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Category: Conscious activism
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The Work of Byron Katie: a beautiful example for changemakers
In this enlightening and entertaining video, you’ll see The Work by Byron Katie applied by a woman who holds strong grudges towards the meat industry.
She quickly realises how her negative thoughts are preventing her from seeing clearly and compassionately. She comes to see how she has been a slave to her own thinking, and wakes up from that illusion.
She comes out so much wiser and lighter, the truly powerful woman that she is.
The video is a beautiful example both of The Work (a simple process for inner awakening) and of conscious activism.
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Suffering and the meaning of life
A couple of days ago I read Sacha Post’s post about asking yourself your Most Important Questions. In it, he recommends intentionally asking the Most Important Question (MIQ) that is alive in you right now, then get into a relaxed state for the remainder of the day and revisit the question first thing in the morning.
I liked the idea and found my own MIQ rather quickly:
Why is there suffering?
In my earlier inquiries into this question before, I hadn’t been able to find a satisfying answer. Yet I knew deeply that there was more to this subject. And now that I have found my answer, it seems to obvious I can hardly believe it wasn’t this clear before.
The next day after intentionally setting my MIQ, as soon as I revisited the question, a book title came to my mind. It’s a famous book that I had never before taken the opportunity to read. The title is Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl and it is the personal and professional account of a Jewish psychiatrist who lived in Nazi concentration camps for three years and survived.
As soon as I started reading, page after page, the book took my question to a higher level and answered it with countless examples.
Reading it, I have come to rephrase the original MIQ to:
What is the meaning of suffering?
In his book, Viktor Frankl states that the meaning of our life can be found through 1) work, 2) love and 3) suffering. (Not that suffering is desirable: as long as it can be avoided, we should find meaning in changing our situation for the better.) But when suffering is unavoidable, even when everything has been taken away from us, the last of our human freedoms that can not be taken away is this: the freedom to choose one’s attitude in any set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
This turns around the perception of suffering from something inherently bad into something possibly beneficial. I myself have lived through trauma, transformed it and lived with the fruits of this inner work for years, but I always kept thinking: what would happen in the worst of the worst of circumstances?
Never have I found such a clear explanation of the value of suffering as in this book, coming from the mouth of a survivor of the Holocaust – the epitome of suffrage. Paraphrased, what he argues is this:
Suffering helps find the meaning of life
In Frankl’s view, the will for meaning is our deepest drive (not the will for sex or fear or power, as some of his predecessors have proposed). Responding to suffering is an opportunity to give meaning to our life, and true meaning can only be found in self-transcendence.
And there I found the answer to my MIQ, in my own understanding:
Suffering is a means to awakening
If we let it.
And that is essential: we have to let it. Frankl’s invitation is to take responsability in our approach to life, where we have the opportunity to show human greatness, and to never stop making that brave choice.
Instead of asking, “what is the meaning of my life?” we should recognize that actually life is asking this question of us. We can give our own answer by responding to our life’s circumstances in the best way we possibly can:
“In accepting this challenge to suffer bravely, life has a meaning up to the last moment, and it retains this meaning up to the very end.”
– From Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor FranklThe psychiatrist acknowledges that not everybody in the Nazi camps has been able to transcend this amount of suffering, in fact – most weren’t. Yet the examples of some of them who did, even if only a few, are proof of our natural and true human potential.
I would like to end with the final sentences of Man’s Search for Meaning, words that brought chills all over my body and tears in my eyes:
“Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord’s Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.”
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3 breath visualisations: ease your mind, open your heart, step into action
Three breathful visualisations for you today:
- Ease your mind
- Open your heart
- Step into action
You can choose to do them separately as you see fit or combine and include them in your morning routine as a great way to start your day.
You can do them one breath at a time, or take your time with them and stroll out into nature to do a full hour of practice.
Intro for all three practices
Find a chair, cushion or place on the ground where you can sit (or stand) comfortably.
Breathe only throught the nose or only through the mouth, do not alternate.
Lengthen your spine, gently roll your head on your neck a few times, then come back to the center.
Close your eyes, relax the forehead.
Yaaawn and relax your jaw.
Relax and soften the belly.Now, bring your attention to the natural rhythm of your breath.
1. Ease your mind
The mind is like the sky, white clouds of thought against a background of peaceful blue.
On the inbreath, you may see the clouds dissolving. On the outbreath, only deep blue peace remains.Breathing in and out, say with your inner voice:
“Breathing in, thoughts dissolve”
“Breathing out, mind is peace”(Repeat as often as you like)
2. Open your heart
The heart is like the Sun, shining with love. On the inbreath, breathe in light fueling the sun. On the outbreath, love’s light is shining brightly.
Breathing in and out, say with your inner voice:
“Breathing in, I open my heart”
“Breathing out, I am love”(Repeat as often as you like)
2. Step into action
The body is balanced and strong, like a ninja’s. On the inbreath, get ready. On the outbreath, step forward and box or make any ninja move you like while making this sound from the belly: Ha!.
SAY – Breathing in and out, say with your inner voice:
“Breathing in, I am ready for action”
“Breathing out, Ha!”(Repeat as often as you like and play with sounds and moves)
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Conscious activism
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
– GandhiConscious activism is enlightened activism. It is acting from love. As long as I sense hatred in my heart towards the people or system I am fighting, I need to heal myself first.
What always helps me is The Work by Bryon Katie:
First, list your thoughts about the issue (who do you resent and why, how do you suggest they should change).
Then, for each thought, answer the following four questions:
- Is it true? Yes or no.
- Can you absolutely know that it’s true? Yes or no.
- How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
- Who would you be without this that thought?
Now, find three turnarounds for each of the thoughts. For example, state the opposite or state “I” in stead of “them”.
What we see in the world is actually what is (unconsciously) alive in us. This is called projection. In order to really bring wholesome change, we need to first embody it. This is what is meant when we say ‘be the change you wish to see in the world’.
I may find that some of my convictions could use some nuance, stem from a deeper pain within myself which needs to be addressed first, or that I need to be applying some of my own advice in my own life before judging others.
And so after having done our own inner work, we are free to act strongly, from love.
A good person will resist an evil system with his whole soul. Disobedience of the laws of an evil state is therefore a duty.
– GandhiConscious activism acts from love. If you are serious about bringing real change, start with The Work. Then act. Or, in the words of Marianne Williamson: “Love hard, pray hard, kick ass.”
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Bee the change: 1 thing you can do today to save the bees
My friend Fleur Feij (on Instagram here with beautiful photos) is a beekeeper who helps raise awareness for the devastating mass bee killing that is happening around the globe and the ways to save them.
I love her down to earth and heartful approach – in anything, not just bees. She has a huge heart and the power, love and determination to make real changes. If you can find a way to support her work, please do :).
Actually after writing that, I decided to ask her what’s the one thing we could all do right after reading this post and here’s what she said:
“Tell children how important bees are. Because kids have the future and we need them, most of all, to be aware of this matter.”
Just to remind you, a simplified explanation: bees are important because they pollinate our crops. They fly from flower to flower, drinking nectar and in the process fertilizing the plants. Only a fertilized plant grows fruits, nuts and seeds, and those plant parts are often what we eat. If you talk to kids, you can point at the foods they love, like strawberries, and tell them it is thanks to the wonderful bees that they are here!
One extra fun way would be bring the kid out for a walk and ‘guerilla garden’ bee flower seeds in your village or town.
And while you’re at it, go to SumOfUs or Avaaz and sign and share their campaigns. Grow flowers, too. Be like a bee, spread some goodness ;).
Let us know in the comments how your conversation went and any other suggestions you may have to help save the bees!
PS: Bees make propolis, which is wildly healthy stuff! Check out my recipe for propolis chocolate hearts here: Chocolate hearts with propolis, cardamom and rose.
Image credit: Fleur Feij.
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Love hard. Pray hard. Kick ass.
“So if you are spiritual and your house is burning down, you yell “Fire!”. You don’t just say your mantra five times and trust the outcome to God. God needs to be able to trust the outcome to us.”
– Marianne Williamson
This is a post about activism. The healthy kind that will heal the world.
Activism must come from a place of wholeness, or it wil only cause more suffering. If all you can do is point fingers or fight or otherwise divide, it’s better to keep silent for now and do your inner work first.
But once the blaming has stopped and judgment has been seen for what it is, healthy action can come and the work of love can start moving you.
Marianne Williamson
I was greatly inspired by Marianne Williamson in her Buddha at the Gas Pump interview (video below). She rightfully points out that we have to do whatever we can to actively defend and promote the forces of good in the world, especially now:
“This is an urgent moment in the history of the world. We now have holding the levers of power in the most powerful country of the world, [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Donald Trump] whose mindset does not seem to promote a sustainable option, necessarily, even for life on Earth”.
I share her view of the dangers that a policy of divisiveness poses for the world, as well as the chances it brings for transformation and unity and so I do whatever is in my power to stand up for what I believe is right.
Holistic politics
I advocate holistic politics. Politics that operate from an integrative world view and recognize we are all part of a larger whole. Where we take care of the Earth and no longer see ourselves as the center of everything, but recognize we come from (are!) nature and start treating her with the respect she deserves. Where happiness is more important than growth and love prevails over possession. Where we listen to each other with the intention to understand, in stead of make our own point.
As Marianne Williamson wisely mentions in the interview, great activists don’t work AGAINST anything. They work in favor of what they want. Gandhi always said how he was not against the British government, but rather FOR a free, self governing India.
We can work together in healing the climate, sharing our wealth and resolving our (inner) conflicts. And the work, of course, starts with ourselves.
Love hard
Love and forgive yourself. Love and forgive others. Take good care of yourself and others.
Recognize that if we flourish at someone else’s cost, we can not fully flourish. Because we are all connected and as soon as we become aware of that, we can no longer hide for the fact that in this world, too many beings are suffering for the so-called welfare of a few.
Also… if you love someone, let them know. And treat people how you would like to be treated. It really is that simple.
Pray hard
Meditate, walk in nature, play music, pray, whatever it is you can do to get out of your ordinary daily mind and connect with something greater than what you call ‘you’.
Sometimes, action is prayer. ‘Karma yoga’ means you support the right people and causes to help create, sustain and spread the good stuff. Cleaning a beach can be incredibly liberating.
Prayer, meditation and heartful action help us to let go of our mind-made self image and live from the deeper source within.
Kick ass
Acting from that place again, we are re-sourceful: we are creative, efficient and we effortlessly move mountains. That state is called flow and it happens when we stop creating barriers for ourselves.
We are the grownups now. It is up to us to act. Somewhere in the interview, Marianne Williamson says: “You know how they say it’s a pity when people miss their childhood? Well it’s a pity when people miss their adulthood, too!”
We are what we repeatedly do.
– AristotleMy invitation: right now, kick some ass. Find one thing you can do to contribute to something you care about deeply. Even a comment on this article would be great! Do it right now, don’t stop with just reading this post. It can be small, but you will inspire yourself and others because you are one who acts.
Some suggestions: sign up for Avaaz or SumOfUs to get involved (even if just by signing) with great people power causes. Change your bank to one with a high rating for social and environmental investments. Donate time or money to a great campaign, and share about it on social media. Write a weekly Facebook post on something you care about. Eat more plants and less meat. I could go on and on. More suggestions? Put them in the comments!
Do this every day in the coming week and you’ll see that by the end of the week, you’re a different person.
Here is Marianne Williamson’s interview with Buddha at the Gas Pump:
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Donald Trump: a moment of truth
I wrote this post the day after Donald Trump was elected president, watching many outraged and panicy reactions unfold on social media. That day, I decided to remain silent.
Today I’d like to share how I think we can wisely and heartfully respond in any moment of (perceived) crisis, especially those of us who call ourselves ‘spiritual’.
(Please also read my post on activism with Marianne Williamson: Love hard, pray hard, kick ass.)
Moment of truth
Isn’t it super-easy to love, to understand, to listen, to embrace, and take the right action, when you like the people you’re with and the situation you’re in?
But what if a part of reality looks absolutely dismal to you, like is the case right now for many people? How much are you now really able to fully face what’s right in front of you, to open your heart and meet the world as yourself, even this reality that may be screaming, red-eyed, spitting in your face, making you shrivel with disgust and harden with resistance… are you still able to meet all that?
This is what I am asking myself today. Donald Trump, for many of us, represents those aspects of humanity and of ourselves that we rather not face.
And so this is a moment of truth: are you responding to yesterday’s (last week’s, last year’s..) events with an open heart or with a closed mind?
(And I am choosing to use his full name, not just the last name we often use for adults, but the first name too so that we remember the more personal, the child, the ageless.)
It is my invitation for those who today are screaming NOOOOOOOO, resisting this reality outwardly or in their hearts:
Accept this reality as an invitation to stand tall and face, eyes wide open, heart wide open, the full reality of what’s happening.
Do not give in to amazement. Do not give in to the craze of the ego-mind believing in ideas, separation, ‘them’ and ‘us’. Instead, be the silent observer of all that is happening within you as much as in the ‘outside world’. And start your work there where it is the most intimate, most scary, most beneficial: with yourself.
Invitation to do The Work
One of the best ways of dealing with our pain is to do The Work by Byron Katie (link opens in new tab). If you are not familiar with The Work, I highly recommend you do it. It’s free and as simple as it gets. Recommended by Eckart Tolle and Oprah, too ;).
Doing The Work helps people recognize that all the suffering we blame on other people or our life’s circumstances, is caused by our own thinking. The Work helps you deal with your own shit before pointing fingers at others or wanting to control them.
This is your inner work, and it is a necessary preparation for healthy activism. On this topic, please also read my post on activism with Marianne Williamson: Love hard, pray hard, kick ass.
Only from a place of wholeness
The waves I am feeling inside my belly, heart and mind today are enormous and nauseating. I am taking time to meet them fully and digest all the thoughts and emotions that are being stirred.
Only from a place of wholeness can I write articles, lead workshops and live freely in a way that is beneficial and empowering and causes no further separation.
Only from a place of wholeness can we find the space to truly listen and learn to understand.
Only from a place of wholeness can we act without the need to harm or control.
Only from a place of wholeness can we work together to help save the world.Please take this time to commit yourself to your inner work and unite in peace, so we can move into the healthy action that is needed to help protect our world and civilization – more so Now than ever before.
The time really is Now.