Work of the Heart and Mind

Sue Staropoli, April, 2020

Note: The following was delivered in video format in the PARA Newsletter for May, 2020. You can watch the video here.

My heart is full as I send you this message … full of love, full of sadness and grief, full of uncertainty, full of imaginings of a better future we’ve all been dreaming of and working toward.

We are living in unprecedented times that offer us both pain and possibility.

The Pachamama vision has often expressed how we are being called to change our relationships – with ourselves, with each other, with other species and with the planet.

We have spoken of new paradigms we need to embrace –

from separation to interconnectedness,

from “more” to “enough,”

from me to we,

from competition to collaboration,

from inequity to justice,

from isolation to community,

from over-consumption to appreciation/sufficiency,

from ego to eco,

from exploitation to interdependence,

from greed to generosity,

from a destructive economy to a life-giving one,

from hopelessness to possibility,

from excessive busyness to inner reflection and peace.

Now we are each being given time to reflect on our lives, to realize how much we have, what is most important, what we really need, and what our part is in making the new world possible. As many indigenous leaders have expressed – This is the time we have been waiting for. A time when we as a human species will transform the way we live and think. When we truly come together as one planet – when all life is honored, respected and living in harmony. With love as the source of it all.

The Pachamama Alliance is supporting us on this path. The national office has created a new series of programs entitled “Resilience and Possibility in These Times.” The offerings are all either on-line or through Zoom (or phone conferencing) – so they are available to everyone. They include weekly conversations with inspiring thought leaders, daily sacred space rituals, weekly workshops to give us skills we need not only to cope but to grow and be empowered in these challenging times. They include small groups for deep sharing as well as insightful speakers to inform and inspire us.

Someone said – Whatever the problem, community is the answer. As we are living apart from others physically, we can connect even more deeply through the creative ways technology is empowering us.

This is a time of transformation – picture the imaginal cells of the caterpillar – waiting to break forth into a beautiful butterfly. We are the imaginal cells. We are transforming individually and collectively. We are the ones being called to make a new world possible.

I welcome you into the Pachamama Alliance community – in Rochester and globally – in whatever ways you want to engage or partner with us in this important work.

This is work of the heart and mind – leading us into action – perhaps starting with personal reflection on our lifestyles – getting clearer on our intention. What parts of the old “normal” do we need to let go of? What do we want to embrace as part of a new way of being?

We hope you enjoy this new format of our monthly newsletter – and our exciting new website: www.pachapeopleroc.org

It continues to evolve so please check back often to see what is newly offered!

There are descriptions of the many different work groups locally, so you can find what interests you and invites you to engage in action, within community.

© 2020 Sue Staropoli

If you would like to comment on this blog/post, please respond to paranewsletter@gmail.com. In the interest of generative dialogue, we welcome your thoughts and will do our best to reply in a timely manner.