The Intelligence of Safety
(In collaboration with the Institute for Identity Development)
“No longer the vassals of fear, we can bring order into (our) kingdom and build an intentional society on the love already shining through the cracks of the world of separation.”
(Charles Eisenstein, The Coronation)
We live in a time when our inherent need for safety has become so externalized that social life and interactions are shaped almost exclusively by fear of death and disease.
One begins to wonder - will we ever feel safe again, after the lockdowns, social distancing and travel bans? Has our sense of safety been lost for good, at least for a generation or two? Or has safety always been an illusion, papered over by the daily complexity of our formerly jam-packed lives?
To be honest, have any of us ever experienced complete security and stability? To a greater or lesser degree haven’t we all felt the hurt of having been unheard, unseen, neglected, or abused by those we depended on when we were young (our caretakers)? To a greater or lesser degree, hasn’t a part of us always felt unsafe?
Processing and integrating those difficult life experiences is part of growing up. It’s how we develop the resources to feel safe, protected and resourceful from the inside out. In so doing, we discover thatgenuine safety depends more on love, connection and collaboration than on any barrier, weapon or medicine.
Doing everything and anything possible to protect ourselves and others might seem like a noble thing to do, but it assumes that we are in control of what is inherently uncontrollable – Life.
Life is far too complex, interdependent, and precious to ever be experienced as fully safe. To be alive is to be vulnerable – vulnerable to hurt, to disappointment, to death.
This isn’t an attempt to argue against lockdowns, facemasks, social distancing, etcetera. It’s not intended to minimize any of the current risks we face, but rather, to shift our focus.
Seeking safety from the outside assumes that life, as well as premature death, can be negotiated with, dominated, and subdued. At times this is true, but not always. Life is vibrant in part because there are no guarantees – of comfort, of safety, of health.
Seeking safety from the inside invites us to focus less on the Covid-19 chaos around us, and more on working with our inner sense of insecurity and instability.
We then find ourselves gradually opening to the fragile beauty and joy of being alive, of being in flux, of even thriving. Such an aliveness does not respond to extreme measures – either from inside or out.
Being alive from the standpoint of inner safety connects us with who we really are and how we really want to be with each other – an intentional society of care, compassion, contribution and love.
Perhaps that’s what we can begin to find now, so that we are ready when Covid-19 finally passes us by.
In the meantime, consider joining us for an upcoming Identity Development (ID) sessionto begin to tap into your sense of inner safety!