One of my teachers, John Savage, said years ago “Our beliefs about God are formed long before we know anything about theology.” Such true words! Not only our beliefs and sense of relationship with God, but also the way we see and hold our relationships with ourselves, others and life itself.

I’ve been reflecting recently on the notion of being a full co-creative partner with life – something I absolutely cognitively believe. And yet, those default patterns in my life (those unconscious patterns of thinking and acting) often seemed to point to something quite different.

On the one hand for ages now I’ve felt those deep yearnings, possibilities I sense wanting to be birthed into the world. Over 5 years ago, while attending a conference of Peter Senge’s Society for Organizational Learning in Vienna, I visited the World Press Photo exhibit. Though I had no idea how this would be accomplished, those striking photos evoked in me a deep well of desire for a change in the lens through which so much of our world seems to see and experience life. I felt an imperative to live and invite others into a profound respect (an honouring or even reverence) for ourselves, each other, and our world. These desires have been clear and lasting.

This trip to Vienna was followed a couple months later by my Egyptian experience where I was introduced to a sense of access to power I’d never before experienced. Still, I often felt some combination of overwhelm, exhaustion, and paralysis at the seeming impossibility of actually making this kind of a difference in our world.

Though it now seems rather myopic, I had been seeing this as something I had to do on my own! Only recently, in engaging the Feminine Power teaching with Katherine Woodward Thomas and Claire Zammit, have I consciously recognized the way my childhood upbringing shaped the lens through which I had been living and which had led to this understanding.

Though my parents were loving, for all kinds of reasons I felt on my own to discover things. And I certainly absorbed from them (and particularly my Dad) the ethos of not relying on others because they’d likely ‘let you down’ or at least be unreliable.

I was SO ready for the deep echoes of resonance I experienced in my body when I heard Katherine on a call recently say something like “I didn’t understand years ago when I thought I was crazy in feeling this big thing inside of me, that in that moment life was working through many people in the world – by myself I was unable to bring this forward. Many of the things we’re called to don’t make sense when we’re thinking we’re autonomous.”

“The truth is everything is interconnected, we are not alone. It has taken the efforts, alignment and gifts of many to create what is here for us right now. Trusting, and a radical faith in the goodness of life, is a choice. Of course you have to use your head – we still have responsibilities, things to manage and handle – but it’s all fine when we’re living in center of our destiny. It’s fine because we’re on target, showing up as co-creators with life.”

She also reminded us of the deeper truth, that we are in our True North, in alignment with all of life the moment we say to Life “I’m at your service, what is it life is wanting to birth into the world? I’m here to serve something greater than myself.” She continued “whether we’re in the space of listening, or in the flurry of activity, it’s all the same, we’re in the same service with our partner life. And we’re not there when we think we’re alone and have to figure it out!”

Aaaaahhhh! Yes! The relief of knowing that the bigness of this vision is not mine alone! This is something that Life itself wants to birth in our world, and to which I can respond with my equally deep and passionate sense of commitment to the part I can, in this moment, clearly feel is mine.

In fulfilling my destiny, I take my place as a pioneer on the cutting edge of human development. I show up as a leader, with my fierce loving and profound presence, bringing my voice to the world by painting pictures of what is possible!

As I do this, I am being authentically and unapologetically me – however others respond. I listen, speak and act from my deep knowing – regardless of what happens.

I came here to be seen, and by my presence, words and actions invite all whose lives I touch into even more deeply respectful ways of relating. I am here to learn what it means to co-create extraordinary relationships, and practice this in every arena of my life, nurturing the development of evolutionary communities grounded in respect and appreciation of difference, where the full flourishing of our co-creativity is called out and celebrated.

And I am not alone!! I am surrounded and supported by the many who (in their own unique way) feel these urgings of life. What a gift! I’d love to hear the parts you feel drawn to contribute.