Learning Lessons of Life

Last week I started reading the book Original Instructions, by Melissa K. Nelson. As the website says the book shares what “Indigenous leaders and other visionaries suggest solutions to today’s global crisis.”
The sharing is accomplished through presentations that have been made by Indigenous leaders at Bioneers Conferences over the past years.

So why post about this today? In one of the presentations I’ve already read the speaker says that we’ll know when we’re in crisis when the winds accelerate consistently…can anyone Ike, Gustav, Fay. Or what about all the tornados and spouts we’re seeing in the Midwest and all over for that matter. One sign accounted for. The second sign is when the children, for lack of a better phrase, are being affected adversely, and their behavior reflects that. Can anyone say, school shootings, teenage pregnancy, drug use etc.

They describe the western culture of me first, which results in conquered lands, extreme wealth and poverty, Wall St. fiascos and the rampant greed the permeates our society today. This from a capitalist.

They suggest a general approach to even start solving this begins with us all recognizing it’s “we.” There is no “they and them.” This is at least from the standpoint of our survival as a race.
I know its heavy but last week with 9/11, Wall St teetering, the political bobble heads spouting and other significant happenings, it was a weird freak’n week. This week seems to be starting on as a continuation.

As I drove back from a client meeting this afternoon I decided a commitment I’m making this week is to spend some time thinking about the “we.” About what’s important, finding ways to slow this roller coaster down. And I hope you’ll take a few mins. to do the same.

When the proverbial @#$% hits the fan we’ll all be looking for help. If we starting thinking about the “we” today, there may be less @#$% hitting the fan tomorrow.

Tom Pellicane – Publisher, canvas Magazine