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I've been given many opportunities lately to consider "participation." It's a wonderful starting place of a game of "Who am I?"
If I were alone on a desert island, what is my level of participation in life? I'd do what was needed for survival, then what? What would I create to fill my time and entertain myself.
Then, playing that same game but adding a second person. What changes in the game of participation? When alone, I have only my own life in which to participate. And the consequences of participating or not are pretty obvious.
As I add more people to the game, the consequences of my participation become less and less obvious. It becomes rather clear how we can leave participation up to others. How easy it is to see how we can create an amorphous "they" on which to blame the problems that beset us.
But it's our level of participation, that thread that winds through our lives, that speaks softly to us and can bring stress, anger and frustration when underplayed.
I've noticed over my life that my level of satisfaction with living is proportional to my level of participation in living. That is, my willingness to be responsible for my emotional well being. My level of participation in my groups and communities is directly linked to my happiness, satisfaction and joy. My ability to generate and sustain love is connected without reservation to my ongoing participation in my life and the life of my groups.
It is my willingness to unwind the concept of "they" and embrace the participatory "we" that provides all my juice.
I used to think it is "being of service." That, though, is just one expression of participation. It was the only one I was willing to accept for years. Now I can see that it's as narrow and self serving as any other single facet.
Stretching and growing to participate fully in one's life gives a context for being in which ongoing satisfaction is available. The "been there, done that" of ho-hum existence can't get a toe hold if one is looking for expanded participation in life.
I think this is one of those concepts that fits the pattern of standing still means falling behind. Thinking one has arrived really means one missed the boat. :)
I can also see that this is a growing process. I don't think the idea of participation, in this sense, can have meaning until one has sufficient experiences to become cynical and then to pass through it.
And maybe I'm just full off shit like a Christmas turkey. :)
In any event, it's a good day and I feel like participating full out!
Love.
If I were alone on a desert island, what is my level of participation in life? I'd do what was needed for survival, then what? What would I create to fill my time and entertain myself.
Then, playing that same game but adding a second person. What changes in the game of participation? When alone, I have only my own life in which to participate. And the consequences of participating or not are pretty obvious.
As I add more people to the game, the consequences of my participation become less and less obvious. It becomes rather clear how we can leave participation up to others. How easy it is to see how we can create an amorphous "they" on which to blame the problems that beset us.
But it's our level of participation, that thread that winds through our lives, that speaks softly to us and can bring stress, anger and frustration when underplayed.
I've noticed over my life that my level of satisfaction with living is proportional to my level of participation in living. That is, my willingness to be responsible for my emotional well being. My level of participation in my groups and communities is directly linked to my happiness, satisfaction and joy. My ability to generate and sustain love is connected without reservation to my ongoing participation in my life and the life of my groups.
It is my willingness to unwind the concept of "they" and embrace the participatory "we" that provides all my juice.
I used to think it is "being of service." That, though, is just one expression of participation. It was the only one I was willing to accept for years. Now I can see that it's as narrow and self serving as any other single facet.
Stretching and growing to participate fully in one's life gives a context for being in which ongoing satisfaction is available. The "been there, done that" of ho-hum existence can't get a toe hold if one is looking for expanded participation in life.
I think this is one of those concepts that fits the pattern of standing still means falling behind. Thinking one has arrived really means one missed the boat. :)
I can also see that this is a growing process. I don't think the idea of participation, in this sense, can have meaning until one has sufficient experiences to become cynical and then to pass through it.
And maybe I'm just full off shit like a Christmas turkey. :)
In any event, it's a good day and I feel like participating full out!
Love.