Shine On! by Deverick Martin In the last month, I have had the opportunity to attend two international conferences: one on science and mysticism, and the other on spirituality. Both events had several hundred attendees from many walks of life. It was very affirming to experience at the heart level that the themes shared in The New Times are being discussed among always-broader audiences. We all know that things are changing fast — and that the rate of change is increasing — but is our map of reality keeping up? An anecdote that I heard recently concerned a time when a group of Natives who had never encountered Europeans first saw a sailing ship. At first, only the shaman knew what it was; no one else knew what to make of the large object with its huge sails. Only when it was close enough so that the images of men were discernable and the men began loading onto small boats similar to canoes did the Natives understand what they were seeing. When our ancestors believed that the world was flat, experiences and information were used to validate that reality. What happens when what we see and feel isn't supported by our map of reality? How could we benefit from expanding our framework of what is possible to enable us to better understand our life experiences? There are extraordinary things happening around us. How can we validate for ourselves an understanding of what is going on? I believe that there are compelling reasons for expanding the possibilities of the reality in which we exist. On the following page, former Seattleite and longtime New Times supporter Rita Louise returns to our pages to offer a perspective on helping us shift our viewpoint and rediscover our multidimensionality. In the interview with him on page 16, local teacher and author Christopher Love speaks of illusion, ego, healing, and awakening as steps to finding "a place of service to humanity that fits [one's] individual nature and higher life-purpose role." If you would like to deepen your personal experience of and connection with who you are, Cat Saunders, beginning on page 30, offers a strategy of using simple writing exercises to tap our creativity. On page 6, Mark Goodman shares suggestions from Marshall Rosenberg on how we can transform relationships by listening differently. In her last article as a staff member, Jane Lister Reis, based on her interview with Matthew Fox, offers four specific ways that we can hold our light when the "powers that be" around us are not receptive to the light we shine. Last month, Jane resigned as a New Times staff member. Over the past two years, she has blessed our work to the point of spoiling us in many ways, adding an expanded spiritual dimension to our work and freely sharing her life energy to accomplish many of the tasks required to produce our publication. I suspect (and dearly hope!) that you'll continue to see more articles from her, like the aforementioned "Letting Our Light Shine" on page 8. I have the deepest gratitude for Jane. I know that her loving spirit will continue to touch the lives of those fortunate enough to come in contact with her. I wish you much love and many blessings, dear Jane! The new shining light at The New Times is Sheila Warnke, who joined our staff last month. She brings great vitality and enthusiasm, as well as many years of marketing experience. Give Sheila a call if you'd like to tap her expertise in marketing your business. One more light to watch is Cristiana Marinescu of Bellevue, who last month launched a "women’s publication for growth and wellness," Women NetWork. From what I see, she is off to a great start, and her publication will be a welcome addition to our community. Congratulations, Cristiana!