Something's happening in this world. I think it's been building for a while, and I think it's going to happen soon. Michael and I discussed this last summer--the way I see the world, and the way he sees the world, it is not unique. This much is evidenced by the fact that we see our thoughts and feelings echoed in books and songs and film--even some created before we were born.
I'm now interested in Eckhart Tolle, who I admit I dismissed immediately once I heard he was Oprah's New Big Thing (the last NBT I heard of from Oprah was Dr Phil). The new issue of Shambhala Sun has an article on him, which says, '[he] sees his books as catalysts contributing to the arising of a new, less egoic consiousness and "a more enlightened humanity."'
That's what we saw, discussing the matter last July. We're not starting any revolutions, here; we're contributing to the one that already exists. In his autibiography, Providence, Daniel Quinn explains that in the seventies, he was aware that his generation's "revolution" would fail. But he also realized it wouldn't die--the embers would burn beneath, and the next generation would pick it up. That's why he wrote Ishmael (and his other books). Today I bought his book Beyond Civilization, (non-fiction; it's found under 'Social Sciences' at Barnes & Noble). About it (and within it), he says,
Over and over again, literally thousands of times, people have said to me or written to me, "I understand what you're saying--you've changed the way I see the world and our place in it--but what are we supposed to DO about it?
I might have said, "Isn't it obvious?" But obviously it isn't obvious--or anything remotely like obvious.
In this book I hope to make it obvious.
...
I have had some really amazing fortune. Somewhere in my life, I developed the tendency to draw lines between events, to notice connections. So I felt it was really significant that I've met some amazing people--but even more amazing to see how they fit together. I've got friends who are interested in communal living, and I've got friends with land they're interested in providing for a commune. I know some wicked clever scientific minds. What is always surprising to me, though, is that I also keep meeting people who know--just know--they are going to change the world. Honestly, I cannot count on one hand the number of people that have confided this "secret" to me in the past year. The way I see it, there's an army of prophets-to-be developing. It's an exciting thing to witness.
I feel drawn forward, and I've felt the current growing stronger over the past, lord, twelve years. And in the past year I've felt it increase exponentially. I made up my mind, back in 2001, to do what I'm doing with my life. But I was too afraid; I had the belief, but not the faith, that it wouldn't kill me to separate myself from the world I knew but didn't understand. I finally took that leap of faith, and went from crawling forward to being hurled at breakneck speeds. That's one thing I don't think people catch, sometimes--I'm not in this for the fun or for the adventure. I'm doing what feels to me like the "right thing to do." I'm following a sign like Socrates's, and I'm motivated to do so by curiosity: "For some reason, I feel like I should do this... I wonder what will happen if I do..."
What I mean to say is, I took a leap of faith, to have conviction in what I believe. And since I did, even my lowest moments have felt better than my highest points spent not chasing this dream. I've faced the hardest and most painful things I ever have, just in the past few months, but I've found myself handing them much more capably than I handled lesser woes in my past. I feel like a better, stronger person than ever before, and know I'll only improbe in these respects as I continue to follow this path.
I feel like we're standing on the edge of something big. Take a leap of faith with me.
2 comments:
shhh. don't tell. but i just know i'm going to change the world. :) in fact, maybe i already have...
Yes, well, I know you have, and you will still. Never stop, my dear.
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