Dalai Lama Fellows

Leadership Vision

"We begin life with the world presenting itself to us as it is. Someone - our parents, teachers, analysts - hypnotize us to 'see' the world and construe it in the 'right' way. These others label the world, attach names and give voices to the beings and events in it, so that thereafter, we cannot read the world in any other language or hear it saying other things to us." -Sidney Jourard

My leadership vision is to break the "hypnotic spell." I hope to create a space in which we can challenge our beliefs and preconceived notions, allowing for a rejuvenation of the senses and an expansion of perspective.

Project Description

The mission of my project is a general reframing of how we, as individuals and as a collective society, view addiction and pain. This project will not only target those suffering, but it will also focus on medical practitioners. Through educational and interactive initiatives, I ultimately hope to create a reinforcing reciprocal relationship between medical professionals and patients, such that suffering individuals of the community feel that they have control of their lives, and can face their problems (whether psychological, physical, etc.) in ways that are sustainable long-term.