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Forget Transformation

Posted July 8th, 2010 by Stanley in Transformation
In Reference to:
Integral Profiles: Susanne Cook-Greuter

Befriend and hold yourself and others where we are. Almost paradoxically, Susan tells us that if we are healthy where we are and in a good fit with our environment we are more likely to be able to transform. Then our job will be to re-embrace the gifts of what is healthy of our earlier levels.

Susan sees people trying to seem Spiritual and/or integral but who are not. They can speak the words but that’s about it. She tells us that younger people are beginning to get to higher levels. Let’s be a community that will help these people be able to maintain their growth.

A good reason to grow to where we can calmly witness our self is so that we can see our self getting ready to react with anger, greed, harm, arrogance, selfishness, fear, or sadness. Then maybe we can change our reaction patterns. We can calmly witness our self telling our stories and see these as mere stories we are running. We could then tell better stories.

She does not know if things are getting better. She does not know if evolution is better. I appreciate her honesty. Perhaps it is up to us. Perhaps we can work together to make the World better even as we grow older with joy and grace. This is a beautiful talk with a beautiful woman.

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...

Posted July 9th, 2010 by stefano

Reading books and going on workshops can get me very excited, but it doesn't take long (a few years) for me to discover how hard it is for me to put any of it into practice. So after a while I gave up, and why not, after all, I can only be who and what I am.

Can I even manage something simple, like be sincere about what I'm like? As I write this, I could just be trying to sound smart. But then that's the best I can do right now. Try and sound smart. It's silly. But that's all I got. That's all I can do. May as well accept it. 

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A Few More Notes

Posted July 9th, 2010 by Stanley

One thing she talked about was how no matter who or where we are it is hard to be an adult. We owe our self compassion for all we go through. This is one reason we need to practice, practice being compassionate. Another thing she discussed was how it was important to calmly and compassionately witness our self. This is why we work on developing the witness; not just so he can witness a stream or cloud flowing. The self of one level becomes the object of the next. The voice dialogue or big mind process can help us with this. If we feel we can witness various subpersonalities and not our real self we are less likely to become upset by the process. Can we learn to witness our worse self going through it's most painful difficulties with calmness and compassion?

 

Compared to nothing a human being is extremely huge. Compared to the universe he is extremely tiny. Human beings are the most fascinating animal to watch and study.

 

Another issue she raises is how the integral community and movement can carry on without Ken. I don’t really like to think about this one but know that Ken really wants this community and movement to go on long after he has moved on. Are there plans in place to see that we will carry on for generations to come?

 

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Thanks!

Posted July 9th, 2010 by Stacie Hardison

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Thanks!  I appreciate your blog on self-compassion.  I have been practicing that as I witness my thoughts and reactions.  I am especially strying to not beat myself up when I feel the bittersweet side of awakening.  I might say something positive like "It is good that I am aware of this, next time you can make a different choice."  "This is growth and healing."  "This is part of the integral practice and this is a sign of it working.  Keep going."  The more times things happen and the more I am able to recongnize then I can act differently and change the patterns. 

Ironically when I was reading your blog at a coffee shop this afternoon I was interrupted with a conversation with a woman sitting next to me.  We talked about relationships and a happy life purpose (meaningful career).  She had been in abusive relationships and I have too.  Her having changed her patterns and gone through various means of therapy, I asked her for some advice.  How do I get out of the cycle of abusive relationships?  I want to experience loving supportive and healthy relationships. She spoke of changing the emotional/relational patterns within herself.  It was nice to have such a conversation. 

I am embracing the witness as my healer, lover, and supportive presence.  It is the nameless one that is every present, healing salve and holding space. To embrace both and honor both in a sacred dance integrates into a whole.  When I let go and live both freely and wholly, it is free and alive.

With love and affection,

Windancer

XOXOXOXO