Only life itself is certain:
We like certainty. But only life itself is certain: Its form, its residence in any individual instance, its play among us, is not certain. We are given the pieces to play only while we have our turn.
:- Doug.
Archive for the 'Conversations' Category
Accepting despair, hubirs and abdication
We need to find a way to accept that despair, hubris and abdication are part of humanity still stretching…and reach to help us grow.
:- Doug.
Is this our room?
Do you see South Bend as us?
When you walk into a room
Do you think “We” or “Them?”
Who did this to us?
—The wrong question—
Surely we have done this to ourselves—
What will get us to “our room?”
:- Doug.
Conversation is action
Conversation is action. Conversation is bringing a new way of thinking, seeing and talking about our capacities—and responsibilities.
:- Doug.
Does seeing through problem-colored glasses eliminate problems?
I’m not saying that what we have been doing is wrong; only that it is not big enough. Is it working? Is assigning blame getting us past the human condition? Is looking for leaders to solve our problems for us solving our problems? Is seeing the world through problem-colored glasses getting rid of problems? Does any of this bring in lasting new energy?
:- Doug.
We can approach those we think needy
We need to approach each person, especially those we think needy, call them by name, and ask for their help.
:- Doug.
Of problem solving, meddling, helping and hubris
I have nothing against working to solve new problems—like a flood or getting people out of a burning building. It is working on old problems which we have tried to solve and resolved to keep trying the same thing. How’s that working for us? We may have mis-identified the problem. Or maybe it is not a problem and our solution is. Maybe the people are not broken and we are meddling. Meddling and helping are two subtle ways hubris shows up.
:- Doug.
Invocation
Divine-human Friend: Be among us, encourage us to find a way to bring love and life and all the being we can be to our meeting and world.
:- Doug.
Fire and jangle!
My spirit is on fire!
My feet jangle
My mind is creating
I call in friends
This we gotta share!
:- Doug.
Gather 3 or 4 people and dream. Together.
This is a radical change in society—no more relying on others to do it to or for us—no more being victims nor fighters—but taking charge, making small changes, making the world work for everyone in our community.
But I fly so quickly to the grand. What is it I want people to do today? I want them to gather 3 or 4 other people and dream. I want them to take some small steps toward their dream, together.
:- Doug.
Let’s not play at the edges
Let’s not play at the edges, but turn the soil under our feet: we might not notice the soil, but it is that on which we stand, and this is changing how we see each other, relate to each other and the conversations in which we walk.
:- Doug.
Using engineering talent
Problem solving is using engineering talent to choose the deck chairs rather than design a better Titanic.
:- Doug.
Not fixers
People are not broken and they do not need to be fixed. Jesus taught us to be fishers of men and women, not fixers.
:- Doug.
