Successful Life in the Material World, the book itself has much to offer any reader. I eagerly plowed through its three hundred-plus pages in a week, tackling about one section a day; these sections include Ms. Carroll’s thoughts on various "architectures" — of Life, Stillness, Prosperity, the Workplace, Health, Love, and the Soul. The book is a delight because it looks at each area not in some theoretical or abstract way, but with real-life examples that show how she applies the principles to different areas of her life — and how these principles never fail. The stories inspire and entertain. I was lucky enough to add to the book’s depth by speaking with Ms. Carroll directly about our current world events, and how they relate to topics in the book. Talking with her in mid-October, I asked of her thoughts about September 11. She told me, "Interestingly, both Jewel and I were in isolated places when it occurred and we weren’t aware that it happened. In my case, a few hours after it happened, someone called and told me. … It was a very surreal experience to have, in a way, missed that, and for both of us to not have seen those images." But as she returned and began speaking with others, she found that many people want to know most of all what they can do. She reflects on this: "It seems to me that one of the most important things we can do is understand the passion that has been moved and awakened in us … that we can use to drive the opportunity to be peace." This reflects a theme in her book: that we cannot merely speak of peace to promote it, but that we must become that which we want our world to be. She speaks frequently of being the peace that we want for our world. She says that if individuals stand for peace, then they might "begin that difficult and exciting and rewarding process of being in a life that is peace, in each action, in each moment, in our thoughts." Then we can start to surrender everything that isn’t about that. On the broader scale, there is the question of retaliation that many people wonder about. Is it right to strike back in war? Is it right to let an evil pass by without addressing it? Are there other ways to address it than war? Ms. Carroll shared her insight: "When a bully makes an act of aggression, as has occurred here, perhaps it is sometimes necessary to take a strong action back, to show what the boundary is. I’m not against a strong action to show boundaries. I would prefer that that strong action would be in the hands of a world court that would search out and bring the bullies to justice. Terrorism is such a problem in the world now that I think it is long past time that we have a world court that is just, and that is comprised of men and women of wisdom. I would certainly call for that to come out of these times." But then she returned to the human level, applying the topic to our individual lives, as she seems adept at doing. "I think the incident allows us to take a look at our relationship with fear, because terrorism is essentially an attempt to gain attention or to control by striking fear, and we can see that that’s primary in the ongoing reaction, in how the media and people respond. There is a great deal of fear, and people are altering their lives drastically because of their fear. It’s good to use the opportunity to alter our lives, but not if it’s our fear that drives that change." She refers to our fears in all areas: in relationships, abundance, and health, for example. She playfully — but seriously — calls these our petty tyrants, for we are held in the tyranny of our egos and our agendas, our self-criticisms. "In these ways we terrorize ourselves and others, and these more subtle acts of terror really have a great deal of effect in the erosion of the quality and fulfillment of our lives." Now, though, she sees people really questioning all of this, even those not generally given to introspection. She believes that if we can just use these events as a mirror, to look inside and learn just where fears lie, we can consciously choose what changes need to be made. We can use the power of these events to help us commit to these changes. Of course, one of the things that have emerged from all this is people’s newly awakened generosity toward certain charities, notably the Red Cross. In her book, Ms. Carroll explains in detail the efforts made by Higher Ground for Humanity and its environmental branch, the Clearwater Project, the charitable organizations she founded with Jewel. I am intrigued by many of the projects that Higher Ground for Humanity supports, but I’m absolutely taken with the Clearwater Project, which addresses perhaps the primary health concern. (The World Health Organization says that "a lack of clean drinking water has become the number one health epidemic in the world.") I believe in addressing root problems to sort out the many surface problems, to face the symptoms. By working to provide the world with safe, clean water, the Clearwater Project is doing that. But it does not attempt this by throwing money into unknown and uninspired situations. Rather, it determines exact needs for a given area, and makes the people of that area accountable for their own well-being once they have been given a leg up! That means that communities receiving help must become involved in the planning, funding, building, and long-term maintenance of their new water systems. Education is a big part of this effort. In addition to the many Clearwater Project successes outlined in her book, Ms. Carroll told me that the group just returned from a venture in Tibet. This project involved building a dam to increase the size of the community pond, and installing a piping system that brings water from the mountains down to the people. She explained that the water offered much more than something to drink; the people have so little food, and this water allows them at last to grow crops. And there’s more: the water was used to mix cement, and the people were able to build an unfinished school building. The dam is now used to generate electricity for both the school and the local monastery; with this electricity, the monastery is able to provide a couple of rudimentary guestrooms, which in turn can provide them with some income. This is the kind of "generative" solution that the Project promotes, and that Ms. Carroll calls for in her book when we give in any way. Thus, not only do money and hard work provide solutions, but the solutions form more solutions, and good spreads. It is more than a handful, no doubt, tackling all that Lenedra Carroll does. Today she runs a company called the Mani Management Group (managing not only Jewel, but also a number of other authors, screenwriters, and performers), as well as the charitable organizations. Managing one famous singer would probably feel like full-time for most of us. But sticking to certain principles that she applies in all her business endeavors, and knowing how to stay centered through it all, Ms. Carroll seems to keep a good grip on life. She feels her purpose, knows her direction, and shares her techniques openly. Extending far beyond the details of how we might respond to the drama of September 11, she indeed gives a blueprint for finding success in life in the material world, and, I would argue, in our spiritual lives as well. After all, the principles she offers are really spiritual truths, and these truths applied make for success in anything we do. To learn more about Lenedra Carroll, her book, events, and more, please visit <http://www.lenedrajcarroll.com/>. Photo by West Kennerly. Steve McCardell reviews spiritual and holistic book titles on his Web site, <http://www.spiritbookreviews.com/>.