Wednesday, October 22
As I talk with friends and family it’s interesting to note how many are on fire with new purpose. This response to the current crises is heartening. It proves what I have been on fire with myself and that is that the correct response to change is to become more creative, not to curl into a ball shivering in fright unable to move.
A favorite story comes to mind:
Two frogs were hopping through the barn and each jumped accidentally into separate pails of milk. Both frogs flailed their legs wildly and cried out with fright “I’m going to die, I’m going to die” One frog then threw up his arms in despair and sank to the bottom and died. The other frog kept flailing all night until the milk turned to butter and he climbed out.
There are distinct recognizable psychological differences between individuals who do well in crises and those who do not. Those differences are what I propose to explore in the workshop for winter “Creative Tools for Changing Times.” Some people learn those skills as young people surviving difficult environments while others seem to come equipped with them but in either case they are things that can be taught.
“Courage is tested under duress”,” character is formed in the struggle with life’s challenges.” Cliches are archetypal expressions true at all times and places. I tend not to use them for they are a lazy way to say something and yet why reinvent the wheel. Nothing could be truer about facing difficulties than these truisms and though I would never ask for life to be difficult in order to become strong, when it does become difficult I can accept the challenge and engage with it with all of my energy and awareness so that the opportunity to improve is not lost.
