Alone, we are each just a drop in the river. But together? Together we make the River Dragon rise. From Rivera Sun’s forthcoming Book 5 of the Ari Ara Series – River Dragon (read the first chapter here)
I’m reminded this blog morning that every thought we think, every word we speak, every action we take, and, yes, every meme we post on social media contributes to the collective, to the river that is life.
A couple weeks back my friend, author and activist Rivera Sun, and I decided to engage in an experiment to see “the humanity behind the headlines” and to report our experiences to one another the following week.
An episode around Zadie Byrd’s health shortly after our conversation took my attention in another direction. I forgot about our experiment and my commitment to engage.
Fortunately, my young friend, for years a practitioner of non-violence, did not. When she shared her experience with me a week later, I was reminded not only of the agreement I’d forgotten, but also of the power of perspective, of the lens through which we view and act the world.
She shared that she engaged by “thinking things like Oh, my brother, how could you make this decision? It must weigh on your heart and soul. Or, what hurt you so long ago that makes you close your heart today?
For me these are powerful, thoughtful questions recognizing that we are One, each an individual cell of a greater whole. Each a drop in the river of life. What if we could ask such questions with one another? And, then, we listened?
Rivera also shared that “my observation is that this practice cut through a lot of feelings of fear and disempowerment for me. It opened up a tenderness for myself and for the people behind the news report. It didn't excuse their behavior in my mind. It did keep me from thinking of them as monsters (which is scary) and rather as human beings with problems (which is probably true).”
Such a simple pivot – from disdain and fear to compassion and love. Simple. And not easy in our fractured world.
Looking at how the experiment impacted her, Rivera says “I also think it helped me not get exhausted by the news. I felt an upswell in my own humanity and in my sense of empowerment and insight. The biggest change was in how I felt about myself. I felt stronger, more clear in my mind, and like I was a deeper person.”
Our perspectives are important to us individually and collectively for they create the world we inhabit. Sadly, our thoughts, words, and acts of discord, of division, of fear help sustain the very things we want to change. As I’ve said many times before it is up to us to create the shift in consciousness humanity so desperately needs.
I don’t know about you, but I still have work to do to get to the place of fully seeing the humanity behind choices to kill, to pillage our planet, efforts to divide, hate-filled speech and acts of violence. And, at the same time, to not excuse the behavior.
So, I’m taking on the experiment. In this year of the Wood Dragon, let’s clean up the pollution in humanity’s river of life and make the River Dragon rise!
P.S. Beyond our friendship and being a beta-reader in support of Rivera’s work, I’m especially excited about Book 5 and my reason will be revealed 😉 in its time …
