The Vibrant Center
Available for Preorder (Release date June 1, 2026)
The Vibrant Center is a book for our times. It calls for a sweeping change in the consciousness of our society—from parenting to education to work to religious and spiritual settings to governance—to address the extremism and polarization that is racking our day-to-day lives. The advocacy of leaders and politicians who promote dialogue versus dogma is a must for this change to happen. But in order for such advocacy to be actualized and sustained, it is essential for it to impact households and classrooms, committee rooms and houses of worship as well. Otherwise, we fall far short of the kind of leaders and politicians that can mend our broken lives—marked by divisive ideologies, bitter prejudices, and mounting psychopathology. The Vibrant Center is thus a call to action. It is a manifesto for everyday people who are sick and tired of the mental and physical destructiveness of our age, and who are ready for a more centered approach. This is not the centrism of your grandparents though—it’s not a call to a mundane middle or mechanical balance in managing life’s challenges. To the contrary, it’s a centrism that’s dynamic and attuned to circumstance rather than preset orthodoxy; a pivot point that supports choice rather than reactivity, rich possibility rather than narrow prejudices and assumptions. In short, this book advocates for a vibrant center that has rarely been tried among the dominant societies in history, but that has a chance within the frameworks of democratic republics if they could but live up to their aspirations. This is a center that empowers people to be more fully present, open, and discerning across all the major sectors of their lives, and that promotes a live and let live, learn and discern approach to life. In this light, The Vibrant Center is a distillation of years of accumulated wisdom. It provides concrete strategies, case examples, and a range of innovative ideas on how our world can shift from fear-based and mechanized to awe-based and vibrant.
Release Date: June 3, 2026
Pages:
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-955737-74-6
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-955737-75-3
ebook ISBN: 978-1-955737-76-0
Preface
A Note About Method
Introduction: The Need for a Vibrant Center of Living
Chapter 1: The Vibrant Center of Parenting
Finding the Grace Points in Polarities
Awe for Life at the Heart of Parenting
Critical Thinking Through Conversation is Imperative
Meaning in Life
Therapy and Mentoring
Chapter 2: The Vibrant Center of Education
Supporting Kids to be Present, Open, and Discerning; Touching on the Awesomeness of Life
The Experiential Democracy Dialogue
The Call for Critical Inquiry
What is the Take-Home Message?
Chapter 3: The Vibrant Center of Work
Making Work Meaningful
Emotionally Restorative Relationships as Pillars of Work Culture
The Role of AI
Chapter 4: The Vibrant Center of Religion and Spirituality
Coupling Conviction with Doubt: The New Challenge of Religiosity
Toward a Vibrant Center of Religiosity
Chapter 5: The Vibrant Center in Government
An Office of Psychological Advisors
Multicultural and Spiritual Support
Partnering with the Private Sector
Vision of the Corps of Depth Healers
Mission of the Corps of Depth Healers
Summary of a Braver Angels Format
A Home Within: Free Therapy for Foster Youth
Vibrantly Centered Governance: A Summary of Proposed Outcomes
Chapter 6: Are We Ready for a Political Party Called “The Vibrant Center?”
Philosophy
Policies
Groups Likely to Join
Chapter 7: Toward an Awe-Based, Vibrantly Centered World
Resilience: Key to Awe-Based, Vibrantly Centered Communities
Stories of Resilient Populations
Stories of Resilient Luminaries
Setting the Bar for Meaning in a World of Despair: Viktor Frankl
From Survivor to Global Icon: Nelson Mandela
Black and Broken, Maya Angelou’s Path to Wholeness
Setting the Bar for Physical Resilience: Cosmologist Stephen Hawking
A Light from Southeast Asia: Thich Nhat Hanh
Feminist, Ethicist, and Humanitarian of France: Simone de Beauvoir
A Voice of Chinese Awakening: Lu Xun
A Voice of Arab Humanism: Edward Said
Soul and Humanism from Spain: Federico Lorca
A Social Conscience from East Europe: Andrei Tarkovsky
Other Carriers of Awe-Based, Vibrantly Centered Consciousness
One Grass-Roots Effort to Seed an Awe-Based, Vibrantly Centered Society: The Corps of Depth Healers Certificate Program
What Have We Learned About Awe-Based, Vibrantly Centered Consciousness
Conclusion
Appendix
Notes
Index
Author Bio
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