Gifts of Uncertainty – Part 3

This series ends but uncertainty continues! So here we are, many of us in some form of limited contact. There are times when I don’t know what day it is and I’m not alone in that. I trust this humble blog post finds each of you well, safe, and with what you need to continue on with this journey: that you are able to ask for what you need and offer what you can.

What are more gifts of uncertainty?

I’ll start by acknowledging the immense amount of suffering in our world right now. Unearthing gifts in times of trouble is meant to take us deeper into our interconnectedness with all life, our vulnerability, and courage. It is not meant as a jolly way of avoiding anything. Quite the opposite.

Recognizing the Immensity of Time

This is an important gift Joanna Macy names: We are a vital part of an older earth system. We go way back. Life on earth has waxed and waned over millions of years. Which points to the fact that we don’t really know whether we are in a conversation with our next disappearance or on the verge of a whole new way of being.

We. Don’t. Know. And we are creatures that want to know.

What we do know is our ancestors made it. Yours and mine. If they hadn’t I’d not be here writing this nor would you be there reading. At least a few “someones” survived. Time is immense. It stretches further forward and back than our soundbite driven world of instant gratification.

A Need For Simplicity & Discernment

This gift of uncertainty helps us sort out what is ours to do? Again, here Joanna Macy’s wisdom shines through: She names three general areas where we can each find a role:

On the frontlines: This includes the doctors, nurses, health care workers of all stripes, and those who are actively engaged in changes to our educational, health care, and financial systems. (especially here in the USA)

Those who support the people on the frontlines: therapists, healers, educators, the non profits, the volunteers, etc.

Those who attend to the systems necessary for holding the transitions: people engaged in creating barter systems, transitional local economies, sharing food or other resources, etc.

There is no role that is too small. There’s a place for anyone who wants to help. I will add here my own perspective that we are in a much larger transition than most of us can imagine. Pacing ourselves is important. Self compassion is key to developing wisdom.

And in closing…

At the root of our angst is the fear of our own demise and those around us. I’ve been having “death dialogues” in my journal. These dialogues bring me clarity. I give death a voice and let it write through me, then I respond, and then death responds:back and forth I go.

It is a somatic practice in that I listen with my whole being. I track my body’s sensations, whisperings, concerns, and joys—those things that live within the heart and soul of each of us. I recommend you give it a try. Go gently. _Allow for what wants to happen, knowing you get to decide your levels of tolerance for this kind of practice.

I express my work in the world in a way that is congruent with how I live: moving at the pace of guidance. I have some offers for you that are percolating and inner wisdom suggests later this year is a better time. And that’s to say again, we may navigating these transitions for quite a while. Reach out if you need support or if you have suggestions for what you’d like to read or hear from me. I am here to be of service to you.

The single greatest gift of uncertainty is how it brings us into the present moment. It reminds us of how both fleeting and beautiful this life is.