The Seven Stones Blog

“One’s own thought is one’s world. What a person thinks is what he becomes−That is the eternal mystery.” –The Upanishads

There are many, many books about the power of our thoughts. A few that come to mind include The Power of Positive Thinking, Think and Grow Rich, As a Man Thinketh and The Secret. And even back in pre-Buddhist India, mystics were telling us what we think we become . . . So why do we need to hear this message over and over?

Maybe these sages just want to remind us that we actually created the life we have right now the good and the bad of it. We are responsible for who we have become. We tend to look at the actions we took or the decisions we made or the circumstances that have shaped us. Yet as we took action, made decisions and lived our circumstances, our thoughts were always there, making assumptions, assessing, monitoring and running the show.

Quite frankly, no self-help book is going to change that. This blog won’t even change that. However, maybe there will be that one thought you have for the 400^th or 4000^th time, and you may find the space and pause. And, in that pause the thoughts may hang back, and we may start to feel connected to something other than what we always thought to be the truth . . . here, it can be a great time to ask:

What am I thinking right now?
Are these thoughts nourishing me?
What thoughts hold me back?
What is my daily running monologue?
What if I assumed positive regard at all times?
What possibilities or options become available as I quiet my thoughts?
What new thought can I experiment with today?
What will I create in this moment?

When we pause our ever-thinking mind and look to a new view a new way, we can create anything. And I mean anything.

Have fun trying on new thoughts.

Seven Stones is a leadership journeys company founded in 2009 by Gina LaRoche and Jennifer Cohen. Our learning programs, coaching practice, organizational consulting engagements and groundbreaking thought leadership work are all designed to help bring about a world that is loving, courageous and just. 9 Damon Mill Square, Suite 2H | Concord, MA 01742 [email protected] | (617) 531-3548 ©2023 Seven Stones Leadership Group Website by Avenue 4 Design Collage artwork by Gina LaRoche

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4 Virtual Learning Sessions plus 6-month Racial Affinity Group Experience

For this learning path, you will participate in the 4 virtual learning sessions and be enrolled in one of three Racial Affinity Groups:

1) People who identify as People of Color (Black, Indigenous, Asian, Hispanic)

2) People who identify as Bi-Racial or Multi-Racial

3) People who identify as White

*More specific affinity groups may be formed upon the completion of course registration

We believe that it is important to do our own work with people with similar racial experiences to build capacity for cross-race dialogue that supports authentic relationships and deep belonging for everyone. We will ask you to self-select into the group that best aligns with your racial identity. We recognize that for some this is not a simple choice and we are available to have a conversation with you to support your selection.

Together we will:

Reflect personally and collectively on the impact of embodied trauma, separation, scarcity and disconnection.
Work in learning partners and/or small groups for the sake of holding each other accountable and deepening our learning through multiple disciplines.
Engage in embodied practices for unwinding from the impact of racism in order to build stamina, capacity, and resilience.

Where: Online Zoom Sessions

Time: 11am-12:30pm ET/8am PT/4pm GMT*

When: 5-Sessions scheduled between Sept 28, 2023 – Jan 26, 2024 (see below)

*All sessions will run from 11am-12:30pm ET.

Racial Affinity Group Schedule
Thurs, September 28, 2023 — 11am-12:30pm ET	Kick-off/ Authentic Communication
Thurs, November 2, 2023 — 11am-12:30pm ET	Unpacking Our Racial Autobiographies
Friday, November 17, 2023 — 11am-12:30pm ET	Self-Compassion
Thurs, December 7, 2023 — 11am-12:30pm ET	What is Sustainable Abundance?
Thurs, January 25, 2024 — 11am-12:30pm ET	Inclusive Leadership

Course Registration

Upon registration, you will be directed to our online community space, where all aspects of your program will live, including: pre-work, event links, and a space to connect with fellow participants.

4 Virtual Learning Sessions Only

These four learning sessions will provide you with a new view and innovative framing of the problem as we see it. Below is a brief description of what will take place in each session:

Learning Session 1: Why Context Matters
In session one, we look at our individualist narratives and the impact of not understanding the context in which we exist.
Learning Session 2: Unpacking Trauma
In session two, we discuss individual and collective trauma. We define trauma and look together about our current systems of inequality and how they evoke trauma-like responses in so many of us.
Learning Session 3: Global Anti-Black Racism: A History Lesson
In session three, we get a history lesson like none other: we explore the global slave trade as the foundation for our current economic model.
Learning Session 4: Understanding Power
In our last session, we examine power; power structures, our relationships with personal power; the importance of learning a healthy relationship with power when so many of us have had power abuse in our lives.

Where: Online Zoom Learning Sessions

Time: 11am-1pm ET/8am PT/4pm GMT*

When: 4-sessions scheduled between Sept 21, 2023 – Jan 18, 2024 (see details below)

*All sessions will run from 11am-1pm ET.

Learning Session Schedule
Thurs, September 21, 2023 — 11 - 1pm ET	Why Context Matters
Thurs, October 26, 2023 — 11 - 1pm ET	Unpacking Trauma
Thurs, November 16, 2023 — 11 - 1pm ET	Global Anti-Black Racism: A History Lesson
Thurs, January 18, 2024 — 11 - 1pm ET	Understanding Power

Course Registration

Upon registration, you will be directed to our online community space, where all aspects of your modular program will live, including: pre-work, event links, and a space to connect with fellow participants.

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