what to do in this world?
Since my conscious and compassionate self has awoken (maybe about 3 years now?), the forager in me has been collecting wisdoms in a growing and bountiful and now-overflowing basket of ‘what-to-do-in-this-world’ kind of items. Practices, books, mantras, ideologies, organizations… I’m a collector. And though the items in my basket are spread throughout Google Docs and old post-its and college essays, I’m beginning to learn the power of synthesis, and I’m attempting to organize the contents of this basket.
Over this past week, I fell deeply in love with our world—deeply in love with all of the pain and trauma and violence and shame and rebirth and growth and healing. Our world is simultaneously all of these essences, and I’m slowly realizing that it’s up to me to choose to be in love or be in pain.
Though this week has brought moments of awakening here and there, this past weekend shot me through a vortex (birth canal?) and landed me in the very community/context/environment I’ve been dreaming of co-creating for quite some time. It was the Drawdown Learn Conference— a multi-day gathering of thinkers and doers and leaders and students coming together to open up their own baskets and create a communal pool of ‘what-to-do-in-this-world’ ideas and solutions.
My basket grew so much… and I also learned that it’s not my basket! There is no value in me collecting and hoarding all of the wisdoms that others are so generously sharing with me. So, I’m opening my basket. Please take what you need, recognize that none of these thoughts are my own, and give credit to all of the original weavers (scroll to the bottom).
A rough sampling of the ‘what-to-do-in-this-world’ contents of my basket:
Not everyone needs to focus on converting or mobilizing the masses—in fact, the common tendency to equate success with scalability is a direct consequence of capitalism and colonialism. While some people may find their calling to be mobilizing the masses or engaging in conversation/work with many people of differing viewpoints, there is also sacred work to be done by engaging with and empowering those who in your close communities. There are multiple scales on which a human can make an impact (personal, communal, institutional, systemic) and we need people working on all of these scales—there is no need to demonize or look down upon people working on other scales.
Mama universe is asking us all to shift away from extractive ways of being. What does this mean? There are certain human paradigms and norms that fuel the unjust/oppressive flow of modern capitalist and colonized societies—i.e. lack of self-awareness and self-love, hyper-competition, hyper-consumption, absence of Nature connection, over-work, spiritual misalignment or absence, fear of one’s own power, inner-species oppression, etc.
Justice work is heart-centered work coming from a place of deep love. Fear and shame are no longer useful or needed tactics. Our movement must be grounded in love. The phrase climate change is triggering in and of itself—it's a phrase that evokes anxiety.
We need movements of communal re-ruralization; systems and policies and structures to support people to move out of cities and in right relation with land and waters. This is not a movement advocating for private property ownership and excessive use cars in the country. This is a movement advocating for reparations, for human-land-water-multi-species harmony, a movement advocating for communal living and shared resources, a movement advocating for regenerative agriculture and local economies, and a movement advocating for the long term resilience in the face of climate catastrophe, economic collapse, and failure of public support systems.
The movement towards collective liberation and justice is rooted in movements towards decolonization, anti-racism, and Indigenous sovereignty. Follow the lead of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Color) organizers, educators, activists, and change-makers.
I must heal myself, know myself, and love myself before I can truly heal, know, or love the communities I work within. Living my personal life with in alignment with my systems of values is the first and most important step to making change.
When my work is grounded in sacred practice and guided by source/God/spirit/ancestors, the power of the universe guides and supports my every move.
much much much gratitude to the original weavers of this basket:
Sherri Mitchell, Sacred Instructions
Leah Penniman, Farming While Black
Vandana Shiva, Biopiracy & Soil Not Oil
Noelani Goodyear-Ka’opua, The Seeds We Planted
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
Donna Harraway, Various Essays
Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Living
Abrah Jordan Dresdale, Regenerative Design for Change Makers