As Donald Trump steps into the role of president of the United States, the news headlines are filled with stories of anxiety and uncertainty. Elsewhere in the world, Teresa May has announced that the U.K. will move towards a “hard Brexit” – a full and complete separation from the European Union. Populist leaders from across Europe met in Germany over this last weekend to consider their next steps as their movement gathers momentum. Many European countries are facing their own tumultuous elections and/or transitions in the coming year. It’s as if the whole world is anxiously waiting to see what will happen and is very unsure about how to respond. Disruption is the word of the day, and Mr. Trump appears, at least at this moment, to be the Disruptor in Chief. So how can we make a difference through Transformational Presence?
The last two weeks, I was vacationing and teaching in Costa Rica. The workshop was at Kantara/Alter Equus, a paradise sanctuary outside of the capital city of San José. I was lucky to have a few extra days on this magnificent property at the end of the trip. Those days gave me the chance to ponder all that is happening in the world and what role the Transformational Presence community is being called to play in the coming year. Every day, I spent time with the resident horses, sat for long periods of time on a swing overlooking the adjacent canyon and a spectacular waterfall, did some writing in the open-air workshop space, and walked the labyrinth for insight and clarity.
The Great Breaking Open continues to intensify. While walking the labyrinth on the day before Donald Trump’s inauguration, I intuitively heard the words “fully revealed.” Indeed, perhaps the first gift of the Great Breaking Open is that, moment by moment, week by week, everything is being fully revealed in its own right time. Each day, the labyrinth has helped me peer deeper underneath the chaos, confusion, power struggles, and polarization of our times. What I found was a split pathway representing the fundamental choice that lies before us: Will we live from Love or will we live from fear? Both are fully present and available to us. Which one will we choose?
Now is the time for holding fast to Love, even while acknowledging that fear is also present all around us. We are where we are. It’s time to trust that we’re in this place for a reason, even if we don’t like it or fully understand it. The time for agonizing and ranting ad nauseum over what good or evil will unfold is past. No more wailing and gnashing of teeth. No more attacking and ridiculing. Now is the time to stand in Love and to act from Love.
At the same time, our current realities call for vigilant awareness. I’m reminded of an old Sufi saying: “Trust in God and tie up your camels.” To stand in Love does not mean to deny what is happening. Today, it is critically important that we fully acknowledge the full spectrum of all that is going on and choose decisively where we will put our focus.
The global movement towards separation, power over, and control, as well as extreme tribalism and nationalism, is rooted in a fear of loss of power and control. Some people will continue to act out of fear of losing what they believe should be theirs. Truth be told, we can all get caught in our own version of that. Fear is a strong and powerful driver.
In the coming months, structures, policies, legislation, and approaches motivated by fear, protectionism, and control will no doubt be put into place. Yet in the end, fear is not sustainable. It robs us of life-force. It pushes against the evolutionary nature of the universe.
Love, on the other hand, is the great creative and sustaining force of all. Our job is to remain both compassionate and vigilant in holding fast to Love. Our job is to be tenacious with Love, to be warriors for Love. That includes having compassion for those who are in fear (including ourselves), yet not giving energy to their fear or their actions. Being a warrior for Love means giving energy only to that which creates a better world for all.
Our job is to stand for and work toward a greater good – a healthy and sustainable whole – rather than to demonize and fight against those who would try to put the power in the hands of only a few. Our job is to stand for a world that works for all – to align with that which serves a greater good – and to resist the temptation to fight against those with whom we disagree. In the end, fighting against energizes the other position and drains every ounce of our energy. Standing for and partnering with a greater potential in service of a greater whole will carry us forward.
We are living in tumultuous and unpredictable times. Will we live from fear of the tumult and uncertainty, or will we walk in Love and learn to navigate turbulent seas? It’s our choice. However, transformation doesn’t happen from the outside looking in. If we want to create a world that works, we have to be willing to walk into the chaos and find our way.
So be open to discovery. Listen to understand. Sense beyond yourself and your personal opinions and desires, and break out of the echo chambers of your “tribe.” Sense the bigger picture and the greater potential ready to unfold, and then partner with that potential, stewarding it into form. All is being revealed. Remain vigilant. Stand in fierce gentleness and ferocious Love – even in the face of fear.
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