Get Real or Die Trying with Amadon DellErba

In this podcast Amadon DellErba interviews Masud Olufani, a multidisciplinary artist, activist, & writer, based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a follower of the  Bahá'í faith; the host of “America's Most Challenging Issue” a podcast about racism in America; and the co-host of “Retro Report” a PBS prime time investigative news show that looks at news events through the lens of history. Together Amadon and Masud explore art, religion, spirituality, and the parallels between the Baha'i faith and Divine Administration. They discuss the blight of slavery and racism in American, and how it differs subtly in the lives of indigenous and First Nations peoples. A refreshing conversation between two truth seekers who have found a kindred spirit in each other. (GR\DT 23) You can learn more about Masud Olufani at his website: https://www.masud-olufani.com/ Listen to “America's Most Challenging Issue” podcast here: https://bahaiteachings.org/podcasts/americas-most-challenging-issue/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

In this podcast, Amadon DellErba discusses Ascension Science, the fusion of spirituality and science, and how this way of identifying truth can assist our spiritual growth process. He speaks about the parallels of the practical application of scientific approach to discovery of knowledge to spiritual ascension. He explores the question, “how can we be spiritually intelligent?” The term Ascension Science is found in The Cosmic Family Volumes, the continuing papers of The URANTIA Book, which Amadon quotes from in this episode. More information about The URANTIA Book and The Cosmic Family Volumes can be found at Global Change Tools: http://gctools.org Amadon DellErba is a student and instructor at The University of Ascension Science & the Physics of Rebellion in Southern Arizona. Founded in 1989 by spiritual leaders and teachers Gabriel of Urantia & Niánn Emerson Chase, the university is also known as Global Community Communications Schools, the schools of thinking, feeling, and doing. More information can be found below about -The University of Ascension Science & the Physics of Rebellion: http://uaspr.org -Gabriel of Urantia: http://gabrielofurantia.com -Niann Emerson Chase: http://niannemersonchase.org --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

In this podcast, Amadon DellErba interviews Sam Childers, the real Machine Gun Preacher. Childers is a full-time missionary and faith minister who remains loyal to God’s calling for him; to rescue children from the war-torn conditions of southern Sudan, Africa. He reached popular notoriety in 2011 when his autobiographical book, "Another Man's War" was made into a major motion picture called "Machine Gun Preacher" starring Gerard Butler. The excitement of Hollywood has come and gone, but through it all Sam Childers remains a dedicated servant of God. Today his outreach ministries include The Angels of East Africa, a non-profit aid organization providing a better future for orphaned children in Sudan; 5 orphanages, including Sudan’s largest, serving over 13,000 meals a day; and the 3C’S Church in Central City, Pennsylvania. You can learn more about Sam Childers, the Machine Gun Preacher, at his website: http://www.machinegunpreacher.org/ And his Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/MGP https://www.facebook.com/mgpsamchilders --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

In this podcast Amadon DellErba reads “Ode To My Mother” a poem he wrote for Niánn Emerson Chase. He pays tribute to this “Cosmic Woman of Grace” who many consider to be a modern-day living saint. Niánn Emerson Chase is a direct descendant of transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. She was raised in Arizona on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. She embarked on a spiritual journey 34 years ago when she met Amadon’s father, Gabriel of Urantia. Together they founded Global Community Communications Alliance, home to over 100 international full-time missionaries; and The University of Ascension Science & The Physics of Rebellion, the schools of thinking, feeling, and doing. Niánn Emerson Chase is a mother, a grandmother, and a life-long educator who continues to explore the deeper modes of thought. She is a spiritualized and humble intellectual. Amadon encourages everyone to read his mother’s writings which can be found at http://niannemersonchase.org --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

In this podcast, Amadon DellErba talks about the spiritual life lessons from boxing, UFC, MMA, and other combat sports. In the ring of life, we can learn a lot from the champions of discipline and self-mastery. Professional athletes display a level of fortitude and commitment to their goals that we can all use in life. We can have the same warrior mentality in life that fighters use in the ring. The attitude includes courage, focus, discipline, commitment, and passion. Amadon talks about some of the greatest figures in boxing, including Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr, Muhamed Ali (Cassius Clay), Ernie Terrel, George Foreman, Manny Paquiao, and Floyd Maywether. Being a champion can cause distortions in how we perceive ourselves. Success can bring a big ego, so it’s important to find humility and not get cocky. Using The URANTIA Book, Amadon explores failure and defeat; how to lose gracefully. Even when you get knocked down for the 10 count in life, you need to get back up, get in the fight, and adapt to the present moment. The past is useful only if it is used to prepare for the future. Our growth and goals in life can benefit from the lessons learned in boxing and other combat sports. We can build our spiritual muscles of virtue and character with the same focus and discipline as professional athletes and become Champions of Humility. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

In this podcast, Amadon DellErba discusses self-awareness and the importance of growing out of self-importance. In the pursuit of self-mastery we have to go through the painful process of ego death; becoming more aware of our true self and less invested in our false identity.  Self-importance, or the exaggerated opinion of one’s own importance, is a common problem in today’s society. Everybody can feel self-important at times, especially strong people who are competent and recognized for their talents and abilities. Self-importance often leads to isolation because people don’t value teamwork and interdependence. Our attitude towards life is key to our self-mastery. We can easily think our souls are flawed or cursed when really, we simply need to shift our thinking, from thoughts of presumptuousness to thoughts of gratitude.  Amadon pulls from other sources including Stuart Wilde, Viktor Frankl, Santeen, Gabriel of Urantia to further support his thoughts on and understanding of self-awareness. Lastly, Amadon shares a short passage from The URANTIA Book, illustrating how we can use humor to help us all take ourselves less seriously, while remembering the greatness and grandeur of the Creator.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

In this podcast, Amadon Dellerba discusses the Duality of Man: Human Nature vs. Spiritual Nature. Through recent self-work, he shares some prose that he wrote about his own personal shortcomings and his goals for overcoming his lower nature in the pursuit of his true nature. Part of getting real is revealing your weaknesses and claiming what positive strengths you want to attain. As Carl Jung said, "The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are." At some point, the duality of our higher- and lower-selves must end. Our ultimate goal is to move away from the struggles of duality, toward unity; the oneness of singularity. This totality is a state of true peace and spiritual maturity. It has been called enlightenment. Amadon's father and spiritual mentor, Gabriel of Urantia, calls this "being in the eternal moment." Amadon reads a passage from the The URANTIA Book on Jesus' attitude toward self-mastery, reminding us that "he who rules his own self is greater than he who captures a city. Self-mastery is the measure of a man's moral nature in the indicator of his spiritual development." --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

On this podcast, Amadon DellErba interviews Fitzgerald Pucci, host of the Deconstruct podcast. Together, they discuss a wide range of topics including masculinity, the role of balanced men in our society; alter egos, the facades and personas that we carry masking our true selves; and purity, the childlike qualities of wonder and being in the eternal moment. Amadon and Fitz talk about everything from Black Lives Matter, to the film "Burden" with Forest Whitaker, to Mike Tyson's podcast Hotboxin', to rapper DMX's orchid garden. In this first conversation, both men found the brotherly bond of two seeking souls in pursuit of higher truth. Pucci is first and foremost an emotional literacy educator. He is also a dynamic guest with infectious enthusiasm. He shares about his local activism in the rural parts of central Massachusetts and talks about how his podcast, Deconstruct, is a tool for unlearning what we think we know and examining how our society interacts, and why. Pucci talks about the concept of "Radical Trust" in the human ability to grow, which naturally complements Gabriel of Urantia's concept of "Radical Unity." Be sure to check out Fitzgerald Pucci's podcast, Deconstruct: https://anchor.fm/fitzgerald-pucci --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

In this podcast, Amadon DellErba talks about being a protector and the role of a man as a father and spiritual warrior to his family and loved-ones. He delves into the difference between being a provider versus being a protector and looks at the historic role of father/protector/warrior vs. the modern-day duties of spiritual protection and spiritual warfare. Amadon talks about the need to provide a sense of security and confidence and how insecure men can never provide security until they become whole and balanced. He talks about the role of a spiritual warrior in today’s modern culture and the rigorous training necessary to ward off spiritual threats. By holding a high set of standards and expectations, Amadon creates a safe and loving environment for his wife and children, as well as anyone who he encounters.  He shares about his experience as a father and the need to protect his children from unwanted influences that threaten to taint their pure and innocent souls. He also shares about being a protective husband, the trust that is required for a successful, loving marriage and how that type of protector differs from a man who can simply provide material comforts by making good money.  A warrior's love goes beyond physical protection. Ultimately, a spiritual warrior is a selfless servant that lives with a set of principles, ideals, and values that are centered outside of themselves and on the good of others. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

In this podcast, Amadon DellErba discusses confrontation vs. carefrontation and effective methods of conflict resolution through deep, meaningful communication. To be a righteous man or woman, we must have the courage and vulnerability to confront others, and be grateful when we receive correction. "Righteousness strikes the harmony chords of truth, and the melody vibrates throughout the cosmos, even to the recognition of the Infinite." ~ The URANTIA Book If we want to grow spiritually, we need others to confront us. We need those elders and teachers to hold us accountable for when we don’t live up to our principles and ideals. Material successful people use this technique of surrounding themselves with people who know more than them, pointing out their flaws and weaknesses. Amadon correlates this to having a physical trainer or coach who gives you feedback on your body and how we can use the same technique to promote our spiritual health and well-being. In our modern, politically correct society, no one wants to offend other people. Most want to maintain shallow, surface-deep levels of fakeness. They don’t want to get real and meet problems face to face, toe to toe. People don’t want to be confronted and they don’t want to confront others. They would rather say “I’m okay, you’re okay.” Conflict resolution is not just about resolving the outer conflict, but the conflict within your heart and mind. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable. The more you embrace conflict and deal with it, the less inner conflict you will have. Make yourself approachable to others. Ask people to confront you and give you feedback. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

In this podcast, Amadon DellErba looks at celebrity worship; the false idols that are looked up to in American 'culture.' He also looks at what constitutes a true hero, a selfless servant. Western society is addicted to social media like Twitter and TikTok. We idolize rock stars, movie stars, and sports stars... from the Kardashians to Paris Hilton. Fame and celebrity have become marks of material success. Not that we can't admire people's talents and abilities,but we should delineate between admiration and idolization. True heroes often go unnoticed. They are souls of service; people who inspire you to do better and be more fulfilled in your potential. True heroes rarely become well-know, with a handful of exceptions like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Gandhi. Most heroes are everyday people who are willing to serve selflessly. Nurses. Teachers. The guy who mows your lawn. People living humble lives. We should be most grateful for the heroic individuals that hold us to higher-standards and share their wisdom and truth. They are the ones who tell us what we don’t want to hear, who may even piss us off. Who provoke us to action when we are lazy. It is a spiritual principle of finding your spiritual elders; your mentors, teachers, gurus. Amadon also calls out the Instagram influencer culture of van-life, life coaches, and celebrities whose inspirational posts don’t really inspire, but rather perpetuate feelings of inadequacy.  He also shares about his own experience with celebrities and their hypocrisy. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

Amadon Dellerba gets real about hypocrisy - personally, in relation to systemic hypocrisy that is often found in religious organizations. There's a difference between our inner ideals and those that we share with others. When we set our goals publicly, we create the potential to be hypocritical. We fail at these goals, but must remain vigilant in our pursuit of self-mastery. Admitting hypocrisy is a good step toward overcoming. Life becomes harder, highlighting our failures. Loved ones and spiritual elders can be our greatest allies in recognizing those weaknesses and helping us to change. It's easy to live in narcissism, self-absorption, and self-righteousness. It takes courage to escape mediocrity. "When you pursue realness, you pursue a lifestyle of realization." Jesus exemplified this. The URANTIA Book talks about the Master’s life and His lack of pretense. He lived and spoke the truth, even when that sincerity caused pain and suffering. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

Amadon DellErba interviews Peter Bigfoot; survivalist, naturalist, herbalist, and legendary mountain man who lives deep in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, Arizona. Peter is founder & director of Reevis Mountain School of Self-Reliance. Amadon & Peter discuss the spiritual nature of embracing life’s challenges and their journeys of self-discovery. Peter shares stories and insights from his 40 years living away from society in the mountains of Arizona, including his near-death experience during his 1975 solo trek through the desert wilderness. They discuss metaphysical topics such as the mind being in control of the body, meditation, the body-mind vs. the spirit-mind, and the fact of our existence as eternal spiritual beings. They talk about getting real, taking action, practicing self-mastery, and having an "attitude of gratitude." Episode 11 is a beautiful conversation between two souls who have embraced challenges and allowed adversity to forge their unique characters. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

Amadon DellErba discusses white privilege and systemic racism in America. He recalls his experiences protesting injustice, police brutality, & the militarization of police across the country. He speaks from the heart “at the risk of being misunderstood and offending on this very touchy subject,” exploring the limitations of white people’s perspectives, recognizing their societal place of privilege, and encouraging them to seek compassion and understanding in order to combat the disease of racism, ultimately embracing the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind under one Creator. Black Lives Matter. White people cannot pretend to know what it is to live with present-day racism and transgenerational trauma. "The privilege that we have as white people is subconscious, and that's why it's so hard to teach to people.  Because you just grow up and you have it.  You don't realize you have it.  And you have to start being educated.” ~ Amadon DellErba --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message

Amadon DellErba interviews Brigitte Mars - herbalist, author of 14 books, professor, & natural chef with close to 50 years of experience in her field – to explore health in these times of global pandemic & the body/mind/soul connection to our well-being. Brigitte teaches Herbal Medicine at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado and The School of Health Mastery in Iceland.  She has taught at Omega Institute; Esalen; Kripalu; Sivananda Yoga Ashram; Arise, Envision and Unify Festivals; and The Mayo Clinic.  She blogs for the Huffington Post and Care2.  She is also a member of the American Herbalists Guild. Brigitte is the author of many books, including The Home Reference to Holistic Health and Healing, The Country Almanac of Home Remedies, The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine, Beauty by Nature, Addiction Free Naturally, The Sexual Herbal, Healing Herbal Teas, Rawsome!, and co-author of The HempNut Cookbook.  She has also produced several educational DVDs and her latest project is a phone app called iPlant that helps budding herbalists to identify plants in the wild. Amadon (a member of the board of directors for Avalon Organic Gardens & EcoVillage & Mystic Farms) and Brigitte discuss issues we are facing as a world community taking care of our health in the time of COVID-19.  Highlighting positive impacts this pandemic can have on our health consciousness, together they look at how the Coronavirus is revealing some of our unsustainable modern-world habits and the need for change. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getrealordietrying/message