Where Do We Go From Here?

Jun 24, 2020
 

The murder of George Floyd has sparked outrage, protests, and a call to action for change.  The brutality and complete disregard and value of another person’s life that we witnessed has once again brought the American peoples’ awareness to the systematic racism and injustices that are both outward and hidden within our culture, society, laws, and ourselves.  The movement and call to action of Black Lives Matter have not stopped just within the United States.  There is now a global community standing united in a desire to somehow change the way humanity treats each other for the better. 

But where do we go from here?  How do we start to heal?  How can we change the systems, so that there is true equality?

I don’t want us as a whole to just transition back into the same world we had been before, turning this movement into a temporary revolt and outrage where nothing really changes deep within ourselves and the systems.  As a whole, the way humans currently relate and interact with each other and the world are not working.  We need to create a new way of “being” as a human race – one that honors, respects, and values-all life in both our words AND in our daily actions, interactions, thoughts, beliefs, and governing systems. 

The pathway to any lasting evolutionary change is through a real transformation.    

So what role can you and I have in this level of transformation?  Way more of an impact then you might think.

Let me give you a little framework as some context for why I know that every one of us can help impact lasting change.  Transformation can be outlined in 3 stages:

  1. Revolution
  2. Involution
  3. And the final stage - Evolution. 

After any revolution is sparked off, as it is now, the temptation we have is to hop over involution and go straight to evolution and change.  I caution you against falling into this trap and false change.  We know from history this doesn’t work.  Skipping involution creates something that doesn’t and will not be able to hold up over time.  Why? Because the shadow and healing work you would have done during involution is not present.  Therefore, when we skip involution we do not have the stamina and the resolve to make the hard choices, the daily choices, and then ultimately the big/small choices we need to really implement the changes we know we need to make to evolve and create with new energy.  If we skip involution, any change we make will be shallow and can be easily eroded and corrupted. 

Involution hard, messy, and full of discomfort.  That is the reason so we naturally want to skip it.  It is the time that you turn into the preferable goo in the cocoon.  It is the space in-between and it is the space of healing. This stage requires us to drop into awareness and take accountability of all the thoughts, behaviors, beliefs, and ways of being that created the world we are no longer willing to align with and are revolting against. 

It is in the stage of involution that you also drop into your shadow.  The shadow simple means that which you haven’t or chose not to see or are aware of.  Involution asks us to look at the areas that we are out of balance with.  Just a few of the areas that are being called forward at this time include things like:

  • Exploring your relationship with power and the power you have given to others over you,
  • Exploring your relationship with race and privilege,
  • Confronting your entitlements,
  • Confronting your fears of humiliation and/or being kicked out of the “tribe” for standing up for your values that might be different,
  • and welcoming the chaos that comes with being willing to not know the answers and return to a beginner’s mind. 

Tip on developing the beginner’s mind... 

The beginner’s mindset is the doorway that allows true healing.  Once we are able to admit that we don’t have the answers and we are willing to accept surrendering the old ways of being, then we are free to open to new ways of being, and that leads to wholeness and balance. 

Involution also asks us to create a sacred space where we can welcome grief, pain, anger, and loss.  It is here that we can open to contemplation, reflection, and prayer in some form and fashion.  Once we are in willingness we are then able to move into uncovering the next “right action” of how to move forward to be able and help ourselves and others become truly free from the chains, fears, and limiting beliefs of the past. 

Without the step of involution, we just move into another pattern or version of the same control, abuse of power, and enslavement patterns to another “master” for survival and control.  Creating from the place of the old beliefs means nothing really changes, instead of things only have a new container but the same old limiting beliefs and systems.   

So, if we want to really help change the world, the place to start is doing our own work.

I believe the ultimate first step for the whole of us is for each person to drop into deep awareness, acceptance, and accountability of their current entitlements and privileges.  We need to examine our own relationship with power, self-esteem, values, and worth.  Once we have examined ourselves then we can to open to turning and explore how we bring those individual thoughts and patterns into relationships with others, our communities, and so on.  Without starting with awareness and acceptance of where we currently are there is no way to step into “right” action and accountability that can hold up to the evolutionary changes we are being called to make at this time. 

Please note - resistance, discomfort, anger, resentment, pain, terror, denial, unresolved trauma, fear, grief, blame, rage, and a sense of hopelessness and helplessness…. they will all met you at the doorway of awareness and acceptance.  Rumi, a Sufi mystic and poet, offers a beautiful tool for us to work with to process these emotions in his poem the “Guest House”.  He gives the reader instructions to invite the feelings and emotions in and offer them a safe place to process express, and share.  I would add do not ask these emotions (or the person expressing them) to justify or to prove they are valid.  Emotions are valid, period.  How do you know?  Because they are there. 

Deep process work - reflection, contemplation, and holding space to be seen-felt-heard without judgments and resistance – is being called to take place on SO many layers for right now:

  • Individually
  • Family and friends wise
  • Community
  • Schools
  • Nationally
  • Globally…

The list can go on and on and it can start to feel overwhelming pretty fast.  There are not easy one size fits all answers that will work.  Give yourself permission right now to not be perfect.  Know that you will get things “wrong” as you move through this work.  Offer the same grace and compassion to others as they move into this work with you as well.  We will stumble and that is okay because we are all growing, learning, and healing together.  We can be there for each other to help us all rise and begin moving forward. 

My invitation is to start here.

Step into holding sacred space for yourself and for others so that we can move into involution.  Open to listening, hearing, and creating a space that is none judgmental or one that is trying to “fix” it.  Be willing to sit and open to the discomfort.  It is not the time to fix it and/or jump into just any action.  It is time for each of us to take an honest look and dive inward.  It is time to take personal responsibility and an inventory of our actions, places where we picked compliance over making waves, and areas that we contributed to the imbalance and pain of others.  It is each of our duty to reflect and drop into how we can be the change we are looking for within the larger community within ourselves right now.  Open to begin the work of forgiveness inwardly and outwardly so that we can free ourselves from the weight of the past so that we can become something new as a whole. 

I hope this gives you a place to start and a little roadmap of the healing and the change work that is in front of us. 

Sending light and joy,

P.S. If you are looking for a little more guidance and support?  Check out a few other resources we have online:

Finding Balance in Transformation – A 4-part series where I dive a little deeper into the stages of transformation and the typical roadblocks and archetypal patterns that are a part of this journey. 

Connecting with Joy Podcast – a monthly podcast that shares different practices on how you can cultivate joy while on a healing and growth journey.  Especially check out a current episode of Mary O’Malley where she shares tips and guided meditations on cultivating the sacred witness for yourself and others.

Reclaiming Your Energy Mojo series – With all that is present for us right now that we are being asked to heal, the physical virus of COVID-19 and addressing and healing the psychic viruses of racism, hate, and injustice, keeping your body’s energy system balanced is a must not a luxury.  In this series, I share step-by-step energy medicine exercises, meditations, and tips to support your body, mind, and soul’s energy systems so that they stay healthy and in connection with your true self.

A Prayer for Healing – blog and guided prayer meditation

If you are searching for a deeper connection and guide right now in your healing and growth work please check our different services and reach out to us today to see how we can help you create hope, healing, and growth! 

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