Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Peter J Nagle M.A.R. of Abiquiu NM

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Peter J Nagle M.A.R.. Check out our conversation below.

Peter J, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your customers?
It’s interesting to me that so many of my Companions have been brought up to take care of others BEFORE taking care of themselves. In most cases it’s their religious upbringing that does this to them. I don’t get that from Jesus’s teachings. In fact I think Jesus almost assumes we are taking care of ourselves BEFORE taking care of others. It’s a debatable point. In any case what it leads to in my observation of Companions is a kind of self-denigration: “I’m less important than my sister or brother”. This then results in self-criticism, excessively. And, if people follow this line of reasoning and acting, burnout, depression, and even self-abuse.

What I try to do is point out that this way of thinking was ingrained in them either by family or religion or whatever – we work to identify the source – and that it’s self-destructive. I don’t know about “religion”, but I believe Jesus wants us to take care of ourselves first. This is not “selfish” behavior, but rather it is necessary in order for us to be able to then take care of others.

This dynamic takes some healing, and it takes time, sometimes months or even years.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi I’m Peter J Nagle, M.A.R, and I am a Spiritual Director and Financial Advisor. I think what makes me unique is the ability to help people sort through their Spiritual or Financial issues and focus on what is really important to them – what they are really dealing with. It’s my goal to help people discover who they are created to be; to separate the noise from the reality of what their potential really is.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
During a daylong group silent meditation once, about 40 years ago, in the afternoon, a very strong memory came to me. I remembered, as a child, feeling really good about myself. I mean, not so much powerful as just really good. My family of origin, with the exception of my Mother Dorothy, was not telling me this so it seemed very unusual that I would have felt that way as a child at some point at least. It was a very powerful memory, and feeling, and I recall it very vividly to this day.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. I was 18. I had left home and was on my own in College. I got into, I guess you could say, the wrong crowd. Wrong for me anyway. They used drugs, mostly Marijuana, constantly. I was introduced to it. I used it a lot. My mental health gradually declined. I was feeling a lot of stress. I sought help in therapy but it wasn’t really doing much. I reached a point of severe depression and general sadness.

Then one day I remember walking down the street to my job at Subway and getting this thought in my mind: “you have to get back to being Peter”. I guess I realized I had lost myself. It was an inspiration from God for sure, and it turned me around. I stopped doing drugs completely. I got a better job, I focused on my studies, I even changed the way I looked and dressed.

It was a pivotal moment that changed my life.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
In 1996, a friend in my Faith Community showed a film to us on how Palestinians were treated in the West Bank and Israel. I was completely appalled. I realized I knew nothing about the situation so I started studying it, reading Israeli newspapers, etc. After a few years of study I became very frustrated and felt I needed to do something. So I hooked up with a Rabbi who also was very interested in the issue and we travelled to Israel together in 2002. It was in the middle of the 2nd Intifada and a lot of people were afraid for us but we went anyway and were shocked at what we found. Palestinians were indeed being treated very unjustly.

We visited 10 people very active in the peace movement, mostly in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. There was a peace movement then. They all impressed me but one stood out: Rev Mitri Raheb of Bethlehem. He had built a center in Bethlehem that sponsored all kinds of healthy and positive programs for Palestinians – Christian’s and Muslim. He built a K-12 school too and had a dream of building a College of Fine Arts someday.

Anyway I was hooked. I support him and his org – Brightstars of Bethlehem. – to this day. And we did build a college: Dar Al Kalima, now a university in Bethlehem. My wife and I contributed, and raised almost $400,000 toward it.

Other than that, it’s a terrible situation that is very unjust and only seems to get worse, and that has taken a big toll on me. To see such abject and deliberate injustice – it’s very hard. People tend to make it this very “complicated” issue but it’s really very simple: Certain elements in Israel (currently in the leadership but it’s always been this way) want the land that Palestinians occupy. And they want Palestinians to leave. Simple as that folks. I’ve been there 16 times and I’ve witnessed this first hand. The “conflict” is about the land; and a powerful party oppressing an essentially powerless party. It’s just awful. But God will have God’s way eventually and justice will be accomplished, I pray and hope.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Up until my mid 40’s I was doing what I thought I was supposed to do. But Divinity School changed that. Intense study of Scripture showed me that my goal in life was not to be perfect, but to be fully who I was created to be. The journey is to figure that out, then to get on the path of being. This has worked out for me. I’m not saying I’m there, it’s a process that is ongoing. But the path I was on would not have led here.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Soulwork.faith
• Instagram: pjnagle64
• Other: also thoughtfulincome.com

Image Credits
Peter J Nagle