discernment…the ability to judge well.
in corona times we are called on to use our discernment constantly…do i need a mask? which one? is this venue safe? do i feel safe on the bus? should i shop online instead of inside the shop? did i wash my hands for the full 20 seconds?
am i living in fear or am i exercising my wisdom?
this seems to be the question of the moment, the question that underlies all the others. as we grow older, we hope to gain some wisdom. we have certainly lived through many experiences that have taught us much. using that learning to make beneficial decisions is an aspect of our growing wisdom.
discernment, the ability to judge well, is a facet on the jewel of wisdom. to see and hear deeply to what occupies our outer world and balance it with the vision and voice of our inner world, is the wisdom of the elder. from there can spring those meaningful, supportive, thoughtful decisions, decisions that benefit ourselves and include those around us.
and it is discernment that led me to rest for a while from this wonderful experience of writing blog posts. now, as the year turns, i too am turning forward to the writing and to those who read these moments of our shared experience. thank you for being here…i’m so glad to be back! and to begin anew.
the decision to take a period of rest was a wise one. after almost 200 continuous blog posts, my inner muse needed some time to regroup, recalibrate, refresh and re-elder herself. (we usually use the word ‘rejuvenate’ which comes from the same root as ‘juvenile’ [latin juvenīlis], to be younger again. we don’t yet have a world to reconnect with our elder self…yet another example of our youth oriented culture!)
i sincerely hope that we will continue to walk together through corona times and emerge wiser, truer, bolder, more curious, more authentic than when we entered this unsettling time in our long experience.
and that through it all, we remember to breathe gently through all the moments that ask for discernment.
p.s. i still haven't figured out how to place images into my posts since wordpress has changed it's format...sigh. new learning for the curious elder!
the teacher, a deep yogini of many years of practice, said something that resonated deeply as we ‘entered’ the online space. “arriving is a continual process..a process of acceptance”.what i took from those simple words echoed what i am learning from my ageing process. i am constantly arriving into each moment, each breath, each aspect of who i am, each step of unfolding.
and each ‘each’ is a lesson in acceptance as i become more deeply aware of what ageing means to, and for, me.my physical self changes almost daily…skin, hair, waistline, muscles, joints, digestion. my mental self also experiences continual shifting…my capacity to respond to shifts in information, my memory, my ability to concentrate and focus, my organisational skill. finding acceptance of these changes is often challenging, difficult and even painful. other times the acceptance flow with grace and ease.
my emotional self also experiences change with the passing of days and hours and minutes. deep love, grief, with its accompanying tears, irritation (and sometimes incandescent anger), unimaginable joy, bubbles of laughter at the silliest events. each of these shifts in my emotional landscape asks me to inquire and accept them as they flow like a river in my heart.
alongside all of these changes, something remains…steady, true, unerring. the connection to Spirit, and the deepening of that connection, grows with each passing day. sometimes this growth is imperceptible, known to me only in retrospect. other times, there is a growth spurt, much like my physical self experienced many decades ago. suddenly there is an insight or a perception that is new and enlightening.i never know what these changes might be, or when and how they might arrive. it is my commitment to awaken to their arrival. i only know that they are part of the mystery of elderhood.arrival into, and acceptance, of each one is vital, essential.
while not specifically about eldering/conscious ageing, margaret's insights into the spiritual life have a great deal to offer us on the path of our unfolding as elders...gentle, inspiring, undemanding though challenging enough to be interesting, and often very funny.enjoy!
some of the 20th century’s meaningful thinkers have shared this insight with jung. it lead several of them to amazing understandings and spiritual growth.we can, each of us, take the plunge to unimagined depths of wisdom in our seventy or eighty years.
we can, each of us, find the meaning for ourselves and for the species in those many decades.we can, each of us, refuse to be an appendage, worthy of pity.we can, each of us, step into our power as elders. this power is different for each of us. we must, each of us, find our own way to it, to embracing our true nature and then expressing the authentic self that we are, each of us.for some this power may express itself in political action, possibly stepping into an arena unfamiliar due to current events. for others, this aspect of life might be of long acquaintance. for yet others of us, the power may lie in mentoring those younger than we. these may be grandchildren, great-nieces or -nephews or it may be those we mentor in literacy or numeracy or their careers.
for other elders, this power may be found on the meditation cushion or yoga mat. here we might find strength and inner resilience. these contemplative practices might provide a haven from the challenges of elderhood as well as a space in which to connect with something greater than ourselves, something we can lean into.
whatever the path to this wisdom, each of us can choose to explore, discover or deepen. new creative expressions of our wisdom and power may arise in our seventies and eighties. we my renew former passions that lead us to our power, energies we set aside in our younger years. regardless of how the path unfolds, each of us has the capacity for finding meaning in our elderhood.we must, each of us, find it in ourselves before others will see and appreciate it.we can, each of us, embrace our wisdom. it is one of the many gifts of longevity.
we encounter ambiguity when something…a situation, a statement… has more than one meaning and can be understood in more than one way. therefore it often causes confusion or misunderstanding.certainly, our current world situation is filled with statements and situations that can be understood in more than one way! the advice we receive regarding protecting our health is ambiguous. the regulations we are expected to follow often can be confusing. and misunderstanding is commonplace.
to live in an ambiguous world asks us to be agile. flexibility helps us adapt to constant change. flexibility in mind and body supports all of us in whatever our current situation might be. it has always been so, though the desirability of flexible thinking is of even greater assistance now.
all of the world’s population has been asked to alter plans. what we might have planned for april or may or june of 2020 had to be cancelled or radically shifted. all of our social pathways suddenly changed. our habits were challenged.responding with agile, creative thinking allowed the ambiguity of the situation to shift. suddenly finding new pathways to daily activities opened new doors. while difficult and challenging, our years of experience held keys to finding our adaptability.learning new skills also helped us find our agility. recently a newspaper article featured a 92-year old who gave his iPad to a 93-year old friend so they could continue to visit, virtually. he taught his friend to use the iPad on the phone and then he, of course, bought a new one…online. many of us have learned new ways to communicate virtually over that last little while. we’ve become zoomers!
maintaining agility in body is vital when we are moving less. many of us, possibly because we’ve become zoomers, are sitting much more. there is very little casual walking to the corner shop or the newsagent. we are spending more time on the sofa of late. fortunately, online exercise and yoga videos, designed for elders, have become more common. they help us maintain joint and muscle health in these more sedentary times.
it is this agility and flexibility that enables elders to stay vibrant, engaged and embracing life. in this way we are models in the vuca world, continuing to grow and learn.