Light thinks it’s Beyoncé, shimmering with celestial meaning, but shadow knows that without it, we ain’t got nothing to show for ourselves – no paintings, poetry, or song.* Anne Lamott
It asks something of us, this emptiness, this hollowness. It is a call. It is a call to meaning, and a call to love.** Nick Cave
Shadow defines us, presenting need, asking questions, showing us the way; unanswered, it can overwhelm us, even destroy us, but, embraced, it can make us.
*Anne Lamott’s Dusk Night Dawn; **Nick Cave’s The Red Hand Files blog: #200.
I like to think that everything is a coincidence. Life feels more amazing to me if it has no meaning. No secret agenda. Beautifully random.* Derek Sivers
In short, the more we try to render the world controllable, the more it eludes us; and the more daily life loses … its resonance, its capacity to touch, move and absorb us.** Oliver Burkeman
I never know what will turn up in my reading in a morning, in the randomness of my book and blog shuffle – here are four from today: The universe has given birth to we strange creatures of meaning, necessary to our deeper consciousness, possible in the darkest of circumstances, as Viktor Frankl shares from the death camp: For even in this socially limited environment, in spite of the societal restriction upon his personal freedom, the ultimate freedom still remains his: the freedom even in camp to give some shape to his existence.^ Though it is not a card we have to play all the time, Sometimes, we can just let the world be the world, enjoying the wonder and allowing ourselves to be astonished: Life getting on with its own thing whilst we walk across it: This is wisdom – To mean or not to mean.
Without creative engagement in the world, without contributing to the spirit of the world, I think I would start to feel a bit like an onlooker or something. But maybe that would be enough, just to observe what the world has to offer. Its a rich and amazing place and perhaps it has wonder enough.^^
And he noticed that the more he wrote, the better he felt. He opened up to his wife again, and to his work. His depression lifted.* Susan Cain
Tenderness, love, and compassion are exquisite feeling experiences and are generally recognised as such.** Erich Fromm
I come to my morning journal to write myself into the day;^ The shape of the day just is better, even bigger – Connecting me with the past and future – and I, I feel better prepared to fill it – Far from perfect or anything close, but bringing me closer to the things that matter most of all.
*Susan Cain’s Bittersweet, of James Pennebaker; **Erich Fromm’s The Revolution of Hope; ^I have found that what began as a hopeful experiment on the 15th May, 1998, has sustained me across the years.
The ego, static and unmoved, relate to the world in terms of having objects, while the self is related to the world in the process of participation.* Erich Fromm
Our life’s purpose isn’t just a destination but a journey marked by growth, discovery, and the continuous realignment of our actions with our deepest values.** Alexander McManus
We grow an ego to know who we are – I am not you and you are not me – But neither you nor I are meant to dwell here, We are moving from dependance to independence to interdependence; Without this movement, the ego ossifies – Forever the caterpillar and never the butterfly, we might say – Wanting the world to come to it, to have it, yet, When we are at our best, We are moving towards the world, the other, wanting to connect and experience, Participating through contribution.
Let’s get rid of science class in school. Instead, beginning in kindergarten, we could devote a class to curiosity and explanation … Curiosity is a skill, and it can be taught.* Seth Godin
For humility is … the only effective antidote to narcissism, and all its associated evils. It is, in essence, a readiness to admit its shortcomings coupled with a willingness to learn, be that from people, animals, plants, or even machines – whoever masters something we do not. The opportunities are infinite.** Anna Katherina Schaffner
“I don’t know, Perhaps you do, Maybe you could show me, tell me?”
“That’s interesting, I will look closer, deeper – There is so much I don’t know.”
Humility begets curiosity, and curiosity grows humility – We can increase our ability in both.
In this game, we only get one choice, Once we are born we are players. The only choice we get is if we want to play with a finite mindset or an infinite mindset.^
reports have documented how “teaching to the test” curtails student curiosity^^
The more we grow our humility and curiosity, the greater our possibility of becoming infinite players, explorers of the forever more.
Looking at the work done and the work still to do, most people would have written the whole thing off as too much sweat for too little gain. But I didn’t want an easy life. I wanted a beautiful one. Ben Short
What a blessing to be in a position of doing great work and experiencing the unique stress that goes along with it.** Gabe Anderson
The best work of all is seldom stress-free and totally fun – When we’re doing something that is meaningful and rewarding to us and for others, The sweat and tears don’t seem to register in the same way as when we’re filling a role; Here’s a test for what qualifies: Not only are you successful, And doing what is intuitive, But you are growing, And a need is being met in you; If these four things aren’t met, keep moving and making your meaning.^
The midwife is the woman between: the liminal woman, the threshold woman.* Clarissa Pinkola Estés
With our phones to our ears, life and our minds frequently feel like casinos now. There is no sun, no pocket of quiet, there don’t seem to be exits, and the reception is terrible. Connection to anything real, to the ancient, to the mystical, to the moment is weak, so there is bound to be existential exhaustion.** Anne Lamott
Rush is life in the shallows, if we don’t damage what we’re working on, we’re likely harming ourselves and those around us; Slipping out of the rush and into a quieter space may appear to be a luxury you can’t afford, but it’s really a life-basic, a space-between, A special world of the bigger picture, of uncovering and emergence – There is an order to be embraced: Divergence, Emergence, Convergence; Humility, Gratitude, Faithfulness; Anapana, Vipassaña, Metta.
The deeper the source we work from, the better our stuff will be – and the more transformative it will be for us and for those we share it with.^
The artist rarely says, “I’d like to do less.” Instead, she wonders how to contribute more, because the very act of creativity is the point of the work.* Seth Godin
True perseverance … is flanked by the ancient values: courage and values.** Anna Katharina Schaffner
To contribute is the point, The desire to give and somehow, somewhere, for someone to make things better, Beautiful, even, Something mythical, leaving us in no doubt that we are alive.
Lao-tzu recommended that we let go of all those social conventions that interfere with our authenticity and that hamper our spontaneity and creativity.* Anna Katharina Schaffner
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.** James Baldwin
When you’ve been slowly but surely working on your humility and generosity and faithfulness, you can better trust the solution you have to be selfless and generous and wise – The kind of things problems don’t like at all.
If the One, the True, Being, the Good and the Beautiful were to vanish, the thought in the mind would have no pathway to the world.* John O’Donohue
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.** Alan Kay
We are always in need of beautiful ideas to lead us out of being trapped caught dead-ended pointless hopeless Pinched depressed repressed unimpressed overcome clueless directionless; Not all ideas are equally worthy and are able to align with: Being – deepest reality of all that is, The One – everything that exists is somehow bound together, The True – that whatever our reality, it is true and our experience real, The Good – participating in the soul of the world, The Beautiful – the truest and most real expression that lifts us, and, of course, The idea is moving through us.
THIN|SILENCE 
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