I recently wrote about dealing with the presence of darkness in these times and received some thoughtful follow-up requests to share more about what it means to accept the fact of darkness in the world and for practical advice on how to do this in daily life. So just how do we accept the presence of darkness? What does such acceptance mean? What do I do? First, I admit that darkness exists in this world. Accepting darkness is not to embrace it, not to hold it and not to approve it. It means only to acknowledge it is there, that darkness is a reality in our … [Read more...]
Score: Darkness 2, Light 1,000,000
I am a Bostonian. We have had a tough week here. We suffered a violent act of darkness as two young men attacked us, killing 3, critically injuring and maiming scores of others, and attempting to shake our individual and communal senses of security and trust. They failed. Resoundingly. And so, even in the midst of this crisis, we have had a great week here. Everything that is the best in us, in humanity, is on full display: love, compassion, fearlessness in the face of danger, generosity, strength, selflessness, kindness, commitment to community, protection of others, clarity, … [Read more...]
Why am I here?
In my work I often am asked by others to help them understand why they are here. “What is my purpose in this life?” is the question I hear. And it is a universal question, perhaps not always in focus, but certainly surfacing during various stages of difficulty, growth and development. Our human experience is rather rugged, ranging through many emotional, spiritual and physical highs and lows, ever presenting new challenges, bringing us into direct confrontation from time to time with this question of “Why am I here?” Further complicating this fundamental existential inquiry is the … [Read more...]
Imagination, Make Believe, and Inner Discovery
As Halloween approaches and we can’t help observing, and maybe participating in, dress-up and pretend play, I am thinking again about the importance of imagination, and in particular how much children can remind us about expanding our capacities to know in non-linear ways. Children are impressive in their ability to easily and fluidly abandon so-called rational thought and immerse themselves with freedom and delight into imaginary worlds. In the process of such play they are naturally accessing their intuition and accomplishing important developmental tasks. My four-year-old … [Read more...]
Struggling to Arrive
I have had an interesting collective of dreams and inner messages over the last few weeks, each addressing the difficulties we face in finding comfort and balance in the world. Remarkably, one of the dreams included an instruction to me to write about this and to title this post “Struggling to Arrive”. So, here we go! It is not easy being human in a world that is inequitable and seems to become more so all the time. It is as if there are different worlds, multiple and uneven playing fields, indeed, parallel universes, right here in our own surround. The spaciousness of spiritual … [Read more...]
Leo Rising, Hazel Conjunct: A Lesson in Being Present
In this season of thanksgiving, and holiday giving and receiving, I have been appreciating what a gift I have in the constellation of my life: two very young grandchildren, Leo and Hazel. Their unrestrained engagement with life reminds me, over and over again, what it means to be fully here, present in the moment. Each, in their unique ways, is completely occupied with their immediate experience and everyone and everything around them, in rich expression, moment by moment. They are expert at simply BEING. Would that we each could rediscover the fullness of wonder in each moment. And … [Read more...]