Spirituality, Therapy, and the Good Life

From May 7th through the 13th the shift Network will be sponsoring a free online summit entitled, “The Inspiring Women Summit”

A partial description found on the shift’s website follows:

“…This is perhaps the most exciting time in history to be a woman on this planet. We are part of the vanguard of a new era, one in which women and feminine qualities are restored into partnership with the masculine.

While it’s true that our world faces many crises, never before as women have we had so many tools, resources and freedoms to wake up and consciously evolve ourselves and the world around us. So many of us are realizing that we DO have the power to shape our destiny and usher in a new society — one based on principles of love, cooperation and peace.

It’s truly our time as women to lead – and not out of the old, masculine pattern, but in a way that is juicy, embodied, dynamic, balanced and whole.

So, how can we inspire each other to live our most radiant and fulfilled life and make the greatest impact possible?

Our answer is to put as many as women as possible into deep relationship with other inspiring women across the globe – all for FREE — with the Inspiring Women Summit…

…It’s an occasion to not just honor the feminine spirit outside of ourselves, but to embrace the feminine within and discover the ways we can feed our souls, nurture our bodies and delight our senses WHILE giving our gifts and transforming the world around us.

Join us and you’ll learn from top spiritual and transformational leaders such as Geneen Roth, Lisa Nichols, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Marci Shimoff, Lynne McTaggart, Jean Houston, Brene Brown and Marcia Wieder…

…As each one of us liberates more of our gifts, we can have the juicy, joyful life we know we’re meant to live. We can ALSO powerfully help our culture re-balance itself as we then create a more harmonious relationship with the earth and with one other. Our goal with the Summit is to empower each one of you to take a stand for what we are co-creating together…”

This free event offers several opportunities to be educated, enlightened, and inspired. I’m looking forward to it! If interested, you can register here

Paul Hawkin gave an extraordinary speech to the graduating class of 2009 in Portland Oregon. You can read his entire speech at Global Mind Shift here. Some of the words that stirred me most follow:

“you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating…”

“… There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: You are Brilliant, and the Earth is Hiring. The earth couldn’t afford to send recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done…”

“… for the first time in history a group of people organized themselves to help people they would never know, from whom they would never receive direct or indirect benefit. And today tens of millions of people do this every day. It is called the world of non-profits, civil society, schools, social entrepreneurship, non-governmental organizations, and companies who place social and environmental justice at the top of their strategic goals. The scope and scale of this effort is unparalleled in history…”

“The living world is not “out there” somewhere, but in your heart…”

“…Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would create new religions overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead, the stars come out every night and we watch television.”

(and his final words)

“This extraordinary time when we are globally aware of each other and the multiple dangers that threaten civilization has never happened, not in a thousand years, not in ten thousand years. Each of us is as complex and beautiful as all the stars in the universe. We have done great things and we have gone way off course in terms of honoring creation. You are graduating to the most amazing, stupefying challenge ever bequested to any generation. The generations before you failed. They didn’t stay up all night. They got distracted and lost sight of the fact that life is a miracle every moment of your existence. Nature beckons you to be on her side. You couldn’t ask for a better boss. The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer. Hope only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful. This is your century. Take it and run as if your life depends on it.”

Yes, the stars do come out every night and all too often I am reading a book or watching television, too seldom looking upward or even inward. Too often busy with things that really aren’t all that important in the grand scheme of things. While I was born in the last century, this is my century too. I live and breathe and love here.

I ran across a wonderful poem yesterday at the Celebrating Poets Over Seventy website

It reminded again of how much of our experience is shaped by our perceptions and of how each and every day provides opportunities for celebration and renewal regardless of our age. The poem follows.

I Don’t Do Old

there are things to do,
lilies to grow.
Stella d’ore’s blooms
are my galaxy.
irises’ blue . . . fill
my eyes with
ecstasy,
i don’t do old
i do global warming
with Suzuki, Schindler
and Al Gore’s concern
with climates
in crisis.
my affinity is with
the arctic – ice, melt, water,
polar bears
drowning –
i don’t do old.
god’s creativity,
and ideas light
my spirit.
art, literature
can fill me
with awe.
life is sweet,
never, i will
never age out,
i don’t do old.
kindness spins
my web,
altruism, a.i.d.s, h.i.v.,
world poverty
are my bonds . . .
entanglements of
laughter are the gossamer
threads that
tie my connections together . . .
i won’t do old

– sterling haynes

In a TED talk Nick Marks, statistician, well-being researcher, and author of The Happiness Manifesto: How Nations and People Can Nurture Well Being” wants to know why we measure a nation’s success by its productivity rather than by the well-being of its citizens, and urges us to support policy that makes the well-being of people and the planet a priority. He asserts that, “we need to enter a period of Great Transition towards creating a sustainable and socially just society that has high levels of well-being for all.”

Acccording to Marks there are five things that we should each do every day to increase our well-being. They are: “the first of these is to connect,…your social relationships are the most important cornerstones of your life. Do you invest the time with your loved ones that you could do, and energy? Keep building them. The second one is be active. The fastest way out of a bad mood: step outside, go for a walk, turn the radio on and dance. Being active is great for our positive mood. The third one is take notice. How aware are you of things going on around the world, the seasons changing, people around you? Do you notice what’s bubbling up for you and trying to emerge? Based on a lot of evidence for mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, [very] strong for our well being. The fourth is keep learning and keep is important — learning throughout the whole life course. Older people who keep learning and are curious, they have much better health outcomes than those who start to close down. But it doesn’t have to be formal learning; it’s not knowledge based. It’s more curiosity. It can be learning to cook a new dish, picking up an instrument you forgot as a child. Keep learning. And the final one is that most anti-economic of activities, but give. Our generosity, our altruism, our compassion, are all hardwired to the reward mechanism in our brain. We feel good if we give.”

You can watch the video at: http://on.ted.com/96VZ

So much of the news is bad. I need to be inspired, reminded of my power, and so I re-read the following today. I’m not sure where it originated from only that it’s widely circulated on the web.

We are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For

“You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is The Hour.

Here are the things that must be considered:

Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know our garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time!

There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel like they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off toward the middle of
the river,
keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.

See who is there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all
ourselves!
For the moment we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

The time of the lonely wolf is over.
Gather yourselves!

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

The Elders,
Oraibi, Arizona
Hopi Nation”

“God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.

These are the words we dimly hear:

You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.

Flare up like flame
and make big shadows I can move in.

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don’t let yourself lose me.

Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.

Give me your hand.”

Rumi

Recently I listened to a talk by Lynn Twist, activist and author of “The Soul of Money.” During her presentation, she spoke about the process of metamorphosis and of how the earth-bound caterpillar becomes the liberated butterfly.

During the later stages of its development, the caterpillar becomes ravenous, and unable to satisfy its hunger, devours everything in sight, ultimately consuming hundreds of times its weight. (Remind you of our consumer driven culture by any chance?)

Finally, too bloated to move, it attaches itself to a branch and forms a cocoon. Soon, from within the caterpillar’s body, new cells, called imaginal cells, begin to emerge. Because they’re completely unlike any of the caterpillar’s s existing cells, they’re perceived as invaders and are promptly attacked by the caterpillar’s immune system. Out numbered and under assault, these tiny indomitable imaginal cells keep right on coming.  They begin to multiply, to recognize one another, and then to band together and to organize. Eventually, the caterpillar’s immune system is overwhelmed, and it dies.  And yet, what looks at this point very much like death and disintegration, is in fact, a process of birth and transformation. You see, the dead body of the caterpillar provides a rich and nutritious stew (‘nutritive soup’) for the new life that’s forming, and ultimately the caterpillar’s tomb becomes the butterfly’s womb.

In an interview with Larry King on CNN Physician and author, Deepak Chopra observed that the term imaginal refers to “dreaming a new reality” and suggests that “we right now could be those imaginal cells, and the chaos…devastation… psychological imbalance and … destruction that we currently face may just be our nutritive soup.”

Filipino activist, Nicanor Perlas, suggests in an editorial entitled “The Butterfly Effect and Social Transformation” that the process of societal transformation begins with the emergence of ‘imaginal’ individuals who possess a vision for a better future. These visionaries frequently threaten the status quo and are all too often attacked and sometimes, as in the cases of Gandhi, Javier, King, and Kennedy, imprisoned or assassinated. And yet, their visions time and time again have continued to live on as others who come to know and embrace their dreams multiply, find one another, organize, and with tremendous perseverance and commitment provide the ‘nutritive soup’ required to transform the longed-for vision into reality.

In “Imaginal Cells and the Body Politic: A Story for our Times,” Anodea Judith calls for an awakening of the global heart where the overconsumption and greed that exists in our world is transformed, and we’re awakened to “a higher vision of perpetual reciprocity, compassion, and unity.”   Judith likens these awakened individuals to imaginal cells or ‘co-hearts.’

As a psychotherapist contemplating butterflies and imaginal cells, I’m reminded that the word ‘psyche’ refers to both butterfly and soul, and that the term psychology itself is defined as “the study of the soul.” Psychoanalyst, James Hillman, defined psychology as “giving soul to language and finding language for soul.”   What is the language of the soul?  I imagine it to be one that is timeless, creative, authentic, wise, and untamed.

Poet, David Whyte, suggests that a lack of soul is “a refusal to open to a full experience of the world.”  Sadly, it seems, there have been so many ways that our souls have been deprived of living deeply and fully. Buried beneath the duties and details of our lives, we’re all too often shifting into high gear or automatic pilot, barely skimming the surface of our days, and consequently all too often losing sight of what makes our lives meaningful, beautiful, and authentic.

Alan Jones, Episcopal priest and author of “Soul Making: The Desert Way of Spirituality,” asserts that soul making involves contemplating gigantic things, paying attention to the invisible, cultivating an openness to love, pain, wonder and longing.  He believes we are stretched and become more of who we are as we fully engage in ‘soul-making’.

“Soulcraft” by Bill Plotkin addresses the psycho-spiritual developmental stages that we each pass through during our journey towards “genuine elderhood.” The book focuses on one phase in particular, what Plotkin calls, “the second cocoon.” It’s at this stage, contends Plotkin, that we evolve from our first caterpillar-like self into a new way of being that is soul-rooted and requires “the death of an old way of being and a birth of something new.”

English Poet, John Keats was intimate with pain and loss during his short life. His father was killed when he was just eight years old, and his mother died when he was 15.  As a young man hHe nursed his dying brother, was forced to leave the woman whom he loved, and suffered with and died from tuberculosis when he was only 25.  In a letter to his sister-in-law and brother George, he shared, “Do you not see how necessary a world of pains and troubles is to school an intelligence and make it a soul? … Call the world if you please, ‘the vale of soul making’.”   Psychoanalyst, James Hillman asserted that our soul comes through our wounds, and Keats, the young poet, understood that our struggles nurture our growth and shape our development just as a butterfly’s wings are strengthened for flight by its struggle to break free from its cocoon.  

Mythologist and storyteller, Michael Meade wrote, “each soul is imbued and broadened with an inner story that tries to live its way into the world… Soul makes us deeper in order to make us wiser. Secretly our souls seek wisdom, and wisdom is a darker knowledge found in dark places and in hard times.”

Today the entire planet appears to be facing “dark places and hard times” and while the longing of my soul calls for change on a societal and even global level, my day to day life is caught up in the challenges confronting my family, friends, neighbors, and clients. It’s right here among the wounds, dreams, hopes, fears and triumphs of those with whom I work, live, and love that my soul stirs and my heart threatens to break. And it’s also here in my own little corner of the world that I most often sense a presence stirring within myself.

During a difficult time in her life, Sue Monk Kidd wrote in her superb book,  “When the Heart Waits” that, “Everything incubates in darkness. And I knew that the darkness in which I found myself was a holy dark. I was incubating something new…Whenever new life grows and emerges, darkness is crucial to the process. Whether it’s the caterpillar in the chrysalis, the seed in the ground, the child in the womb, or the True Self in the soul, there’s always a time of waiting in the dark…” In working through her angst, she concluded that she was being prodded into doing soul work and asked herself, “What would it mean to live, welcoming all? What has happened to our ability to dwell in unknowing, to live inside a question and coexist with the tensions of uncertainty? Where is our willingness to incubate pain and let it birth something new?”

As we grapple with how to best respond to the challenges in our personal lives as well as to those that collectively face us, it seems to me that now more than ever we must incubate our pain and allow it “to birth something new” from out of the “holy darkness.”