Cries of longing
22 October - 2018
As the world is swirling with a lot of challenges and old structures are shaking, while hopefully falling apart, I hear cries of longing which are getting louder and louder by the day.
In the midst of it all - here we are; the deeply vulnerable, yet super powerful, human being.
In my work and life, every day I meet people who are sharing experiences of a struggle in the world which is starting to look more and more like an individual and collective catastrophe.
Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting a panic mood in response to what is going on. But also not a flip-sided response of positivity or even hope. I am rather suggesting the possibility of approaching all this from a sense of a wild and roaring, yet very sweet, realism.
This is a move which I feel as a shimmering upheaval. A glittering revolution. A breakdown infused with original creativity. A process of making the vision of what is possible come alive in each one of us, without fearing or pulling away from the raw experience of pain. A knowing that the pain is a blessing, not a curse. This because pain is always part of any real and sustainable transformation... just as the darkest of compost is the best nourishment for all new seeds to grow.
I see so many beautiful and healing projects and movements in the world that are contributing to the change we all know is inevitable. I admire so many amazing contributions and gifts being put into this couldron of change, from people on different kinds of walks of life.
What I would like to highlight through this little piece of writing is the importance of the unique individual life to be truly and thoroughly taken care of in this time of transition. I often say to my clients that deep self-care is the most radical thing we can do in the world right now. I feel this is important to mention because even in projects of "doing good" I meet many people who are burning out and struggling with how to be sustainable in their own personal lives.
For me therefore, the anchor and the essence of what is important through this time of change is the radiant solid core stability of each one of us. It is crucial to create space to sense and understand the details of our own uniqueness, to have time to learn how to nourish and take care of it, to breathe deeply enough for a little while to let the beauty of it touch our souls. All this so that we can fall more deeply in love with ourselves, for real.
From the angle where I feel it all, this is the single most important thing for any change in the world to have a substantial sustainability.
In my work this is what I call "The Ritual of Me”.
What that ritual feels, looks and tastes like is dynamically unique for each one of us.
It is a bit worrying to me that a lot of people seem to have no time to stop for a moment; take a breath in the space where this ritual is alive… to recognise the taste of it and listen to the creative sounds of what is there as a gift into the world.
I think this is a modern tragedy of big proportions, which we need to take a deep real look into. What the hell are we doing with this most valuable resource we have; ourselves!?