John O’Donohue wrote, “Sometimes the greatest challenge is to actually begin; there is something deep in us that conspires with what wants to remain within safe boundaries and stay the same.”
As a meditation teacher, I often speak about habits that are comfortable (we’re used to them) but they don’t feel good: they constrict our mind and heart; they inhibit our well-being. It takes courage to move outside our habitual comfort level. Yet that’s the place of freedom, growth, and change. It’s how we empower ourselves and others. It’s how we live life true to ourselves and the greater world.
“Living life true” doesn’t mean defending our hard work and denying white supremacy. It means stepping into the discomfort of what we’ve been gifted as white people in a country that was born racist. It’s not our fault, but it is our responsibility. And this inner work is uncomfortable! I’ve sat in meditation with many internal emotional storms. I’ve sat long silent retreats this way. Yet there’s a new level of (immense) discomfort that I feel now, as I grieve, listen, learn, and make changes.
So, we begin. This isn’t a sprint. It’s not a quick fix. It’s a life-long commitment to self-awareness (including discomfort), vulnerability, compassion, humility, and courage. To buoy our efforts, we must embrace and cultivate joy, wonder, play, and love. Not stuck in the suffering nor blissed out by our ignorance. Live, love, breathe with the difficult complexities. Knowing we’ll make mistakes yet willing to bare our hearts and open our minds; to begin again—honest, true, compassionate—for the rest of our lives.
