Tag: change

Staying the Course

We are in the penitential season of Lent and nearing the purifying practice of fasting during Ramadan.  We are engulfed in a huge transition, the end of which we may envision or guess, but cannot yet see with certainty.   We are exhausted by restrictions engendered by a worldwide virus, and even with vaccinations available for many, there is no return to “normal”, whatever that may now look like.  Our politicians seem to be busier attacking each other than working on cooperative solutions.  Economic instability is a looming threat.  Many people, including me, are feeling burdened and have ‘had enough, already’.  It would be so nice if we could count on Easter, Eid, or Passover, celebrations that they are, to end the chaos around us.  It does not seem that it will be so.

The well-known teacher Sandra Ingermann, in one of her workshops, advised those listening to never “sit down during the dark night of the soul.”   It is advice that is relevant to the times.   I do not think that she means to never relax or have fun; in fact, she encourages people to relax in nature, to let the healing and calming energy of nature enfold them.    To not sit down means to not give up, to not let the weight of whatever one is processing cause one to stop engaging with life, to allow an apathy or hindering depression to take over and prompt one to withdraw from the growing and the change.

Change and its seeming disorder are always with us.  Change is rarely patterned logically, nor is it predictable to the reasoning mind.  Change is kaleidoscopic; the patterns can be beautiful or not, but they fall as they are, responding to a present moment.   Sometimes it seems insane, yet, in the long run, change often brings a higher result.  Is not spring in the heart of winter? The Chinese symbol shows that Yin is in Yang, and Yang is in Yin – the two are forever joined as one.

The Arctic peoples know well not to lie down in the snow in the dark and cold of winter, no matter the weariness one may feel.  Just a few minutes of lying down in the Arctic cold and dark causes an exit from the planet.  Similarly, it is when we feel the most burdened and disheartened that we must carry on, walking not as if we were about to fall under the burden, but standing straight, breathing calmly, finding beauty, and expressing kindness to all around.   It is also good if we will sing, or dance from time to time.  This is how we come through into the light after the dark.  It takes discipline.  It takes faith.

Part of carrying on through the dark is holding the highest vision we can of an outcome that nurtures the planet and its denizens and our fellow humans.  It is not a matter of having our own way only, of power over others.  It is not a vision simply of relief from suffering or the weight of our burdens.  It is creative, drawn from the love of life we all intrinsically possess, if we are willing to see it.  The particulars of individual highest visions may vary, but their ultimate goal is the same, the benefit of all concerned.  It is a vision born of love.    Such individual visions, combined, cannot but help to bring the highest good to all.  It is not always easy to hold the highest vision, but it is the way to what we seek.

With Passover, Easter and Eed upcoming (and yes, St. Patrick’s Day, too), let us set our individual intents to walk our paths with confidence a while longer, and use our celebrations as encouragement along the way.

Peace, Diane

Excuses

I have had the joy and privilege of teaching children from preschool
through middle school level.  Often, they have taught me as much as I
have taught them.  And, whereas lesson content is certainly important,
some of the biggest learning is about life itself and interaction with
others.  An example is how willingly preschoolers absorb the simply
paraphrased Golden Rule. 

Another phenomenon is that when children become of an age to undertake homework, a new issue rears its head – the EXCUSE.  Some children love doing homework, and the idea of the excuse does not engage their attention much.  Others, for a number of reasons, definitely do not want to do it, often spending more effort on evading the requirement than they would on actually fulfilling it.  There are many excuses for the undone work, a classic (and not often offered) excuse being,”The dog ate my homework.”  And, of course, there are sometimes quite valid reasons mingled in with the excuses. 

The thing about an excuse is that it does not acknowledge that the homework was not done; instead, it offers apparent and sometimes quite creative reasons why the student should be given credit without doing the homework.  It does not honestly acknowledge that the homework was not done and that therefore there is not credit for doing the homework. (Exceptions/late acceptances may certainly be given for valid reasons that are honest barriers to getting the work which was intended to be accomplished done.)  The excuse is an attempt to avoid the work and also the consequence for not doing the work.

We have a similar situation in our adult world today.  We all – or at least most of us – want a world which is fairer, less violent, more respectful and caring, and more attentive to the needs of our planet and its denizens.  Most of us – but not all – seem to think that it is the job of the government to create and provide this.   The truth is that we are avoiding responsibility.  No government by itself can possibly create a system which is at the same time fairer, less violent, more respectful and caring, and more attentive to the needs of the planet on which we live.  By its nature, the power of government will first be used to secure the power of that government, and after that, whatever causes the government feels it wants to undertake.  True change does not come from the top down; mutual benefit does not come from the top down.   It comes from the bottom up.  Those of us who are expecting the government – either heavy handed or with a light touch – to secure and provide for us those conditions we need for optimal living, without our doing anything much except to obey and condemn those who disagree, are operating under the same illusion as the student who thinks he or she should get credit for undone work if he or she can offer a creative excuse.  We cannot gain from giving away our power and doing nothing.

Change which comes from the bottom up involves each of those whom that change will touch.  Not many of us live all by ourselves in a cave in the mountains.  We will all be touched by changes and doing the work of those changes involves us all.  We can elect the leaders we want, but with election does not come the ability to shoulder the responsibility of each member of the community.  Those who drop their responsibility have not given it to an authority, although they may have given their decision making power away. The responsibility remains, even if ignored.  We can be certain that if we give our power away and ignore our responsibility, we will get changes which are not to our liking.  Politically, true democracy rests on an informed and participating public – not just a leader/leaders and followers who echo what they say.

In order to achieve the goal of a widely participating public, it is necessary to begin listening to each other as opposed to debating, condemning or overpowering each other.  There is what I (and some others) call the “Law of Paradox”, which states, paraphrased, that if one holds in mind two diametrically opposing concepts long enough, one will eventually arrive at the center between them, which is where the truth is most likely to lie.  If one engages in (or writes) a discussion, as opposed to a debate or a persuasive presentation of one side only, one understands and considers BOTH sides.  Usually, one’s conclusion falls somewhere between the two (or more) sides.  However, even if the conclusion reached is strongly on one side of the spectrum, it is ALWAYS influenced by the opposing perspective.   The process is not competitive. What is sought is truth, not simply the power to “win”, to silence that which disagrees with one’s own particular viewpoint.  Rarely, if ever, is this done by big government.  It is, however, exemplified in the consensus decision making process used by many intentional communities.

People, we each have the responsibility to think, to envision, to discuss, to listen and to COOPERATIVELY create the system and environment in which we wish to live, from the grassroots up. (That does not mean giving in, it simply means not insisting on all one’s own way being the only right way, and it means treating the other with loving kindness.) Those of us who neglect to do that are abandoning both themselves and their fellow beings.  The more who give away their power by abandoning it, the less habitable our world will be.   We are currently on the cusp of change; it is time to wake up.  There are limitless excuses for being lazy, for neglecting to do the work required of us.  The excuses will not give us credit for having done the work.  No work means no credit, and results we do not wish to see, about which we may find out too late.

Let us wake up and stop using excuses to try to get what we want.  Let us realize what is being required of us, to cooperatively and respectfully engage in discussion of how to firmly but peacefully make the changes needed to usher us into a new way of being, known for a long time to those willing to listen.  Our humanity and the existence of the planet and all its denizens, including us, depends on that. 

Peace, Diane

Transition

Transition

A long time ago, I was told, “Do not be afraid of the spaces between existences (times of transition).  It will feel like you are dying, but you are not.”  I recall those nearly forgotten words now.

We are in a time of transition, one which affects us all and the Earth itself.  No matter the culture or philosophy one follows, a transition is a time of collapse or tearing down what exists – a time of chaos – and rebuilding in a new direction.  Women who have gone through childbirth are in an excellent place to understand this.  Childbirth involves pain and stress for both mother and child, although the memory of it fades as mother and child become bonded in a new way.  It is the tearing down of what was – one forming body existing inside another body – and a rebuilding in a new way, mother and child separated and unique but still bonded.  It can be a dangerous time, but still a time of great promise and blessing.  We are in such a time now, socially in relation to each other, and physically in relation to our Earth.  The outcome of this time depends on how we can connect with our spiritual roots and create with the energy we receive.

Some of us are longing for the time that was, and believe that if all of us just obey strictly the official rules, we can return to that time with which we were familiar and things will be the same as before.  Within that group, there is an almost desperate adamancy that everyone should obey official directions and behave consistently in lockstep; there is no space for disagreement.  These are the people that accost others in parking lots for not wearing masks, or who reprimand people in stores who stand a few inches off the six-feet marks.  They tend to speak in heroic terms of those who are telling us the rules. There is certainly value in consistency and cooperation, but this premise of mandatory sameness as a way of return to the past leads only to disappointment and more desperation.  We cannot return to the time that was.   It has retreated into the past and has already morphed into memory.  It had to go.  This is a time of transition.

There are also those – perhaps the majority of us – who are unsure if draconian rules are really necessary and are not sure if the virus – the precipitator of the transition – is as deadly as it is reported to be.  However, in the midst of chaos, feelings of exhaustion and a certain jadedness leave them too tired to make effort to change things.  These of us are content to ride things out and accept whatever may emerge.  There is a tendency here to hide one’s head in the sand, ostrich-like, and simply refuse to believe that what emerges can be anything else but acceptable.  Doesn’t humanity have all this wonderful technology to save us?   Haven’t things always settled down before?  The weak point here is apathy. The tendency is to follow along wherever we are led (which is usually by other humans).  That tendency leaves us quite vulnerable to anything that may come along, even things that may be regretted later.

Then there are those who are quite aware of the processes of using energy, and who see in this crisis of transition an opportunity to create something profitable for themselves.  These are usually people already in some position of power, often silent power, such as corporate and banking millionaires (I will not categorize by saying all), scientific masters at subduing nature, popular or Machiavellian political personages, even those who wear the mantle of philanthropy.  They are the forces behind the push for mandatory masks, universal vaccination with digital tracking, more use of technology to capture our actions, thoughts, health and finances, and A1 controlled social systems.    Although the central focus is, “What’s in it for me?”  (and that focus will be denied if challenged) they possess a refined knowledge of negotiation and collaboration among themselves.  They are powerful, and actively try to create what they want.

Among us are also those who engage in vigorous, visible and often violent resistance to what they understand lies beneath stories in the news and on the internet and the rules formed ostensibly to control the spread of the virus and create compliance within society as a whole.  “We have to prevent chaos,” the enforcers of law and order may say, but chaos is an integral part of transition.  The protestors see what may be coming; they see that what very possibly may be created is contrary to what most of us, awake or not, value and want.  They take to the streets, march and perhaps riot. They may attack those they see as the oppressors, use strong language, directly confront the wrongs they see, and try in any way they can to oppose.  They do not understand the energy.  Protests are initially useful to call attention to something; after that, they simply reinforce what we do not want.   The focus on the protest donates energy to the thing one is protesting.  It would be better to focus on creating and modeling the change which is desired.

Yet another group – few but growing – either possess or are quickly learning the skill of dancing with the ineffable energy which surrounds us all and from which we emerge.  These fellow humans recognize what is going on and are aware of the dangers humanity may be facing as a result of the outcome of the transition.  However, because they understand creative energy, life force, they refuse to donate energy to those things by giving them their attention.  They recognize what currently exists – the chaos and transition and the various energies contained within it – but refuse to join the worry about it.  This is different from the group that is too jaded to act, but who still maintain a level of worry.  This last group understands the necessity of remaining as upbeat as possible, and of responding with as much love and non-judgment as they can.  That doesn’t mean that they agree with everything or that they think anything goes. They simply refuse to directly oppose, and instead focus on modeling what they believe to be the most just or loving way they can.  They are also the ones who love the Earth and model what will heal her (and truly, thereby save us).

These are broad categories, and, because everything and everyone does not neatly fit into boxes, they are not strictly definitive.  However, they are good examples of the way various people are responding to the pandemic, the chaos, and the transition.  I think we can each recognize ourselves, at least a little bit, in these extremely broad outlines.   We are all helping to shape what comes from the transition.  There is not one of us who does not affect it.  The final result will emerge from our combined visions and actions, mixed together into a new manifestation.   Much of the result will come from those of us who understand energy; it will be reinforced by the attitudes and actions of those who do not.  Not one of us can truthfully say, “It’s not my responsibility.”  Not one of us can avoid choosing, actively or passively, a path.

Now, when there is time amidst the chaos, let us take time to reflect on the path we are choosing, the results which may emerge from that path, the talents we have and those skills we want or need to learn, who our allies will be, and whether or how we wish to benefit each other and the Earth.

If we do not like what uncover as we reflect, there is time still to consciously change to a stance we would rather have.   We are all able to do this, but releasing apathy is prerequisite to being able to consciously choose or change or create.  Let us wish each other well.

Peace,   Diane

True Restitution

Despite what seem to be deliberate efforts to keep the Covid-19 epidemic foremost in the media, coverage of the many protests over unjust and violent treatment of Black people by police, called Black Lives Matter, is currently more in the forefront of people’s consciousness.  The protests continue; most are peaceful, some are violent, all are persisting.  We need the protests.  They serve to call attention to severe injustice and wrongful attitudes and perceptions that need to be corrected.  And they are the tip of a much bigger iceberg beneath the surface.

Although this particular injustice involving the police involves victimizing mainly Black people, it, and other injustices stemming from a common core involve other minority groups as well.  Native Americans and Hispanics are among those most commonly noticed, but Asians of various origins, religious groups such as Muslims, immigrants of all kinds, especially newcomers, and the poor whites who live subsistence lives in, say, the coal country of Appalachia are also among them.

The underlying wrong is economic.  It is described as capitalism carried to its destructive extreme, but it also uses racism as an effective support for funneling the wealth of the nation to the top, mostly white, international, corporate, and social elite.  Racism justifies this action by positing that some human beings are better than and more worthy of wealth and power than other human beings.    A bit of thought shows that race is actually a construct – not only because it devalues some at the expense of others, but because it is actually unreal.  Think – when one is asked to declare one’s “race” it might be color, language, ancestral birthplace, culture – there is no real definition of race.  It seems to mean only “other than myself”.  When I was in college, I took an anthropology course that defined race as being of only three types, Caucasoid, Negroid, and Mongloid.  However, within those classifications determined by academics, there are black Caucasoids(e.g., on the Indian subcontinent), white Negroids (some African indigenous) and Mongloids who are both tall and short, some with curly hair and who are certainly not yellow.  I have never seen a truly yellow person, a truly red person, a truly black (piece of coal color) person or a truly white (sheet of paper) person other than an albino.  Race is a highly inefficient attempt to classify people; it contains many exceptions and has no real meaning.  In addition, people are so mixed now from intermarriage that the concept is even more illusory.  However, it serves the purpose of the elite who wish to retain wealth and power.  It helps if the general populace believes in it and are willing to set themselves apart in competitive groups, some with more advantage so that the dissonance persists, and so that attention remains on those divisions instead of on the true movers of radically unequal wealth and power.

As we are taught in school, when our nation declared itself independent, it was led by rich white men separating from the control of Great Britain, where existed more rich white men in power over a poorer populace.   Those who could vote at the time of the Constitution were rich white men who owned land or property.  No Native Americans, from whom the land had been taken, no Black people, most of whom worked the land for free, no indentured whites, no poor whites, no women – only rich white men.  Amendments were later made to the Constitution to purportedly remedy the imbalance of power, but they seem to have had limited value.   Women are still paid less for equal work and harassed in the workplace, Blacks are still mostly relegated to low-paying and riskier jobs and poorer housing and often blocked from voting, Native Americans are still discriminated against in mainstream employment and relegated to infertile lands. Their women can be raped without much consequence being placed upon the rapist.  The land is still being destroyed, and Black people and poor whites are shunted to toxic locations or unhealthy low-income housing and food deserts.  The problem has not been corrected.

I recently read an article which disturbed me in one of the magazines I receive.    It includes some very good illustrations of how money has been stolen from Black people by collecting taxes from them and then denying them the benefit of the taxes (equal education, full admission to all State colleges, redlining to exclude them from housing and – not mentioned – blocks against Blacks actually owning the banks).  This is something of which we all need to be aware, and which is never taught in economics classes.   However, the author calls for restitution in a way with which I disagree.  He calls for direct payments to Black families from whites, whom he regards as thieves.  “Yes, all white people.”  Whites, he says, have benefited from things such as good schools paid for by Black taxes, and as such, all white people need to pay restitution.  First, to be a thief requires the intent to steal.  Our children and most common white people have no such intent; there is often even no awareness, not through the fault of these people, but through the fault of an accepted system.  In addition, even though there is a certain poetic justice in stripping whites of money and benefits and giving those to Blacks, it simply reverses the racism; it does not correct it.  The concept of racism still exists, even though the beneficiaries have changed.  The concept of reparations also fails to include Native Americans and Hispanics and others who have been stolen from or repressed.  The elite on the top still enjoy the wealth and power and still continue to plunder the system.  

If we are to correct the system which has deprived many of us of opportunities and the means of healthy existence and the benefits of our labor and creativity, and which has blocked us from effective power to make the rules of the system, then it will take the efforts of all of us – Black and white, Native and Hispanic and Asian and Islamic and every other category into which the system has relegated us.  We must work together as allies, not divided and arguing about who owes what to whom.  We must put our experiences and intelligences together to create a new system that works for all who will participate, and which also supports the planet on which we live.  We need to drop both the concept of race and also the idea that many still harbor that some people are better than other people and that we cannot trust those who are different from ourselves.   We must also drop the concept that there is not enough for all and that we must compete, creating haves and have nots.   It is a time for coming together and creating the new; it is not enough to attack the top and dismantle it.  We must create a new way of being to replace what currently exists.   This requires the cooperation of all of us.

Let us all look carefully at the assumptions and emotions that keep us apart, whether those be racism, fear, anger or even greed.  Let us recognize these for what they are, lay them aside, and give ourselves fully to acting as a member of the human community.  Let us build systems that work for all and hold in respect the Earth on which we live and the denizens with whom we share our lives.  Covid-19 is not the real enemy; it is a mighty distraction attempting to protect what is by keeping us from uniting to do what we need to do.  We do not have to be distracted.

Peace, Diane