Just before the dawn ⭐
Have things ever felt more uncertain? No-one knows how the coming week, month, and year will unfold. Amidst this uncertainty, I’ve been finding some solace and courage in a twelfth century Tibetan prophecy on the Shambhala Warrior as told by activist and scholar Joanna Macy (see video below).
The prophecy calls us to train in the tools of compassion and insight so we can dismantle the forces of division and destruction and bring about the more compassionate, equitable, and sustainable world we know is possible.
The darkest hour is right before the dawn.
I believe this moment calls for our moral imagination and sustained personal and collective action toward the kind of world we want to create – no matter what the coming week and months bring.
The first step of transformative change involves clearly seeing reality in this moment. If we resist the way things are, we cannot bring about positive change. Right now, we can let the grief, anger, anxiety move through and be aware of the thoughts and stories we hear and tell ourselves. What are you present to? What do you know to be true?
Second, grounded in reality, we can imagine a future of individual and collective wellbeing and the values we’d like to see in action. What do you stand for? How do you want to be? What kind of world do you want to pass on to future generations?
And third, we take micro-steps and collective action to move ourselves and others in the direction of that future. What's the next small step you can take? *Please vote if you can and haven’t already.*
It’s all a practice. We practice so we grow our capacity to meet whatever life brings with compassion and insight, with care and clarity. We practice so that we can imagine and create a more beautiful future, for all of life.
In this together for the long haul.
With love,
Sarah-Marie
Resources
Guided Meditations
RAIN of Self-Compassion [16:34] to work with difficult emotions and cultivate self-compassion.
Self-Compassion Break [10:42] to work with a difficulty in your life.
Coming Home to Presence [16:59] to practice mindfulness of breath, body, and emotions.
Lovingkindness for Self & Others [19:51] to cultivate kindness toward yourself and others.
Cultivating Compassion for Others [10:56] to practice cultivating compassion for others who are struggling