What crises and upheavals we are currently experiencing! I think these times might well be understood as the breakdown and transition that many have said will be occurring for a while to come. And there is still the possibility that this will lead to The Great Turning, of which Joanna Macyhas so eloquently spoken. Clearly we have opportunities for personal development and life transformation! What we know for sure is that what we think, feel, say and do, all affect what unfolds next. We are all interconnected. As Thich Nhat Hanh says, we exist in interbeing: everything relies on everything else to manifest Finding Hope and Wisdom in Challenging Times
It is a deep comfort right now, I am finding, to remember that the sun comes up each day; that the Wheel of the Year keeps turning, grounding and anchoring us; and to note that we have arrived at one of the richest of the Quarter Days, Summer Solstice. No matter what is happening in human affairs, the deep cycles of our precious planet continue. We are part of them, we affect them, we live from and with them, and we can enjoy, appreciate, and treasure them. I find it healing to take a deep breath and drop into this continuity and flow.
So what can we think, feel, say, and do about these challenging times? Here are several offerings from sages and guides whom I respect. You’ll find several glorious opportunities for personal development and life transformation.
Timeless Wisdom for Navigating Life’s Toughest Times
The Work that Reconnects is Joanna Macy’s name for the essential adventure of our time: the shift from the industrial growth society to a 
life-sustaining civilization. “Instead of privatizing, repressing and pathologizing our pain for the world (be it fear, grief, outrage or despair), we honor it. We learn to re-frame it as suffering-with or compassion. This brings us back to life”, and the capacity to step in, show up, and take appropriate action.
life-sustaining civilization. “Instead of privatizing, repressing and pathologizing our pain for the world (be it fear, grief, outrage or despair), we honor it. We learn to re-frame it as suffering-with or compassion. This brings us back to life”, and the capacity to step in, show up, and take appropriate action.When Things Fall Apart: Heart Adice for Difficult times, by Pema Chodron, is a go-to for many when times are gruelling. The link contains a few takeaways from her book.
Anne Frank said,“It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.”
Choosing Hope, Courage, and Compassion Every Day
Howard Zinn, another of my heroes, wrote an essay in response to the question: “You ask how I manage to stay involved and remain seemingly happy and adjusted to this awful world where the efforts of caring people pale in comparison to those who have power?” It’s called
On Getting Along. and is worth a read in its entirety. I especially like the last point: “
Don’t look for a moment of total triumph. See it as an ongoing struggle, with victories and defeats, but in the long run the consciousness of people growing. So you need patience, persistence, and need to understand that even when you don’t “win,” there is fun and fulfillment in the fact that you have been involved, with other good people, in something worthwhile.”
One last offering: Krista Tippet has a beautiful essay in her On Being series just out. The News That Is ‘Breaking’ Is Never Seeing Things Whole
How are you finding a measure of peace and presence in these times? I’d love to hear how you are managing. We are in this together.
Blessings, courage, commitment, joy, awe and a big hug to you all. Let us say, “Fight the good fight”, in part by spreading love and kindness with compassion and courage, far and wide.
Warmly, Jill
PS I invite you to share widely, repost, copy parts or all — no need to ask.
Post timely or relevant you might also enjoy:
Letting Go of Perfection: A big theme in my life and absolutely relevant right now.
Let Us Take Time Together…amidst and acknowledging the chaos and challenges happening in our world, to celebrate the flow and unfolding of life, the seasons, the glory of the sun, stars, and planets.
And a few earlier blog posts relevant to these times and topics.
Midnight Mind— Monkey Mind: is what I’m calling the tendency, often obsessive, to ruminate, to work it, turn it, trouble it, to try to untangle and only make the tangle worse. Now what?
How Do We Create Balance in Our Lives: Let’s start with a question: What are some areas of your life that could use reflection or re-balancing? How does balance figure in our Becoming, our Journey? Using rock balancing as a metaphor, I share some insights that have been useful for me.
Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity. BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection, and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, andgrowth. Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume. Follow me on Twitter, let’s be friends on Facebook.
