I woke up one morning to the news that the Department of Education was no longer considering several degrees as professional, limiting student loan eligibility. The list included degrees in fields that we rely heavily upon for our society’s wellbeing, including nursing, social work, counseling, therapy and most near and dear to my heart, education. I let out a sigh at yet another short-sighted policy that puts the almighty dollar above people.
A subtle rage stirred in me as I thought about the implications. I’ve been working on not letting external factors impact my internal peace, but it was taking more effort than normal in that moment. I paused. Took a deep breath. Then a different thought came rushing in. What is possible?
I’ve been cultivating the practice of thinking in terms of possibilities – looking for the good that could happen in seemingly bleak scenarios, of believing something good can emerge even after the immediate chaos and desperation rolls through. I’ve always enjoyed asking myself “what if...” but I’m not always able to stop my thoughts from spiraling towards worse case scenarios.
Somewhere along the line I realized that spiraling was a pattern born out of a lack of trust and faith in humanity. If that’s not how I feel, if I actually believe that people are wired to be supportive and loving, I had to break the pattern. The alternative – believing that humanity is doomed – is not one I’m willing to choose.
I’ve also been diving deep into the Gene Keys, a system of understanding our individuality and humanity. It’s a modern-day interpretation of the I-Ching, an ancient system out of China. Understanding the Gene Keys is a slow, contemplative process that forces you to explore the dark corners of your heart and mind. Even my Scorpio self gets uncomfortable with this at times. It’s like pulling up all the muck in a clogged drain and realizing that all of that gunk came from you...not cute!
But also like unclogging a drain, once you do it things start to flow. You learn to accept the muck as just another part of life. Hopefully, you become more aware of when your own life flow starts to slow down and take the time to unclog your mind and your heart.
Richard Rudd, the poetic author of The Gene Keys: Embracing Your Higher Purpose, uses three words to describe the spectrum of each of the 64 Gene Keys. One combination jumped out as I caught myself spiraling about the Department of Education’s decision – Gene Key 1 described through the spectrum from Entropy to Freshness to Beauty. Out of entropy (when we immerse ourselves in doom, gloom and disaster scenarios) lies the possibility of seeing things in a fresh, new way. When we allow ourselves to sit in those dark places trusting that something fresh is possible, we can also begin to see beauty in the cyclical nature of life, and how that includes discomfort and even death.
This perspective reminds me of forest fires. As devastating as they can be, it’s nature’s way of clearing out the debris on the forest floor so that new life can emerge. You can accept and work with the cycle, or you can allow yourself to be consumed by the flames.
There are so many alarming events in the world that are creating a collective sense of discomfort. While lowering the status of degrees in helping professions is not as frightening as wars breaking out or people being hunted down and deported, it’s another example of the upheaval we’re feeling and will continue to feel.
Every decision has a ripple effect. Many of the decisions those in power are making have more of a tsunami effect, threatening structures that feel stable and thereby threatening our sense of safety. Searching for freshness in the entropy of systems and institutions we’ve relied on for decades and centuries, may not sound possible. But what if you played with possibility? What if you were to lean into the idea that as a collective, we need catalysts to shake us and awake us? To force us to imagine something new, different, and (dare to dream!) better?
What if patient care becomes so poor in hospitals that we start coming together around preventive health measures? More people would become conscious consumers of what we put in our bodies – food, alcohol, medications, even air. We might shift the way we gather, from happy hours to walks in the park. We might shift what we prioritize in our spending, from possessions that make us look like we’re thriving on the outside to resources that help us to feel well on the inside. We might see more people trying alternative forms of healing, ones that have survived for thousands of years and are rooted in nature rather than ruled by insurance.
What if the decades-long teacher shortage finally reaches a tipping point making schools unmanageable? Maybe we’ll move away from the large scale, factory model of education to smaller communities of educators and parents partnering together. Large corporations might feel the impact of losing valuable employees and start investing more towards supportive structures that allow people to work and care for their children. Housing and other living expenses could be made affordable for educators in the communities they dedicate their gifts towards. Over time, long-lasting bonds could be formed between educators and the communities they care for, creating more compassionate, supportive relationships for all.
What if the decline in access to therapists and counselors forces us to reevaluate the stressful culture we’ve created, and shift towards something more balanced and humane? What if social work becomes a shared responsibility of many rather than unmanageable caseloads for a few? What if...? What if...? WHAT IF...?!
Maybe the value we place on money will be diminished and we’ll find new ways of recognizing and rewarding people for their contributions. Maybe our collective value system will change and we’ll hold in higher esteem caring for others. Maybe we’ll begin to treat people as assets that are greater than property, and create more compassion and love in the world. Maybe...? Maybe... MAYBE…!
Allowing yourself to play with possibilities brings fresh perspectives that makes the challenges up ahead seem less daunting. Maybe even worthwhile.
I had a boss who criticized me once for being too altruistic. Rather than caving in to her pressure and to politics, I dug in my heels. I wasn’t about to let anyone diminish my belief in the goodness of humanity or choose an option that undermined that belief.
I still feel the fire that her words lit within me. Instead of the quiet rage I felt then, now those flames spread through me with a comforting warmth. I’m proud to be a dreamer. To believe in humanity. To not just choose optimism, but to stand so strongly in the conviction that more is possible, that our nature is to come together and create something brighter. And if that means pushing back on cultural norms, so be it.
I will have to choose my beliefs and my actions over and over again. I will have to continue to sit in darkness, allowing it all in, trusting that I will emerge with more hope and wisdom. I’m willing to bear the discomfort and do the work of staying grounded, because I’ve had enough proof of this process’ power. I continue to find more stories of the good being done in the world, more people transforming their outer world through inner work, more people questioning what we’ve normalized and asking “What if...?”
I realize that this choice is not easy for everyone to make and how heavy the problems in our world can feel. But what if changing the world starts as simply by asking yourself “What if...?” and staying open to what’s possible? And what are you willing to own by choosing not to play in possibility? Which way will you tip the scales?
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.