Balance Agency (Individuality) And Communion (Universality)
Countervail Contrast With Affinity
Those who write self-help books about the Ego (the noosphere) tend to focus on self-determination, independence and self-responsibility. This emphasis, for them, is valid. But it is not enough for eartHearts.
Those who write ecology books about the Eco (biosphere or ecosphere) tend to concentrate on unity, wholeness and harmony. Again, this is, for them, valid. But such concentration alone will not do for eartHearts.
Those who write relationship books about the Ero (one’s yearning for another) tend to concentrate on polarity, give and take, and romance. Again, this is, for them, valid. But such concentration alone will not do for eartHearts.
For us in the Heartwood camp, however, these three seemingly divergent subjects are not wrong. They are incomplete.
The Heartwood Path, transcends self-help (A) ecology (B), and relationship improvement (C) and leads us to Self Ecology (A plus B plus C equals ABCD).
Like any good transcendence, the parts are not lost but added to with the result of creating a new entity—the “D” represents the uniqueness that comes with the transcendence.
Avoid validating yourself by copying the behavior and accomplishments of others. Learn from role models, but do not copy them blindly. Keep the making of comparisons out of your relationships and your life. Set a new course when your heart calls for it. Know that you will not likely have a chance to go back and try things you neglected to do earlier. Do things now, according to your true heart’s desire.
To Your Uniqueness And Commonality…
HumaNatureConnect Activity
If this is not a day when you prefer to spend time in nature without an agenda, do the following activity:
Summarizing Your Uniqueness And Commonality
For this activity, write the story of your life. In this story, emphasize key moments of growth, missed opportunities, or problems that may have encouraged you to seek out the Heartwood Path or other personal/spiritual quests. Include events in your own life that changed you dramatically, or set you on an important course in your own life. Include how you plan to differentiate from someone you use as a mentor, guide, or model in your work or lifestyle.
Write down what differentiates you from others and what makes you similar to others.
Nocturnal Pilgrimage
Do not think of your dreams as merely elaborate and mysterious ways to reconcile past grievances or to reveal and clear up unwanted previous yearnings.
Dreams are as much about the present as they are about the past.
They help us to uncover, both from the past and the present, previously unseen hindrances to our goals. And they can also reveal latent or suppressed aims.
With the subject matter of this waypoint fresh in your mind, set an intention to have some sort of dream, either related to the subject of this waypoint or not. Either way, the practice of incubating a dream, described in greater detail subsequently, will help you with the vital ability to have lucid dreams. For starters, as you lie in bed prior to sleeping, repeat over and over the topic you intend to include in your next dream. Sleep well. Dream. Do not worry about what sort of dream emerges.
Don Pierce, St. Louis, Missouri.