Many of us are obsessed with naming things, with labeling and catagorizing. 

Socialized to believe in ultimate truth (which we are told is "knowable"), seeking perfection (which is relative - especially culturally) and then defining "normal" behavior out of these beliefs, we tag people and things and then don't budge much - concretizing our findings.  For many of us, these concrete observations become just that: solid and fixed.  Even with the folks we meet, some people form opinions of them based on their judgements (which often arise from skewed, unconscious perceptual viewpoints), and the next time we meet them, we don't "see" them or listen as deeply - having neatly indexed and placed them upon our concrete shelves.  Psychologist Heinz Kohut might comment that these judgements we make and assign others are actually mirrored reflections of our own inadequacies and/or hidden fears brought into the light by this "other" who is actually reflecting a portion of our unconscious.   Perhaps this tendency comes out of trying to make sense of our surroundings, affording us a sense of security.  Perhaps it helps us to decide which "face" or "mask" to present to the situation or person upon our next encounter.  This can, indeed, be comforting.

However, we now live in a world that is rapidly shifting.  What we once adamantly named as secure is fast changing its own face; concrete structures are crumbling. "Security" is renaming itself.  But what is it becoming?  We may have to learn to bend like willows while waiting to find out.

How to navigate such turbulence?

Employing InnateNaturalGuidance might help. 
This is best accessed by:
  • being fully present to the NOW
  • patience, trust and equinimity
  • utilizing our senses - especially listening
  • expecting that forms will change
  • slowing down and breathing...

Even our roles are rapidly morphing...to what you ask?
We live in a time of intense transition...technological advancements are being made with breakneck speed and are assuming roles humans once had, unemployment is on the rise and the career tracks we once labeled as "good" are changing.  It is, perhaps, time to revamp our forms. 

We all know that to make music, we need rests between the notes.  Transitions.  Rests are what is found between endings and beginnings...perhaps this applies to our time of great shift.  I call this timeframe liv-I.N.G. in the space between the notes.

Psychologist Carl Gustav Jung has a term for the roles we assume, the masks we wear.  He called them our Personas - the appearances we present to the world.  To those of us who attempt to reject the stereotypes, the roles, the boxes and forms - Jung would say we have taken on the persona or mask of the "rejector" or "rebel."  Roles, lables, names and masks exist.  In fact, we all know that naming is a way of respecting and honoring people and things. A scene from the movie Shashank Redemption comes to mind where Andy Dufresne asks, "What was his name?" upon overhearing the other inmates sharing intimate, gruesome details of the death of a cellmate while grossly glossing over the fact that he was, indeed, a fellow human being. Here, however, the issue is how strongly we identify with or conform to the expectations and rules of the forms. With over-identification, occurances arise to display the holes in our belief-systems, especially when people begin to believe they are what they pretend to be.  As the playing field changes, as is the present case, people loose their "concrete" footings.

Jung would say we have to withdraw from our identification with the forms in order to find our true self.  Often our masks/roles and the status symbols we attach to them (car, house, degree, bank account) become veils - and for some - chain mail armor obscuring the inner self.  How to remove these veils?  How to regain one's footing during times of intense transition?  Let go of the forms - let go of your nouns - begin to live as if you were a verb: create, express, play, engage and follow your heart's desire.

As we end one era (the past) and step into a new one (the future), time spent in the present is beneficial.  In order to draw oneself into the moment:

  • Notice your breath - is it slight and shallow or long and deep?
  • Notice sounds - rain on the rooftop, the refigerator buzzing, your stomach gurgling.  You might even consider the sound of a seed bursting open to reveal a tiny sapling.
  • Feel your body - stiff neck from looking at this screen too long?  toes cold?  inner smile radiating outward?
  • Deepen into the NOW

In an attempt to hold on to what we have determined to be "security" we have a tendency to cling to forms that are fast becoming outdated.  Then, as they crumble, we experience suffering and loss.  It is said that during times of turmoil, people either cling to their stances - sometimes becoming arrogantly fixed to their beliefs - while others begin to bend, and breath new possibilities into being.  Living life like a verb, whether writing and musing, as I love to do, painting, walking, or singing - there are endless possibilities for being present and grateful for what IS.  Breathing deeply, slowing the pace and deepening seems to encourage the NOW.

In closing, my son recently pointed out to me that at the end of the recently released movie, TRON, the "Creator" admits that he made a mistake attempting to create perfection.  After a long time out in meditation, deep breathing and "talking to the sky" he realized that loving and being grateful for what is right in front of our noses (in this case, his own son) became paramount.  I loved having my own son right in front of my nose during this conversation and the observation seemed appropos and a nice ending to my musings.
May you breath in   s p a c e   while living between the notes...