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How soon can you get Contentment?

There are so many things we’re all working toward: buying a piece of property, forgiving someone, writing a book, losing those unwanted pounds, converting the extra bedroom. We’ve all heard it said:
There’s no better time than the present.
There’s actually no other time but the present.
Life’s too short…
We change when the pain of staying the same is bad enough.
How about: I want it now because I want it now. Why now? No reason. Go to http://tinyurl.com/6juzxo3.

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Economic Down-turn as Opportunity: “Yeah, right…” No, really!

Naturally, it does no good to just TALK pollyanna about what is actually an early warning system telling us that we have GOT to make vital changes soon, or we will have missed ALL opportunity to turn a trio of SPECIES-threatened issues around: the economy, the energy sector, and climate changes all over this planet. (These are all higher-order considerations of health-care, actually.)

Let’s take a closer look, though. The recession gives us a blessed occasion to stimulate building a cleaner and more reliable energy infrastructure, thereby spending human and capital resources wisely and reorienting our science and industry for the long-haul.

This is precisely where the breakthrough is meant to happen anyway. This is where we have been stuck: making the leap from short-term (but dangerously costly) use of fossils to power our cars and lights and myriad other “app’s” to long-term, better energy sources. To make this leap, we need to rebuild our energy infrastructure using the millions of people left unemployed or severely disenfranchised by the down-turn in the economy.

There is no other way.
Shifting attention from the near-sighted dependence on coal, oil and natural gas to future-oriented alternatives means turning the heads of investors, labor forces and the voting public.

It would probably stimulate this shift in a very impactful way for the US military to take on –within its own system– the tri-part measures required, and show the world what is possible, much as happened with the invention of the Internet upon which we now rely.
1. It is time to cut our losses and bring home the good people and resources invested in an endeavor that no longer makes sense; and to put those same human and other resources to work building our future.
2. This is a politically feasible way to stimulate the smart-but-daunting shift to an economy based on the long view.
a. It is based on values held by both sides of the political divide in this country.
b. It offers a means of paying for itself and getting us out of debt like no other plan to-date.
c. It integrates the major concerns before us today: boot-strapped economic growth, a concerted shift to alternative energy, befriending angry climate changes, shoring up foreign relations and leading the world to a better future, as is our American destiny.
3. What better way is there to deploy the powerful military forces (people, money, organization, discipline, honor) than to put them to work re-educating themselves and the rest of us as to the science, the national security issues, and the economic expertise needed to make this decisive transformation in human history?!
4. This is really what the brave women and men who volunteer to defend their country consistently say they are looking for in joining the military: to serve their country while simultaneously looking to improve their own personal life-prospects.
Granted, there is much to work out about such a plan, and yet there is much that suggests ITSELF about such an integrated path to solving some of the most perplexing AND vital policy needs we have but a moment to take in hand.

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I feel it in the foreboding silence that comes up around “habits of the heart” (thinking of Robt Bellah et al’s book from 1985)–like conducting business together, going to church, participating in social and civic groups and events—when sticky, controversial matters arise.

I feel it when members of my own family speak about politically-charged issues in ways that they do not even realize cut and hurt me. I’m sure I do the same for others.

I feel it when I am invited to a neighbor’s barbeque and the mainstream media they have on is broadcasting “information” that my first-hand experience tells me is dead wrong.

Why do I say this is dangerous?

1 – United we stand; divided we’re dead. We have responsibility as inheritors of the biggest experiment in democracy on the planet to-date, to up hold the participatory government that our forefathers built literally with their blood, sweat and tears, and that future generations of this globe will either enjoy or suffer for lack of.

2 – There is an impending violence if we do not address this divide amongst us. Wars result from this wide a separation of mind-sets. It doesn’t need to come to that; but our turning a blind eye, our not sobering up to the authentic communication it’s going to take, is taunting wretched and excruciating confrontation.

3 – We’re wasting valuable time and resources. We need to instead get to work on:

· Alternative Forms of Energy (Our current forms are consistently sourcing other major problems in foreign relations, to the natural world which is our home, and in the quality of our individual lives.)
· Health as Common Cause (Most other 1st world countries have found ways to do this, without turning them into the horrible communist monoliths we conjure up.)
· Vigorous Economy (Regardless which side you’re on, we need to rally to support whatever administration is in office with long-term planning—rather than blaming them for not being able to snap their fingers and turn around decades of debt-producing policy.)

There are some general and effective remedies we can begin implementing today:

Ø We want viable, alternative parties to vote for. This makes combinations of forces possible that we cannot countenance, without breaking ranks in ways that are currently unimaginable to us. Two polar opposites make for instability; more political parties will provide coalitions to help move forward.

Ø We want to seek higher ground, to meet on levels where it doesn’t matter that we differ as regards everyday, fleeting issues. There’s a church nearby whose sign out front currently says: “Our needs never exhaust God’s supply.” Above and beyond our political, religious, and personal differences, there’s ‘the peace that passes all our clever understanding,’ the quiet intuition that we are One, that deep inside everything is enfolded in everything.

Here’s to the sacredness of TOLERANCE!

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Let the dance experience continue…

The morning of the audition I felt like it took 3 days instead of 3 hours waiting for 11 am arrive. I was so nervous, a huge rock in my stomach. Thinking, “I can’t do this. You are crazy. This is awful”, “You can’t dance”. But I knew I was still going.

I always find that when you are in action and connecting with people it makes life a lot better. So I was in action, just by the mere fact I was going to the audition. I got out of bed (with fear), took out my audition clothes (with fear), ate breakfast (with fear), and got into the car to drive there (with fear). My intention for the audition was to be present, connected (with myself, my body and others), and feel the music. (Setting intentions is always a good practice!) So when I arrived, I stayed in action true to my intention and started talking to people, sharing my nervousness. Part of me was seeking to find others as nervous as me…I found no one! Ha! Just connecting with others and my body kept me present, AND all the fear (with fleeting moments of it feeling actually debilitating) was still there the whole time.

Another interesting thing I noticed through the audition experience: For me being scared of dancing has always been about being scared that people were judging me. I was putting myself in a position now that through the audition that’s exactly what they’d be doing!!! They’d be watching and judging…in fact that was their job. So here it was, almost my turn to get up and show ‘em my stuff.

I had no idea if I was going to make the “cut” or how I looked that day. It was so much fun just to be watched and be on the edge. There was so much joy in the moment during the audition. I then had to wait of course to see if I got in. I was accepted into the show! We began rehearsals 2-3 times/ week. I felt completely like a novice walking into that first rehearsal and many thereafter. Everyone knew each other, they were all dancers and performers already with lots of experience. I was “in kindergarten” again. I had just had a huge breakthrough at the audition and was so thrilled and proud of myself. I quickly realized that was only step 1 of many…here I was at the beginning again, feeling stuff coming up: concerns, fears, not being accepted, being judged, not feeling like part of the community. All of that was in my face again in the first few rehearsals. The ebb and flow of that “conversation” (better stated: monologue) in my head continued throughout and still exists actually (although as with everything else, it lessens when I give it less attention, and over time as I continue to be in action as a dancer/performer, it’s power over me is becoming less and less.)

When that monologue in my head isn’t there. Dancing is an experience of joy, spirit, connection, healing, and just plain fun. Dancing is such a powerful playing ground for cultivating presence, consciousness, mastery. Try it!

Leslie

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My spiritual practices deepen. basically, there’s more junk going on in my head, so i need to focus more –that’s the resource i provide myself– to reach deep enough down into the well to scoop up the nectar of wisdom, compassion and contentment within. out of this come several things…

1. My delight in the craziest little things is immensely heightened: on a ‘normal day,’ i’d smell the coffee, but ’so what?’ and gulp it down mindlessly to force the elimination process. this morning, i’m completely getting off on the richness of the nut/fruit flavor in the air, and the image of the beans ripening on an african plantation i can now smell here in CO.

and then –bizarre as it sounds– i don’t even drink the stuff; i just keep getting high on the smell. to the mere thought of drinking the coffee, my digestive system says, ‘that’ll just burn;” ‘it’s a diuretic, you actually need to hydrate;” “it’ll just make you jittery, and then want to eat more than you really need.”

So, not only does the deepening of my meditation render me more appreciative of the smell of the coffee because i’m more aware –having cleared my ability to focus, but also because i’m not automatically feeding the addiction of flushing the digestive track quasi artificially.

1.a. speaking of abating addictions…when those moments have been presenting themselves to e.g. turn on the radio to distract myself while driving, or have a second helping of yams because it’s there, or check if anyone’s sent me an email in the last 15 minutes, or watch a movie to get my mind off the day, et c., instead i’m perfectly content (in fact tearfully grateful) to just be still.

2. relationships are deepening too. it appears that because i’m having to share closer spaces and fewer resources, i’ve got to have more intimate conversations to work things out with folks. with some it’s to settle accounts, go our own ways; & with others it’s to partner up, join forces more tightly.

3. i’m actually get more done. productivity is wildly enhanced by not thinking about ‘just putting your nose to grandstone, young man.’ if times weren’t tough, and focus wasn’t stronger, i’d react all over the place to that adage. now i’m just doing it, and only making empirical note in retrospect.

k, back to work.

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I’m finally going to perform!

I am starting rehearsals today for a dance performance and I want to share as I go on this exciting journey. It is also a new journey for me to be blogging and I’m not sure what I or you will discover around this journey either. Let me start by catching you up.

To date, my writing has consisted of essays in college, personal journal entries and value added newsletters. Blogging has a new feel for me – a mix between newsletter (at least my typical style of newsletter) and personal journal entry. At this point we’ll see what happens…I’m a little nervous about it!!!

So here, and now, I want to tell you about my dance journey. I’m someone who’s always loved watching dance and never thought of myself as a dancer. I recall over the years having a fantasy about being a dancer/performer and never considered it an option for me. It was one of those secret desires that I hoped would happen in another lifetime. I also was the one who’d usually only dance if I’d been drinking. I was typically self-conscious and went years without even considering getting on the dance floor, drunk or sober.

Two other things also stuck out as I look at my history around dance. One is the moment dance wasn’t just plain old fun, self-expression anymore. I was 14 or so and was dancing with two girlfriends and they were laughing at how I moved my shoulders…or so I thought. Later in life I told them my story and they swore they were laughing at something else. The other is that in the mid 90’s (my mid 20’s) I took Flamenco classes and other types of classes. Most of the people there were quite a bit older than me and were all novices so that felt safe to me. Anyway, I discovered NIA around the late 90’s. A workout that was FUN! Yeah! I began feeling like a dancer but still never thought about performing.

In the fall of 2008, I went to a NIA dance show that was created by a lead NIA dance instructor in Boulder…Kendra Howard. (check her out at) http://www.myplanetmotion.com…she’s up to some great things around dance!) She started the show as an opportunity for novice amateur dancers to experience being in a dance troupe. The show was unbelievable. . I kept thinking “I know those moves” “I’m as good as them” “she’s fatter then me” I should be up there!

The next day I was in a funk, sad, and distracted when I kept thinking about it. I identified with those thoughts and declared I’d be in the performance next year. What a concept, OMG. Can I do it? Really? No way! YES! That’s crazy! Then I began to realize that if I was truly committed the next step would be to talk to Kendra. Well, let the healing begin!

Every time I thought about approaching her I would just start sobbing. All of this “stuff” started to show up: shame, guilt, fear, sadness, and regret. I didn’t know what it was but I sensed it was time to just feel whatever it was and that I wasn’t going to force a conversation with Kendra until it was natural. The tears kept coming every moment the thought of approaching her arose. I discovered years of being shut down, slammed down, ashamed of sexuality, sensual expression, and the message “your body is not ok”. I kept moving through the tears until one day (3 months later), there was Kendra and I was present, no more tears, walking toward her totally nervous – “When is the show this year?” “I want to audition.”

More on what happened next…..soon ☺

I look forward to your comments, feedback, and your stories of the journeys you are on.

Leslie

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When we acknowledge a person in our lives, it is a gesture beyond simply thanking her for something she has done. It is an honoring of who she was- and is- being. It comes because you are so moved by that. There is something very generous about the act of acknowledging a person, which derives from your willingness to give up yourself and your reality to meet that person in his. You are truly “getting” another’s world. The focus is not on your experience of the person and her actions, but rather on her experience. Put yourself in her shoes and recognize what it must have taken for her to accomplish whatever it was. She gave of herself in some way to do what she did, and your awareness of it increases the value by bringing attention to it. What you place your attention on grows! In doing so you are also creating a future for her to live into. This last piece is potent and transformative. When you verbally express the great qualities of “beingness” you see in a person, you are offering it as a truth for him to experience. In other words, he gets to BE the greatness you describe because you draw his attention to these aspects of himself he may not have been otherwise focused on. You draw them out into being his reality. Talk about powerful creation! Your recognition of the impact a person has on you and the world around her increases the possibility of this becoming true even more so in the future. What a gift you offer- and all because this person was so gracious with you.

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Ironically what was called “Chaos Theory” 30 years ago is now better understood within the domain of “Systems Thinking,” since what could—in the late 20th Century–only be construed as not fitting into unchanging, mechanical models of systems (whether in physics or the life- and social sciences). “Systems Thinking” has since arisen as the general “school” of those studying the emergent and self-created qualities of structures whose significance is best seen in context or relationship with their surroundings, rather than as objectively fixed.

The early systems thinkers (people like Ludwig von Bertalanffy and Alexander Bogdanoff in the life sciences, and then John von Neumann and Norbert Wiener in information theory and cybernetics) re?stablished in formal ways the romantic notion that everything is everything, that is, that to really know a given part of the universe is to discern its eventuality in the whole. More recent theorists (like Ilya Prigogine, James Lovelock, Humberto Maturano and Francisco Varela) have studied self-organizing/living systems of all kinds.

The current application of systems thinking inside coaching and consulting focuses mostly on designing structures that manifest our highest educational aspirations (Robert Torres), the strongest leadership (Joseph Jaworski), and organizations that are themselves created to learn (Peter Senge).

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