In reading The I of the Storm by Gary Simmons, I was able to absorb his conception of the harmony of being and doing. In my own vernacular, they feed each other. And there is choice in each of them. We decide what we are going to be; that from which we act out our lives. And we decide our actions.
The interesting thing about acting out our actions is the choice of acting from a consciousness of who we are at the core of our being, or acting out from fear based on past experience. All fear is based on our past experiences and the meanings we give them.
So as I was reading this, I just stopped and focused on being from the state of spirit, from a state of "not-doing" as Lao Tzu says. Yes, it seemed a little like meditation, bordering on sleeping, but there was an intensity of awareness that seemed to drive inward. When it was shattered by the phone ringing, that sudden withdrawal from a state of simple consciousness created a contrast to it that allowed a clear view of what it felt like at its deepest.
I am repeatedly affirmed by the number of occassions where it is acknowledged that the best connection that occurs among people is in a small size of 6-8 people. That seems to be the number that allows for a connection and authenticity for all the members. At that size, they foster a level of safety that encourages even the quietest member to speak up. Yet they are not so large that people get lost in the dynamics, and small enough that the dominant personality doesn't take the power of the room.
That's why the Small Group Book Study works so well for understanding the material and exploring the wisdom of the collective.
Peace & Love,
Larry Watson
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