Becausecertaintyabouta negativeoutcome can function as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Wecancreatewhatwewouldlikenottohappen by believing that it is inevitable. We have to
suspendthatcertainty.Ontheotherhand,to be in denial is to say, “Oh that’s too horrible to
imagine,I can’tletmyselffeelthat.”Andthen I’m putting on blinkers, I’m refusing to face
realityinanunvarnishedway.Somywayof living has to take into account that collapse is
oneofthepossibilities.Thatmylifemaybe cut short, that my son’s life may be cut short,
thateverythingI lovemaybedestroyed.Infact, all living things that have ever come into
being,anyonewho’severbeenbornhasdied. That’s the record of what it is to be a living
thing.Lifehasa cycleanditdoesincludedeath. And eventually it will include death even
tothewholelivingplanet.It’sa living,amazingly complex, rich, ancient living form but it is
notgoingtobeeternal.Thesunwillsupernova eventually. So in light of the fact that we’re at
thiscriticaltippingpointandthatitmightbring collapse or it might bring new opportunities
andnewemergences,wellI candoonething that is the best thing to do no matter what
thepathaheadis.Andthat’storecognisethat this is my time to show up with the very best
I possiblycanandbea forceofwisdomand love and generativity. I can extend myself as
a sourceofstabilityandcareandconnection to others. And if everything is going to hell
ina handbasket,that’swhatI wanttobedoing. The psychologist James Hillman wrote a
reallywonderfulbookinthelastfewyearsof his life called The Force of Character. In it he
wascontemplatingoldage.Earlierinhislife he thought of his life being about discovering
hissoulnatureandunfoldinghissoul’sgreatest work. And by now he’d already had a huge
career.Eventhoughhehasallthesecontributions to the creation of archetypal psychology
andtheevolutionofneo-Jungianpsychotherapy, his real life’s work was the building of his
character.Andattheendofhislifeit’slikeputting a finish on that. Like getting out the fine
gritsandpaperandtheoilandbringingitto a high-gloss sheen. The whole human race at the
endofitstrajectorywouldbeputtinga finish on our collective character. Under crisis, the
worstinpeoplecomesoutbutthebestinpeople also comes out. Therefore, the recognition
thatthehair-raisingwildnessofthismoment that we’re all in is an opportunity. It’s an
intrusionthatsays,To me the conversation
needs to be rooted in a
recognition of what’s
really going on here in
this moment, which is,
if I were not distracted,
not agitated, not
reactive, not confused, if
I were really fully awake,
fully present, right here
right now, the radiant
divinity of this moment
would be so profoundly
apparent that it would
absolutely be the main“Attention! Thisisyour cue! This is your moment
in evolutionaryterms. Do what you can.”
You’retalkingtothepartofthebookthatreallybrokemeand sobered me. Which
isyourwords,“Ifit’stoolatewecanatleastwritetheendofthe human story well.”
Throughself-understanding,loveinaction,brotherhood,sisterhood, elegance and
genius.Andit’salsoa profoundlymatureandspirituallyadvanced position and one
thatI don’tthinkmanypeoplecantolerate.Becausewhenyou talk about arriving
tothismomentwithourfullestsenseofloving,compassionate awareness, I don’t
knowhowmanybillionpeopleontheplanetwouldoptfor pressing the nuclear
button.Like,let’sjustgotowar.Myinstinctasa motherof three small children
isjustgrippingfearandpanic.AndalsoI lovedthecalling in the book to sober,
elegant,lovingcontribution.Thatmaybethat’stheonlyexperiment any of this ever
wasabout—arrivingtoourhighestselves,andthatthisisthe great shockwave to
makeusseethat.Butmyfeelingisthatonlysomeofuswill have that response
orleanintothatpossibilityasbeautiful.Whereassomany people already live in
survivalmode.They’rejustgoingtorespondfroma baseanimus, a place of, “Save
myself,blowupwhateverI needtoextractandclimb on top of others.”102
TERRY PATTEN
DUMBO FEATHER