The Power of Calm Presence: Curiosity (Part 1)
Reactivity is an enemy of wisdom. Few situations are resolved wisely when, in the heat of moment, we react on an untrained impulse spurred by some real or perceived threat. This could be physical danger (imagine a wild animal charging you) or an emotional threat (something experienced in a heated conflict with a coworker or friend). The gift of the fight/flight instinct, while it aims at protection, very often narrows our choices to only a few options that rarely give us the best chance for deeper preservation.
The Most Powerful Person in the Room
We live in a culture obsessed with power. There may be no moment in history where people are more acutely aware and consciously concerned with the uses and misuses of power. If you brave any of the contemporary media landscape, you will see it stitched into your daily experience. Every domain of modern life has, or is becoming, subject to a radical calling to account of its leaders and its power structures. In many ways this is a necessary step forward. And considering the pervasive abuses of power throughout society, we will undoubtedly carry good fruit of this moment into the future. However, we may also unknowingly carry many avoidable costs if we simply remain content to see the power dynamics beyond us while failing to see the dynamics at work within ourselves.
My purpose in exploring this topic over the next several months is not to make a claim, political or otherwise, regarding the means and mechanisms that have led to this cultural investigation. I’m curious about how our interest and critique of power still misses a central question: what is true power?
Preparing the Soul - Week 2
In week one of our Advent reflection, we began to listen through the noise of holiday demands to hear the heartbeat of our most meaningful Christmas experiences. I ended with an invitation to consider the stories (bitter and sweet), desires, and hopes that you carry into this memory-rich time of year. If you haven’t read “week one” and reflected on those concluding questions, go back, and read it (or listen) before coming to this second week.
Preparing the Soul - Week 1
Somewhere in the sprint between Thanksgiving and Christmas life happens. At least, it’s supposed to. We hope and plan, and then, we are bombarded with decorations, parties, Christmas music, hallmark movies, shopping, spending, and more shopping. These are the holiday accoutrements of a culture that doesn’t quite know how to mark a moment as “special” without excessive spending and far too many commitments. Much is good, more is better, and less is forgettable. This might as well be the seasonal mantra hoisted in green and red and enveloped with a wreath. But where did the life go?