01
It all starts with and flows from our being in balance and harmony with our life, meaning our situation in life, our circumstances, our context, our here and now. Being in balance and harmony with here and now, moment by moment, in each situation as it arises, is the most important thing. That positions us to see/know what is happening and what is called for, and to respond to it in ways appropriate to the occasion, out of our genius, daemon (sounds like "diamond"), gifts, talents, specialties, proclivities, interests, etc. bound up in our original nature which comes with us from the womb, in doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, in the right place (here and now), with sincerity and spontaneity, without contrivance, manipulation, exploitation, and an eye on what we stand to gain in so doing. We live from the heart, being true to ourselves and the time and place of our living, and let things fall into place around that. And it all starts with balance and harmony. What is disrupting, disturbing, your balance and harmony? What are the forces of distraction, destabilization, complexity and contradiction, anxiety and uncertainty at work in your life? For instance, can you pay your bills? Are you physically well, that is do you enjoy "freedom of function," able "to will and to do," to "plan and achieve"? And, can you square yourself up with "your lot in life"-- with how it is with you here and now, in a "This is the way things are, and this is what I can do about it (Can be done about it), and that's that" kind of way? Too often, most of the most important aspects of our existence are out of our control. Can we make our peace with that, and let it be so because it is so? Can we maintain our balance and harmony and be out of control at the same time? Controlling our response to being out of control? Continuing to do what we can about the things we can do something about? Which always includes the way we respond to our circumstances, no matter what they are? This is our work every day for the rest of our life. Maintaining our balance and harmmony by the way we respond to the context and circumstances of our life moment by moment, in each situation as it arises, all our life long.
–0–
02
Making our peace with the way things are is the perennial task of life. "Okay. Here we are. Now what?" is a recurring daily exercise throughout existence, for all living things. Nothing remains stable and secure for long. "Time and chance happen to us all," is the way the Bible puts it. We make our peace with that, let it be because it is, and do what we can with it in responding to what the day is asking of us over the full course of our life. How are you doing with that? What would help with it? A Wailing Wall would help with it, and a Community of Innocence-- innocent in the sense of having nothing to gain from being our sounding board, our oasis, our retreat and sanctuary, where we can "recover from the past and store up for the future" (Robert Ruark)-- would make all the difference. We need a place where we can say what we have to say (And hear what we are saying) to those who can receive it with grace and understanding, helping us articulate and bear the pain of life over time. Articulating the impact of our experience is the essential step in coming to terms with-- making our peace with-- the reality of our experience. This is the therapeutic exercise of saying what needs to be said that is critically essential to maintaining our balance and harmony throughout our life. We have to speak the truth in order to hear the truth, realize the truth, and square up to the truth. Most of our social network exists to deny the truth and will not allow the truth to be said. It responds to truth with a litany of catch phrases and truisms as a way of stifling the expression of truth and changing the subject. Not what we need. We need a Community of Innocence that is capable of being both a Wailing Wall and an adamantine, anchoring, rock of our salvation, reminding us by its presence with us that, anyway, nevertheless, even so, we have what we need to find what we need to do what needs to be done about every circumstance of life. Our Community of Innocence doesn't need to be more than two or three people who understand their place in our life (and our place in their life), and join us in creating a space where we all can say what we have to say and hear what is being said in balancing and harmonizing us and squaring us up to the reality of life in the world throughout our life in the world. If you do not have that kind of place, take up the work of forming one by "being what you need," in listening to others and being a place where they can be safe and accepted in speaking the truth, and join you in creating what we all need to find what we need to do what needs to be done.
–0–
03
We are not here to get what we want and live the life of our dreams. We are here to put our gifts, our genius, our daemon (Sounds like "Diamond"), our shtick, our art, our heart's true love, our specialties, our interest, our knack to use in the service of that which has need of what we have to offer-- and stay out of the way. Staying our of the way is the really hard part. And it is really important that we stay out of the way. And not try to manage things, or exploit things, or manipulate things, or coerce thing, or force things, or compel things to our advantage, gain, benefit or good. This is our Dharma/Duty, to stay out of the way and let our little light shine. If we can do that, we can save the world, or at least make a real difference in our part of the world. And that would have an impact for good on the rest of the world.
