planet Archives - HEALING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Adverse circumstances

We all know that when the sun is not visible, it is shining somewhere else. Whether the clouds are blocking our views or the night has fallen, we know that the sun will return. We also experience periods of gloom and darkness that make us lose sight of the light, but hope is the promise of returned sunshine in our lives. Warmth and glowing rays have a way of brightening even our thoughts.

Under lockdown, in the midst of a pandemic, I have experienced life at a standstill. It seemed to have stopped all around on the planet. So I reached to the Universe for a sense of motion beyond my usual sense of boundaries to rekindle faith. Despite the general slowing down, there was just enough room to continue doing my work to attend to my activities, even in the absence of visible results. The war in Ukraine is yet another exercise in reaching deeper to stay the course while finding my light.

You may have come to discover in this darkness that actually light has started shining within. Whatever may occur around you, that source of light is never extinguished. Believing in your own light may take more time, but it glows even in the dark. Your light becomes the energy that connects you to the Universe. You can become your own sunshine, whether you feel its glow or not. Others will notice and enjoy your light as you lead the way.

In the absence of human leadership

In the midst of our pandemic, I have found myself at a loss to understand the world and find my way. Dumfounded by the type of policies, regulations that have come from various national and international leaders, I disconnected and reflected upon the best way to refocus. At local level, and within communities there have been some interesting efforts to develop some humble, compassionate, and creative approaches. It is nature, however, that responded best to my needs for guidance.

We share the planet with the animal kingdom and we can turn our attention to animal activities around us to get inspired. Finding ourselves staring at a bird soaring high into the sky, we may consider looking at our situation from a greater distance. A squirrel stashing its latest prize may remind us of our hidden places for forgotten treasure. When we feel clueless facing our challenges, we can learn to turn to an animal messenger, trusting that the planet has some answers for us, opening to a different way to look at and solve our problems, humbling ourselves and letting go of timing. The Universe has its own rhythm and timing. The solution will come at the perfect time – not our time!

In this time of pandemic, you may wish to reflect on ants and bees around, reminding you that there is no survival as individuals. They survive as members of the group, through their respective, highly specialized roles within their communities, never wishing to be something other than what they are. They are a useful symbol of self-knowledge and humility, like individual cells in your body. It may inspire you to fully own your specific skills, knowing how they can benefit all of humanity. No one can tell you what to do but if you listen from within you will find how to best serve. The world needs your individual talents to be put at the service of a community, honoring the wisdom of ants and bees.

Time to listen, time to hear the pain and speak

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside” Maya Angelou

So many times in history we simply did not hear.
This time the whole planet is for the first time engaged in the same conversation, the same fear, the same story. Is it enough?

For the first time, we stand a chance to wake ourselves up to the dire call of the planet, to the conditions in which our vulnerable ones left this world without even a goodbye. What kind of race have we become?

So much is changing, so much can change, and yet many cannot wait to go back to what they know, to business as usual, ensuring business continuity. What kind of continuity are we hoping for?

We are finally concerned for our health, of course our own individual health before that of others and that of Mother Earth. Let it be so, as we are finally discovering that our own health is linked to that of others and that of our planet. Mother Earth has choked for decades and been on fire all year long. We are faced with a disease affecting our breathing capability, setting our systems on fire. Are we hearing this call? Are we even listening? Do we understand?

For the past two months, have we heard the quiet in the streets? Have we noticed the blue sky and the sunshine, the birds singing, this bright ultra-light bringing sunshine when the sadness all around was so heavy? Have we noticed?

Have we appreciated the sudden slower pace, the time to be in family, having the luxury of inner reflection, meditation, and calmness around? Or have we looked frantically for external stimulations to fill a void inside?

Did we hear our hearts calling us to action to care for loved ones, or mere appreciation for what we have? How many of us teleworking have enquired about how our colleagues were coping, how their families were doing, how they themselves were feeling before enquiring about work, results, and business continuity?

It is high time to put our hearts at the center and align our thoughts and actions with the guidance from within. It is not small changes and various reforms that are required, but a whole systemic change that is in order. We have reached a tipping point. Do we even have a vision of what is our desired outcome? Are we capable of letting our imagination create something new and step out of conformity for fear of what might happen to ourselves?

A system that is immune to other people’s pain, disrespectful to the planet and ultimately to ourselves is not worth saving.

Our system of endless growth for the benefit of a few is not sustainable. We all deserve to thrive, to be happy, and to enjoy our beautiful planet. We owe it to our children. We all agree … but are we hearing the desperate calls of those dying alone among our elders? Do we understand the sacrifices of those working in hospitals? Do we listen with compassion to those in pain, or do we lead the way from the head, to be efficient and perform, to win … convinced or pretending that we know best?

Do we listen to find a new path? Do we hear from other people, diverse views, communities of elders, aboriginal wisdom? Where is this pandemic taking us? What existing weaknesses is it pointing to? Not only in our international system, in our society, but in our own lives, in our own family, our own heart? Have we built the same walls between our heart, head, soul as we have built between our countries as borders closed down so quickly?

Are we hearing the new voices, the new ways, the new ideas with an open heart? Are we prioritizing our health and well-being? Have we learned to listen to our bodies or are we following our fears, too scared to try a new path and too happy to close our minds and hearts to the fears, preferring to return to the well-known, even if it is leading to extinction?

Let us make sure that all those people who died did not lose their lives in vain. It is time to listen hard and hear what humanity has to offer that enlightened us in the past and can enlighten us again. The transition this time requires a profound change within human beings. We have become immune to pain at the systemic level. Let us hope we are still able to feel pain at the individual level rather than run away from it. A change in the socio-political system, our economy or even the international order will not come to the fore unless we transform ourselves deep down and hear the pain all around. Thinking our way out has led to much suffering. Let us feel our way out of this pandemic and start learning from joy rather than pain.

Please share as you see fit. It is no longer my story.

Leadership and listening in to our surroundings

I recently received a new lesson in leadership from nature around me. I live in a city, and much of the world I experience daily is dominated and controlled by human beings, whether we spend our time in buildings, cars, or homes. We are “protected” by structures which give us the illusion of control. Rather than listening in to the wind, the rain, we feel more at ease when we can assert our wills and manipulate our environment. I had the good fortune to live in Canada, albeit in the city for many years. I will always be grateful for that time, which helped me connect with nature when entering the forest or sitting on the edge of a lake, listening into another realm, which is simply asking that we drop our baggage, as human beings, and surrender to a different sense of order and meaning.

When we come from urban centers into nature, we may be tempted to bring our cell phone. We may talk loudly to a friend that comes along. We may go by quickly, as we are used to busy city tempo. We can be totally oblivious to our surroundings. Yet, if we tune in to our environment, we will quickly be taken over by a different reality. We will hear birds and other noises like the wind through the leaves of a tree. We will naturally surrender to the presence of nature into a receptive state of openness and listening.

Should you allow yourself to be captivated and calmed by the energy of nature around you, you will notice that you are not leading your life so much as being led by the energy around you. You will discover that this leadership moving through you, originates from outside of you, and feels so much more connected to others and the planet. It is a different type of leadership that needs to be experienced rather than being taught in seminars. It honors our surroundings and our presence in a way that humbles human nature and moves us in a different direction than our own will, away from crumbling structures into a different sense of security.