Times of Transformation

“The only people who change, who are transformed, are people who feel safe, who feel their dignity, and who feel loved.” (Richard Rohr)

We are living in tumultuous times that call each of us into deep reflection and self-awareness. We no longer have the luxury of hiding our light! Relationships and community are what we need now. Each of us is being called to come out of our shell and learn to live together, in community.

Recently I had the great blessing of sitting in sacred community with one of my favorite authors, Mark Nepo. He inspires me! Mark’s generosity of heart and spirit remind me that each of us matters to the transformation of our communities and therefore the world!

“Now, all the things we have in common, all the endeavors of respect that we treasure, all the ways that we find strength in our kindness – all our efforts of heart – matter now more than ever. We are at a basic crossroads between deepening the decency that comes from caring for each other and spreading the contagion of making anyone who is different into an enemy.” (More Together than Alone: Discovering the Power & Spirit of Community in Our Lives & in the World, xix. Mark Nepo)

This is a powerful time of global initiation. The choices we make will affect the future of our children and grandchildren for generations. We can no longer afford the luxury of sitting back and waiting for someone else to step up. This is a time to become an apprentice of compassion.

The dictionary defines compassion as sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Synonyms are bighearted, kindhearted, sympathetic.

Each of us must choose. Who do you want to become? Change requires each of us choosing the qualities we want to inhabit and taking action to grow, setting the intention to align with the characteristics we aspire to develop. It isn’t what we do that changes the world…it’s who we become! BE the person you want to meet! Share kindness. Be sympathetic. Be compassionate. That doesn’t mean you need to be codependent with others but it does mean that you can listen to a friend with an open heart and be present for their journey, without judgment.

In order to step fully into our true, authentic self, our divine light, we must ask what moves us? Who are we, at our core? What gifts and talents do we want to share with the world? How can each of us make a difference -- in our family, in our community, in the world?

Asking your self some important questions is a way to begin this journey.

1. What is limiting me from standing in my truth?
2. What is something I love doing and how does it bring me joy?
3. How will I stretch or move outside my comfort zone to become my authentic self?

These are times that require each of us to consciously stepping into compassionate relationship with our self and with our others. Everyone has a special gift to share with the world. Some of us move quietly in one-on-one relationships that we tend and nurture. Others feel called to stand up in bigger arenas and make their voices heard on larger stages. Some write. Others speak out. Artists create and share their creations. But the majority of us work quietly, behind the scenes, within our families and friends, at work and at play. No matter what your calling, each of us is essential to the evolutionary, transformational times we are in!

Be brave! Be courageous! Choose to be part of the solution by connecting with a compassionate heart in relationships and communities that you are part of. Your kindness does change the world! Each of us has a role to play in this time of challenge and change!

Blessings on your journey,

Gogo Gretchen Crilly McKay