Finding Direction in a Shaken World
Our world has been profoundly shaken by a series of challenging events this past year. I don’t know about you, but I began the year in shock, following the presidential election. Things have only gotten more roiled and discomforting since, both on the political scene, with the resurgence of an ugly, hateful rhetoric; and for the earth herself, with earthquakes, an unprecedented series of hurricanes, and searing summer temperatures. Reeling from the latest tragedy/travesty in Las Vegas our collective pain, confusion and grief can feel almost unendurable. So much is being asked of us in so many ways.
How do we find our center, our core truth by which we are guided in the midst of such turmoil? And when we do find it, how do we commit to living from that truth? Here at Rites of Passage we’ve found that each person who has come through our program has a unique and important contribution to make to the healing of our world. We can’t tell anyone what that should look like. It’s up to each person to search their own heart and soul, asking how they can best bring justice, beauty, healing, joy, truth into the world. For one person, this may look like creating painting and sculpture; for another, it’s about speaking out on environmental issues; for yet another, it’s bringing compassion and love into difficult relationships.
For each of us, giving our best gifts lifts us out of ourselves, connects us to a larger community, and restores our connection to each other and to a deeper mystery within which all things are interconnected. We need that connection to feel sane, and to feel whole.
The Wilderness Quest programs we’ve been offering for 40 years help us to open to the world, both inside and outside of us. “The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell us,” Rumi says. We can choose to listen to that message and align with it, carrying home the blessings of the earth and the ancestors. We can find our center in the midst of chaos, becoming stronger for the testing, recognizing what really matters to us—what our soul tells us is a matter of life and death. We can dance that deep truth into our lives. We invite you to step into and be nourished by your own soul truth.
