On Self Cultivation Practice

I have my mind and my voice right now. There is a constant field of information interfering and distracting me from getting present with what is real for me right now. In this fourth week of social distancing, entering into a new realm of uncertainty and waiting, I am finally beginning to land and do a better job of taking space from information and choosing to discern from within. I am beginning the process of quieting my own racing mind and tuning into the quiet inner voice of self practice, listening deeper into the nourishing realms of practice and plumbing those depths for insight.

What I get when I dive beneath the surface of powerlessness and paranoia is this truth…

This is a serious time, take this long moment to notice how easy it is to get swept up in a dialogue of fear and action. It is now time to choose a position of being valuable to self and to others. Growth requires acknowledging the fear and uncertainty that leads to withdrawal. Embrace those reactions and accept and move forward in the present moment. Create significance by sharing that which is visionary. Radiate trust and connection with the world. Embody and lead with the humility, wisdom, and love, of a gentle and just leader taking a stand in the realm of possibility.

In this moment I have my practice; it is an old practice that has been with me for many years. It has been my practice because when I was younger, less steady and less secure in myself, I thought that diligent practice would allow me to be good enough to exist in this culture. The practice itself has allowed me to grow up, to realize that I am, just like you are, enough. Enough to be worthy of love and joy and significance in this life. It is a practice that grows within the confines of my consciousness and allows me to experience and share the spaciousness of my soul. More than ever it is this practice that has been the vehicle for insight, awareness and community around me.

I have my family and my community. Without having a family and a community to serve, the level of grounded and meaningful purpose I have in my life would be hard to match. There is a constant acknowledgement of my own insecurity as I find myself finding my way back into alignment with a greater vision for a world of freedom, of love and of choice. Each time I find my way back I remember that which is potent and brought me here in the first place. Having this connection to familiarity and the patience to keep returning to my practice ground me in the possibility of landing in the simple greatness of community.

On Social Distancing and What is being asked right now...

What is being called forth in this moment?

Plant and Pivot.

This moment calls for equal parts of finding ground and safety beneath our feet while we ride out the storm and preparing for the shift ahead. 

What is this experience that is being had right now?

Each moment is asking for acknowledgement and presence, each moment passes into a big, beautiful, scary and uncertain future that we are capable of experiencing fully.

What is going to be learned from this moment?

This process is reminding me to be patient as I access potential. Again, I find myself wanting to move in every direction at once. Again I am realizing that this is a moment for me to land, to look around and to see that I am enough and we are enough to create and build and sustain the world we want to live in. This moment is the shift and the opportunity of a culture and a species to let go of old and inefficient ways of being. 

I will accept this moment and land right here. I will accept this position and this assignment in life. To make the best of what is around me. To reach into the possibility of a life lived with purpose, relevance, significance and patience. 

I will be;

A man in service to his family and his tribe. 

A man who enjoys consciousness and shares in the delights of subjectively experiencing an ever expanding and intricately connected universe.

A man who appreciates collective objectivity and works to maintain the well being of the tribe creating safe nurturing spaces for each other and for the next generation. 

A benevolent leader in support of other leaders growing households, tribes and nations committed to sustaining personal freedom, social responsibility and ecological awareness.

What am I committed to sharing right now?

I have been cultivating self for a lifetime. I am a master of the selfish, the passion of selfism. To explore and examine what the self is, and what the self can become. To share with others in order to create a significant field of existence. 

I live and teach relevance in the natural cycles of life. Relevance and significance begin with a container of support. In the safety of support, vulnerability and honesty are safe to speak. 

In the field of vulnerability and honesty we can witness a deeper, solid version of self. The self that speaks the truths everyone can detect and no one else allows themselves to feel. That self that can be at once attractive and supportive, spacious and passionate. 

This is the pivot that my life is going through right now. This is the pivot that our species is experiencing right now. There is an opportunity right now to be with people in their realness, to be doing the work of healing and celebrating the self that is here to serve family and community, to support and nurture a planet rebuilding and optimizing our culture for the next generation. To build and leave a legacy of responsibility, nurture and sustainability.

This is an invitation to discover and celebrate the self that you keep to yourself. A pause and an opening to allow that deeper self to emerge and move with deftness and precision through this transition. To empower a self to feel and to notice the beautiful edges and tangles in your soul that give you depth and wisdom in this life. You and your Self are a gift to our world and until we live in a tribe that allows the selves to show up and acknowledge our selfishness our progress will be stunted as we wait for another to see us and give us permission.