Driftwood Conversations

The Heart and Revolutionary Trust: Releasing Fear, Embracing Possibility

I have been so mortified by our government's behavior and apparent lack of compassion and empathy that I have to consider what I should expect from all people. We are all different and come from varying levels of awareness. What should I expect and accept? How do I live and encourage a greater understanding of the wider world? How and when does universal love play into everyday life?

I've been thinking about the power of imagination—the power of the limitless heart. A change in perspective on my part has yielded tangible results. It's not that I'm even asking for results. I must live true to myself and continue evolving and changing daily. But how do I look at unfavorable behavior without judgment? How do I allow everyone to live their lives when it affects us all?  Or I think it does. The inner question is: does it affect us? We are living in a world of illusion.  Outwardly, the world seems challenging. It is difficult, financially and through reailizing self-expression, self-realization, and forging a more inclusive life. It isn't easy.

Building the world many want will require profound trust and spiritual willpower. I want a compassionate and accepting life that allows everyone to prosper and survive with dignity. I wish to look at others and know they are the best they can be. I will hold on to the vision that they can change or not affect me. The only way I know to do that is moment by moment.

One of the books I'm reading is Gregg Braden's The Divine Matrix, which explores the interconnectedness of the Universe and our role within it. 

"Feeling is the language that speaks to the Divine Matrix (the Universe). Feel as though your goal is accomplished, and your prayer is already answered."

I live in a microcosm in the desert. It is a small rural town, and the divisiveness and expansive creative beauty found in human connection are all here, living in the vastness of the desert terrain. You can find so much here, yet we initially look barren. That tells me a lot about how we perceive the world around us.

"We're 'part of a universe that is a work in progress.' In this unfinished creation, 'we are tiny patches of the universe looking at itself—and building itself.'" The Divine Matrix.

Let go of titles, banners, and self-prescribed boundaries that separate us from others. More than that, let's release the fear that keeps us stuck. What would happen if every time we say I can't, we stop and say I can and I will at the best time possible? What if every time we say someone is doing this or that to me, we change the words quickly and add, but that is their business, and I'm not affected by their limitations? It feels impossible, but I don't think it is.

When trust feels fragile, I turn to the solace of stories. Whether through fiction, spiritual exploration, or the melodies of the past, I find a thread connecting me to something greater.

Trusting in transformation requires courage. And as Nelson Mandela said, 'I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.'"

To move this writing away from current events and into fantasy, I read a synopsis of a book, "Sweep in Peace," by Ilona Andrews. The quote is this, "Dina DeMille isn't your typical Bed and Breakfast owner. Her inn defies laws of physics, her dog is secretly a monster, and the only permanent guest of the inn is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. The inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance." 

I have not read this book but am delighted by its premise. It's what we have on Earth right now. As the owner of a vacation rental, I am suited for the role of Dina DeMille.

I find my refuge in the creative arts. Looking at art, contemplating a drawing or a book, or listening to music.

A couple of books I am reading or listening to are The Divine Matrix by Gregg Braden and The Creative Power of the Universe. By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult is a wonderful, well-researched, and creative piece of fiction. I also listen to or read Sage Warrior by Valarie Kaur for the right pick-me-up from the world news.

The song that echoes in my mind is "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkle.

Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams, I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

'Neath the halo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light, I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never shared

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools" said I, "You do not know

Silence, like cancer, grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you."

But my words, like silent raindrops fell

And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

And the sign flashed out its warning

In the words that it was forming

Then the sign said, "The words on the prophets are written on the subway walls

In tenement halls"

And whispered in the sound of silence

How do you hold onto trust in uncertain times? What stories, songs, or philosophies guide you? I'd love to hear your thoughts.