September 2022

Dear Friends,

The world is changing, we are changing. It has always been this way, but the pace and subsequent anxiety is likely unprecedented.

It can be incredibly challenging to manage life and wellbeing during these turbulent times. I recently listened to a talk at the Aspen Institute called ‘Managing our Eco-Anxiety, Climate Change and Mental Health’. The main point: if we’re able to maintain a positive mindset, we’re more likely to act and stay engaged in positive solutions. It’s important to know what’s happening in the world, but our habit to engage in those consistent “doom scrolls” takes away our capacity to hope for and live into a bright future.

We see the “end of times dooms-day” folk whose solution is only salvation (not of this world). And those who believe that regulating one another will result in respect and care. And still others for whom only a selected group are indeed worthy to advance in this life. All three are fear based, and our higher calling is an actual revolution of our consciousness founded in love – in our transcendent capacity to seek unity, interconnectedness, awe, and appreciation.

The work we are doing now is not for us, but for generations to come. We will likely not see the results of our actions for some time to come. “A society grows great when old wo/men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” -- Greek Proverb

If we lose hope, shut down and succumb to anxiety and fear, we devolve as conflict escalates and erosive behaviors ensues. “Peace is simply not the absence of war. It is not a passive state of being. We must wage peace, as vigilantly as we wage war.” – The 14th Dalai Lama

We’ve talked a lot about Spirituality of late. We are part of an integrated whole, and deep down we know that this whole carries great intelligence and wisdom, of which we are a part! A spiritual practice nurtures our inborn consciousness of unity and allows each of us to tap into our intuition and build on our inborn altruism and love. Spiritual practice builds inner resilience (and thicker brain structures) to weather storms, the capacity to change (fluid identity grounded in greater sense of belonging), and an openness to the process as it emerges.

There is inherent dignity in all life. We exist because of connection, interconnectedness, cooperation, and collaboration. The capacity for growth and expanded identity is available to everyone. We are part of a greater meaning and purpose to which our individual and cultural lives can contribute. We all belong.

We can take back our nervous systems, focus on our health, care for those around us, be patient with ourselves and others, allow ourselves to grow and change, set judgements and opinions aside, make room for what is emerging, trust (for the most part) people are good, and find self-compassion and care.

We might need to lose the tight grip of perceived control, learn to trust our intuition more, follow our hearts, and lessen the righteousness. We can re-orient towards a positive mindset, maintain hope, and let love be the True North in this moment of challenge. Doing this work is planting the tree in whose shade we shall never sit. We are waging peace, wellbeing, and a deeper love for one another and all beings. This is the legacy of our time.

And with that, Lead with Love will be partnering with Aspen Chapel to offer a Thursday Satsang. We’re devoted to understanding and designing for 21st century spiritual wellbeing and we’ll do it together developing practices, discussions, and experiences that ground our social spiritual lives. There are 1.1 billion people who identify as non-religious in the world; more and more of us are alone in our spiritual lives. As we come together, we can create new structures to support spiritual deepening in community. Please join us!

Anne White, Executive Director