May 16, 2015 – Archives/Pod Casts Hour 1 – Hour 2 – Hour 3
Hour 1: OPEN DISCUSSION with John J. Higgins and Barb Adams on Being of Service…What’s Love Got to Do with It?
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandi.
Being of service…what does it mean? Being of service means to do the bidding of a person or group of people for whom you are “in service.” In everyday terms, it implies being neighborly, volunteering, helping others out when they need help — to voluntarily put yourself into a role to fill a need for others in order to raise them up. It’s about putting ego aside and allowing the greater love for humanity to come forth.
The term public servant is often used when referring to elected officials. We elect individuals to represent us. They, in turn, are then considered to be “in service” to us. The act of public service contributes to our democratic ideals of an engaged citizenry that the Founding Fathers recognized as vital to our form of government.
Whether as individuals or as public servants, service before self (setting aside personal interests) is the essence of what it means to be “in service.” Our Founding Fathers understood this principle, risking their lives and fortunes to form this great American experiment. George Washington “…was known to have initially declined a salary of $25,000 per annum and had wanted to serve the nation as a pure public servant. However, he accepted it on compulsion and made a serious attempt to cut down on all other royal extravagant practices.” Additionally, Washington…”preferred the prefix ‘Mr. President’ to all other titles that were suggested.” (From http://constitutionday.com)
Unfortunately, political corruption runs rampant, and today we have far too many examples at the local and national levels of leaders who have forgotten what being a good public servant entails. Rather than serving the greater good, they serve themselves and those special-money interests who helped buy their candidacy.
In order to make government more honest, more responsive, and perform better on key issues, we must remind ourselves of what being a good public servant encompasses. We must hold our public servants accountable and understand that good government begins with good people…individuals who are willing to serve for the greater good of all.
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “You don’t need to be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace…a soul generated by love.”
Join Barb and John as they discuss Being of Service…What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Hour 2: OPEN DISCUSSION with John J. Higgins and Barb Adams on The Power of Humor
When things get you down, laugh! Laughter has often been called “the best medicine,” and rightly so. It increases happiness and intimacy while strengthening the immune system, diminishing pain, and protecting you from the ravages of stress. Humor is infectious – in a good way! And best of all, it’s free!
Shared laughter is one of the best tools for keeping us healthy at the physical, social and mental health levels. It’s a powerful way to heal not only physical ailments, but also resentments and arguments. Laughter unites…especially during difficult times.
Additionally, humor is a social corrective. In her paper, Comedy and Democracy: The Role of Humor in Social Justice, author Nancy Goldman points out that Americans “…have a long tradition of critiquing the dominant forces in society and ridiculing those in power. Since American society was built on the ideals of democracy but is awash in the realities of social and political imperfections, comedy can bring awareness to these discrepancies in a way that we can hear,” and affect change. (From http://animatingdhtemocracy.org/resource/comedy-and-democracy-role-humor-social-justice)
Join Barb and John as they share their own humorous perspectives on life and politics.
Hour 3: Dr. Angelo Volandes
Joining the show during the final hour is physician and researcher at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Angelo Volandes. Dr. Volandes will be discussing his book, The Conversation: A Revolutionary Plan for End-of-Life Care.
Despite billions of dollars invested in medical research and development and technological breakthroughs in American healthcare made to prolong and improve the lives of patients, a devastating statistic remains. Two thirds of Americans die in healthcare institutions tethered to machines and tubes at bankrupting costs, despite research that shows 80 percent of Americans would prefer to spend their last days in their homes surrounded by loved ones.
Dr. Angelo Volandes has an important message that everyone needs to hear, and he proposes to turn end-of-life care upside down. In 
The Conversation, Angelo wants patients, families, and doctors to place greater emphasis on the oldest trick in the black medical bag — talking to each other. Repulsed by the number of end-of-life patients who die in hospitals at exorbitant costs, Dr. Volandes will discuss the urgent need for doctors, patients, and families to join together to determine care objectives, to discuss the validity of life-prolonging care, as well as the need for completing living wills and health proxies.
Dr. Angelo E. Volandes is a physician and researcher at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also the founder of Advance Care Planning Decisions, a nonprofit organization devoted to encouraging The Conversation through the use of videos. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.
For more information, please visit: www.theconversationbook.org and www.AngeloVolandes.com.
NO CALLS, THIS SEGMENT WAS PRERECORDED.
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