Well meant advise from a seasoned diplomat based on a holistic world view to look past ‘events’ and to let yourself inspire by ‘trends’ instead.
Thus freeing yourself from false images triggered by the fear of short term loss and opening up your mind to more realistic insights into the bigger picture. Thus creating the space required to move on to more helpful strategies.
Valley full of rosemary, sage, thyme, olives, almonds, cherries & more in Parc Natural del Ports, near Paüls (march 2019). Potential Reviving Senses Program destination.
When a sense of bliss is missing I now tend to take a moment to figure out why instead of pushing the feeling away and carrying on based on an (unhealthy?) ability to endure a certain situation for quite a while.
And when I am alert enough to catch that moment I realise at the experience level that my sense of well being is directly related to my sense of connectedness. It is not much more complicated than that!
Lack of connection (or consciousness) = Lack in well being.
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52°44’56.9″N 6°24’37.2″E
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Staatbosbeheer
Second draft of co-production of small fellowship
aiming to clarify key ingredients of life serving structures (see Teal Wheel).
‘swirling thoughts finally halt their blinding dance
as feelings melt before the laws of impermanence
exposing hidden fields of endless abundance’
Acceptance, Jan 2019
After an instructive ‘lyme’ break of almost 2 years…
Opi, Abruzzo, Italy. Design by: H DGVE
As you probably know by now I’m investigating concepts such as dis-identification, equanimity, connectedness and letting go. Basically trying to align with what is without having the ego interfere. Something I haven’t figured out yet is to be completely sure that when moving in a certain direction I’m not still guided by some (well hidden) aversion or craving. Can I trust what seems obvious and to serve life at that moment?
My travel companion
Trying to put words to where I think I’m at this moment:
1. Integrating rhythm: As I have come to realise that a daily mix of certain components (preferably in a certain order) helps me to stay connected (quiet time, movement, little food, mind time / work, food, social, work, quiet time). If one of those components is missing I tend to stay idle or move back. Now past the awareness stage on this and slowly but gradually integrating to this more beneficial rhythm.
By Marshall Rosenberg in ‘Living Non-Violent Communication’
For a more practicle description of the path to acceptance you can read ‘The Surrender Experiment’ by Michael Singer (vs the more technical description of this process by David Hawkins). His practice is to go with whatever remains after you let go completely of personal likes or dislikes about the matter at hand.
I like the concept of the birth of the Ego in parallel with the development, as human beings, of our capacity to think. We gradually became our thoughts at the expense of our direct connection with what is. Before thinking there was no Ego.
Hopefully the nascent movement towards detachment of these thinking patterns and into awareness without attachment (to our thinking or form) will grow in strength over time. With a more peaceful world as consequence. See amongst others, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.
Our society seems to have migrated deep into its ‘conservation’ phase. Our response to the increasing scale and complexity of the structures we have created is more standardisation, more rules and procedures, more regulations etc. Thereby gradually reducing the flexibility and resilience necessary survive as a system. As a consequence our potential is increasingly limited. What can we do to reverse this ‘downward’ trend?
Nice ‘travel story’ by Baba Dam Rass (formerly Dr. Richard Alpert, Ph. D ;o)
and his ‘Hanuman Foundation’ with a compassionate eye for specific ‘western’ challenges
along the road (including a nice list of books to ‘hang out with’).
Thanks to John Milton and his ‘Way of Nature‘ for introducing me to him.
Susan offers great help in understanding and accepting the part of my behaviour that is influenced by the introvert side of myself. And in explaining these characteristics to extroverts. Should be part of early curriculum… Available in audio form as well! ;o)
With thanks to Susan Cain. For short version listen to her Ted Talk
David Fleming is not so positive about our collective future as a species but focusses anyhow on the life style you an I should migrate to in order to create communities that are truly sustainable on the long run. Worthwhile even if you think it is too ‘late’ as David does.
In ‘Surviving the Future’ he digs much deeper than becoming ‘circular’ etc and offers a comprehensive set of key ingredients necessary to achieve such an alternative. With, and that appeals to me, a more human scale as starting point.
