THE NEW GROUND

Lawrence Toye - 1 March 2021

To stop and take in the state of our world right now would likely stir up some concerned responses among us.

Some more common thoughts on recent events might be, “the world’s gone crazy!” or “it can’t get any crazier, right?!” 

These thoughts hold some validity as we witness a lot of what we know as familiar become strained and begin to crumble...  

- Systems, many of them human-shaped, are falling apart, on every level.

- Either as a cause or effect of that, many natural, universal systems are shifting, too.  


There have been a few instances when humans have adapted and moved with these shifts. 

In many cases, however, it seems like there’s a lot of resistance to embracing and rolling with phases of chaos. 

 

What causes this desperate grasping to anything which carries a semblance of “normal”, of “familiar”?

When might we finally begin to feel open to letting go of what needs to be let go of? 

An enquiry into the source of the apprehension and uncertainty which keeps us from such a surrender may, initially, be quite uncomfortable. This could be uncharted territory and far beyond the comfort zone. 

The opportunity to take a look within ourselves is always there but the idea of doing so can definitely seem quite daunting. There’s a sense of trepidation, of uncertainty about what we might uncover.


There’s also a real potency in developing our relationship to, and comprehension of, our inner states - the mental and the spiritual. 


Through cultivating a more grounded and centred positioning in our inner landscape, we have the opportunity to turn back towards the external world with a different, more integrated perspective

What might then be different about our experience of and relationship with the local, global and universal systems we move in? 


The words of Viktor Frankl come to mind,


“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Does that “space” feel available to you? 


What happens when you sit in that liminal realm for an extra moment before the stimulus is allowed to evoke a response? 


How long could you actually stay in that space before responding to what’s being experienced in the external world?

This will feel like totally new ground to many. That’s fine. It’s what actually seems to be needed right now. 

It’s vital to realise that we’re in it together, though. It’s by connecting to the stories and experiences of those who have already been there, that we can feel more equipped to be (as well as do) what’s required to grow into a collective fullness of freedom.



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BRINGING FOOD BACK AT THE CENTRE OF OUR LIVES

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INTEGRAL LEADERSHIP: LEADING FROM A PLACE OF WHOLE-NESS