A Heretic's Path

I'm ready to come out. I admit it. I'm a bit of a heretic. It's deep within my nature to stand in the face of Opposition (perceived and real) and defy its polar essence. ...and by Opposition, I mean conventional beliefs, the beliefs of the righteous, the acts of those who are party to destructive conflict, even simple emotions such as fear or reactions such as self preservation. Anything that feels like it gets in the way of or brings one to avoid something bigger, possibly scary and probably something a bit more uncertain. One big reason that I'm here (on this Earth, at this time, writing this blog post right now) is to stand up and shout "YOU CARE, SO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!" I'm here to stand by you as you stand in your own fear and reactions to face whatever opposition comes your way. We each need to show up, big time. The safety of inaction and complacency IS part of the problem. Things are NOT just the way they are. We CAN do something about it. Resignation does not equal Acceptance. It's missing the critical element of Compassion.

As a part of my celebration of and involvement in the growing movement of Peace, I've been listening to calls on The Shift Network's program, PeaceWeek 2011. I've been moved again and again by the possibilities and encouragement that's been presented. I was blessed to be on calls with two of my heroes (and, dare I say, role models?), Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra. Hearing their voices again helped to clear away the static and present me, once again, with the evidence and inspiration I needed to refuel my heretic's spirit.

My take-away, that I'd like to share with you, is that PEACE IS POSSIBLE and we each have a role to play in making this possibility increasingly the reality. Marianne Williamson spoke of Fierce Peace -- actually standing at the heated centers of conflict and bringing Love in. Deepak Chopra spoke that Peace is the Way -- that it's an inside-out process, that Peace starts and is cultivated within, then flows outward. Both presented practical methods each of us can use to move our intentions of peace into appropriate actions of peace as we make our invaluable contributions to the expansion of Peace everywhere. You can access recordings to their talks (and many others) here.

For me, being on this heretic's path requires an attitude of passionate equanimity (or at least holding that as the ideal state to step forth from). ...and as a sensitive idealist, that ain't easy! In this state, I can feel others' suffering and not turn away in fear or with feelings of helplessness to do anything. I know where my responsibility lies, and that's as a transformative change agent.

There are three threads that I noticed in common between Marianne and Deepak's talks that seem to speak to finding that place of passionate equanimity so we can stand fiercely in the face of [perceived] opposition and make the difference we're meant to make.

1. We must continually address our own issues and stay in an upward trajectory of personal growth. This piece is internal, psycho-physical and includes self-care. Yes, we will backslide into old patterns, get caught up in other people's business and be stumped at times as to where to turn or how to keep going, but we must feel into the persistence of Life within us and keep growing. The seed of our intentions lies here.
2. We must hold a spiritual connection, whether that's through prayer, meditation, walks in the woods or following the teachings of a sage or messiah, in order to remain inspired. There's maintenance involved here, too, which can mean cultivating creativity, taking spiritual retreats, being in community, and practicing gratitude. Our spiritual connection amplifies our intentions.
3. We must stand courageously compassionate. This is where we show up bringing with us what we want to see more of in the world, things like respect, tolerance, consideration, deep, attentive listening... Our intentions are transmitted, reflected and compounded exponentially by everything around us.

It's an inside-out process. Peace starts within and flows outward, expanding. The intention of peace is amplified by our own personal growth, our own particular level of consciousness. Peace grows and flows like a rich, primordial stew.

So, I wonder... What's your role in the expansion of peace? If peace isn't your thing, then what is? What do you want to see more of in the world that you can bring with you the next place you show up? I'd love to hear from you about this -- please comment below.

Extreme Measures

This past week has been a roller coaster ride of sorts.

Not being much of one for amusement parks for their mass appeal evidenced by the crowded long lines, mediocre food, blatant displays of seemingly everything representing the opposite of mindful, sustainable practices that I so love and the sticky-dirtiness that abounds there, I remain intrigued by the rides themselves, particularly the roller coasters. There's something about them that appeals to my high sensation seeking self that's at the same time a blatant assault on my kinder, gentler sensibilities. The way I laugh despite being jostled and bumped and jolted, my parts flailing helplessly at the spastic movements of the monster machine. The way my cheeks cramp from the ridiculous perma-grin plastered across my face as the skin of my cheeks is flung back from the Gs. The way the tears stream from the sheer exposure, not to mention the wind that blasts into me. The way it all comes to a sudden halt and the way it takes me a while to find my sea legs. The extremeness of the entire experience.

There's something about the way I feel completely and helplessly out of control while willingly in the clutches of the roller coaster that feels oddly similar in a somatic sense to the way I've been riding life lately. It's as if I've been flying around on the scaly-hard back of an ethereal dragon, clutching its neck as I hold on for dear life all-the-while being forced to trust its skill in holding us airborne as we loop, dodge and soar. An extreme letting go of affecting any difference at all in the course of our flight or the prospect of a safe landing.

In the midst of the crises inflicting this world, I'm forced to let go. For me, this is self-care in its most extreme form. There's so much that's out of my control. Everything, really, when it comes down to it. Everything except my choices. I just have to be here with all I've got, even those clumsy, odd, and ugly-beastly parts of me and trust that my experience, ability to listen and feel deeply, and my courage to remain open-hearted and vulnerable will be enough.

This is how I choose to be engaged right now. Much as I sometimes fantasize about living in complete isolation, safely complacent and shut off from the pain and suffering, I'm finding that my energy is rising and my compassion is growing by letting myself feel all of this. ...and ultimately, it feels pretty amazing. I'm feeling more connected than ever. What about you? Have you experienced this twisting, churning, inside out turning ride? ...or perhaps you're standing in line waiting to climb on board, or maybe you're keeping yourself safely cushioned within your comfort zone far away from this threatening whorl of chaos, unknown and infinite possibility. Where are you in this wild ride of life and what's the view like from there?

My Own Worst Enemy

I'm reading this terrific book: Your Own Worst Enemy: Breaking the Habit of Adult Underachievement, by Ken Christian. It's really captivated my interest. Already intrigued by giftedness and underutilized (perhaps undiscovered) talent, especially as it pertains to how we each show up in the world, I'm becoming even more excited about the possibilities that these facets of life present. This book takes a look at the habit of complacency and the self-limiting behaviors of high potential people, a growing phenomenon among people today.

Only one-third the way through it, I'm seeing a theme consistent with my own developing ideas and theories around leadership, sustainability and deep personal fulfillment. I'm seeing remnants of myself and many people whom I know and love in the examples the author provides. Situations of putting ourselves close to the target so we're sure to hit it or dumbing ourselves down so as to fit in (a common adolescent-early adult ploy) might have made things easier at first, but later we became averse to challenge or even decision-making and lost or risked the loss of credibility as we fell deeper into these self-limiting habits.

I so appreciate the author's passion that people can break free of their self imposed limits and learn to achieve great things. He opens up the reader's awareness and provides the tools necessary to make achievement possible. ... but beware, he doesn't sugar coat it: it's all about change, accepting the responsibility of choice and taking action in directions that will actually allow you to grow and shine as opposed to stay miserably stagnant in what has manifested itself previously as bad luck, oppressed conditions, loneliness, boredom, being misunderstood, feeling incapable of making a difference, fear of disappointment, rebellion or lack of opportunity.

The rest of this book awaits me and I'm looking forward to learning more about breaking the habit of adult underachievement. I'd love to hear from you and discuss what resonates with you as you read.