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Lovely spotlight on murmation and the impact of that small number of 7 (leaders) that influence the huge flock of birds! Wowza. A bit unrelated but I wake every morning quite early here in northern Mexico. There is a huge flock of Great-Tailed Grakles (the blackbird of Mexico), and as they begin to wake just before the sun rises, there is this lovely bird song that begins and continues throughout the day. My first thought upon reading, however, was that we do have this influence of a small number of humans on a group. There are several psychological terms for it, but we are seeing it in the US currently, and throughout European countries, against immigrants, and in several other nationalistic movements. The author noted this as our operating from a "behavioral function". I do hope that our human species comes to be linked by our Quorum sensing and that we make a turn for the better, yes, for the survival of all of us, and that this turn brings us to our human murmuration, at the soonest.

What a lovely, gentle story that teaches us, metaphorically, to be gentle, beginning with ourselves as it brings awareness to the fore, and then our gentleness can ripple out to others. I needed this message and gentle reminder this morning. Reading the story, I was struck by the thought of the ripple effect of my actions and behaviors. The shaking of the branch to release the fruit is a metaphor for how often we press ourselves and one another for something that we hope will give us understanding... or how the stresses and strains of life and living cause us to agressively move forward in life to get what we think we need to ease our burdens... or how our judgement of another person and their choices can create discomfort, sadness, and turmoil for them. I recognized that at times in my life, I have not walked gently, but rather I have shaken the branch to get what I thought I needed. The reading is a huge reminder for me to strive for awareness of all things around me (the pebbles underfoot and the ripples of air on my skin and through my nose). In the story, Vinoba does not rebuff us for our missteps, but rather teaches us to have discernment and to gently move forward, listening with awareness, care, and respect for the quiet timing of things

This is a valuable and encouraging reminder of equanimity. I am grateful for this in my early morning here in Mexico. Compassionate Acknowledgment and Acceptance ... For those with constant pain, labeling pain as a concept, seems dismissive, and that perhaps the writer may not understand how debilitating the pain can be... however, accepting the pain, the circumstance at that moment that comes with the pain, and taking wise and compassionate self-care of one's self (slower movement, the need to stop and rest, whatever it may be) is a good thing. This brings calm to the mind and spirit, lessens anxiety and rambling thoughts. This is also a reminder to become equanimous with the residual emotions that come along with any pain we experience - Compassionately Acknowledge and Accept them, Breath, move forward... Something else that I learned from this group nearly 2 decades ago, is in the midst of my pain to be of service to others. Being of service does not take the pain away, but it does provide my life with meaning and depth in my life and increases my compassion and empathy overall.

I love this, "Wisdom could be better described as a practice of becoming rather than a state of knowing. " This resonates with me deeply as I am living my dream of living and working in different countries. I am practicing 'becoming' - more aware, more empathetic, more patient, more... I also believe I become wiser the better connected I am to the community I am living within (my work community, my neighborhood, my larger city community). As I become a contributer, an active partner, I become wiser through the connections I make.

This is a timely reading for me. The Starr writes about being open as our self is revealed to us when we ask, and reflect (and accept) on the answer to the timeless question, Who am I? I was struck at how the answer is broader the older we get, and the more aware we are of the world around us. The answer is most certainly and obviously that we are not a solitary being, but rather we are all these things, as the author points out. This recognition, the re-connection to this fact, does bring fullness and wholeness and a sense of completion and belonging along with it. The writing caused me to reflect on the idea that we as the author says we are 'all' these things, the sunlight on the water, the breeze that lifts our hair. In this time of global warming, and also of war when we connect our self to all these things we also realize the accountability we have for supporting and taking care of all these things. A bit like self-care when we actively care for our community, and more. This is a valuable realization. When we begin to actively take care of our self , and upon realizing this connection to all things, our care-full choices, and actions also have a broad and positive impact on all things. I felt the author seemed to belittle transcendence in her writing. However, I feel that when we realize the vastness of our self, and when we become equanimous with the idea that we are all these things, we are indeed transcending our limited self.

I love the Awakin readings and have for years! This one is an odd take comparing manipulation to empathy, it's odd. The author seems confused and unawares to me. What is spotlighted in the writing about AI offering empathy is empty, yes, but in this article. Yikes. People, users, do not have an expectation of understanding or anything remotely like empathy from AI. It's laughable to even think about when recently highlighted in the news that when people 'thank' ChatGPT it is costly monetarily! hahaha When as individuals we have empathy for another, is beautiful and wonderful for both. Having empathy shows a willingness to understand another person and what they are experiencing. The act of empathy is opening ourselves to another person, and being available to them. Allowing another person to empathize with us is sharing ourselves, being vulnerable, and allowing a glimpse (or more) into our experience, our world. This is a lovely exchange between people. Our ability to connect, to empathize, to understand someone else is a growing process, and likewise our ability to share ourselves, to be vulnerable, and to allow this sort of empathic connectice is also a process (both being a practice even...). I feel that the 'interpretation' of genuineness and accountability that the author is writing about, cannot be fairly judged or measured by an observer only by those active in this exchange.

Love healing and fixing everything is a high minded ideal. I agree with it, and also with the opinion that it is difficult to everyone on board with this beautiful ideal of love. So, it begins with each of us choosing how we respond to others and to situations. Our personal choice is the power and it is the only thing we control and the only way we can impact a situation and create that beginning ripple of love in circumstances and situations. Love can be demonstrated in so many ways, too: empathy, simple listening to another, a hug for another, selfless acts of kindness, to name a few. I'd like to see more love and also more recognition by each of us of the love and loving acts we receive and witness... Cheers to love!

So true! My 87 year old mum has oft said that truth is very often somewhere in middle... what we think is the best or the worst, is just not.

So true! My 87 year old mum has oft said that truth is very often somewhere in middle... what we think is the best or the worst, is just not.

I love this sort of 'sage advice' and reflections from others on life and living! There's that phrase, "Take what you need and leave the rest." and I feel that way with Kevin Kelly's list - though most of them resonate with me on some level and give me further room for thought! As I am aging and living and doing things I hadn't imagined, I get Kevin's list making of advice and it is good to listen to these things from others as Kevin says, "...they might be helpful"!

Lovely, hopeful read! I totally feel and relate to this reading!

Yes, I agree Kristin!

Awe, this is a timely read and message for me… conflict, this is an experience I am having at present and I can see that my perception of this conflict fills my thought leaving little space for clear thinking and releasing attachment to this conflict. I’m humbled and am ‘rethinking’ this situation.

The title grabbed me on this read and caught my imagination with all the difficulties that we are experiencing in the world and especially in the US right now from the effects and deaths of COVID, to unemployment, the racial divide and crimes, to fires, and hurricanes and the effects of all of these things on the citizenry, on the attitudes and outlooks of my fellow citizens... But the writing feels like it is an excerpt of a larger piece... like some things are missing... more info on the passing of her teacher maybe... I felt let down by the content... Still the title and what that meant to me is perhaps enough for me... the glory and terror of 'it' is real these days for sure, wherever we find ourselves. There is that yin and yang in everything, and our response to 'it' (thoughts, feelings, actions, interactions) does have a far-reaching impact for sure, I feel that personally residing in China going on 5-years now and especially during the outbreak of the virus and the global pandemic. Many years ago I learned the word equanimous while learning meditation on Wednesday Nights and attending a silent mediation retreat. I still grapple with that process, every day really. it is difficult at this time of difficulty to accept and be equanimous with things, it is also difficult sometimes to find the positive and goodness in the moment when you're standing in the middle of really difficult circumstances. For me, the key has been 'service', the doing and being for others. This in itself helps me to put someone else and their needs and the effect of what I do at the forefront of my thoughts and actions. Also choosing the company I keep and that means being with, chatting with people that in the midst of difficulties in their life still find goodness and have gratitude for many things! Also reading and writing about goodness and there are many sources for this like the Karuna publication of good news. With the title of this reflection in m... [View Full Comment] The title grabbed me on this read and caught my imagination with all the difficulties that we are experiencing in the world and especially in the US right now from the effects and deaths of COVID, to unemployment, the racial divide and crimes, to fires, and hurricanes and the effects of all of these things on the citizenry, on the attitudes and outlooks of my fellow citizens...

But the writing feels like it is an excerpt of a larger piece... like some things are missing... more info on the passing of her teacher maybe...

I felt let down by the content...

Still the title and what that meant to me is perhaps enough for me... the glory and terror of 'it' is real these days for sure, wherever we find ourselves. There is that yin and yang in everything, and our response to 'it' (thoughts, feelings, actions, interactions) does have a far-reaching impact for sure, I feel that personally residing in China going on 5-years now and especially during the outbreak of the virus and the global pandemic.

Many years ago I learned the word equanimous while learning meditation on Wednesday Nights and attending a silent mediation retreat. I still grapple with that process, every day really. it is difficult at this time of difficulty to accept and be equanimous with things, it is also difficult sometimes to find the positive and goodness in the moment when you're standing in the middle of really difficult circumstances.

For me, the key has been 'service', the doing and being for others. This in itself helps me to put someone else and their needs and the effect of what I do at the forefront of my thoughts and actions. Also choosing the company I keep and that means being with, chatting with people that in the midst of difficulties in their life still find goodness and have gratitude for many things! Also reading and writing about goodness and there are many sources for this like the Karuna publication of good news.

With the title of this reflection in mind the Glory and Terror of It, I can definitely relate to it... I suspect most of us can.[Hide Full Comment]

wow, what an adventure!! Love it! And yes, a great example of awareness and appreciationfor where we are and what is around us... certainly came in handy during those wee hour!!

Really interesting and thought-provoking article!
Relying on our internal compass... trusting our intuition... allowing space (patience, time, listening) to others and our environment... engaging with others and our environment... allowing these to guide us, is almost a radical thought/ideal/action today! Thank you for this wonderfully and thoughtfully written article to remind me this early afternoon in southeast China!

 This is really powerful for me.  I have experienced this observer role and my behavior and response, and have been able to adjust in the morment and respond more positively. I have also failed and experienced the residual feelings that the author describes.  It is plain and simply awareness. My awareness is still growing. I can see the impact on the relationship with myself and others... very cool!

 To me we are all at different places in our walk in this life.  I was put off the article by the authors writing,

"The fact that most people do not see life this way testifies to how deeply asleep and in denial they truly are."

It is a judgment statement.

As I am living and being in a different country, in a different culture, people do things differently.  I am finding we are basically the same, just different.  Everyone's journey is different and self discovery for each of us will be different...

Wow, loved this read!  Such a wonderful thing to begin my day with here in my world.  A reminder of love in everything, of doing the small things with great love!  The analogy of the conch shell and our whole being and the universe... of the holding and listening and the challenge to us all for compassion.   

 Wow, this is a thought provoking essay; thank you.

True, we, none of us, can abandon or forget our 'self'.

I guess for me, in my continuing to grow up in this life, it is a balance of humility (that helps me engage more deeply with others and enables better empathy within), and the care and love of me much like that which I work within myself to cultivate for others. I seem to be balancing this with increased awareness of my internal responses to others and pausing and feeling and allowing for understanding of others and myself in these situations. Also, the realization and experience of the larger world really does drive home the sameness of us all which has humbled me rightly.

Your term 'internal executive' is one I am not familiar with and cannot seem to find specific information on the almight worldwide web, though I feel I understand what you are referring to.