A Phase of Preparation

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by. And that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost

These times are terrifying for me. While the socio-political narrative implies that we’ll soon be back to some type of normalcy, some type of “better,” this is an experience that I don’t share. 

My intent is not to write about the “rights and wrongs,” the “either/or,” the fears and counter-fears that shape our current culture, our dialogue (or the lack thereof), and for many of us our close relationships. 

Rather I wonder how I can use this time of upheaval, of transition, and of renewal to prepare myself for what is shaping up, sensing that the “shaping” is much more in our hands than many of us assume. 

I agree with Franz Ruppert that our biggest problem is that “we keep on running away from ourselves,” and so I feel that the quality of our current time provides me with an unusual opportunity to pause, reflect, and nurture my own sense of being – or identity, as is referred to in identity development. 

To me it’s time to establish my identity, that is myself, as my primary reference point, instead of seeking to orient by others (including parents, partner, experts, politicians, or society-at-large). This commitment requires focus, discipline, a certain capacity to follow the flow, and – most importantly – other human beings.

Menschen that are willing to hold the space, that keep me on track, and that allow for the doubts, the anger, and the grief that come with releasing the patterns and enmeshments that have long served as my point of reference in this world. 

I found these communities on both sides of the Atlantic, in the US and in Germany, which gives me hope and motivation to prioritize self-care in its deepest sense and to support others in doing the same. 

I’m convinced that there is a way to create more loving and caring communities, starting with human beings that love and care more for themselves, the experiences they’ve lived, the emotions they carry, and the perceptions they have. 

This way we might be less inclined to put so much focus on an “either/or” mentality, categorizing and judging ourselves and each other, but instead may be able to understand that our experience in this world is truly one of nuance, of change, and of tenderness for each other and the world around us.