“You don’t need to do everything. Do what calls your heart;
effective action comes from love. It is unstoppable, and it is enough.”
Joanna Macy
Is it possible to make a difference in a way that gives inspiration and fulfilment and doesn’t cost us too much? Can we fill rather than drain our batteries, through balanced heart-charged action that matches our capacity?
Engaging in compassion in action will take you on a journey to find out how you can meaningfully make a difference within the life you have, being the person that you are.
It’s all about balance. Balancing our own needs with what we see is needed around us.
Resourcing ourselves is the magic ingredient which enables us to actualise the ‘effective action that comes from love’ that Joanna Macy speaks of in the quote above and this is a key component of our Compassion in Action course. One of the greatest resources available to us is nature, which can give us space, peace and joy. Many people find that spending time in nature provides a reset, improves mood and brings feelings of calm. The potential of this is being talked about a lot at the moment – nature sustains us – not just nutritionally, but also emotionally and spiritually. Being present in nature and feeling our belonging within nature, can teach us important lessons about how to be in the world. In lives where we feel rattled and pressured a lot, time in nature can bring us back to ourselves.
At the same time, we may be painfully aware that us human beings are causing drastic imbalance in the natural world. Our appreciation for nature and our awareness of it being in trouble, against the backdrop of a busy life, makes for an unsettling cocktail of feelings. We may feel powerless, angry, numb or sense a loss of meaning. We may feel disconnected from where or what we are meant to be. Perhaps mindful awareness of the unrealistic expectations we may place upon ourselves might help to burst this painful bubble.
And, as we contemplate how our inner practice of compassion can translate into outer practice, our connection with the Earth matters. If we can feel our gratitude and care for the Earth, we will find a wellspring of energy to pour into compassionate action in the world. As we journey on with this, we can emerge into fresh insight into our place in the world. From here, the action which is natural to us may become clear.
We don’t have to save the world to make a difference! In fact, the only hope we have of saving the world is if we each work within our sphere of influence and with respect for our own wellbeing as we go along. After all we and the world are part of one whole – our flourishing depends on the Earth and the Earth’s flourishing now depends on us.
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Fay Adams and Kristine Mackenzie-Janson will be delivering a new 5-week course on engaged mindfulness: Compassion in Action.
This evening course begins on the 11th May
The course will be held online via Zoom on a Thursday evening from 18:30-20:45 (UK Time).
The dates of the five sessions are: 11th May, 18th May, 25th May, 1st June and 8th June.