OK, to be clear, even though I’m not much of a shopper, so Black Friday doesn’t hold much appeal for me, I love yummy food, AND the experience of abundance – tables overflowing … family and friends gathered round … delighting in the experience of being embodied in human form! So the idea of now living in the USA and having two opportunities each year to celebrate Thanksgiving is definitely not a hardship – we have such an extraordinary number of things in our lives that are easy to be thank-full for.
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Some of us gathered last New Year’s Eve – another cause for full table, dressing up, and celebrating the gifts of life! |
I was reflecting on all this as I came to write this eNews, and somehow that line from the Star Spangled Banner – the land of the free and the home of the brave – popped into my head, and the words freedom and bravery began to swirl in me.
Certainly, living with eyes wide open, neither fixating on, nor having to pretend that there aren’t things in our world that evoke pain and fear in us is hugely challenging! But for me, in our commitment to expand our capacity to do just that, true freedom and great bravery are called out of us.
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Beauty embedded in what appears to be chaos |
I’m imagining that many of you drawn here share my sense that embedded in the things that seem to be chaotic and crumbling around us are the beautiful seeds of new possibility that are gestating in our world. One of the challenges of being in this period is that there’s so much out of our control and not possible to be known. And yet we are neither helpless nor powerless.
I recently heard a quote from Rudolf Bahro who said “When the forms of an old culture are dying, the new culture is created by a few people who are not afraid to be insecure.”
If we hold fear as a given in our lives, and not as evidence that we, or the situation we’re experiencing are wrong, we can feel our fear and use its presence to deepen our commitment to be present to any confusion and uncertainty that’s evoked. We can choose to engage whatever practices we have – starting with pausing and taking a deep breath – to step back and be curious about what’s actually happening here? Wondering about what might be missing that we might be being called to bring to the moment? We can be open and allow for the emergence from our deep knowing next steps and choices that seem to be our most authentic response – at least right now!
For me, this is freedom and bravery in action. These are the capacities that the ‘brave souls’ who have joined me over the last weeks in the first beta version of Relationship Treasures Hidden in Plain Sight, are engaging and expanding. It’s been a joy and a privilege to see (and experience myself) the possibilities and freedom that are emerging for us all.
We’re truly, expanding our capacities to embrace and be thankful for ALL of life, and the freedom that results for those curious, creative and brave enough to engage this path is SO worth it! I’m more grateful than I have words for, to be joined by each one of you in this community exploring Realizing RICH Relationships together.
For those of us celebrating Thanksgiving this week, have a wonderful celebration, and for all of us – wherever we are – what else is possible as we choose to embrace, rather than turn away from the many insecurities in our lives?!