What’s going on?

If you have worked with me or follow my blogs you know I usually like to take a long view, a big picture look at things, an evolutionary view. So tempting it is to be swallowed by day-to-day events and activities calling our attention this way and that, endlessly thrown around by circumstances…I had this experience last week having flown Air NZ to Brisbane to attend the World Happiness Conference. Knowing I had a teaching commitment in Auckland the day after I was due back, I found myself increasingly worrying if volcanic ash was going to thwart me (I was booked back on Qantas and they were not flying). This made it challenging at times to stay present where I was, listening to speakers with great messages, including His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It was a wonderful learning experience for me given I had a front row seat from which to observe my own rolling responses. Fascinating! I guess I will probably always fret when I feel powerless to affect my own circumstances but being open to the learnings always present in such abundance in day-to day life makes it so much easier to navigate. Suffice to say reflective practise works!

In noticing my own personal challenges and responses, I am also increasingly aware of the bigger challenges and our collective responses. The earth is grumbling, the weather is wilder and many long held human beliefs and attitudes, views and perceptions are being challenged to the point of collapse. It’s almost like a mass collapse of old ideas and ideals is occurring and new ones are racing ahead. This crumbling of power structures shouldn’t surprise anyone. Our desire to express ourselves is a deep impulse arising from our ultimate programming. We are designed to learn and grow and cannot help evolving because we are all part of a much bigger and mysterious process. While we humans continue to play in the slow lane, posturing for power and control of resources, while we continue to marginalise and alienate those ‘unlike’ us (however we judge that), while we continue in combat mode and believe that might is right, while we struggle for certainty in an uncertain world, we miss opportunities the likes of which have never been before.

An abundance of knowledge and wisdom is available now that is pervading our species at an unprecedented rate. Knowledge only multiplies and expands the more it is shared – and the spread of knowledge is now viral. No-one human can stop it nor should they want to. Attempting to stem this tide is futile because it is emerging from our very natures. The grass really is growing through the concrete as it always will given enough time. We are wired to be curious, to learn, to discover and to express our potential just like every other living thing. Our huge difference is awareness and the power to direct our will consciously. The tree that grows wherever the seed landed cannot voluntarily move to find a better more nourishing spot – we can.

We have so many powers yet we are still immature in the ways we use them. Isn’t it obvious the dictator’s days are numbered – whether lauding it over a whole nation or within the walls of the family home? Isn’t it obvious women ought to be equal in all human affairs? Isn’t it obvious the environments baby humans grow and learn in set them up for life? Isn’t it obvious combative politics punishes us all? Isn’t it obvious we are not yet mature enough to depend on everyone to ‘play by the rules and do the right thing’?

Such potential we have! Such suffering we are inflicting when we could be doing so much else. It’s time for more awakening, big dreaming, lots of faith in our positive potential and a willingness to grow into it.

And that’s it from my view.
Amanda