With Standing Rock, the election, the majority of us found ourselves vaulted off the complacency train onto a Tilt-A-Whirl, bracing, chanting, ‘hang on, hang on, don’t throw up’.
These are our Now Times
We’re here now, stepping through the rubble of false paradigms of safety, acceptance, freedom, sovereignty, equality, stewardship, collaboration and connection. Trampled, scattered, desecrated relics of the bubble dream of the Then Times.
No buying a pass or sitting this one out, these Now Times require clarity and aligned, enlivened participation.
The questions being asked and answered: Why Me? Why here? Why now? Because I Am Here. Now.
The call: Rise up. Act. The method: Conscious Activism.
Moving with authority, aligned with all believed and held sacred, Conscious Activists collaborate, protect, preserve, feed, shelter and restore. Dignified and honoring sentience, they seek common ground in spite of differences, coming together for the good of the larger whole.
Seven Practices for Conscious Activism:
1. Root yourself in the Earth and her outrageous ability to regenerate.
She’s spawned fungi that relentlessly consume Chernobyl’s radiation, thriving from the toxic ooze of poor stewardship and disregard for the laws of nature. She knows how to hold herself together. She knows how to use her energy sustainably.
Root in good people, embodied in the ability to destroy and transform the toxic and oozing.
2. Decant your emotions like fine red wine.
Ranting and reaction expels energy and releases a charge; it relieves pressure, but generates a negative contribution. Recycling despair, concern, anxiety, grief, anger expends emotional energy but generates no return on time spent.
Emotions that are seasoned, aired are generative, and invite coherent action. Decanted emotion answers the siren call, the ‘why’ behind responses and actions. Emotions decanted are observed, experienced, and catalyze mindful response, empower Conscious Activism.
Spend emotional energy mindfully to propel and foster meaningful change.
3. Channel Your Volition into issues that resonate.
Anchored in issues that inspire coherent action utilizes the whole being and sources volition for authentic and powerful response.
There’s room for all, and issues abounding. Focus energy on the issues that pull deeply, remain top of mind. The causes that resonate with core values are the ones that enliven Conscious Activism.
All in, galvanized by the end game and not the interim skirmishes, victories and setbacks, volition flows.
4. Cultivate your compassion and idle empathic sensitivity.
With the compassionate heart leading the way, connection occurs through the coherence and unity of all hearts. The collective heart has space for navigating the poignant and painful, for contribution without depletion and overwhelm.
Empathic overwhelm diminishes capacity to act wisely and from the whole self. Too often the empathic sensitive loses sight of self-care and becomes a victim of the overwhelming urge to help and hold. Dial it down, Dear One.
The compassionate, collective heart is the fulcrum for actualizing dreams and intentions. It is not consumed by the magnitude of the issue or cause. The individual heart that beats within each Conscious Activist is mirrored and supported by the whole.
In these Now Times, give from the heart, over and over, without holding it all.
5. Be wholly and fully Who You Are.
Speak the truth as it rises from within — even with fluttering belly, quivering voice or knocking knees. Speak from the driving, relentless need to lend voice to the cause.
Say yes or no with commitment and authority. Choose. Commit. Act.
Standing firm, with intention and focus, the causal fire of change remains lit by the authentic voices of Conscious Activism.
6. Mine and align your beliefs for congruent intention, choice and action.
Wanting one thing and creating another is so Then Times. We’ve had enough of that.
Conscious awareness illuminates belief systems and the resulting thought patterns that inform the individual and collective worldview. Beliefs are powerful generators used to manufacture and create experience.
It is not enough to want change without discerning the inner self that seek stasis, accepts status quo or believes that the complexity of an issue, or the entrenchment of others render change unlikely.
Complacency is born from unexamined thoughts, beliefs and patterns.
Every thought and belief informs the larger collective. Do the work. Mine and align beliefs and actions.
7. Ignite divinity’s spark to foster oneness and community (come-unity).
‘One Heart, One Mind, the People will be One. The earth that you stand on at home is the same earth we stand on here at Standing Rock. We are always that close to each other.’ Source: Jon Eagle, Sr., Tribal Historic Preservation Officer at Standing Rock, Sioux Tribe, December 8, 2016
Sourcing the united collective fosters collaborative beliefs, thoughts, words and actions.
Imagine Conscious Activists fueling volition through rooted, unified intention, as Whole Beings sharing their passion and responses to a variety of concerns. Through their efforts actualizing sovereignty, acceptance, unity, equality, stewardship, respect and compassion.
Live these seven practices and calibrate your Whole Being. Rise up and play in the field of Conscious Activism and (r)evolution.
photo credit: Elvert Barnes
