The struggle is the game

I feel that a mistake a lot of us make when embracing issues such as spirituality and enlightenment, is that we believe it to be some sort of magical "aha!" moment, an epiphany that in one instant changes everything. We gaze out into the horizon, eagerly hoping to find that treasure, that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

It's not our fault... We've been conditioned to think like this, by society, by educators, by religion: "I will be happy when I lose ten pounds", "I will start a business when I've paid my debt", "I will know I have made it when I get there", "I will receive my reward in the afterlife", "I will know more once I graduate"... the scripts we tell us are endless, but they all share a common theme:

We keep on gazing, wondering where the life we want might be, all the while ignoring where we are and what we are doing NOW.

It is the same with people, and by extension, communities... We expect them to be perfect, for everyone to get along... "When we finally have X, then Y will happen". And we conflate "not being there yet" with not being good enough, and thus we dismiss a person, a place, or even ourselves as unworthy, as beneath some idealized standard in our head.

We keep looking for the ideal, and miss out on reality.

When children play, they get dirty, don't they? Why do we, as grown ups, obsess about our own cleanliness? Life is the game, and the game is messy. And though we enjoy things neat and controlled, it is only in losing ourselves in the fun of playing that we truly are alive.

So no more gazing into the horizon. No more expecting perfection. Come out here and play. You may get dirty. You may scrape your knee. But you will enjoy every second of it.

Don't be put off by the appearance of chaos. Chaos is order reaching its maximum speed. People who seem to be fighting are simply displaying their enthusiasm at levels that escape their usual grasp. But enthusiasm out of control, regardless of its messiness, has one thing going for it:

Transparency.

So be yourself. Have fun. And let's get dirty. :laugh:

I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes in this idea. In fact I just recently used it in my Kamikeedi journal.


Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson

I'm curious to know what people will say about this.

For the record, I'm with you, Manu. I love getting down and dirty. But, as an infinite, energetic being of the Force, I have to remember that there are other levels of existence out there. While we're getting muddy here, there are other places we can also spend our time.

We needn't be tied down to just one type of experience.

I think, for many of us, our lives are filled with existential dread and, conversely, confusing minutiae. We go to work each day and deal with problems. But, when we go to church, we want things to be a ritualistic representation of perfection (read: heaven, or complete oneness with GOD/Force/whatever).

It's different if we make the sacrifice and go behind the scenes... any church you go to will have drama. But, it mostly stays back in the office. Sure, people will gossip. But, at the churches I grew up in, we all got together on Sundays to worship together. And, everything was ok.

Where is the "Ok"?

Maybe this means we need more Live Services. Maybe more people should come... so, perhaps we need them in varying time zones.
Maybe this means each of us needs to consciously come to the chat and shoot the breeze. Or, make the commitment to try the Saturday hangout discussions. Bible study for Jedi. Breakout sessions... Mission trips.

We need to create culture and family here.

It's up to each of us, ranking or not, to contribute to that culture. And, it won't happen if we force it. We just have to come, be a part, and watch it all unfold.

I'm sure this reads like a mess... it was just my thoughts as they came out.

From my pretty damaged and well diagnosed perspective, I can only handle so much down and dirty at a time, and only in certain ways.

In order to feel safe, like literally safe in my personhood and life, I need to have some idea of what's ahead. I need to be able to stop the ride when I'm too dizzy. I need the company of people who also know a bit of what's ahead, and how to get off the ride.

I don't mean I want to know the future... but I want to know the possibilities.

But like I said, I come damaged. Maybe too far gone for human consumption; I don't know. I'm hoping not.

ReallyRiver wrote: From my pretty damaged and well diagnosed perspective, I can only handle so much down and dirty at a time, and only in certain ways.

In order to feel safe, like literally safe in my personhood and life, I need to have some idea of what's ahead. I need to be able to stop the ride when I'm too dizzy. I need the company of people who also know a bit of what's ahead, and how to get off the ride.

I don't mean I want to know the future... but I want to know the possibilities.

But like I said, I come damaged. Maybe too far gone for human consumption; I don't know. I'm hoping not.

Well, that is precisely my point in the original post: you are not damaged! Saying you are damaged would be to stare out into the horizon and glance at an idealized self.

You are awesome. And you are playing your own game. Don't let anyone playing theirs tell you otherwise.

I love your goofiness. You are fun. You are beautiful.

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye, but growth does seem to require discomfort. These days are probably too comfortable for our own good, so its important to reconnect to hard edges sometimes.... as it lends perspective. I don't mean suffering for suffering sake though, instead just not using forms of stagnation as an excuse for fear to anchor ones self.... as life is moving all around us all the time, some bad but some awesome, more then any one person can imagine probably!!

And action could be said to be informed by both method and knowledge - its very easy to think we know enough to do something but its not until you have some experience in the doing of it that a shifting in perspective can become agile enough to better balance the method and knowledge of focus for that action. But there are just as infinite number of excuses not to do something too, I guess it comes down to imagination and telling oneself to give it a try? Safety first though :whistle:

We need to realize there is no "ok". Ok is only what we make for ourselves. Safe is only what we demand of the universe and carve out of the muck. There is nothing else.

Kyrin, that's only one piece of the puzzle. Though, it's a damn good one. Self-reliance is a Jedi trait we should all strive for.

However, the whole purpose of community is to remove some of the burden associated with the risks that come of isolation. If you are solitary, then you provide yourself everything. But, in a pack, some other needs are met. We exchange goods for those favors, and suddenly everybody is more prosperous. It's a social contract of sorts. I may have read about this in Hobbes.... but, I can't be sure.

In any case, safety is what we make of it. But, here in the Temple, it is what WE make of it. As a group. We can decide to protect one another, or we can isolate and force everybody to fend for themselves.

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote: We need to realize there is no "ok". Ok is only what we make for ourselves. Safe is only what we demand of the universe and carve out of the muck. There is nothing else.

This is what my fears tell me.
I hope they aren't correct, but maybe they are.
If they are, I'm not sure I'm interested in witnessing what comes next.

Connor L. wrote: Kyrin, that's only one piece of the puzzle. Though, it's a damn good one. Self-reliance is a Jedi trait we should all strive for.

However, the whole purpose of community is to remove some of the burden associated with the risks that come of isolation. If you are solitary, then you provide yourself everything. But, in a pack, some other needs are met. We exchange goods for those favors, and suddenly everybody is more prosperous. It's a social contract of sorts. I may have read about this in Hobbes.... but, I can't be sure.

In any case, safety is what we make of it. But, here in the Temple, it is what WE make of it. As a group. We can decide to protect one another, or we can isolate and force everybody to fend for themselves.

Yes, you are absolutely correct. I did fail to mention that. We are definitely a social species and we can thrive if we allow ourselves to be surrounded and supported by our pack. That is very much where the safety lies. We need to embrace that and nurture that because thats where we find strength to make ourselves ok.