And Now, After the Requiem…
(First posted on June 8th, 2012)
An Idea Whose Time is – NOW: OCCUPYING ONESELF
After over half a century of the New Age Movement what progress have we made, really? We have of course our political correctness, a “spiritual language,” our beliefs, and tightly held convictions and dogmas: our New Age fundamentalisms. We speak about helping humanity, changing or saving our planet. Yet, this is distraction!
LIFE IS NEITHER ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE NOR WHAT IS “OUT THERE!”
If salvation is warranted it lies within each of us individually. The only changes deserving our attention are those within each of individually. This is our charge, our task:
• To love ourselves.
• To heal our injuries.
• To learn to navigate personal challenges graciously.
• To embody the brilliance of our creative expression.
• To reveal ourselves to others.
• To let go of what no longer works in our lives.
• To act with compassionate intelligence.
• To befriend Wisdom.
• To remember our dignity, beauty and innocence are always intact.
• To consent to life as it is.
• To listen to the Mystery’s moment and respond.
• To improve our relationship to power.
• To stop fearing those who differ from us.
• To give up wanting to annihilate those who differ.
• To offer counterforce without attack.
• To attend to and help those coming up behind us without imposing our will or intent.
• To support the self confidence of those we love.
• To say Yes to Life!
The only one we can change and save is our own self. Improving conditions for humanity, for our societies, cultures, economies, and our relationship with our Earth cannot be pursued directly. Doing so is folly. Distraction. The changes we desire for our world ensue from doing what changes ourselves, giving ourselves over to change. This requires self compassion and self discipline!
CLARITY, STRENGTH AND POWER ENSUE FROM BEING HONEST WITH ONESELF!
• What will it take to stop pretending?
• What will it take to stop pretending that I am not pretending?
• What self-deceptions await my letting go?
• What will it take to let go of resisting life?
• What will it take to say YES to Life?
• What will it take to make the radical step of truly loving myself?
• What will it take to attend to something beyond my mind, self-critical nemesis, personality and body? to attend instead to life’s beauty and Grace?
• What will it take to muster the discipline and courage to allow myself to be changed by the Mystery? to claim and occupy my sovereign self?
Adrienne Rich’s poem: Time
Either you will
go through this door
or you will not go through.
If you go through
there is always the risk
of remembering your name.
Things look at you doubly
and you must look back
and let them happen.
If you do not go through
it is possible
to live worthily
to maintain your attitudes
to hold your position
to die bravely
but much will blind you,
much will evade you,
at what cost who knows?
The door itself
makes no promises.
It is only a door.
After over half a century of the New Age Movement what progress have we made, really? We have of course our political correctness, a “spiritual language,” our beliefs, and tightly held convictions and dogmas: our New Age fundamentalisms. We speak about helping humanity, changing or saving our planet. Yet, this is distraction!
LIFE IS NEITHER ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE NOR WHAT IS “OUT THERE!”
If salvation is warranted it lies within each of us individually. The only changes deserving our attention are those within each of individually. This is our charge, our task:
• To love ourselves.
• To heal our injuries.
• To learn to navigate personal challenges graciously.
• To embody the brilliance of our creative expression.
• To reveal ourselves to others.
• To let go of what no longer works in our lives.
• To act with compassionate intelligence.
• To befriend Wisdom.
• To remember our dignity, beauty and innocence are always intact.
• To consent to life as it is.
• To listen to the Mystery’s moment and respond.
• To improve our relationship to power.
• To stop fearing those who differ from us.
• To give up wanting to annihilate those who differ.
• To offer counterforce without attack.
• To attend to and help those coming up behind us without imposing our will or intent.
• To support the self confidence of those we love.
• To say Yes to Life!
The only one we can change and save is our own self. Improving conditions for humanity, for our societies, cultures, economies, and our relationship with our Earth cannot be pursued directly. Doing so is folly. Distraction. The changes we desire for our world ensue from doing what changes ourselves, giving ourselves over to change. This requires self compassion and self discipline!
CLARITY, STRENGTH AND POWER ENSUE FROM BEING HONEST WITH ONESELF!
• What will it take to stop pretending?
• What will it take to stop pretending that I am not pretending?
• What self-deceptions await my letting go?
• What will it take to let go of resisting life?
• What will it take to say YES to Life?
• What will it take to make the radical step of truly loving myself?
• What will it take to attend to something beyond my mind, self-critical nemesis, personality and body? to attend instead to life’s beauty and Grace?
• What will it take to muster the discipline and courage to allow myself to be changed by the Mystery? to claim and occupy my sovereign self?
Adrienne Rich’s poem: Time
Either you will
go through this door
or you will not go through.
If you go through
there is always the risk
of remembering your name.
Things look at you doubly
and you must look back
and let them happen.
If you do not go through
it is possible
to live worthily
to maintain your attitudes
to hold your position
to die bravely
but much will blind you,
much will evade you,
at what cost who knows?
The door itself
makes no promises.
It is only a door.