It’s My Destiny

December 5, 2024

In Bhutan November 2024

It’s my destiny to awaken to love so why wait? Why do I spend so much time judging other people and things when I know I can’t be loving and judging at the same time? Why do I think I can get away with it when I know the truth? Why do I indulge my ego in this way trying to prove in whatever ways I do that I am right and therefore someone or something else is wrong? I am done with this. I know better.

My knowing is somewhat tenuous so I need to put my blinders on right now which means not consuming so much polarizing news content that takes me down rabbit holes of wrongness that feed my ego and righteousness. I am still learning not to judge and I need to keep my focus on what my goal is, to awaken to the love that I am and therefore the love we all are. I am not going to get there by ranting about what an absolute tragedy it is that Donald Trump and Elon Musk won the election and are going to ruin our environment, rights and economy and make violence, aggression and blaming of “others” a more common currency. If I want to lead with love I need to fricking LEAD WITH LOVE, not just with the people I agree with, but with all people, even Donald Fricking Trump.

❤️ With Friends & Family in Bhutan November 2024

As I said, I am still learning. I am still hooked and seduced by righteousness. I am being humbled because I didn’t get what I wanted - a bad ass woman president who supported women’s rights and environmental protections - but, I love more than I fear and I believe more than I despair. Thank you Donald Trump for being my “teacher”.

When I heard about the University of Santa Monica over 15 years ago the concept of Spiritual Psychology struck me. I wanted to know more. I looked into it and then forgot about it. Another open tab forgotten, but it came into my awareness again several years later and at that point I was really searching for something to help me navigate a life transition. I started Googling and I saw some things about the founder of the school that seemed shady. I saw some comments about the school and the teachers that made it seem maybe it was some sort of cult. I reached out to a friend who had attended and she implored me, “Just go. See for yourself.”

I enrolled in the fall of 2013. The first weekend rocked my world. I was amazed at the power of the experiential education, the support and love that I felt, and the sacred container that was created to explore any and all parts of myself. I went up to the teachers after that first class weekend upset. I said, “Why don’t you combat the lies that are all over the internet about this school? Imagine how many people dismiss this place and never get to learn the life changing practices you teach. Why don’t you defend yourselves?!” Pause. “We have nothing to defend,” Dr. Ron Hulnick the president of the University calmly said with a smile. I wasn’t satisfied. He went on to say that they don’t have any time to defend themselves against false claims or go around judging other people for the things they say about them, they are too busy changing lives for the better and sharing the things they are called to share to help people awaken to the love that they are. And, that’s what they do and what they have done every day for 40+ years. Focus. Discipline. Being the Love. I want to be like that.

So, I’ve got to let go of my story of wrongness and let go of my pastime of judging others for the choices they make and the things they say and do that I don’t think are true or right and that might negatively affect my life and I have to go about the business of changing the world for good in the ways that I am called to do. No one needs me to prove the environment is being destroyed and to blame those that are destroying it for me to take action to help support the systems that support us. No one needs me to prove that it’s wrong and to judge all the people who are taking away women’s rights or exploiting women and children all over the world in order to take action to support women and children and women’s rights.

Sacred activism is a process of taking action from a place of love, not hate or wrongness or againstness. It’s tempting to check out completely into a spiritual place where there is no wrong or no right and just to be kind and eat overpriced organic food in my bubble, but that’s not what this moment is asking of us. It is asking us to wake up, ever more fully into love. Love for each other, love for the planet, love for the living beings on this earth. We don’t have time to judge people for what we perceive they are doing wrong. We only have time to do the work that will free us from the illusion of separation and to live in such a way that we have nothing to defend or prove, only love to share in all the unique ways it moves through each and every one of us

This post originally appeared in my monthly column in The Aspen Times.