The Spirit of Egyptian Revolution

Shifting Consciousness

I need a personal storytelling experience right about now. On a less intimate level, a storytelling event might do as well.

I need to sit down with a small group of committed individuals such as those which Margaret Mead must have had in mind when she stated –

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

I need to converse from my mind and heart to those places in others. And, offer prayers of support and gratitude.

I need to speak with likeminded others because what we are now witnessing in Egypt (and with the other nonviolent protesters in the Middle East) is filled with wonder. Thus we are brought to see --

Even a large group of committed individuals can change the world with great networks of communication!

AWE -- inspiring!

I need to communicate with likeminded individuals, converse, dialogue – or any other word you wish to put to the art of conversation that makes a difference.

I need to speak and listen to those likeminded persons who will speak the truth of their hearts, all the way down to its depths.

So we can collectively acknowledge the energies of our spirits and send them out to those who need this with gratitude.

Right now!

I need to communicate with people who will substantiate -- in words -- what is spiritually right in front of our eyes. Though what is being seen, spiritually, cannot readily be described as SEEN.

(Spiritual defined -- that which is physically unseen by the human eye.)

I need to communicate with people who can confirm the facts as I see them (at least to some degree); the fact that what is occurring right before our eyes in Egypt and wherever else non-violent protesters are making progress is, not only a political upheaval, but also a transformation in the consciousness of planet earth, body-mind and spirit.

I had this kind of hunger for meaningful conversation as I was moving through a local, Jewish/Muslim controversy.

As president of a local chapter of a national, Jewish women’s social action group (who actually took no action at all regarding what I viewed as a critical, local crisis), my role was being severely sabotaged.

The rabbi’s leadership was also being sabotaged.

Maybe a new rabbi was needed.

But the method of the people, as the situation intensified, was subtley and not so subtley violent, emotionally.

Inside myself, I was crying as I asked in prayer,

“Do you see what I see?”

My mind and heart bled, even if my body did not.

The episode pained me deeply.

Worse still was my isolation, along with the challenges surrounding me, in that subtley violent, systemic upheaval.

It was an awful experience!

I abhored the lack of dialogue.

That was the worst of it, next to the rabbi-abuse.

Nonetheless, the Small “Zones of Peace” Conversations Project was birthed from this chaos.

I had this hunger, again, for community sharing as I watched the AWE unfolding at Centennial Memorial United Church.

AWE that was achieved --- as a matter of fact – through community conversations.

Again, I silently cried, “Do you see what I see?”

I needed to share, not to affirm my own view of reality, but because the AWE unfolding before my eyes was so obviously filled with wonder.

And, it would be so much grander to share and celebrate with others who could speak the words of the beauty beheld.

But the awe and putting words to the systemic impact was hard to articulate.

At least, not in lay terms.

Again, the limited (though there was some) conversing felt awful.

I am working on writing about it, now, for a professional audience and for this blog.

Still, the experience of awe is hard to describe.

Though this time the experience was about our reaching the peak of the Mountain of AWE -- not sharing and celebrating more fully felt greatly disappointing..

What we are witnessing in Egypt – just the fact of what has been achieved so far -- is in the realm of AWE; a wonder to be shared and celebrated.

Not only through continued social and political analysis and commentary, but simply by taking a minute to be in the silence of AWE.

A paradigm shift has occurred.

Nonviolent, Egyptian protestors have demonstrated how collective action can make social and political change from the bottom up. As opposed from the top down.

We have rarely seen this in REAL time! Since 911, the United States has not managed one single victory in the effort to defeat al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists that could even come close to what we are witnessing now in Egypt.

Still, Americans with all our freedoms continue to perpetuate polarization, among themselves, rather than collaboration.

We need to pay attention to the systemic remedying now occurring in Egypt – and -- learn from it!

It is a momentous success for the entire planet that we are witnessing in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.

No matter how the politics play out in the immediate.

Recent outcomes are critical beyond words.

They herald a systemic shift in the Middle East that cannot be retracted.

Simply because it is!

Personally, what matters so much to me is that just at a time when many Baby Boomers are going through a “loss of zest,”

Egyptian, nonviolent activists, under life threatening circumstances, are validating that what we began fighting for when we perked up our ears and listened to JFK instruct us to –

“Not ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

I yearn for a moment of collective prayer and thanksgiving to simply just say thank you to all those courageous, nonviolent activists.

They are showing the rest of the world that bottom up, people power can surpass top down, corrupt power. They are now peaceably fighting for my freedoms as well as their own! My heart is filled with prayer and thanksgiving.

And, this time I am not silent in asking, “Do you see what I see”

I know that you do or you wouldn't have read this far.

So, please respond to my invitation to pause and join the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Project and myself in --

A moment of thanksgiving prayer for the nonviolent protesters in the Middle East -- tomorrow at noon,Friday, February 25,

Just for a minute. We can raise our spirit energies, many times over, wherever we are to help consciously uplift those who are giving so much to their country as well as our own. Just for a minute.

Anastasia

I Know When I Know

I know when I know. Even when I don’t know what I am knowing. Then, mostly, I need to wait for what I know I am knowing to be revealed. So what I knew – first off – as I sat by my/our fire circle that snowy day a few weeks back was that the fire in my soul was flaming.

It was firing up inside of me – almost – more than it had since the day I lost my eyesight. It was as if a life was bursting forth from the deepest part of my soul. It felt new and fresh as if seeing the light of day for the very first time. Yet, it was certainly rooted in an ancient part of me.

I knew that that fire was springing out of the calling of my soul to do my small part to somehow, at least, try to put an end to the mediocrity with which we are presently living. The Arizona shooting in January coupled with the voices of commentary from all parts of the country were speaking out, loud and clear; there must be an end to the political bashing! And, the general, mean-spirited, divisiveness running through our day-to-day lives.

These voices carried a strong message to me, as the fire was called up from my depths. Perhaps, there was one small thing, at least, that I could contribute. And, since there was one, at least -- offer it I must. So, I threw my cap into the ring, sharing my sense of that fire in me with whomever would listen, respectfully. The mediocrity of our society – and – worse its potential for, not only subtle violence, but mortal violence was being, at last, verbally shouted down.

Clearly, the subtle and not so subtle violence was making, not only me, a bit crazy, but, maybe, even the silent majority was now no longer willing to be silent. And, people would now be willing to act! Do something rather than nothing! Perhaps in the light of tragedy, we had – as a society – been brought to the right conditions. And, people would no longer sit still for that which had long grown out of bounds.

For days after that day by the fire, I felt a surge of passion and creativity that became an abiding hunger. Far greater than simple nostalgia. For the days before I lost my eyesight. When a certain skillfulness in me had routinely been able to lead those who chose to be my students into an experience of awe.

I HUNGERED FOR that AWE; a return to that place of community cohesiveness, I had co-created awe, again and again, with others for almost TWENTY-FIVE years before I lost my eyesight (but never my vision,) Through the old New Horizons Truth Or Dare Game -- there had been a regular, community coming together where awe was the expected and achieved outcome.

(In monthly Game retreat week-ends and weekly Game support groups.)

As passion, creativity and a yearning for something old that could be remodeled into something new and beautiful carried me forth, I began to envision that what had been might just be viable now -- beyond what had been before.

Now I know that I want to go back to that old New Horizons Truth Or Dare Game (formerly the Discount Derby) and the strong sense of healthy community it fostered. I miss that old part of me. The old folks with whom I shared this awe.

I want it back, now! In a new way for the evolved me – and – the new conditions of our present circumstances; massive polarization throughout our country while at the same time we try to fight terrorism from outside forces. And, because I am blessed with a wonderful, supportive community; my own, personal small “zone of peace,” my hunger is now being respectfully acknowledged – and – addressed.

Thus I sit at my desk, now, up here in the mountains, with only a single, annoying stink bug on my window (one is good -- we are infested by them) obstructing (and then only a little) my view of AWE – A new game is now on my drawing board, out of the old New Horizons Truth or Dare Game. Maybe we’ll call it --

The Climbing To Awe GAME:
an interactive game of empowerment and transformation

Your comments – and – co-creation are invited. Stay tuned in for the progess.