Where to Now?

The pressing question we face now is where do we go from here? Whether or not we believe that human consciousness is related to mass events is irrelevant in a sense. The mass events of hurricanes Katrina and Rita have impacted us all financially and economically – and probably personally.

Those events have given most, if not all, of us reason to pause and reflect on the devastation and tragedy. They have brought out, in the most direct way, how people are attempting to cope with loss of most, if not all, of their earthly possessions. They have revealed, on television, the sense hopelessness, denial, and need we have for each other.

Most of all, they have revealed these human conditions as reality. Not a “reality show” for which we can comfortable revert to “real life activities knowing these events did not really happen. The convenience of denial has been totally stripped away from us all.

The reality for some of us will be revealed in how we eventually accept those directly affected into our homes, communities, and workplaces. It’s relatively easy to help others “from a distance.” It’s quite another situation to become part of the relief effort as though it is our own.

The devastation of Katrina and Rita are providing tests for us all in terms of how we have been living our own lives. They are revealing for us the full spectrum of feelings, emotions, and behaviors, from anger, and denial, to love and acceptance; from lawlessness to acts of spiritual human compassion. Our own internal and probably external conversations with others are surfacing deeply held feelings, emotions, and subtle behavioral patterns with respect to others; particularly, about those most adversely impacted by the two tragic events.

The little book, Animal Kingdom, is a story of strikingly similar events. Instead of giving answers to the human challenges we face, it provokes us into going inwardly to seek answers from our inner wisdom. It provokes us into discovering or rekindling that Inner core within each of us that is the source of inner knowing and human compassion. And hopefully, it sparks us to change, irreversibly, into becoming better human beings.

One of the messages in this “little book” is that we are all in this together. What others suffer will eventually also be our experiences — in our own unique ways. It may not be the devastation of a hurricane, but the loss of someone close, an addiction to overcome, the challenge of being alone (and lonely), the indecision of a life purpose (with passion), and most of all the lack of wholeness within ourselves — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And with that lack of wholeness come the realization that, at some level, we are inadequate to fully participate in life that serves us and simultaneously contributes to others. This is the essence of the famous quote:

“The inner is a reflection of the outer.”

So, where to now could begin with an examination, reexamination, or course confirmation of how we view ourselves with respect to:

1) Wholeness, as described above.
2) Living with our passion for life.
3) Contributing daily to the well-being of others.
4) Including others, irrespective of differences.
5) Our willingness to change, as the world around us changes at an incredible pace.

This “five-question examination” is provoked when reading or listening to Animal Kingdom. I invite you all to download the audio edition, free of charge, and distribute it to your friends. It is my gift to us all.