Category: Edited

This is a phrase that I was reminded of recently in reading some of Meg Wheatley’s writings — optical delusions. In Meg’s writings, these were in a context of a number of unexamined prevailing stories that much of humanity is now living. For example, the story of the importance of unquestioned growth and the greed and scarcity dynamics that come with this. Also, the obsession much of our society has with metrics and the detriment in richness that is created from an imposed measurement hungry culture. Also, the call to remember wholeness. The illusion and delusion of separation has done much to over-run and over-use many of the resources on this planet, including the now often dormant inner resources and imagination of many human beings. Ah, so much to sit with in all of this.

In another related experience this week I went to a lecture, a “Last Class” given by one of my grad school professors, Bonner Ritchie. Bonner has been teaching for 45 years at the university level. This was his 99th semester. Bonner was a person that helped me to see some of those delusions 20 years ago. He helped me to see and name some of the beliefs that already resided in me, and that I was probably afraid to speak out loud back then. As I listened to Bonner, I began to remember some of beliefs that have shaped so much of who I am and how I think now. One was the belief that “all is not as it seems.” I later came to fill that in from a perceptual psychology and quantum perspective to add, “and all is as it seems at the same time.” I remember Bonner also talking about new truths. “Every new truth is just the next best lie about what is really going on.” Or, “In every new truth, there is more that false in that truth than there is true in that truth.” Again, much to sit with

I think I’ve always been a person that believes there is much delusion. There must be more that is happening. I’ve always been a person that hungers for next edges of learning, and the essential consciousness shift to get to some of that learning. Today is a day to notice and honor two important teachers for me. Thanks Meg. Thanks Bonner.

In working with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration General Assembly Planning Committee, one of the things I appreciated was the prayers offered to begin our two days together. It was Sister Rosemary who offered them (resting elbow on table), both days with an invocation to attune to our breath, center ourselves, ground our feet through the floor and into the earth. Great qualities from this Franciscan tradition. And then words that felt real, inspiring, and inviting.

From New Wine Skins, “…we are too hopeful to be stagnant in spirit” and a reference to “messy Jesus business….” Gorgeous.

And from Touch Us Deeply,
“Grateful for who we are, yet restless at being anything less than we can become,
make us simple enough not to be confused by disappointments,
clear enough not to mistake busyness for freedom,
honest enough not to expect truth to be painless,
brave enough not to sing all our songs in private,
compassionate enough to get in trouble,
humble enough to admit trouble and seek help,
joyful enough to celebrate all of it…”

Beautiful inspirations offered by beautiful people to invoke a spirit of depth, thoughtfulness, and collaboration.

I’m sitting in the Minneapolis airport, on a layover on my way to La Crosse, Wisconsin. My partner, Teresa Posakony, and I are imagining some of the meeting that we will be co-hosting over the next two days. The people we are working with are women religious leaders for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. There are 12-14 people. We are preparing for their 2013 General Assembly.

Our design is good. We will spend some of the first day checking in with each other, clarifying a next level of purpose and possibility. We’ll give some attention to what has worked before, what some of the key challenges and issues are for this community. We’ll generate a few ideas that are important. By the end of the second day we will have some sense of plan and skeleton of design for the process leading up to the Assembly.

All good.

As Teresa and I continue to talk, I can feel both of us asking the deeper purpose and intention of what we are doing. We are asking each other what is really possible in working with this group, not only these two days, but over the next year together.

One of those possibilities is about calling in our best attention. Being willing to notice what is holding our attention together. We are both thinking about the morning that we will have. The circle that we will host. Wanting to invite each of these leaders to feel comfortable sharing what has their attention. Whether that be something related to the assembly or not. If it has their attention, they will be giving it energy. I think this is one of the things I most want to build pattern around. Notice what has your attention. And notice how often, that is a gift or doorway related to the work that we are about. I think the assumption is this: “What has your attention is often an offering from the wholeness of the world so that we might just notice how the inner condition is projecting an outer reality. In so doing, we have opportunity to be in conscious relation with that.”

Looking forward to being with this gang the next two days.

• Rachel Maddow author of Drift, on the Daily Show, on public and political sense making: “conspiracy is just easier than complexity”
• http://yfrog.com/nz31lmej Bit of spring from Utah.
• RT @acuginotti: A big part of this #homeschooling & #unschooling journey is deschooling the parents
• RT @annbadillo: What We Owe Adrienne Rich by Madeline Ostrander — YES! Magazine http://bit.ly/H3IYr3
• My sweetie and partner Teresa Posakony launched her website, http://bit.ly/H39FeL. Emerging Wisdom. Check it out.
• Provocative sufi mystic articles (thanks MJW for forwarding) that change the story. http://bit.ly/GWzZW8 and http://bit.ly/GWA1xn
• Inspiring article on health care renewal and participative leadership, forwarded from friend Tim Merry. http://huff.to/H4MxKf
• Nice harvest video from friends working with community in Minnesota: http://youtu.be/wg7IV1ot-80.
• From Cecilia Corcoran, Fransiscan Sister, this gem: “Only in the experience of a luminous interior life can we move with the inner authority to respond with a compassionate heart to know and do what is ours to do.”
• Interesting writing retreat in Vermont April 19-22. Join my friend Lex Schroeder and Erica Dhawan for Ideas That Move: http://bit.ly/wCNUzc
• From one of my labour union hosting colleagues on capitalism — “surely there must be a way for reasonable distribution of wealth.”
• RT @laurelhubber: “leadership is about creating change that you believe in” – Seth Godin. Or hosting process of share creation.
• Watching Elijah at swim class. He is a fish!
• A couple hours of yard work today. Great to pull out winter kill and spread some compost. Something good about hands in dirt.
• The Most Astounding Fact with Neil DeGrasse Tyson. From my friend Corbin. Great images, music, story. http://bit.ly/xNXHnt
• Great meeting today with my friend Carla and a school principle preparing for a bully-prevention community conversation later this week.