Fierce Vulnerability
For months, my wife talked to me about Fierce Vulnerability, by Kazu Haga and encouraged me to read it. Recently, one of my clients said somethings that reminded me of my wife’s description of the book. After suggesting she might find it interesting, I read the book cover. My curiosity was piqued and I dove in to see what was inside.
In the forward, Haga writes “This book, developed out of the Fierce Vulnerability workshops, infuses the lineage of nonviolent action with the science of trauma healing and the depth of spiritual practice.”
He explains that his vision for a better world is not to elect a Democrat over a Republican, but to abolish the office of presidency.
Not to end the wars in Ukraine or the Middle East, but to end war itself.
Not to increase the minimum wage, but to eradicate capitalism.
Not to merely provide reparations for harm done to generations of people of color, but to heal from and eliminate the idea of white supremacy.
But, as Haga says the transformation needed to make this happen is no small thing. The crisis we are experiencing is a spiritual crisis. He defines spirituality as having deep faith in something greater than us – a mystery that we will never fully understand. This spiritual undertaking then, has to do with our being open to that Great Mystery – having faith in something greater than ourselves which binds us together.
In several previous blogs, I have said that we have lost our sense of connection to the earth, to each other, and to all life. I think it’s because we have forgotten who we really are. We’ve forgotten that we are each a thread in the tapestry of life. We have lost the consciousness of our oneness.
Consciousness is an energetic structure formed by our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, feelings. It is influenced both by our experiences and our connection or openness to that which is greater than we are. When we separate ourselves from that Great Mystery, we limit the positive influences that can shape our consciousness. Then, only the baser, more pragmatic aspects of ourselves – such as our five senses – are left to inform who we are and how we behave. And to the ego mind, our senses tell us that we are separate, and whatever is separate from us may be a threat.
Over the years, studies have suggested that social norms can shift when a certain percentage of the population adopts a new way of thinking. I’ve heard the number to be as low as .1% of 1% up to 25%.
What if one quarter of the people in your state were to begin seeing that we are all in this together and began working harmoniously toward the betterment of all? Then ¼ of the country, and ¼ of the world? Before long we might experience a profound shift in how we behave together. But that change begins within each individual.
Ghandi said we must be the change we want to see in the world. To do that, we have to see ourselves in the other person with curiosity and compassion.
We must learn to eliminate blame and acknowledge that everyone is doing their best.
We need to be fiercely vulnerable and recognize our pains, our wounds, and our traumas and begin healing them.
As we heal, we can also take the actions needed to co-create a world that works for all.
What is yours to do?