The beginning of magic
We all go through times of bitterness and disappointment. We all sometimes are shocked at the turns the world takes.
I know a guy who will rant about something that’s bothering him at least once a day. The Russians, climate change, his clients, Millennials, something. His rants are usually hilarious, but they are frequent and passionate.
I know an older woman who believes the world is beginning to look a lot like a hand basket. When I see her she bends my ear about how the brazen things people do these days would never even be considered in her day.
I know this other guy (me) who complains bitterly when I don’t have enough time for things, when I feel rushed, or when I feel taken advantage of. If days were 24.7 hours long, and if everyone could just take a deep breath for a few minutes, wait their turn, and play fair, everything would be OK—but no. That’s not how it is, and I get angry at the world for being so.
One of my favorite sayings is the beginning of magic is the acceptance of what is.
When we find ourselves in a position of thinking that the world is wrong, we are not accepting what is.
Anger at the world clouds our judgement, blinds our perspective, and interferes with our creative thinking.
Accepting what is doesn’t mean giving up, not working for change in our world. In fact, I would argue that we cannot work for change until we do accept what is. Rather, accepting what is simply means we don’t waste energy making the world (or the people in it) wrong. It means we can start where we are.
Our future will require ever more creative thought for our species (and all species) to thrive, and possibly even to survive. Maybe together we can embrace the world, exactly as it is. And then we can embrace the chance to do something about it.
My very best,
Philip