| A LETTER FROM WY TO KAY by Barbara Shipka |
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Dear Kay -- Do you remember Reddy Kilowatt from when we were kids? Well, that cartoon-like character with his right lightning bolt limbs and light bulb head has surfaced again. He’s on billboards all over town announcing for the electric company that, “We’re Y2K Reddy!” Now, I could be wrong, but what I’m coming to understand is that there’s a difference between being “Y2K ready” and being “Y2K compliant.” Ready seems to apply more to preparing to handle whatever occurs (and, in some cases, not until it occurs) while compliant means something more specific and complete. Is that what you get? Thus, when I hear some organization announcing that they are Y2K ready, I realize that I don’t know what that means. But then, does anyone truly knows what any of it means -- except perhaps that we aren’t very comfortable with ambiguity? Here’s what I do know: That all of the physical preparation in the world is still limited; it is critical, of course, yet insufficient. And what good is having a lot of stuff unless my mind is clear, my heart is open, and my being is in the present moment -- so I can use it well and creatively? I’ve been asking myself with the deepest sincerity, how do I get MYSELF as Y2K ready as I am able? I’m focused on “ready” since “compliance” -- as it seems to be used in this case -- might look like self-mastery and, while I’m working on it, I ain’t there yet -). Going further, Y2K seems a powerful harbinger for global change and ambiguity that I’m not at all sure we CAN physically prepare for -- even if we could bring ourselves together into powerful communities. Therefore, how do I leverage this opportunity to become more spiritually prepared for WHATEVER life might put in front of me WHENEVER? Get this! This morning it occurred to me that my fantasy of the electric company’s technological Y2K preparations is an incredible metaphor for my inner Y2K preparations. Simplistically, I imagine them taking at least six steps:
What is the inaccurate software code that needs to be ferreted out? Well, one inaccuracy for sure is how we’ve come to think of ourselves and our world in limited terms of our physical bodies and physical universe. Not everyone, of course. But it is a pervasive basic assumption in today’s world, you know? We seem to have, for the most part, left behind the larger and deeper context of who we are; the essential, eternal nature of our being. Have we assumed that we can take our true nature for granted -- as with the two digits of the century that were taken for granted in the software code? Leaving those two digits out of computer code worked for the short term but now means that much data may suddenly be out of context as the year 2000 approaches. Thus, errors can easily occur. The same with us. Without an accurate larger context, we (well, I can speak for myself anyway!) make error after error after error in our understandings of ourselves and, as a result, in our discernments and decisions about how to be. Remember the movie “Groundhog Day” where the main character finds himself living the same day over and over? External events are the same but the outcomes are vastly different -- based entirely on his outlook and the choices he makes. When he acts arrogantly, he is rejected by others. When he blatantly breaks the rules, he lands in jail. When he tries to take control of the situation, he dies -- again and again -- until the “next” morning when the whole thing starts all over again. Enter replacing that old code with new and testing the new code. When he decides to focus instead on developing his talents and on serving others, he actually begins to be given and to receive their gifts of gratitude, love, and respect. In my day to day experience, replacing old code with new (which is vastly different from adding new code on top of old) and testing new code is not a one time deal. For me at least, some habits and patterns just seem so hard to change or let go of. I wish it was easier! What seems to help is having a deep desire to maintain my connection with God/the Universe/Life and a deep desire to live into my eternal Self. Having workarounds helps, too. A primary one in my consciousness right now is forgiveness. Especially for myself. I had an experience recently where I noticed that when Michael (can you believe he’s turning nine this week?) makes a mistake, even though he may feel bad about it and may believe he’s lost my love, the flow of love from me to him never stops! Period. He may try to cut it off, but it doesn’t stop flowing from me. Yet, with poignancy I notice that when I make mistakes, I have a habit of cutting off the flow of my love for myself. As a result, I cut off the flow of love from you (or whomever) to me. And, even more devastating, I cut off the flow of God’s love to me! Whew! Next, what about an emergency back-up plan? That’s been more difficult for me to translate. So I posed to myself: Coal is back-up readiness to the electric company as WHAT is back-up readiness for me? What’s popped up was trust and “knowing.” Trust seems like the fuel in the background. It is always available -- especially in the face of uncertainty. Even as I make my efforts at spiritual progress, there is still so much mystery. I’m grateful for that. Because (with humility and chagrin, I say) as a work-in-progress, fear, worry, concern, doubt, and mistakes can and do find their way into my life. Trusting the process of my unfolding life. What does that mean? I think about people who have only known violence and war, who have never experienced peace and happiness. Yet they still seek peace and happiness. How does that happen? There seems to be an ancient, buried coal of “knowing” within each of us that allows us to mine for the best that God/the Universe/Life have to offer. Even when we have no apparent experience with certain virtues, we “know” that are our birthright. And so, we quest ceaselessly to attain them. Y2K has a lot of ambiguity inherent within it. What an understatement! Who knows what’s going to happen? No one that I know. And don’t we just hate that! How can we possibly prepare for the unknowns that might come into play? As such, Y2K offers us a stage -- a golden opportunity -- to per chance transform the thick, heavy curtain of the illusion of control into a thinner, lighter gossamer veil of flow. This exposed face of ambiguity shows up strikingly through embedded chips. I hear that some industries are planning to “fix on failure” since that don’t know which chips will fail, when, or where they are though there seems to be some certainty that some percentage will fail. The embedded chips of our spiritual lives are perhaps the hidden beliefs and programs which can so profoundly corrupt our minds -- especially when we’re faced with obstacles. I’m thinking, for example, of the times when I find myself acting out of fear, aggression, greed, anger, or possessiveness. Later I may even say to myself, “Now, where did that come from?” The impaired chips themselves are not fatal. Lacking inner fortitude and resilience when a faulty chip makes its appearance could, I suspect, be fatal, however. And now, on top of all of that, lest we create a new illusion that we COULD find all of the embedded chips and “fix” them, I’ll just mention our interdependence. So I ask myself, how ready am I if my metaphorical vendors and suppliers are not ready? My sense is that our minds, our vibrations, our energies are much more interconnected than are the globally interconnected technological systems. Therefore, discernment and choice about what I take into my system seems critical and, as such, requires vigilance. On the other hand, being aware of and deliberate about what messages I send out into the world is equally significant. Shame and blame or light and might? There you have it. Some morning meditation, huh? Just one last thing. I was recently listening to a class by one of my teachers where she asked us to consider the question, “In times of adversity, is it the situation that is adverse, or is it I who am being adverse in the situation?” And she closed with something like: The world changes. Sending you ever so much love, Katherine. Looking forward to hearing from you. Blessings and peace to you and all, Wyman copyright Barbara Shipka 1999 |