Goggling "gulf oil spill" today resulted in forty-eight million hits. Forty-eight million – a topic on the minds of so may.
Videos, articles, conversations, arguments and analyses – mostly expressing blame and anger – constitute the vast majority of what we're reading and hearing - wrapped in the emotions of tragedy, horror, sadness, anger, fear, frustration and despair.
What I'd like to suggest here is another way to approach this experience - from a higher, meta, perspective: a healing perspective that involves loving kindness and visualizing the long-term healing of the area and the individuals involved in this tragedy.
I'm not suggesting folks not be angry or sad. This was not a random act of nature; rather, it was and is an event that was preventable, even predictable. On a meta level, however, this event highlights some vast and deep disconnects in our civilization - our misguided reliance on precious resources that are being depleted due to the financial drivers that pressure corporate leaders to cut corners to both make and save a buck (read: greed) – and not only corporate greed but the greed of those whose life and identity depend on a certain lifestyle where power and control lead to treating the planet as they want, when they want and how they want.
I am suggesting that if we are to make this planet whole, we need to work on a "higher"
level – a healing level.
At the outset, understand that healing never takes place through anger or revenge – ever. One needs to move beyond one's anger for healing to happen. Compassion is the one true path to healing. The heart needs to drive the healing process. In addition, healing cannot take place in a vacuum. That is, not unlike a human who has a stroke and who has lost or damaged brain cells, healing requires us to see the connection between and among all sentient beings (i.e., "cells" of the body of humanity) – even those with whom we feel angry – in order for integration and wholeness and healing to take place. This connection can only arise from compassion.
The first approach to healing is to look at "me." What am I feeling? What am I thinking? What have my mental, emotional and spiritual responses been like – remembering that healing cannot come from a place of anger – or fear, or guilt. Wholeness and integration result from life-affirming energy, not through anger, judgment, revenge or blame.
Through quietude, meditation, contemplation and imagination one can offer their gift, their love, their energy to heal the wetlands, the marshes and those humans affected by the spill. In other words, you can be in service, in a sacred manner, to restore wholeness to the environment from wherever you are, right here and right now.
By making your energy of compassion available, you can work in attunement with the greater good. Attunement requires stillness, calm, inner peace, love and compassion. One cannot experience attunement from a place of sadness, guilt, anger or agitation.
Attunement allows you to tap into whatever brings you inspiration and into a state of presence. In a state of attunement, you merge with this source of inspiration and your own sense of wholeness and integration.
Then, through stillness, contemplation and imagination, you intentionally project your sense of presence into the areas affected by the spill – where destruction and death are occurring. Visualize and sense your self as an energy of wholeness and integration whereby you are connecting the cells of the planet – as you are knitting together the cells of the area and regenerating new cells to replace those that have died or are dying.
Visualize your presence providing loving help to those affected by the spill who are experiencing their own anger and fear as they are witnessing the real-time destruction of their lives and livelihoods. Intentionally project your blessed energy on to them.
From a place of loving kindness, you can choose to move into a place of empathy – feeling their pain and sorrow. Grief is a part of the healing process; it's fine to share your own emotions of grief and pain with those who are suffering.
Know that over time, the Gulf will heal. There will be balance and harmony in the area. It may take a very long time; but it will happen.
We know people heal differently when they focus on images of health and wholeness. Nature, too, can be supported by visions of wholeness, balance and harmony. When humans align with a greater vision and project its presence on to nature, healing can occur. In attunement with the Gulf where death and destruction are occurring, you can envision these areas in their state of harmony and perfection when they are healed and whole. You can also project healing and wholeness on to the engineers and those others who are working to repair the spill.
If you have the strength to hold the tremendous pain, grief and sorrow of this event in your heart – as challenging as this may be – you can be very supportive of healing of those creatures and humans who are being affected.
In the final analysis, the underlying issue in this disaster is becoming conscious of the "wider gulf we don't see." This the gulf that is spawned by a cross-section of society driven by greed – where living life as a "zero-sum game" creates a world that is not sustainable nor one that works for the common good.
The deeper question, then, is, "Why is this event happening FOR us?"
Many indigenous peoples have referred to oil as "the blood of the earth." Transformation in many spiritual traditions calls for the spilling of blood as a sacrifice. This movement towards sacrifice and transformation is worthy of reflection and contemplation.
Perhaps we might view this event is a sacrifice leading to a transformation – in consciousness. Will the "gulf" that divides and separates so many of us from one another narrow or widen? That's for each one of us to decide.
These are interesting times, indeed.
So, some questions for self-reflection are:
-
Do you view the Gulf oil spill as "just another oil spill?"
-
What emotions, if any, have you experienced around this event?
-
Some folks believe we humans are stewards of this planet? What do you think? What does stewardship look like to you?
-
When you're in a state of anger, and an opportunity to resolve your anger presents itself, do you ever choose to reject it and remain
angry? If so,
why? What does staying angry get you?
-
Do you ever find yourself cutting corners and rationalizing it as "business as usual?"
-
How would you describe your relationship with money?
-
Can yon you visualize a world where folks are committed to working for the common good of one another and the planet?
About Peter G. Vajda, PhD.
 Peter Vajda is a founding partner of SpiritHeart, an organization that is available to support your leaders, managers and supervisors with one-on-one and team coaching focusing on internal leadership and management practices that result in a workplace culture and environment that reflects integrity, trust, respect, fairness, meaning of work, a sense of family and community, and organizational health and well-being.
SpiritHeart's focus is on the interpersonal skills that enable individuals to work together productively with a high level of personal and professional satisfaction. This "soft skills" focus supports leaders, managers and supervisors to effectively lead, manage, supervise, encourage, teach, guide, and coach others...unhampered by interpersonal issues that create barriers to a harmonious, pleasant, and productive workplace culture and environment.
Website: www.SpiritHeart.net | Email: pvajda@spiritheart.net
|
|
![](http://www.training-store.com/LPMT-Cover90wide.jpg")
