On Values, Spirit, and Action

“As a poet I hold the most archaic values on earth . . . the fertility of the soil, the magic of animals, the power-vision in solitude, the terrifying initiation and rebirth, the love and ecstasy of the dance, the common work of the tribe. I try to hold both history and the wilderness in mind, that my poems may approach the true measure of things and stand against the unbalance and ignorance of our times.”
― Gary Snyder

view from the top of Mount Abraham in Lincoln, VT

I often wonder where the lines are between standing in my values and pushing my beliefs on others and between between humility and passivity. I have gone through many phases of this journey- from burnt-out self-righteous activist to inwardly-focused spiritual seeker longing for a greater contribution (with many more-comfortable variations in between). For the last two years, I have identified more strongly with the latter end of the spectrum. As I prepare to move to Atlanta, I am thinking about the ways I want to deepen in my contribution to myself and others through my “business” as a poet and teaching artist. I seek to use my poetry to even more bravely express my soul and to use my teaching to even more directly connect me with the communities and causes I support. I hope to do this while making a comfortable amount of money and finding reasons to travel nationally and internationally with my work. At the same time, I will be moving to a more urban location, where I seek to maintain my connection to the earth, strengthen my daily commitment to sustainability, and find ways to fill my soul without my current access to the forests and hills of my home. I do not yet know how I will strike the balance between my inner and outer life, humbly articulate and connect with my beliefs, and deepen my connection to the earth through this transition. But I do have some tools. Gail Straub is a mentor of mine in the world of empowerment life coaching. She wrote a book called The Rhythm of Compassion, through which she guides readers to  explore “the rich and complex intersection between the inner life and the life of service.” As I go through this self-directed course, I notice my resistance to increasing my outer life. I’m afraid of stepping back into the self-righteousness, ego, and frustration that I used to feel. I notice my old desire to define service as an act of fixing or adhering to a particular political doctrine. I feel the compassion I’ve cultivated for myself and the world through my inner work, and I open to new definitions of how to “serve-” definitions that allow me to remain humble, loving, and accepting of a whole spectrum of beliefs. Gail’s book is split into sections on the “In Breath: Caring for Self” and the “Out Breath: Caring for Others.” I am beginning to work with the “Out Breath” now, and I am excited to redefine how I connect with the world and to explore anew the causes that most stir my soul to action.