A Question Worth Exploring

Thunder Being Totem, Canada

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"We're so high on progress that we allow a tiny segment of the population to create the narrative of the world." -Ailton Krenak,  Ideas To Postpone The End Of The World

Tyrants winning an election is an old story, mostly known to us through the news and histories of other countries. His Holiness the Dalai Lama had to flee his country at the age of 15; Tibet now left more to the imagination than a place we can visit.  About ten years ago the Dalai Lama gave up his role as a political leader to give his full attention to his role as spiritual leader.  

When I got out of bed this morning, after being up most of the night I wondered what role might I give up, like His Holiness, in order to live a life I am meant to live now. I wondered what giving up would look like. What role no longer truly serves me or others?   Would giving up be more of a giving in and letting things unfold as they will? A form of passive-aggressive rebellion? Should I give up my role as author? 

Is there a role I am fulfilling that is preventing me from attending to another more important role? 

This is a question worth exploring.  

We can't let our imaginations, our dreams, our stories or our love be hijacked by a tyrant or by  any real threats to our humanity.  We have to keep writing our stories, speaking up, joining in, believing in and finding our way to each other.  We have to purposely chose our roles in this shared story. 

Many people identified with His Holiness as their political leader.  But he believed it served humanity more to let go of that identified role. 

What roles might I be in that are preventing me from finding my way to what is truly meaningful in my life?  What role do you identify with that may be preventing you from living a truer role?   Write about that. 

What are the roles you live right now?  Write about that.

What promise might we have to break to fulfill a new role?  Write about that.

What do you identify most with?  Or what do others identify as your role in their lives?  Write about that. 

The Four Reminders

the buddha reminds us that because we are born 
we will die, because we are born we will lose everything and everyone we cherish,
that we will encounter sickness and change. . .

because this is true, what is meaningful?

bullies will continue to show up on the play grounds
the fungi will recycle the dead,
though everything will end
often things will be okay

the tyrant will leave the playground
​bound too, by laws of nature.
broken toys and abandoned swings
will be brought back to life or
recycled into something else

Let's see what we can do to stay in this conversation––
be born, lose everything, die
we are so fragile
and beautiful
we live with so much uncertainty
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with all that love in between. 

Please, let's find our way 
to each other.
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