Caitlin.....yes. I so appreciate this comment. I was unable to read the full post as I noticed my own dysregulation creeping in only sentences in. I don't know that most of us have to be fully barraged with horror to access compassion, and, think that it may actually make it harder to access because we shut down or compensate with trauma…
Caitlin.....yes. I so appreciate this comment. I was unable to read the full post as I noticed my own dysregulation creeping in only sentences in. I don't know that most of us have to be fully barraged with horror to access compassion, and, think that it may actually make it harder to access because we shut down or compensate with trauma responses to protect our brains. Hence why I try to lightly dip into the news and dip out (I realize the privilege of even being able to do this). My window of tolerance moves further and further away, and I have realized 'post-pandemic', both post and, now again, pre- Trump, as our world engages in multiple wars... that my nervous system feels to always be balancing on a knife's edge. I am playing with finding ways to be expansive around my internal experiences of/reactions to the hard things in this world while remaining connected to it. Last week after a conversation with my climate-crisis denying brother I had to take my rage to the beach and found solace in watching the waves while picking up trash. It helped to reconnect and to find my own small sense of agency. I wasn't solving anything and yet noticed that my heart opened more, allowing way to my grief and to feeling less threatened by him while feeling more connected to the world around me.And then I came home and donated to my favorite group of environmental lawyers:)
It has been tremendously helpful for me to learn that understanding and compassion do not equate agreement. I can hold compassion, even if only a few drops for ebbing moments of time, for the people still supporting Israel's approach while wholeheartedly disagreeing with what is happening. It is not a place I live in but one that I am learning how to return to, for my own humanity and to avoid isolating from a world which feels too harsh to exist in at times.
One thing coming to mind as I allow myself to process through the keys is that we as a human collective are lacking in courage. Courage to speak without being perfect, to act without having a road map when we feel a strong stirring in our souls, to trust in ourselves to try while also holding the humility to be accountable to our decisions and the things we say and to respond with care. Not needing to have all of the answers and being humble enough to say so and realizing that sometimes there aren't answers and rather a need for community, companioning, care. If we could speak into spaces on behalf of our fears with courage, as opposed to preemptively silencing ourselves or lashing out from them, I wonder how far it would go in increasing connection and communication.
Ashley, it sounds to me like you have so much inner wisdom to be able to notice these things. I think this is really important and is what will sustain us. Knowing to take ourselves to the beach. To step away from reading when we need to. I agree that courage is lacking, collectively. I think it stems from the cultural norm now of certainty - people are so rigid in certainty about their views and torn down if we show curiosity and the possibility of changing our minds. Surely this is how we find courage, by acknowledging we are not sure about everything? That there may be things we don't know? Anyway, if it's useful to you, I've written a book on creativity and how it helps us find space for these things and is a tool for these times. Our own creativity is free after all, capitalism can't take it from us, although it does damn well try.
I love the idea that courage is intertwined with the acknowledgement of uncertainty. Imagine the change our politicians could elicit if they lead with that.
Thank you for bringing up courage. I’m so disappointed in the lack of bravery & listening being done. But. I also think this is a storm of cancel culture (bringing fear & freeze & “too hard”) and , as discussed, the polarizing social media perpetuates.
Yikes yes, "the norm of certainty". Where can I find you book Caitlin? In the last year or so I have started drawing again - I think as a direct response to the chaos in the world - it gives me a quiet slow place to reflect and respond.
Thank you Caitlin for the recommendation. I will definitely be investing in that wonderful book. I just skimmed the amazon preview and got goose bumps reading about how you and Lizzie were born in Canberra. Dr Cutter was also present at my daughter's birth and I remember one of the nurses saying "cutter by name, cutter by nature". Literally "painful" memories 😳
The work you are doing in MakeShift looks amazing. Encouraging our innate healing ability through creativity has got to be better than the more traditional methods 💕
I love you point about courage Ashley. I feel this, especially the point about needing to act without a roadmap - I think that is a skill that will be more and more important in the future, I need to make peace with that. Thank you for naming it.
Caitlin.....yes. I so appreciate this comment. I was unable to read the full post as I noticed my own dysregulation creeping in only sentences in. I don't know that most of us have to be fully barraged with horror to access compassion, and, think that it may actually make it harder to access because we shut down or compensate with trauma responses to protect our brains. Hence why I try to lightly dip into the news and dip out (I realize the privilege of even being able to do this). My window of tolerance moves further and further away, and I have realized 'post-pandemic', both post and, now again, pre- Trump, as our world engages in multiple wars... that my nervous system feels to always be balancing on a knife's edge. I am playing with finding ways to be expansive around my internal experiences of/reactions to the hard things in this world while remaining connected to it. Last week after a conversation with my climate-crisis denying brother I had to take my rage to the beach and found solace in watching the waves while picking up trash. It helped to reconnect and to find my own small sense of agency. I wasn't solving anything and yet noticed that my heart opened more, allowing way to my grief and to feeling less threatened by him while feeling more connected to the world around me.And then I came home and donated to my favorite group of environmental lawyers:)
It has been tremendously helpful for me to learn that understanding and compassion do not equate agreement. I can hold compassion, even if only a few drops for ebbing moments of time, for the people still supporting Israel's approach while wholeheartedly disagreeing with what is happening. It is not a place I live in but one that I am learning how to return to, for my own humanity and to avoid isolating from a world which feels too harsh to exist in at times.
One thing coming to mind as I allow myself to process through the keys is that we as a human collective are lacking in courage. Courage to speak without being perfect, to act without having a road map when we feel a strong stirring in our souls, to trust in ourselves to try while also holding the humility to be accountable to our decisions and the things we say and to respond with care. Not needing to have all of the answers and being humble enough to say so and realizing that sometimes there aren't answers and rather a need for community, companioning, care. If we could speak into spaces on behalf of our fears with courage, as opposed to preemptively silencing ourselves or lashing out from them, I wonder how far it would go in increasing connection and communication.
Ashley, it sounds to me like you have so much inner wisdom to be able to notice these things. I think this is really important and is what will sustain us. Knowing to take ourselves to the beach. To step away from reading when we need to. I agree that courage is lacking, collectively. I think it stems from the cultural norm now of certainty - people are so rigid in certainty about their views and torn down if we show curiosity and the possibility of changing our minds. Surely this is how we find courage, by acknowledging we are not sure about everything? That there may be things we don't know? Anyway, if it's useful to you, I've written a book on creativity and how it helps us find space for these things and is a tool for these times. Our own creativity is free after all, capitalism can't take it from us, although it does damn well try.
I love the idea that courage is intertwined with the acknowledgement of uncertainty. Imagine the change our politicians could elicit if they lead with that.
Thank you for bringing up courage. I’m so disappointed in the lack of bravery & listening being done. But. I also think this is a storm of cancel culture (bringing fear & freeze & “too hard”) and , as discussed, the polarizing social media perpetuates.
Yikes yes, "the norm of certainty". Where can I find you book Caitlin? In the last year or so I have started drawing again - I think as a direct response to the chaos in the world - it gives me a quiet slow place to reflect and respond.
Drawing is such a beautiful way to make space! You can find it here > https://geni.us/CreativeFirstAid
x
Thank you Caitlin for the recommendation. I will definitely be investing in that wonderful book. I just skimmed the amazon preview and got goose bumps reading about how you and Lizzie were born in Canberra. Dr Cutter was also present at my daughter's birth and I remember one of the nurses saying "cutter by name, cutter by nature". Literally "painful" memories 😳
The work you are doing in MakeShift looks amazing. Encouraging our innate healing ability through creativity has got to be better than the more traditional methods 💕
Oh my gosh! That's amazing. What a legacy of Dr Cutter 😂
Thank you for the book link, I will follow that up.
Thanks Caitlin! And I would love to check out your book. Creativity is such an avenue to return us to inner knowing and flow state.
I love you point about courage Ashley. I feel this, especially the point about needing to act without a roadmap - I think that is a skill that will be more and more important in the future, I need to make peace with that. Thank you for naming it.