Hi, You!
I hear you.
I hear you when you are asked what you want for your birthday, and you say, “World Peace. Ha ha ha.” I hear that little catch in your throat that means that you really mean it, but you’re scared to admit it because it’s not realistic.
I hear you muttering to yourself in the produce section, trying to figure out the relative merits of local, organic, fair trade, and affordable food. I hear you trying to figure out what the best way of feeding your body and your children is. I hear you balancing one cause against another, knowing that people need clean water AND access to democracy, adequate medical care AND education. And I hear you berating yourself at three in the morning for not having done enough, for not having given enough, and for not being able to make your personal finances balance. I hear you wanting Peace, but fearing that you don’t deserve it until everybody else has it too. Or perhaps first.
I get it.
You want to be a grown up. You want to do the right thing. You want to find your way in the world. And you don’t want to take more than your share. But sometimes, you’re just… tired. You want there to be meaning, but you’re just not sure. You want the world to be fair, but it doesn’t seem to conform to your desires. And you know that you’re “supposed” to be more cynical, that your continued desire for social justice, political freedom, and (dare we say it?) world peace are considered signs of naiveté.
You’re educated. You know how things are. You don’t labour under any illusions. But still… those Ghandi quotes have a way of getting you. Right. There.
You want to Be The Change. You work at it So Hard. And you are feeling lonely, tired, and idealistic. And you still know that retirement is coming, the house needs repairs, the kids need orthodontia, and you don’t want to be that parent.
Not to mention that you are also supposed to be athletic, eat perfectly, stay young forever, and be fierce in the bedroom. And keep your house in perfect shape in case the in-laws drop by. It’s exhausting.
So, what are you going to do about it?
That’s what I’m here for. Not to tell you the answers. The world is full of people who have the answers. I’m here to help you ask the questions. What really matters? How do you still the voices long enough to hear your own? How do you decide how to focus your efforts? And what should you have for dinner?!?
I’m not a coach or a therapist. I’m an adult educator who has decided to turn my efforts to helping people touch Self-Actualization.
What’s my agenda?
I want to be completely clear… I’m doing this because I want world peace, and after a decades-long trek through the world’s knowledge traditions, I are convinced that self-care and self-actualization are necessary pieces for that to happen.
Self-actualization is a high goal. It is not simply a matter of finding what you want and doing it; it implies doing so from a place of deep connectedness. It is a practice of bringing forth your greatest gifts in service to something bigger than yourself. It demands effort, clear thinking, and practice. And more practice. And more practice.
Learning to be peaceful in a world built on violence is one of the hardest things you can choose to do. But for there to be peace in the world, we must work towards peace in our hearts. We must practice peace in our bodies, our homes, and our communities. From there, we can move out into the world, holding onto the capacity to respond with what is actually needed, rather than to soothe our own sense of discomfort.
Another world is possible… but only if we do something about it.
If this sounds like something you wish to get in on, please join my mailing list. I’d love to work with you on this.