A Peace of My Mind

“Now I’m able to think twice before I say anything or do anything.  I deal with each individual for where they at. So I would say that I am a different person today then what I was 17 years ago.” Pete Russell was convicted for the murder of his girlfriend Tanjala Brewer and has been an inmate on Texas Death Row since 2003. While he was in prison, he embraced meditation and authored the book, Texas Death Row Yogi. Pete: […]

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At Carleton College last week, we asked, “When have you been your best self?” We were hosted by the Office of Intercultural and International Life and on Tuesday, 53 students, faculty and staff stopped by to share their response. You can view the collection in the video below or continue scrolling down to see all of the individual responses. Carleton College 2019 from John Noltner Photography on Vimeo.

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It’s important that we celebrate examples of success. Our world is filled with challenges, many of them daunting. And it’s important that we address those challenges honestly and directly. But we also need to believe that something better is possible and we do that by acknowledging the times we have gotten things right, amplifying those examples and using them to guide our way forward. Last week we joined The Forum on Workplace Inclusion in Minneapolis and asked, “When have you bridged […]

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Last Tuesday night we filled the house (Squirrel Haus) to celebrate A Peace of My Mind’s 10th anniversary. I was touched to see so many people in the room who have helped to nudge this project along through the years. People who have shared their stories, designed our exhibits, edited the books, helped fund our Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns, hosted programming, brainstormed ideas and kept me awake with phone calls during cross-country drives. It was a night to celebrate and […]

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As a 20-something and a brand new parent, I sat with the pastor of my church and explained to him that I had always wanted to be a part of a church that had a global vision. I wanted to be involved in a group that could offer service to the world, whether it be a health clinic, micro-finance, education or a building program. My pastor listened carefully and then replied, “John, I think that’s a great idea.” I was […]

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When the Methodist church voted this week to uphold its opposition to gay marriage and gay clergy, I though immediately of Jarell Wilson, who started his interview by saying, “I am a black gay man living in the south, and I am a Christian.” More specifically, he is a Methodist. Jarell talks about the weight of carrying all of these identities “in a society that is not welcoming of two-thirds of my identity.” Yet he also talks about the beauty […]

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I’m good at looking forward. I like to set goals and strategize. I enjoy dreaming and planning and striving. Every time I reach a goal, three more goals take its place. Every time I climb to the top of a hill, I see a bigger hill and wonder what the view would be like from there. The hills become mountains and I’m beginning to think I just like climbing mountains. I’m not so good at looking back. Karen and I […]

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To get our new video, click here…but keep reading for a special discount. Happy new year! I learned a lot of things in 2018. Top of the list? I can’t be everywhere. I know it’s true, because I tried. Last year, A Peace of My Mind led programming in 20 states. I drove 40,000 miles and flew even more. I crossed the entire country three times in one week and learned that scheduling will always be messy for this project. […]

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