Episode 221 - Journey of Compassion

Dianne Waltner grew up in rural Kansas where her Mennonite family ran a poultry hatchery. An introverted, highly sensitive child who was bullied and ostracized at her small school, Dianne always felt a sense of solidarity with the underdog, which ultimately led her to challenge the paradigm she was raised in. Her journey through cognitive dissonance, feelings of loss & rejection, depression, self-medication with alcohol, and her ultimate redemption is told in her book, Evolving Into Wholeness – A Journey of Compassion. Through her self-discovery and its unavoidable companions, pain, courage and dark nights of the soul, Dianne ultimately chose to align her life with her deeply held values of compassion for all. Dianne is an ordained Animal Chaplain and Main Street Vegan Academy certified Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator (MVLCE). These are some of the many things we talk about in this episode: •How quickly humans become desensitized to the suffering in the world •The spiritual path is about becoming ourselves not the living out the patterning of our parents and culture •What is cognitive dissonance •The compassionate nature of our inner child •The struggle associated with breaking away from family norms (especially if you are loved) •Self-care/love versus will power is at the root of quitting unhealthy habits •Connection to all life supports loving the self •Changing habits like diet or drinking isn’t about giving up, it’s about gaining •The Animal Chaplaincy program - what the program is about and what people are doing with it (starts around 35 minutes) Websites: https://diannewaltner.com/ & https://evolvingintowholeness.com/ Memoir: www.amazon.com/Evolving-into-Who…ion/dp/B08WZMB9CL Email: dwaltner@icloud.com Animal Chaplaincy Program: www.compassionconsortium.org/training Main Street Vegan Academy: https://mainstreetvegan.com/ Books referenced in the episode: Man Kind? by Cleveland Emory www.amazon.com/Kind-Incredible-W…eld/dp/0060100923 America’s Last Wild Horses by Hope Ryden https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Last-Wild-Horses-Ryden/dp/B001LGC4GA/ref=s © the spiritual forum 2023