1/24/24
Someone recently asked me what has been lighting me up lately. It was uplifting to consider all my current joys. Getting down to the heart of the matter revealed it was essentially witnessing and participating in activities that dissolved division.
Beyond my typical daily indulgence in ultra-dark chocolate, a recent delight has been discovering the musical genius Jacob Collier. "To call Collier a genius is not a critical judgment. It’s a statement of the obvious," according to The New York Times. With four Grammys under his belt, he exudes a kind of humility that is endearing. Crossing musical genres in a single song, he's not only a talented artist but also an engaging entertainer. Though I'm not a YouTube fanatic, there was a time when I couldn't stop watching his clips, even going temporarily mad (ask my family and friends). I may not even like all of his music, but who he is and how he inspires truly captivates me. Watching him unite the audience in participatory sound fills my heart with glee. I appreciate how he consistently brings thousands of people together.
Bringing people together for a beneficial cause truly lights me up. Whether it's within our family, at work, in line at the grocery store, through organizations, communities, or at a music concert, it doesn't matter. The point is to find, create, and immerse ourselves in our common ground. In a world that often feels divisive, fostering unity is crucial for our survival and prosperity as a species – understanding and experiencing our sameness, dissolving separation within ourselves and with others.
Why we need to fertilize our common ground:
To assist us to open our minds by considering different perspectives.
To help us to open our hearts through understanding, empathy and compassion.
To become more empowered. From the Shamanic perspective, the most powerful people are the ones that allow and accept support from people and structure in their lives.
To know ourselves. People reflect both the light and the shadows of the full range of who we are. Both our weaknesses and strengths become illuminated.
To practice patience and acceptance of ourselves and others.Â
To cultivate connection.Â
To learn how to love.Â
To create something greater than what we could create alone through a shared intention.Â
To participate in the interdependent dance of life; the infinite loop of giving and receiving. To experience the necessity and gifts of both.
To dissolve separation. Community helps up to acknowledge our shared humanity which ultimately helps to dissolve the idea or experience that we are separate.
*** What inspires you lately?
*** How will you fertilize the common ground today?