When awareness is not enough
The Mindful Cup

When awareness is not enough

I’ve been thinking about this recently. Mindfulness teaches us how to become more aware. And it helps reduce suffering because hopefully we make wiser choices on the back of that awareness. We learn to act more skillfully.

Recently, conscious leaders and spiritual teachers have been saying exactly that… it’s not enough to just be aware, we need to collectively take action. Christopher Titmuss, a Mindfulness teacher and activist, put it bluntly in a recent seminar when he said that unless we all stand up and speak out, our world will continue to be run by bullies. He also said those of us who dream of a more conscious world, those sensitive to and deeply affected by what’s going on, can tend to shy away because it’s all too painful to face. We either retreat into the comfort of our more conscious (if not indignant) bubble, or collapse into helplessness. I recognise both. He argued that this is simply not good enough, we have too much to lose, and that we have a collective responsibility to respond NOW.

We live in such polarised times it can be hard to make sense of it all. I completely agree we need to take action, but how do we respond in a healthy way? I recently found this poem, and for me, it points to something of the answer…

Start close in

Start close in,
don’t take the second step
or the third,
start with
the first thing
close in,
the step
you don’t want to take.

Start with
the ground
you know,
the pale ground
beneath your feet,
your own
way of starting
the conversation.

Start with your own
question,
give up on
other people’s questions,
don’t let them
smother something
simple.

To find
another’s voice,
follow
your own voice,
wait until
that voice
becomes a
private ear
listening
to another.

Start right now
take a small step
you can call your own
don’t follow
someone else’s
heroics, be humble
and focused,
start close in,
don’t mistake
that other
for your own.

Start close in,
don’t take
the second step
or the third,
start with the first thing
close in,
the step
you don’t want to take.

by David Whyte

Inspired by the poem, here are a few of my guiding principles in taking the next step

  • Keep it simple – perhaps we don’t need massive gestures, just the next thing that’s possible. Too often I have my sights on something much bigger than I can control, and that can quickly leave me feeling despondent. There are constant opportunities for small (defiant) acts of kindness!
  • Staying grounded rather than getting caught up in whirlwinds (news, social media, the next offensive tweet). From a place of steadiness I’m more available to respond to the things that really matter.
  • It’s a conversation that doesn’t have to go my way. I reinforce the bubble when I surround myself only with those who agree with my world view.
  • Trust and learn from my own experience. When I can catch myself rolling into narratives about what’s going on OUT THERE, I can create an opportunity to pause, and notice what’s going on IN HERE. I make space for my own fears and assumptions and beliefs. To see these more clearly and recognise how they play out in my relationships with others… and maybe choose to do something different. Even just being a bit kinder to myself.
  • Be humble and keep going. I really want the courage to be that person who skilfully calls out something that’s not ok or stands up for something I believe in, in spite of the repercussions. And I’m working on it. Luckily courage is a muscle we can build with small next steps, AND we do what we can within our means. And most importantly, we are motivated by what we really care about. There’s both kindness and integrity in that, and let’s face it, we need more of both in the world!
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