Life without threats, and The Doors
Every few days it seems like there is another paradigm shattering event that has the potential to drastically change the way our collective human organism experiences itself. The information overload coupled with emotional overwhelm might make us feel depleted. Now is the time to repossess our vitality and energy. Nature moves through us in cycles; as described by the ancients the flow of grace operates through creation, preservation, disillusion, concealment, and revelation. When we are awake to the process we can use our energy of concentration, focus, and decision making to imbue our lives with wisdom, compassion, and love.
Our modern life is colored by so much that pulls us away from being an ordinary loving presence. We are forced to make difficult choices to consider our own being in relation to others. We are inculcated with ideas that teach us to be wary of and be on alert for the potential threat that another might pose. We are given messages that reinforce the sense that our worthiness equals our productivity, our value equals our position within hierarchy, that freedom is a product of our power, etc. We are taught to "stand out" or "stand above" others in order to establish ourselves in this world. We are expected to adopt the mythology of conquest; we must plant our flag and preserve our names in order to withstand the harshness of the world and to remain immortalized against the indifference of time. None of these ideas teach us how to relate to our nature with clarity, humility, or dignity.
What would our lives be like if we felt, and genuinely posed, no threat to one another? We might embrace one anothers' gifts and curiosity, and return them with generosity, patience, and encouragement. We might be inspired by one another, and like young children, seek to invoke the spirit of play and collaboration with one another. We might look to each other for support, for correction, for connection, and counsel. We might seek to air our grievances in ways that bring us closer together in our shared vulnerability. We might embrace the wide variety of feelings that arise with this human experience. We might share in each other's grief, and celebrate and make sacred this beautiful fleeting gift of life we are allowed to briefly participate in. Can you imagine the bonds of trust we could make together as we work to make the world a place that nourishes and sustains life even more?
What do we have to lose in order to make this our way of life? The stories we tell ourselves about who and what we are can change. We can choose to lay down our arms and arrogance. We can choose to dismantle the bonds that keep our hearts hidden in selfishness, fear, and animosity. Following the threads of our own patterns and conditions requires only that we use the energy of our lives to that end. Nature has equipped us with everything we need in order to pursue this course. There is nothing we lack in order to engage with the processes of nature; dissolving old conditions is to reveal the potency and power of creation, to preserve and thrive nature hides it's power in forms and patterns, and ultimately the cycle continues to recycle and redistribute the same energies seemingly without end.
As situations continue to unfold in this seemingly chaotic period of human history, let us be dedicated to embodying wisdom, love, and compassion in every part of our lives. There is no greater use of time or energy.
Inspired by The Doors - "Riders On The Storm"