marla-durden
Creating New Stories
photo: Big Bubble by h.koppdelaney
“Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe, a blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk.”
~ William Arthur Ward
Spring is a time of new beginnings. Flowers begin to bloom and we emerge from the cave of winter reflection. I am feeling the stirring of the Fool… archetype of new beginnings, breakthroughs and adventures.
Read more about my Foolish journey here…
The past several years have found many of us dealing with the adversities of the old breaking apart as we dealt with economic downturn, housing crisis, education cuts, lay-offs… etc. It has been quite a wave to ride. The dissolution of our old stories, our old structures have led many of us to question the foundations of our faith and many of the things that we hold dear.
It is natural for us to feel fear… our familiar anchors, not so certain, our values challenged by our experiences in an environment of heightened tension.
But through the tension, something is emerging, cracks in the proverbial shell of culture, art, science and belief. We are talking to each other across what were once insurmountable barriers. Artists, creative entrepreneurs, philosophers, activists and poets are generating amazing innovation across platforms of cross-pollination. This is you, me… all of us.
We come from a long line of creative, hard working humans who innovated and shaped their world- rebuilding and improving all along the way. Our ancestors created the means and very structures that allow us to live this modern life.
And, now, we find ourselves a generation at the cross-roads. We are the heroes of a new age. The decisions and actions or lack thereof that we make today are the seeds of the new emerging story for our families, communities, nations and world. Let’s make it a good one. For this we were born.
Here are a few tips for you:
1. Are those your thoughts you’re thinking? Examine your thoughts and beliefs.
One afternoon a few weeks ago, I was walking and a thought crossed my mind, more of a judgment. I stopped, asking myself, “do I really believe that?” I realized that I did not and that this “belief” emerged out of my subconscious, impressed there by life and culture. Why do you believe what you do? What really is ‘reality’? Turn off the media, unplug and contemplate what is true for YOU.
2. Change things up.
It is easy for us to become creatures of habit. It makes life more simple in a complex and quickly shifting world. You would be surprised how simply reading a few new magazines; going to bed 20 minutes earlier or trying some new dinner recipes can give you a different perspective and spark innovative thinking.
3. Learn your own stories.
I have a friend who has a great gift at researching genealogy and connecting with the stories of our ancestors. She has taught me the power in knowing our family histories, in understanding why we believe what we do. A few hours of research can give you deep insight into yourself.
I once had a client who was a top executive for a large national retailer. Every time she was up for promotion, she would get sick and feel unsafe to move forward. We came to find that the very beliefs and skills that helped her Polish immigrant grand-parents survive in a new world were now hampering her ability to take this next step in her life. They had become the straight jacket keeping her stuck. We worked there, at the place of biogenealogy and helped her write a new story that enabled her to take her next steps to great success.
4. Take to your path like a warrior.
We have years of change and cultural flux ahead of us. Our ability to find and hold our own center; expand our world-view and be creative + innovative are important now more than ever. If we are to write and live the new stories, we need to be able to sense them emerging in and through us. If you don’t have a set of generative, living spiritual practices that you are committed to doing on a regular basis, begin now.
Namaste.
