A gift from Joanna Macy 🙏 for those who need encouragement
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Joanna Macy shared with me and people in the book club Embodied Purpose the Shambhala Warrior Prophecy.
Last week I received a special, even sacred gift. Joanna Macy, a personal heroine, shared with me and many people live the Shambhala Warrior Prophecy. If you care about the larger world and your work in it, please please watch! Her presence alone can uplift you by leaps and bounds. She is one of those rare real elders who embody her words and work, whom we want to listen to not only the content but also the contour of what she says.
I'm so blessed.
For the context, before she told us the prophecy, I reflected on my experiences while I was in America.
As a young person who has the privilege to have to exposure to go to America to study and meet with different people & communities, I've been always struck by this youthful idealism vs the practicality of doing this hard work of bringing about change.
Visiting the Bay Area - where Joanna lives - comes to mind as a particular example. I was so shocked by how the energies of the people I met go in almost two different directions.
On one hand there are healers, artists and activists who keep doing amazing work despite their quiet desparation of the chaotic state of the world. On the other hand there are social impact tech entrepreneurs who want to change the world.
All those "making a positive impact in the world" idealism scares me. Somehow I don't trust them enough, almost as if the grief hasn't been acknowledged.
I know that we are supposed to be caring about the same thing, yet I'm not able to make friends with many of them. I asked Joanna how she sit with that discomfort.
Her answer before sharing the prophesy:
"I understand your feelings and share them. I'll tell you the Shambhala prophecy now because I speak that to people to invite them into wider ways of knowing things, to invite them to see beyond the surface pleasures and hurries and successes of North American capitalists."
I'll write a longer post, but for now please watch the video if you are dedicating your life to a very important work and needs some inspiration. By the way, here's is a reflection from an encounter with another true elder, Frances Hesselbein that can also help too.
I'm also offering a free conversation to chat with me if you feel like you are going through a trying times and need someone to accompany, clarify and keep you encouraged :-)
Sharing is sprouting.
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Meditation on selfie
I gazed at a very pretty someone on the airplane yesterday taking her selfie. The whole scene was very charming, and whenever I am charmed, I'll start wondering.
Here is what came out. I hope you see selfie a little bit differently, perhaps more gently and loving
"Some people can't handle the truth of their own beauty all at once. In fact, most of us can't handle that whole truth. Please don't fault them. Instead, slowly and gently reveal such beauty to them, for what they need is a gradual reflecting rather than a direct spotlight shining "OH MY GAWD YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL /BEAUTIFUL / AMAZING". I know you really mean it and you have good intention. It's just that sometimes the beautiful part is rather shy, and you don't want to scare it away. The whole point of complimenting something is to see more of it, remember?
Also, please do it not only out of wanting to gain her approval and liking (as we all do) but also out of generosity. Do it because you want to share with her your precious affirming attention. Do it because you really see her.
Maybe she needs to be seen by you, a photographer of the heart.
Maybe she has many likes on Instagram and Facebook, but there is one like from that One Special Person she hasn't got yet, and that's driving her crazy.
It's like getting a lot of chocolate candies while you know what you are really longing for is a kiss. I mean, what else would those bright red lipsticks be for? I know, for I've given plenty of unnecessary chocolate candies too.
Read the full Medium post here.