About David
The Short Version
At the age of 35, I sold my interest in two companies I had started with friends, and began to actively explore the questions that had been hanging around in the background of my life: What is a meaningful life? How do I spend my time in a way that is worthwhile? How do I discover, and live, what is truly important? And: How on earth do I go about finding answers to these questions?
My quest began more than 30 years ago, and this web site is dedicated to sharing some of the thoughts, feelings, hints, and guesses that have arisen along the way. Through these years I have also come across many clues left by others, and a few nuggets of wisdom left by those who have passed this way before. Sharing them with you will give me pleasure. So, to all you folks out there who find yourselves on a similar quest, whether by choice or necessity, this web site is dedicated.
Workshops Presented Through the Years
- The Quest for Meaning at Midlife
- Essence of the World’s Religions
- Experiencing Eliot’s Four Quartets
- Rumi’s Counsel for Living
- Jung through the Eyes of Helen Luke
- Living into the Novels of Charles Williams
- Ken Wilber for Everyone
- Transcendent Experiences: Why Not? Why?
- Poetry as a Path
- Sacred Singing
- Does Science have Soul?
- Jungian Voice Dialogue and the Big Mind Process
- India: The Place and the Symbol
- Quest for Meaning II
- What is there to do besides work?
- Turning 60 – and Beyond
- The Third Half of Life
- Philosophers Were Human Too
- Guided into the Deep
- The Wisdom of the Story
- Into the Tao
- Finding the King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover Within
- The Focusing Technique for Daily Living
- Sufi Stories are Alive and Well
- “Being” Can’t be Done
- What did Shakespeare Think?
Activities in the World
- Co-founder, Chairman, and President of 13-30 Corporation for 9 years
- Co-founder Chairman, and President of Computer Concepts Corporation for 9 years
- Member of the Tennessee Board of Regents for 18 years (and serving as Vice-Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee)
- Serving at the White House on the National Security Council Staff
- Working in the successful campaigns of Senator Howard Baker, Governor Lamar Alexander and Governor Winfield Dunn (and having the opportunity to work with each of them following their elections)
- Chairman of the Higher Education Committee for the Tennessee Comprehensive Education Study
- Assistant to the Dean of Students at the University of Tennessee for a year
- Staff member for U. S. Representative to the United Nations during one General Assembly session
- National Coordinator of Special Groups in Nelson Rockefeller’s presidential campaign
- Chairman of the East Tennessee Foundation Board
- Chairman of the Wellness Community of Knoxville Board
- Member or the National Committee for Community Foundations
- Designed and built a small residential enclave beside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Managed personal investment portfolio for 35 years
- Officer and board member of numerous state and local boards, including the Tennessee Technology Foundation, the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement of Knoxville, the Dogwood Arts Festival, the Knoxville Symphony Society, United Way of Knoxville, the University of Tennessee Research Corporation, and Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Steps on the Inner Journey
- Studying the world’s spiritual and philosophical traditions since late college days
- Attending retreats, conferences and workshops all over the world concerning psychology, philosophy, science and religion
- Attending workshops with and studying the ideas of Joseph Campbell for 35 years
- Studying the psychology and philosophy of C. G. Jung for 40 years, and attending many workshops and conferences on his work
- Reading extensively in the works of Ken Wilber
- Participating in several workshops and studying with Genpo Roshi, the creator of the Big Mind/Big Heart process
- Finding the soul’s voice in reading poetry as a young man
- Attending the National Storytelling Festival for many years
- Discovering in late college that through the centuries, philosophy was often about how best to live
- Having had the opportunity to travel extensively and to explore the marvelous places and people this earth of ours is home to
- Listening to, and occasionally taking the risk of offering suggestions to friends about their life journeys
- Besides achievements, there have also been numerous failures along the way, and much reflection on their meaning for my life