Dragons Dancing in the Morning Light
The most important work of our time may well be to maintain a high frequency grounded in love as walk through the seemingly mundane tasks and choices of life. Worry, angst, criticism, and fear are low frequency energies that block our access to intention, vision, and creating our world anew.
As the polar vortex seemed to pass our region by (quite disorienting to wake to a balmy 24 degrees and discover that it’s minus 5 just a short 50 miles away and beyond across much of the country), a convergence of seemingly unrelated events in relatively quick succession conspired to invite me to walk my talk.
Yesterday morning gazing into the fire I’d just built in the wood stove, watching the flames dance and observing to see if I needed to make adjustments, I thought of fiery extremes – from a match to light a candle or ignite the tinder starting this contained fire that warm hearth, home, and heart to uncontrolled wildfires changing forever the landscape and all life in its path. The later bringing death and destruction and ultimately rebirth and regeneration.
THIS is the divine perfection of a greater whole that calls forth Life’s cycles. THIS is the power that sources Life. THIS is CREATION.
Then I thought of planetary influences, each with their own extremes of expression. Fiery Mars and its continuum from the wise, compassionate will of the benevolent warrior in heart-based action on behalf of Life to its shadow, the angry warrior who kills on command – command of another or the command of a fearful mind separate from and threatened by any ‘other’ who dares be different from the self he knows and those around who mirror that self, having forgotten the wiser Self that is but a cell in the greater whole.
Capturing these thoughts in my journal, I wrote, ‘why do we feed this cancer with hate and fear that divides, chooses sides, and grows, just as we feel our minds and bodies thoughts and foods that feed disease within?’ And then, a quick prayer: Bring us back to wisdom, to our greater knowing that we are ONE.
Suddenly mind began to pop like popcorn in a hot pan. A flurry of ideas moved through me, visions of how I want the world to be for our grandchildren and generations beyond them and mostly focused on politics, governance, and the basis on which we make choices. I felt uplifted and inspired and a sense that ‘we can do this!’
I felt plopped square in the middle of the deep knowing that the most important work of our time may well be to maintain a high frequency grounded in love as walk through the seemingly mundane tasks and choices of life. Worry, angst, criticism, and fear are low frequency energies that block our access to intention, vision, and creating our world anew.
As the day unfolded, unknowing co-conspirators, including my canine companion Zadie Byrd presented the choice and the challenge to walk that talk. As if on a mission, Zades began this uncoordinated, yet easily flowing parade with an admonition to ‘not be too serious in my care for her and in my attention to the world’. Speaking through a friend who’s an animal communicator, she asked that I not engage in negativity and that we “move forward”. Doggie wisdom for sure!
A flash of Alfred E. Neuman’s “What, me worry?” ran through me. Yet as the day’s parade marched on, I was invited to own that, yes, I do. And to recognize that the worry isn’t serving me, Zades, or the multiple fields of which I’m a part. Indeed, that worry is simply creating more of the same – reasons to worry, to feel angst, and even to drop into fear.
The tricky thing is that my worry is subtle and sometimes cloaks itself in care so that I won’t recognize it. Concern for a member of my community currently experiencing challenges or Zades’ health, for example. Angst about the current political divides and rancor in political rhetoric. And what about AI, the economy, etc. etc.?
As the parade marched on, an email from a long-time colleague and friend landed in my in-box, announcing her new podcast, Terrified Nation: Can We Save It? – a title that from almost any other source would have garnered a quick peck of the delete button. But I know this person to be a visionary. She has been working in the political realm for decades to bridge divides and several months back launched American Futures, a challenge to define what we imagine for our future (click here to explore and share your vision!)
As I listened to the first introductory podcast episodes (and I encourage you to do so here), I realized how this subtle, sneaky worry detracts me from maintaining a clear intention and vision of how I want life to be. After years of practice and applying what I know about how life works, I can still get caught up in the fear-mongering fray.
But, thanks to a band of unknowing co-conspirators to wake me up to the subtlety, I’m committed to focus my energy on what I envision for self, for Zades, for home and hearth, for community, for planet, and beyond. This is my brand of ‘woke’!
Vigilance and vision are required to walk my talk. A vigilant visionary I aim to be!
Sunset over the San Juans