Really BEing with the 'Other'

This podcast asks an important question,
which for me boils down to:
Can we stand-in love, compassion, empathy
AND
speak our truth?

I say a resounding yes!
Unfortunately this is not the default expereince in our culture.
I am fortunate to be part of a community that practices this way of being - empathy and truth
-we practice from the inside out.

I thought I would share a bit about this way of BEing, from my expereince.

It takes time for most of us to go from: 

• identifying with our beliefs, 
• having our ego tied to how we understand the world, 
• taking our thoughts and our feelings very Seriously...
  

to a place where we experience the world inside and outside of ourselves: 

• from a more neutral place, 
• from a more playful/amused place
• from a less-attached place...

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It takes time for most of us to shift.
But I believe it is miraculous that we
Really Can shift!
HOW we practice this is too long to say here,
but I can share One distinction that May make sense as a stand-alone:

Everyone lives through Pictures - our experiences, views, hopes & fears, stories about reality.
In our practice, we utilize the word 'Pictures' to represent our beliefs about: 

• who we are, 
• what the world is, 
• what is essential in life, 
• how we should behave, 
• where it is important that we invest our attention and energy
• what is the meaning of it all...

Our pictures are not reality.
We experience life through our pictures, 
create a life congruent with our pictures, 
resist shifting our pictures...
I believe part of the issue that trips most of us regarding Really BEing with the Other is:

• we think our pictures are Real, 
• and important, 
• and necessary. 

And they sure do seem to be!
So, when our pictures seem to contradict other's pictures
- we (understandably) believe that one or both of our pictures must be Wrong.

This is challenging, confronting to our little house of cards.
And it is tempting to protect our POV, our little world;
and attack theirs - or at least not Hear or BE with their's very well.

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This is the opposite direction of love/compassion/empathy.
It is the opposite of understanding them and their POV.
It is opposite of BEing-with them. BEing with their Truth.

So, this is useful and powerful distinction, IMO;

• If we want to be with what IS, and who they are / where they are. 
• If we want to Love them. 

Then, it is useful to hold our POV loosely.

This is not easy.
But, it becomes less and less challenging as we more deeply grok:

• pictures are just pictures, 
• they are not reality 
• and attaching to them and resisting them doesn't serve anyone, really. It just shores up our ego, our world-view, our POV.

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And I don't mean just thinking this stuff about pictures is a good idea, or intellectually believing it, even.
This is a superficial first-step.
I mean practicing this consciousness about our pictures, standing in this place of freedom, internally - until it is realized within us.

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So, I just shared a little peek at a different practice, that has one relate more openly and comfortably with folks of competing belief-systems.
Unsurprisingly, it has us go below the level of our beliefs, to what lies below.

Thanks for reading.
in life, Wendy

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