The Hidden Why Behind your Outrage

Take 5 minutes to explore your deeper values

It’s Flourishing Friday, Brave Readers. If you’re new here, welcome! We’re here to embrace the fodder of being human, so we can embody our true self in a world running on fear. If you feel outraged by the state of things and believe change begins with you, today’s 5-minute imagination game is for us. Plus, a song for our national bird, the Eagle.

Meanwhile: wild seas at Hawke Bay, Napier, New Zealand.

Independence Day in the USA?

On the 4th of July, we celebrate Freedom, or War, depending on your point of view.

Meanwhile, Democracy hangs by a piece of floss. It’s not hyperbole. If you value this 247-year experiment, an imperfect attempt to balance the inherent dangers of power, this moment is scary. Power corrupts. And we’re looking at an absolute power grab.

“I don’t want to look back at the end of democracy in the US and know that I said nothing. I feel this way even more in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision on presidential immunity.” ~ Kirsten Powers, Changing the Channel

Deep down, humans are 99.99% the same. We care about the same things. Safety, security (food, water, air, shelter), and the pursuit of happiness (for ourselves and our loved ones). Conflicts—personal, political, and planetary—arise in the how. How do we share (or steal) resources? How can we manage our Monkey Business (desire to control things, grab power, etc.) so we can coexist?

Our primate ancestors were both competitive and cooperative. Being human is how we dance with these dualities. But does it feel like our dark side is winning?

The threats to all we hold dear is a major metacrisis of modern life. And we can meet it creatively:

“the spiritual and material exhaustion of modernity permeates the world’s interrelated challenges… peace is not about avoiding conflict but about recognizing conflict as a perennial feature of life and then leaning into the delicious complexity of conflict resolution as an intensely humanising and creative process.”~ Jonathan Rowson, Co-Founder and CEO of Perspectiva. “The Future of Peace.”

The power struggles are real. Meanwhile, life is happening:

“It is natural to feel helpless, hopeless,  apathetic, or at the very least, feel overwhelmed by the gravity of the problem. However, when we take note of the growth of new life, the moisture of the soil on our fingers, and wind on our skin, we can take a breath and seek solace in the moment. Then, maybe, a sense of peace, love and catharsis may overtake those more energy inefficient emotions (hopelessness, despair, frustration, helplessness, disappointment, etc.).” ~ Kyle Hill, Ojibwe, Dakota, Lakota climate-aware therapist and professor of public health

I choose to celebrate Interdependence. We need each other.

Today, I breathe oxygen created by non-human relatives, the plant people. Today, I dance to honor this moment, this life, and all our relations in this thrumming world (which is bigger than us and our power structures). Still, will I stand up to protect my freedom to celebrate this way?

With freedom comes choice. How will you invest your energy today? Do you value integrity, honesty, and caring for each other? If you value freedom, will you work to protect it? What matters most to you? See you in the comments, Brave One. 💗

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Today’s 5-minute practice: Scales of Justice

From my deck, HeartsQuest: Creative Tools to Navigate Change

May this 5-min. imagination game transform outrage into meaning. This video features my ridiculous alter-ego Queen Poopicina sharing the potty-mouth, ‘Holy Sh*t’ 💩 version, with a spontaneous freedom song. Or follow the steps below.

Scales of Justice: What values are most important to me?

• BREATHE deeply. RECALL a conflict or situation when you felt very angry or outraged.

• IMAGINE standing like the statue of Justice, holding her scales. FEEL the weight and balance.

• CONSIDER a deeper aspect of your feelings, a strong belief or value that felt violated (such as fairness, equality, or loyalty). Name this value and put on the right side. FEEL the weight shift.

• IMAGINE what the other side cared about. Name their value and put it in the left side of the scale.

• NOTICE both sides of the scale. Do you believe in your side enough to fight for it? Is the other side valid, too? Can you understand and hold both?

• REFLECT: “What’s most important to me is...”

Make it Real: Realize your values in action

• EXPLORE: Write or share the story of your values (we love your comments! 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽)

• CREATE: Brainstorm a list of your top 10 core values: what you really believe in. Illustrate or journal.

• MANIFEST: This week, notice when your values affect your feelings and actions. What value is at stake? It’s brave to share the WHY behind your moves.

• EXTRA BRAVE! Share your values with your opponent in a conflict. Speak from your heart: “Because I care so much about …”

🗣️ What’s your take?

1. Do you celebrate Independence Day? How?

2. Got any existential dread for the future? How do you cope/manage?

3. What are your core values? What matters most? Do you share this with others?

Thank you for delving into your deepest values 💝 I value connecting with you, Brave Reader! Will you share this post with someone who wants to make sense of their outrage right now? When you heart, comment, share, or subscribe, you’re helping our world become a bit more brave. (PSST: paid subscriptions are super low through August).

A Spontaneous Love Song for Eagle, Indianola, WA

More to come, Brave Readers ~