Posts tagged with "compassion"

Quantum of humanity

Well I’ve seen the latest Bond movie. The recipe has changed; mixed much more quickly, faster fight scenes with lots of bone crunching sounds, no gadgets, no humour, no black and white, no fantasy island evil empires, just brutal, clinical despatching of whoever gets in the way of the grudge, his ‘duty’ and a hunger for revenge.

Bond has never been warm or human. He has never been so efficient. He has never faced a corporate eco-terrorist before. This Bond wears his glamour like work overalls, which seems reasonable enough because it’s dirty stuff his duty requires.

He does show a quantum of humanity. Which is this; a drive to find the right order of things, a drive to find love, to find acceptance and approval. There is a residual trace element in the 2008 Bond of these traits of humanity.

The portrayal of omnipresent corporate greed, acting almost as a sovereign empire, carving up the world, for a shadowy elite isn’t that far fetched. It’s worryingly accurate.

What was also very accurate was the need to be aware, standing where you are in the moment, to sense the danger and act, and act decisively, with intelligence and strategy. As Bond becomes Bourne we see more of the frailty and humanity in the face of abuse of power.

We will never have superhuman fighting abilities, or drive Aston Martins to destruction, or play out our battle across continents and in exotic locations. Our struggle against power structures, inequality, environmental destruction is much more mundane and domestic but no less real. Our weapons are wisdom and compassion but are we accepting the assignment?

It’s Our Baby

This blog will be short - mainly because I’m so angry and will probably cry. I’ve just been reading the story of “Baby P” as he has been christened in the media - the latest child to be tortured to death in London by those who were meant to love and nurture him. The story is beyond awful, beyond words - that any human being would inflict such injury on a baby is bad enough, but that there were so many missed opportunities to save him by doctors and social services, just makes me want to scream out loud.

This story breaking in horrific detail across the media just after I got back from our latest Natural Change weekend has thrown up in stark relief the key question arising from our latest discussions. It’s a big question, and I’m not sure I have the language to express it properly, but hopefully you’ll make sense of it. It’s why, when we as human beings are capable of such joy, love, creativity, compassion and beauty, why is it that cruelty and suffering exists? Why is it that human beings allow themselves to be consumed by hatred, or the desire for power? When we extol the virtues of amazingly compassionate human beings, such as Mandela and Mother Theresa, why do we not aspire and commit to emulating them? What is it about the human condition which means we allow greed and evil to “win” so much? So many of the traumas we face as global citizens stem from this, not least our destruction of the planet.

There is probably some link to be made about about the gap in human values and the interconnectedness of things, but I can’t think straight. I just can’t stop thinking about Baby P - and I know there are thousands of others, believe me, you don’t have to remind me, I work for a young people’s charity - and how much he must have cried. And nobody, nobody saved him. I can’t bear it.

Circle of Trust

Since being on the project and working on the process of change I think there is a real sense of development and trust forming within the group and a new way of thinking. The group seems to have this real connection and bond that I have not felt in other groups or in other settings.  There is a complete aura of honesty with one self and it feels right because of the respect and compassion that exists.  This I think has happened because we are removed from our work, our family, our home, our place and our usual thoughts and our usual way of life.   

  For me, the group dynamic is interesting because a lot of what is going on is connected to the people that are going through this process together.  Over the last few days I have heard and learnt so many things that I would never have picked up on had I not been on the Natural change project.  I personally feel different, but I don’t know why or how?  What I do know is that it feels like a greater sense of connection and empowerment to do something about how I am feeling and how we are feeling as a group. 

 As a group we have all spoke quite honestly and shared our secrets that may cause us pain or make us unhappy, sad, stressed and sick.  However,  what is important is that we have all felt that we can be quite honest and true to ourselves and share with one another our story and by doing so we are dealing with our issues no matter how big or small.   This process itself is helping us deal our sadness and pain. This process is not to be underestimated as it is not an easy one or one that is being forced or one that is false.  This process is actually just a really simple one.  The process of being able to heal yourself and others involves simple things like, listening, giving, sharing and taking time to stop and appreciate everything around you.  It involves a process of being comfortable with the basics and immersing yourself in the simple but yet complex elements of Planet Earth.

 Where does this need for action come from?

 And what is the action going to be?

Being different

The group process in the Natural Change Project is not about doing, so much as about Being.

I think, with the global social and environmental challenges that face us all, that we tend to over-focus on doing. We’re culturally obsessed with action plans, outcomes, products. Everything is linear, sequential, measured and evaluated.

At the risk of being controversial - we’ve been ‘doing’ environmentalism for nearly 50 years now but the situation is still getting worse!

Before we do anything, perhaps we should ask questions about the way we ‘are’. The way we feel about ourselves and other people… and our environment. In getting things done we often mine our own integrity, destroy close and unknown relationships… and devastate the land and sea.

I believe that we need to balance our compulsive doing with some carefully considered stillness. But how do we do that in our 24/7, data-saturated, global culture? Well, I think we need to work on Being first and foremost and then have faith that from this will come a more considered and compassionate form of action.

Reflection on the process so far

My dream on the first night feels like a pattern for the process that’s started to evolve.

The day before everyone arrived, we spent time preparing, starting to build the container to hold the process.

Everyone  arrived. Suddenly, there was lots of energy – at full strength, all firing about in different directions.

As  the weekend developed, the energy that was firing about gradually started to come together and to move in a powerful circle, generating understanding and compassion.