It is more and more apparent to me that we are living in
The space between stories
“In the space between stories the old world has fallen apart but the new world has not emerged.” — Charles Eisenstein
Recently in a conversation with someone I heard, “I don’t want to live through another year like 2020, that’s for sure.” And another person I was talking with said, “It’s 2020! What else can I say?” There is a sense of despair and anger and a longing for things to be different. Sometimes I notice a fatalistic tone in the stories people tell, that nothing we do will make a difference anyway so we might as well give in and give up.
In so many ways the world that we knew is falling apart, or has already fallen apart. And we are all living with the uncertainty of what new world will emerge.
“The present convergence of crises – in money, energy, education, health, water, soil, climate, politics, the environment, and more – is a birth crisis, expelling us from the old world into a new.” — Charles Eisenstein
Many angles, one story
You can look at it from many angles—political, health, social justice, climate—and we are at a crisis point. A tiny inflection could tilt the story towards greater justice, health, climate recovery, racial justice; and a tiny inflection in another direction could tilt us towards environmental destruction, greater inequality, and a dystopian future none of us want to imagine.
“You could ask: Why are people attracted to narratives that justify the terrible things that we’re doing to the planet? Why are people attracted to narratives of control and fear and hunting down the terrorists, and this uncaring attitude toward nature? These come from what I call the perceptions of separation and the experience of separation, the experience of alienation, the experience of scarcity and anxiety and competition, and a world in which everybody is out for themselves and nobody cares.” — Charles Eisenstein
I believe that waiting for a new world to emerge is in-effective. We must, each and every one of us, envision the world we would like to create, and then take small actions on a regular basis that move us toward that vision.
“How do we change the world? Change the story.” — Charles Eisenstein
A tilt towards a story of inter-connectedness
“Each experience of love nudges us toward the Story of Interbeing, because it only fits into that story and defies the logic of Separation.”
― The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible
What small action can you take this week to learn about, share and engage in efforts to create the new story you envision? How can you learn about and share support for racial justice?
What one person would you like to connect with this week and how would you like to impact his or her day?
How can you put your values into action this week? Name one small action you can take.
What is one activity that would light you up and use your gifts, exploring a hobby or a past-time or a passion? What brings you joy? Can you find a way to schedule a slice of time to enjoy that hobby or past-time?
Let yourself feel your grief, longing, fear…
I find that if I haven’t allowed myself to feel my grief, longing, anger, or fear, I am unable to envision a different future story. Instead I am frozen in inaction. If this is the case for you, I encourage you to find resources to help you nurture yourself and to allow yourself to safely feel your feelings.
“Ultimately, work on self is inseparable from work in the world. Each mirrors the other; each is a vehicle for the other. When we change ourselves, our values and actions change as well. When we do work in the world, internal issues arise that we must face or be rendered ineffective.” — Charles Eisenstein
I think that if all of us allowed ourselves to feel our grief about climate change, anger about racial injustice, and fear about COVID-19, that we would be propelled into action by those very feelings that we have been suppressing or ignoring for so long.
What is the new story that you would tell?
May you walk in beauty.
Note: I made all but the first photo in this post in July of 2017.
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