“Forget safety.
Live where you fear to live.
Destroy your reputation.
Be notorious.”
― Rumi
The last post I wrote, Time for “Swarming” represents a shift in my writing and thinking. It feels like I have broken through the glass ceiling of my own limitations by saying clearly what is true for me at this moment. I know that I was inspired by the courage of a young blogger Christopher Baan in his recent post on 2Lead. This led me to allow myself to point to the gravity of the world situation as I see it. I find it sometimes quite unbearable to see how little most people pay attention to the mess that faces our planet and our way of life. Each day brings another revelation. I understand how activists burn out.
I know that I have been afraid to pull back the curtain of illusion and allow myself to point to the need for every person to wake up and become part of the solution. I have been afraid of the reactions from family and friends, worried about being labeled in ways that made me shiver. When I asked one of my sisters what she thought I interpreted her short answer as evasive and assumed she didn’t like it. But she responded that “the article made her think and that this was a good thing.” That was a relief. Since I am still on guard for “labels”, I have been happily surprised by the positive feedback coming my way!
Interestingly, a new blog is already forming in my mind. A stream of material has been catching my eye just in these last few days. It seems like the next blog will have another tone – it may even point to a Vision or a New-Story for the emerging future. I think my willingness to present something more than small seeds of hope has given me the space to move beyond Hope to “Intention”.
This is a big leap. It means daring to imagine a new future, even in the face of physical evidence that seems quite awful. I must make these pictures my own before I can share them with others. I have seen a New Story on the horizon for some time but haven’t felt compelled to be the Story Teller. This may be the next step. We will see how this new seed sprouts in my soul.
What I do feel is a sense of strength and willingness to speak of the signs I see, even in the fog of so much complexity. I have been afraid to sketch out what I see for fear that something new will appear to negate what I thought I saw. I have been relying on relating what others see, partly because I haven’t trusted my own eyes and partly to protect myself against criticism.
What I recognize now is that we are all in a mist. I can be as good a lookout as the next one. This doesn’t mean that I don’t do research and give credit to sources but that I dare to weave the various sightings together to offer my own perspective as best I can.
I believe that the recent struggle with transition into retirement with times of loneliness and frustration have attuned me to a new level of independence and courage. If this contributes to being a better instrument in this time of transition, I feel humbly grateful and blessed.
I believe that the inner work is the most important work during this time. I know that is the only way that I can stand firmly planted in Stream of Source knowing “all is well” despite the crash of waves and the roar of wind.
