I awake each morning aware of my shadow and alert to its potential to harm. Alive to each moment, I know I can be compassion.
This morning I awoke to those words resonating into my soul. Gandhi’s words echoed in my mind, “there will never be an army of perfectly nonviolent people.” Of course, Pema Chödrön chimed in, reminding me that we get so addicted to another’s fundamentalism because we our self are fundamentalist. These three strands weave together creating a cord that connects my authentic self with the person I am in unmindful moments. Each reminds me to respond to my imperfections with compassion.
There have been numerous times when I have been disappointed in my actions. Sometimes the darkness in my shadow takes my breath away. Of late I cannot seem to hide from my shadow self when I act in ways that crack the facade of who I believe I am. My fundamentalism oozes out of the cracks like some festering refuse that should have long ago been relegated to the compost heap.
So, I find myself wondering what is the answer to fundamentalism? Do we deny it to the core of our being only to see it rise up when we least expect it? Do we ignore it when we get a whiff of its militant smell? I guess we could do both and avoid the fact that we are mired in the commotion that strengthens our illusions of who we are. To do this means that we live a lie — we offer the world a face masked with the illusion that we desperately want to believe.
What if instead of ignoring our fundamentalist tendencies, we meet our fundamentalism with a3 awareness? In those moments that we are awake, alert, and alive to our self and the world, we identify our imperfections and their/our potential to harm. Being awake to our authentic and shadow sides takes courage. Being alert and ready to respond takes curious daring. Courage and curious daring join forces in those moments we are alive enough to recognize and accept that we are not who we are called to be.
We cannot ignore those shadows that cast darkness onto our soul. And, we must do more than acknowledge them. We must combine our courage and curious daring to eradicate our fundamentalism at its source. In doing so, our light shines a bit more brightly down a less dark path.
Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Neural Synchrony™ facilitator, professional speaker, and author who weaves her inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are A Constellation of Connections: Contemplative Relationships and Engaging Compassion Through Intent & Action. Vanessa assists clients in navigating their life paths with intuition. Contact Vanessa @ vanessa@intentandaction.com for keynotes, programs, and consultations.
Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2018
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