A Moment of Stillness Amongst the Chaos

Hello friends,

I do hope this finds you well, in good health, and good spirits.

I’ll be sharing the last phase of The Dying Project soon! For now, I'll address the proverbial elephant in the global room, sharing some unfiltered thoughts on what’s unfolding. I would love for you to share yours with me also - just comment below.

If you’re paying attention to any American media, you’re likely thinking that we’re fucked. Please pardon my colorful language. It’s important to be in the know about world happenings but the manipulative tactics that have grown more divisive in the last decade are not okay. Turn off the TV and take a moment to free your mind from body counts and scrolling death tolls that are only interrupted by Mcdonalds' commercials.

This time feels especially concerning to many and is only compounded when you reflect on issues like:

• China’s decades-long, possibly even longer, genocide against Uyghurs
• United States’ oil and resources motivated, decades-long war in the Middle East
• Crimes against North American Indigenous Peoples, ongoing since 1776

Crimes against humanity are nothing new. Looking back through history, they appear to be ever-present. Equally as present, though, are people who witnessed these systems of oppression and pushed back through all sorts of small and large acts. It would appear to be a great balancing act of sorts that pervades our very existence. Newton’s third law of motion states:

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.?

Stated bluntly with current context:

For every power-hungry warmongering “taker” in need of a DMT blast off to dissolve their ego for a brief moment there are 100's, even 1000’s of “leavers” pushing back in an attempt to relieve the suffering caused by these tyrants.

A friend from Linkedin introduced the concept of “leavers and takers” to me when he referred to me as a ‘leaver’. This concept comes from Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael. In this book, leavers formed thriving cultures long before the agricultural revolution. They lived lightly only taking what they needed. Takers are the people who killed and are actively killing off those cultures. But eventually, they run out of things to kill and die off themselves.

We make this choice to be a leaver or a taker consciously or unconsciously. In this culture, if you’re not consciously choosing to be a leaver then, you have likely been conditioned to be a good little taker.

Depending upon which lens you view life, things might look quite bleak. We’re on the tail end of a global pandemic and are seemingly rolling into World War III.

I invite you to take six deep breaths with me. Inhale, all the way in. Exhale, all the way out.?

Pause and take care of yourself in this moment. Then, return to your work. This can mean your job, but it also refers to your internal work so that you may better show up in this world to relieve suffering. Take external actions where you are able or feel called to while considering that one of the most powerful actions you can take is going inward. By going inward, our external paths are more clear and our actions more powerful.

Taking inward action can look like this:

• Allowing yourself to be grateful for your safety and freedom with no comparisons.
• Committing to not creating any more suffering in this world, especially your own.
• Holding political leaders in your heart space. Send them the courage and strength to make hard decisions and do what they can to relieve the suffering.
• Visualizing Putin falling into a vat of ayahuasca, pulling in other major political leaders. Imagine they emerge with deep compassion for themselves and others with an understanding of how to serve their countries.

The last one is mostly a joke, of course. If this is happy crap, so be it. We’re in need of an overhaul of it lately.?

Your Friend,

Katie

Hi ?? Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter! If you haven’t yet, hit subscribe to get a mindful dose regularly. You can also have it delivered straight to your inbox - just subscribe HERE instead :)

The Dying Project is a 12-week intensive designed to help you go from feeling stuck to being deeply empowered and alive.

This is for you if, you’re ready to:

? Stop giving your time and energy to a draining situation, relationship or job

?? Start prioritizing the people, places and things that mean the most to you

?? Move beyond your regrets and make peace with your mortality

Life is short, so if you're ready to start living it more intentionally, I would love for you to join me. The class is full at the moment, but you can join the waitlist HERE.