We all learn differently, so feel free to read more about this week's practice below and/or enjoy this quick video guide.

I've been thinking a lot lately about learned helplessness and what it means to live a life of meaning in our chaotic world. So little of what happens is under our control. Each day, at what feels like an ever-increasing intensity, patterns play out that display no discernible logic other than, perhaps, as reactions rooted in fear and ignorance. Every fiber of my being recoils. I watch needless suffering all around me, and my heart is a wet rag being wrung dry. Most days, I find myself with hot tears dotting the screen of my phone as I ache alongside yet another human, broken under the wheel of the very systems meant to sustain us. Mindless destruction. Outright cruelty. Folks reveling in others' pain and humiliation and, and, and... Man, there are days I want to shut down completely.

It's easy to be utterly overwhelmed by the sheer scope of it all. The problems that face us, whether as individuals or globally, feel too large to tackle. And so, we freeze. We distract ourselves and numb out. We stay busy or angry. We post, we scroll, we point fingers and shout "Fire!" We fight, we flail, we rage against the machine. We search for a savior and bend at the knees. We meditate. We pray.

All of that and then some. I'm in it too, friends. I'm in it, too.

But, and I'm counting myself very lucky here, I don't get to stop there. (Pssst- you don't, either.) Spurred on by my work, my loved ones, my larger community, and just my dang conscience, I am called to try and zoom out a bit on all of this. Or maybe it's zooming in. In any case, the inescapable pull to align with a richer knowing tugs patiently. Smack dab within all of *this* (imagine me gesturing around wildly to... everything) is the opportunity to put our deeper practices to work.

A big chunk of how I find meaning is by working to ease suffering- my own and others'. In truth, I want to do more than ease suffering, I want to make room for joy. I want all of us to thrive. So, if that's really, really, really my truth, I don't get to dodge-and-weave my way through life with whatever grab-and-go strategies my unconscious self snags from the snack aisle. I need to bring my Higher Knowing and my Higher Doing into the store with me.

What does that look like IRL?

Well, I suppose a lot of things, depending on who is doing the looking. I don't have firm answers, and my guess is that it is unique to each of us. We are all being called to move forward with more integrity, discernment, and empathy in our own way. For me, that involves a deepening focus on creating alignment between my needs, values, and actions. It includes cultivating sharp clarity around my intentions and radical, non-judgmental awareness of how my perspectives and actions reverberate out in the world. This practice requires taking full responsibility for the ripples I create along with all my other "stuff"- and allowing others to do the same for themselves.

I am working hard to embody both sacred sovereignty and intimate interconnectedness. In some areas of my life, it doesn't look like much of a change from the outside. In others, I am making big adjustments. I'm channeling my time, money, energy, and focus with greater intention and skill... or at least I'm trying.

I get that it's a tall order. Shoot for the moon and miss, yadda yadda... right? It's comical how far I am from living these ideals fully. But, I think, the point here is not to focus too much on instantly becoming an enlightened being or personally solving the world's polycrisis over the next year. Instead, I'm mostly setting my sights on fully embracing who and where I am, where we all are right now. After all, that's the only solid place from which we can act.

Questions I am asking myself as I go:

• Where can you find enough space, right now, inside your crowded mind and heart to center and ground a bit?
• Can you look around and survey the terrain and try not to get sucked into too many conversations with those voices in your head?
• How can you dig down and tap into the well of knowing, remembering what you truly need and value?
• What beauty and joy exist in this moment? What life-giving things are you trying to build or are excited to devote your energy to right now?
• Can you begin to play with what it means to do from a deeper wisdom? Step by step, experiment by experiment, what would you like to try out to gently align your most tender, creative, awakened, and aware Self with your thoughts, words, and actions in the world?

OMM—One Mindful Minute Practice:
Pause. Listen. Breathe. Be... Then Do.

Take a moment right now to center and ground in the present moment. Come home.

1. Pause – Stop what you're doing. Let your hands be still. Let your gaze soften.
2. Listen – Tune in to the sounds around you. Listen without judgment. Feel how the sounds, internal and external, form one vast field of awareness.
3. Breathe – Inhale deeply through your nose, filling your belly. Exhale slowly through your mouth, releasing tension. Notice the smooth transition of the breath between your inner and outer world.
4. Be – For just one more moment, let yourself exist in this space, untethered from tasks or expectations. Just Be- anchored in pure awareness.
   
   

When you’re ready, begin to move forward in your day with intention. Step by step. Experiment by experiment. What next right action can you try that feels aligned with that core of Self you just centered into?

To support your practice, I’ve included a link for a free downloadable reference sheet of universal feelings/sensations, needs, and values. I hope it helps you create clarity and discernment as you move forward. Please feel free to share this resource with anyone who might benefit!

 Download

May you walk with clarity, courage, and an open heart. 

Sending love,
Nichole

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