When we create forms, such as institutions, we want them to last, sometimes too long where they believe they are Right. Is there an inherent correctness to each religious group, do they have direct communication with the divine while others do not. Do these human formed beliefs close the possibility of conversation on important matters for our planet. Is there a time to everything… where might shows who is right. There are gatherings today where folks share ideas, explore the unseen. This is sharing rather than telling young and old stories that nourish. And then there are organizations led by primitive stories wanting control through guilt, control and separation. Have you acted out of fear or tightly held beliefs only to regret later? Or have you forced or told others, possibly children, partner or friends rather than sharing, asking for their ideas?

Why will folks perform genocide, how much today and historically.

What does all this say of our species.

Can we create form without doing violence to one another.

Can we love– do you have any idea what is love or do you mistake lust

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I look at faces more these days, the eyes and mouths, what is the energy being shared. How do we miss evil, our educational system has indeed developed models so we do not listen to our intuition, trust the unseen realm that is real and beckoning us in.
But, this life is not multiple choice or true-false. It is filled with gradations of colors, smells and tones. We want so badly, that we forgo our sensitive selves and surrender scares as it is misused.
In times where the charlatans are sending out the messages, we must practice more deeply, listen to where truth resides.
Is it hard to listen past the noise and lies. Discern where to listen and to whom. Those of us with tender hearts, who take in information through this fragile portal, take care. Maybe we do not try to make nice and learn how to care without losing our true strength, maybe we serve as guides to living directly, rather than passive aggressive hide and seek. Enter with our hearts leading and our minds available to ponder and act.

All is not light and happy. Life is bigger, holding light and dark. Jung showed us shadows, the Buddha said there is suffering, yet more… called to practice…

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Who are people that work with villians, co-conspirators?
In the book, Hitler’s Willing Executioners,
I recognized everyone including religious institutions we love can do heinous actions. Is it money, a faux sense of power, is it a neuropsychological flaw.
When Buddhist teachers,
Peter Mathison and Bernie Glassman took a group of folks to Auchswitz during Thanksgiving, sitting on the railroad tracks, they realized they could have and at times did act in violent ways.
Don’t good Buddhist practitioners maintain equanimity, stay detached and never use violent behavior.
What is it that drives humans to derive pleasure from retribution, guilt, having ready answers in arguments rather than actively listening and learning. Do you ask yourself, how is this possible, what’s wrong with these people. And who is the ‘these’.
Do you look within, what are you complicit with in your life journey… write down the uncomfortable
What can we do to support a new way of being and why does it seem like work, rather than pleasure.
Who are we?
And how do we mistake demagogues from authentic leaders, why do we follow the demagogues anyway.
Obviously, this is on my mind and heart a lot these days.
Did you ever think an administration would not fund the postal service as one of a number of illegal and immoral ways to control the election and citizens.
Is this ok to do?
Does this behavior bother you?
Why not?

Did you ever think an administration would not fund the postal service as one of a number of illegal and immoral ways to control the election and citizens?

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I am wondering if egos are running around—you know those malevolent smiles from folks in positions to make a difference?—are more prevalent today. I lived in this bubble of healers, holistic folks and vegans for many years. I thought everything was just the way it was meant to be and all was good. Religious speakers that tell us we are born in the Image, but we have sinned… or we are all good since spirit is always good.

We have been given an extraordinary gift and opportunity to practice, to do the work of being sacred human. Smiling when we speak rather than listen, have words ready instead of paying attention to the moment, breathe feed our advanced place, not our primitive brain. We all have glimmers of our higher gift, but it came with a pay attention offer. 

Is it just easier to forget and act as though we do not know? Yes… This takes practice, as does most gifts of wonder. If we are treating one another as commodities or worse, stop for a moment or longer, time is not the issue, being present listening for guidance, giving the space for grace to come home. Diffuse the lower, it shows in many forms, come with elegance and care, what a surprise.

Surrender is such a scary word in the land of might, we may then have no power. Power is so misunderstood, just look at the Bully in the big house. Power is going within, slowing it down, love self, know that it is a part of the interbeing. Bring your Higher Being into the room, don’t pay attention to the wounded souls that seduce with false stories and promises. Know your divine and with daily practice you can be in the (your) flow.

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When a glass drops…
When we cannot open a jar…
When we get lost on the same trip a dozen times…

You know these feelings. I know them, too. Our inside feels tight and we are upset. And these are just trivial things, really. So what happens when something important occurs?

How often do you find yourself angry at yourself or others? Was there a reason? Do you respond too quickly? Or do you allow space for thought and care?

We are not taking a breath before responding. Not one single breath. And we deserve to be taking many.

How often do you have an answer—even if it’s ridiculous—that you spit out quickly to protect the silly or harmful thing you are doing or saying. For instance, I asked a person in the park the other day to please smoke in a more private place. His response was immediate. Not one single thought. He threw his lit cigarette-butt on the ground in defiance. So I asked that he please not throw the light. His angry words came flying off his tongue, laced with negativity. Again, he did not take one breath.

We protect our behaviors and our ways fiercely. We tell ourselves that we don’t need to change; everything is fine. But really, change or transition is just seen as difficult or impossible.

The Buddha said we can shift karma. All it takes is daily practice. Gurdjieff stated we act as machines, but we also have the capacity to be human. All it takes is daily work.

Why are we still acting in ways that hurt ourselves, each other and our communities? Breathe, slow down, pay attention. Take a breath. Let life serve you.

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A brilliant and caring Constitutional Law Professor at one of our elite Universities has said a couple of rather forthright statements—that we have an anti-president and that folks who support this behavior are pathetic excuses for human beings. This is no longer about politics; our hearts are pumping feverishly, and the soul of our nation is at stake. The professor went on to state that our nation has had scoundrels before, but not one whose sole intent is to fill his personal coffers.

We are being given an opportunity to listen to our hearts, to quietly hear the rhythm and feel our pace. Are we engaged in our democratic experiment—whether attending neighborhood gatherings or picking a cause? We could be ensuring our towns are walk-able, meeting folks along our paths, or simply showing up to have our voices heard. I have been thinking a lot lately about Servant Leadership and a model of shared leadership found in Quaker meetings.

I witnessed the challenging and extraordinary behavior there when care and thought are placed front and center. People can hold on to their beliefs, believing they are true, yet being witness to a coming together that can ensue if we pay attention, listen, and grow. Bullies do not allow for this magic to happen. They coerce and act ugly. We can hold on to our beauty with a smile, with eyes that twinkle, and with energy we radiate. I watch myself throwing out anger less these days as it builds. I understand the essence of being a part of, being a servant, or a carer. And, I understand a new way to see the word surrender, asking my ego to stand aside for awhile, listening to my inner strength and playing well—together.

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Sit for a while, and try on how it feels to come to another in moments of joy or disharmony listening. How does this feel? Listen before speaking, and listen some more.

I was raised where the modeling was to speak and keep speaking louder and louder. As the volume escalated so did the emotional violence.

Now I listen, when I inevitably want to emote, I place my cupped hands on my heart. I feel the rhythm and listen to my frequency. And, as I’m comforted, I know we each hear or want to hear our rhythms. Coming to relationships with love asks for us to stay quiet and pay attention.

We can learn habits that support sacred care, that honor our sacred way. I choose to live with this intention and practice it. When we practice being awake and come to each other as though we matter, violent behavior softens. We feel wonderful with ourselves and one another, and we live Sacred.

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I’m sitting on a train from Seattle to Vancouver BC—reflecting on when the border was permeable and seen as welcoming neighbors. Similarly though, with Mexico. We now detain and rip apart families at the southern border and craft unnecessary complexity at the last US station, Bellingham. We couldn’t even use the bathrooms until those with proper papers moved on to Canada.

When I lived in New Zealand a few years ago, I was asked at a small regional airport, “I better have a damn good reason for flying back to the US.” I paused and found it hard to respond. It’s certainly harder today. At that time, the US was manipulating sovereign nations to enter our war of fear and they were mad as hell.

Now we separate families, instilling fear in children, offering trauma and fear, instead of care and welcoming. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”

The US was founded as a refuge from tyranny, and today my heart aches that we support both citizens and those still believing in the once upon a time, to a psychic place of terror.

I returned to a place I thought as home with the eloquence of the Obama family to a place where I feel displaced. Home is a tender, gentle place of care and love. Let’s breathe in welcoming and breathe out embrace to the land we call home. Let’s invite that story into our house on the hill.

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I’m not sure why living as human instead of machine takes daily work. It could be appreciation and gratitude were not a given at birth. It could be that growing up in a family using emotional blackmail provides challenges we believe is the way of things. I’ve learned asking why is not as important as the work. What I am aware of is that I received a gift of this life. It took a lifetime to know even though it was a moment of gratitude. I started listening more, paying attention instead of needing to be right, being the center of all. In the quiet I was humbled by the shear magnificence of this rarefied offering.

Yet, work it is or at least sharing this journey with like-minded. No need to play with the spiritual elite, who believe they sit next to the divine. Here we are and some thoughts on how we can do it with grace. Find a community. Even one or two folks who make buddy support primary in their life. Remind ourselves we are a part, not the only recipient of the gift, be a giver. Bring kindness rather than “great again” to our lands. Believe what we cannot see, start seeing through our hearts and imagination. And journey into wonder playfully.

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