Blowing in the Wind

“You don’t need a weatherman to see which way the wind blows” Bob Dylan

There seems to be a lot of ‘wind’ blowing in all directions at present; including a lot of ‘hot air’, from ill-equipped political leaders, opinionated people and media. The levels of intensity appear to be felt by many of us as trying to navigate the increased complexity, uncertainty and indeed, the unknown. As a friend reminded me ‘these times are not for the faint hearted’.

Holding to one’s inner compass and staying aligned to your truth.

Walking your path irrespective of what is happening around you.

Easier said than done, depending on where one is and what is happening in one’s environment. Whether it is living in lockdown or escaping tyranny, being bombarded by political untruths – twisted truths, which, if not careful, can take one down the wrong energetic path.

The way you engage with what is happening around you, is YOUR responsibility. It is not about ignoring them, but calling out mis-truths when one sees them. That is one’s accountability and responsibility. This really is where “the rubber meets the reality road” everywhere you turn.

As Lorna Bevan says; “it feels like an intense round of cosmic acupuncture”.

It is a permanent zeitgeist shift – this is the way the wind blows.

It really does feel there is no turning back.

Let go of that which is not necessary on the path ahead.

It’s time to focus on updating your outgrown inner architecture in support of the outer collective.

There appears to be a clash playing out between the old and new, between innovation and resistance, freedom and control, health and wealth. This, in part is courtesy of some interesting planetary shifts. It is important to be aware of the dynamics playing out at times and not react to them.

For myself, here in Christchurch, New Zealand, as I sit watching the sunset over the cherry tree in my courtyard, it seems peaceful – even preferable. I am probably lucky, in that I have a home with space and a garden, and can walk freely within the agreed parameters of lockdown.

I am able to innovate rather than resist, enjoy my freedom to ‘be’. To write, to read, and exercise.

This is not possible for many others, such as those endeavouring to escape increasing tyranny in Afghanistan. It puts everything into perspective. For those Afghans who have been fortunate to make it out, having had a taste of a freer way of living for twenty years, there is a sense of numbness, self-protection, fear, and anger I suspect. Of course, I cannot know, for I have not personally experienced the level of chaos, fear, control and lack of power that these people wanting to escape must be feeling or have felt. Emotions would be on high octave, and finding their “inner calm” – a distant thought. When they arrive into relative safety, to a place where they can breathe and ‘be’, I trust that they will be welcomed and given the support needed to enable them to rediscover who they are, deep down, and live with grace.

This is death and rebirth. The world is experiencing this in many different realms. With every passing day, the density, gravity and impact of physical outer events seems to be increasing. We can no longer live in denial, zone out, not pay attention – we are part of the collective and it is now urgent.

The end of business as usual is an outdated mantra. These times call for re-connection, resistance, resilience and regeneration. We must distinguish between problems which have solutions and predicaments which can only be responded to. As individuals, we need to be acutely aware of our connection to the collective field.

How it affects you, how you affect it.

How you listen in these times will become increasingly important?

I am embarking on “The Listening Path”, a wonderful book by Julia Cameron, to deepen my capacity of knowing. It provides a learning ‘path’ over 6 weeks, with specific practices to engage in. My current practice is “Listening to our Environment”.
This involves noticing what is there, when we block off the ‘white’ noise, such as:

Grass blowing in the wind.

Birds singing.

Water running gently in the creek.

Walking, with awareness.

When walking we are attuned to the rhythm of our thoughts. We hear the words and emotion behind the words. It is difficult to lie, walking. What is on my path?

“Part of doing something is listening. We are listening. To the sun. To the stars. To the wind.”

Madeline L’Engle

I would have missed the tiny birds nest high up in the cherry tree if I had not been listening.

Last week, a client told me that if he had not enhanced his deeper listening capacity over the nine month engagement with me he would have missed a nuanced communication from a very important client. This client was having difficulty with one of his business partners. In listening to them both he was able to shift the emotions away from the words, and hold the space for a higher outcome. He has also become a bird man. A family of lorikeets visit him twice a day. He knows which one is which by listening differently.

So much has happened in August. The Olympics held in Tokyo seem like a distant past. It was a very different Olympics, so much more realistic minus the usual hype surrounding these events.The vulnerability of the athletes in sharing their ‘stories’, was heartwarming to see. The result almost seemed secondary to the effort they put in. I think that was reflected in how the teams listened to each other.

Maybe because a different wind was blowing – where they had to stay in their country bubble, embrace social distancing and abide by parameters designed for their health.

Given the repercussions for all of us no matter where we live in the world, what is being asked to be brought to the surface to be redressed, healed or released. These times call for a different way of listening.

Reflect and Journal

What is your soundtrack? Is it soothing or abrasive? Loud or soft?
What disturbs your equilibrium?
What brings you hope and possibility?
What action can you take for the betterment of the collective?