Friday, 24 June 2011

a Moment for Wisdom…

DAILY WISDOM:

“There are two fundamental diseases, and they are really only one: anything that doesn’t allow change to happen, and anything that causes change to happen too quickly.”

Richard Moss, MD

Personal Wisdom:

What experiences do you have with change happening too quickly?

What experiences do you have with change not happening quickly enough?

Societal Wisdom:

a Moment with Sharif…

Greetings;

We come back to the issue of change.  Actually, we never leave!

Change is the constant, the dynamic principle of the Universe. We can look out into outer space and deep within our own being – at any level, at every level, we see change at work. Even after physical death, our physical bodies continue to undergo transformation (hair grows, nails grow, micro-organisms abound…). Our spiritual bodies as well.

Some change, however, does not occur at a pace that is healthy. Cells can divide too quickly and too erratically – we call that cancer. Blood can move too sluggishly through our veins.

We can also experience this “fundamental disease” on an emotional, psychological and
even spiritual level. How many of us have stayed in a relationship that was emotionally and
psychologically “dead”, but feared the unknown that change would bring?  How many of us have stayed in a soul-deadening job, yearning for a different life, yet not bringing ourselves to make a change?

I believe that, as a society, America is terminally constipated. We need movement… but our “leaders” are afraid of what that movement may bring – a reduction or removal of their powers and privileges. We need movement… but too many of us are employed in status quo occupations that hold back the necessary movement. We need movement… but too many of us believe the status quo supplies our security. We need movement… but fear of the unknown and lack of imagination holds too many of us back.

When the pressure for change builds to a certain point, systems and structures begin to break down, to accommodate the pressure for change. As we are learning from the failures of the dams, dikes and levees in the mid-West, built-up pressure can cause catastrophic results.

By taking deep, effective action NOW, we can avoid catastrophe later. If we are wise, we will learn to embrace change, not avoid it.

Peace,

Sharif

PS: ABOUT THOSE BEETS!

Awhile ago, I mentioned that I had developed an aversion to beets as a child. A number of you wanted to know how I developed that aversion.  It’s taken me awhile to respond, because (as is usual with my life), there is no simple answer.

SHORTEST ANSWER:

When I was young, I identified beets with blood.

SLIGHTLY LONGER ANSWER:

A few months ago, when I started eating beets, I noticed that it turned my feces red. I’ve
heard that beets can turn one’s urine red, if you have weakened kidneys. When I was young, I had weakened everything. And, since I was already taxing all of my mother’s resources to keep me alive, I could see me deciding not to tell her about a new problem. Keeping what I thought was a sickness became a secret… and an aversion. Way beyond conceptual thought.

LONGEST ANSWER:

So, why was I eating beets in the first place?  As I said in the “Moment” for 10 June:

“Up until a few months ago, I was completely averse to eating beets, AND I had a LOT
of emotion around it! I thought beets were disgusting, nauseating, I couldn’t stand to smell them, or watch anyone else eating them.  That’s a lot of emotion!  And, it made no sense, since I understood them to be nutritious and healthy.”

In the personal spiritual work that I’ve been doing with Janet Sussman, she advised me to meditate on my aversions – but to go beyond the conceptual level, to access the deepest parts of my being. How best to access that which you cannot access with THOUGHT?
Well, best way to access my aversions was to wallow in one!

I was able to access a deep place, a chamber of my heart to which I had no access
through thought (meditative or otherwise). There was a lot of stuff in that chamber! I’ve been able to use my (former!) aversion to beets to access and clear a LOT of childhood stuff… I’ve cleaned out the closet!  (At least, for the time being…)

So… thanks to the beets!

S.

Acknowledgments:

All photos by Sharif Abdullah, unless otherwise noted.