The Villain's Job

 
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he (or she) does not become a monster.” Friedrich Nietzsche 
 
The monsters, villains, antagonists, and antiheroes are here for one purpose and one purpose only: to awaken the hero. In each of us. The Trouble Makers, as it turns out, are a great asset to us both individually and collectively. Just as there is no good story without a villain, there is no life without them either. 
 
They’re here. Sometimes they are hidden behind the scenes, sometimes they are out in the open. 
 
In my Buddhist practice we approach our Trouble Makers as our teachers. If not for them we may get all lazy and complacent. We may not see the true value of applying our principles and ethics. We may even forget our dreams and intentions. They also bring us to our practice. We are less likely to practice when our life is all puppies and rainbows. And your readers are not going to identify with a protagonist who isn’t fighting a villain. Boring. Sleepy land. 
 
In nature, everything must break apart, be destroyed for creation to happen. The seed must be destroyed if the stem is to break through the dirt and reach the light. Natural fires allow for a balanced ecosystem. You know: you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs. The old typically has to fall apart to make room for the new. 
 
There’s now a monster in the White House. And if our collective story unfolds as it can (and often does), he and his cronies will bring out the Best in each of us. Getting lazy may be an option but only at the demise of our democracy and personal and collective integrity.
 
So, put pen to paper. Help fight the monsters. 

• Write a column.
• Encourage the hero in you and others.
• Vote and help get others to vote.
• Research and understand your antagonists. Use this knowledge to fight the good fight. 
• “Be Kind whenever possible. 
• It is always possible.”  His Holiness the Dalai Lama (The I Ching counsels us to be strong on the inside and kind on the outside). 
• Thank the Trouble Maker for putting a fire under you. 
• Get some chalk and write on the sidewalk.
• Send that letter.
• Be heroic. 
• Write it all down. Take notes. Pay attention. 
• Trust your experiences.
• Know that as a writer we don’t need capes, we have our pens.

 
 My writing circles for this round are filled up. But I will be offering retreats and classes, some through the UW, Madison at Writers’ Institute and Write-By-The-Lake. 
 
I do have openings in my RED THREAD Circle that starts up in November:  Monthly Spiritual Circle: Taking Hold of the Red Thread: Touching Reality in our Everyday Lives. Gather together with others who are the heroes in their own story. 

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