Why I was Interviewed by Katie Couric

Schillinger Chiropractic & Wellness Center

Dear Patients & Friends,

Yes, it's true! On Saturday, October 28 I was in Mill Valley on a panel of men interviewed live by Katie Couric. The show is part of a National Geographic series which she describes as "reporting about the revolutions happening in our culture, communities and families".

How Could This Happen to Me?

I met Warren Farrell about eight years ago. Warren is the author of many books and has been a champion for both women's rights and for more awareness about the emotional needs of men. Warren, John Gray ("Mars/Venus"), and other men and myself meet once a month to share male camaraderie, strong support and just have fun.

Warren was invited by Katie Couric to be interviewed so that he could discuss the information in two of his many insightful books, "The Myth of Male Power", and, "Father and Child Reunion".

"The Myth of Male Power" reveals the often overlooked pressures that men face and how they deal with them. The book, "Father and Child Reunion", details the need for children to have an active father in their lives in order to be able to successfully adapt to the challenges of adult life.

Long story short, when Warren asked me to give him some names of young men who have graduated from the nonprofit I co-founded, The Young Men's Ultimate Weekend, I recommended two teens from Marin. I also suggested my son, Gabe, also a graduate of the program. In fact the creation of YMUW arose out of my desire to greatly improve my relationship with Gabe.

After Gabe spoke to the producer of the show, the producer thought that I would be a good match for the show as well. The producer thought that the excellent relationship that I have with my son as a result of the YMUW, and the excellent relationship that I have with my former wife, would provide inspiration for families who are divorced and want to maintain soulful connections and practical cooperation.

This all happened on Thursday, Oct. 26. Two days later, I was on the porch of Warren's home with Katie Couric, her awesome production team from New York, and the other panelists. The purpose for doing the interview outdoors was to give the show an informal feel.

It was perfect that I had to "be present" for patients on Friday, otherwise I might have abandoned every stress reduction technique I know and just worried myself into a frenzy!

What Ended up Happening

A day before the show was filmed, Katie and her producers decided to shift the focus onto a hot media issue involving James Damore, who was recently fired by Google.

This article about the incident summarizes Mr. Damore's inter-office memo this way:

"Men and women have psychological differences that are a result of their underlying biology. Those differences make them differently suited to and interested in the work that is core to Google. Yet Google as a company is trying to create a technical, engineering, and leadership workforce with greater numbers of women than these differences can sustain, and it's hurting the company."

Therefore the interview was focused 80% on gender differences in the workplace. This was definitely not a topic that I am qualified to talk about as an expert. Katie did call upon Gabe and me on occasion, but during the interview, I was both disappointed and excited at the same time.

My son and I felt sad that we didn't get a chance to make a bigger contribution by offering our solutions to the problems families are facing in this era of digital dominance, media mania and consumer commercialism.

I Am SO Grateful

With all of the mishigas* that happened during the interview, I am so humbled and thankful for that experience.

For those of you who follow the work that I do with families (YMUW and CTS), you know that I believe our investment in fostering healthy and happy families should be The Top Priority of every country.

In my many years of experience participating in rite of passage events for young men and in leading workshops for parents, I'm convinced that the world will be way more safer and prosperous when more families enjoy better cooperation and greater love in their homes.

What's True for Me

With all the spiritual development and personal growth I've focused on in my life, and with all of the professional success I've been blessed to have, nothing comes close to the deepest joy I experience when I'm hanging out with my family. My former wife, (Suzanne) and I are literally the best of friends, and we've raised two children (Gabe and Becca) who are the biggest joys of our lives. My girlfriend/best friend, Rochelle, (who teaches alongside of me) and her family have blended seamlessly and lovingly with my family.

Therefore, I'm so grateful to have had this opportunity that came from all of the years of hard work and yet appeared from out of nowhere. I feel "seen" by the unseen forces of grace, which has gifted me the blessing of "confirmation" that my work is helpful for the planet. I'm more motivated than ever to organize my method, The RIGHT Way for Family Unity , so that even more families know how to move their "clan" in the right direction.

* Mishegas - a (mostly) humorous Yiddish word to describe the "craziness" of a person or event. If someone says to you, "your mishigas is driving me crazy", hope fully it's being used humorously. God forbid you should upset someone...Oy

True,

Dr Mark

PS -Believe me, as Mr. "I'm not into politics or Hollywood", I was hoping to have a picture of me smiling and having my arm around my new best friend, Katie. However, I was deeply hurt when I was told I couldn't get a picture with her. Instead, I had to sign a stack of legal documents that took longer to fill out than when I bought my house.

Such mishigas.

Announcements

Parent Workshop: "Raising Your Son to Be Happy, Responsible & Resilient - Guiding Teens in the Age of Digital Dominance".

I teach this workshop, with Rochelle Newman (relationship coach). We show parents how to effectively "challenge" their sons to become more responsible for his own well-being - without yelling or nagging.

Knowing how to challenge, or activate, your son's instinctual biological wisdom will guide him to become more mature. As you become more adept at using your authority and influence, you'll be able to help your son become more cooperative in the home, and more independent outside of the home.

The last workshop for 2017 will be held in San Rafael, CA on Friday evening, November 10, and all day Saturday, November 11.

Click here for flyer details.