Greeting dear Sunny Buddies
I hope all is well with you and that this lovely time of spring is bringing you joy.
One beautiful change for me is that the legal mask mandate in Scotland has ended. I so enjoy seeing people’s faces when I am out and about. I like to smile and acknowledge people, and I found masks interrupted this delight. Charles Eisenstein recently said that to see another person’s face is sacred. It is the portal to unity and interconnectedness.
I loved this explanation. It has helped me understand at a more spiritual level why masks were such a challenge for me. I accepted the rule, but it somehow grieved me to experience the barrier between the other person and me.
On a lighter note, I have been consulting a chiropractor for about a year, and only this week did I see that he had a beard. We laughed at my surprise when I saw his entire face.
I wish you a happy mask free day. LOL!
Ann
For all that there is some normality returning, there is also discord and unsettledness worldwide. I am an avid explorer of systemic global, political, economic and social theories. I always have been, much to the dismay of my friends and family! They think I am a wee bit geeky sometimes.
I love the challenge of mapping various parts of a system and then seeing if I can make meaning from exploring the interplay and interactions. Over the last few years, I happily followed the Scottish Referendum, Brexit, and the Trump election. I could see both sides and would happily explore differing viewpoints. I was not personally attached to any particular outcome.
However, with the pandemic, I found it hard to be the neutral observer I had once been. The was so much happening that I found myself profoundly in disagreement with. I could feel waves of resentment rolling over me as I observed a world I could no longer make sense of. As a result, I felt overwhelmed at times.
As I described this to a dear friend recently, he invited me to explore this through the lens of Complex Adaptive Systems. So, as you can imagine, I dived in. As a result of what I gleaned, my equanimity and optimism feel more alive within me.
Complex Adaptive Systems
In essence, this theory invites us to see our world as a dynamic interplay of diverse interactions and relationships that simultaneously affect and are shaped by each other.
Life on Earth is not linear, where we can look at cause and effect as a simple flow. Instead, it is a diverse and interwoven network of influences that no one part of the system can ultimately control. As I explored this further, the revealing that touched me most was that there is an innate Divine Intelligence pulsating through the system. We cannot see it, but this field of Sacred Intent holds an arc of transformation with the system that is always seeking to bring all aspects to wholeness. This Divine intelligence will ultimately outmanoeuvre the players who think they can dictate, for personal gain, what happens within the system.
As I hold this lens, I see that I trust this evolving goodness from the deepest part of my soul. It helps me appreciate the complexity of what is happening in the world and move away from fear and concern. I must not get lost in microturbulence. Instead, I just need to rise above this turbulence to perceive what is unfolding and what is needed. Then I can more readily discern where I can contribute to this evolving emergence.
The Sudden Strangeness of Stillness
Today as I was thinking about staying in balance during these times of turbulence, the poem below by Pablo Neruda came to me. I love the evocative nature of his writing. It is multi-layered and multi-dimensional, with a kaleidoscope of imagery to awaken and console us.
I come back to this poem when I am sad about the state of the world. The invitation to step into the ‘sudden strangeness of stillness’ really touches me. Too often, we don’t take the time to stop and experience this strangeness and perhaps forget the Divine connection that is our birthright. From this place, I can deeply appreciate that within our complex adaptive system, we are players too. We have the power to influence what is unfolding. We can join hands, sit in together in silence and know that our intentions within this stillness will infuse our planetary system with goodness, truth and beauty. This possibility brings me joy and hope in this moment.
Mmmmmm, Any thoughts?
As always, I would love to hear from you.
Ann
Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda
Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still
for once on the face of the earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for a second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would not look at his hurt hands.
Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about...
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves
with death.
Now I'll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
I must read more Pablo Neruda Ann. I knew his poems were used in the Twelfth symphony of Allan Pettersson.
A tremendous composer whose powerful symphonies would certainly seem to travel through colossal dramas exploring incredibly turbulent emotional worlds I think finally resting on tranquillity and notes of reflection. Stillness.( 7th 9th syms). I am reminded once again that after difficult problems. Huge storms come peaceful moments
Stillness can be a challenging concept
Stillness of the moment. How difficult to achieve
To stop all ones workaday thoughts
And find that radiance pouring through
Renewing everything with sensation
It’s an infinite resource I think. Stillness. That’s why stopping for the moment is so difficult.
Ann I’m going to put my pen down right now and consume the joy of the instant like a kitten being offered an infinite dish of milk
I am so so happy. It IS infinite. Sending you brightest wishes for an incredibly beautiful day. x. It’s lovely. I wish you the greatest happiness right now
Richard.
https://discord.gg/yTCKYbsp Her Discord channel :) <3