I enjoy playing with different effects in photoshop on the iPad. Recently I was playing with a photo of myself and this is one version that photoshop came up with. What I am drawn to in this picture is that while the shape of my face is discernible, it is not totally clear.

Many years ago, I was struck by poet David Whyte’s understanding of innocence. “Innocence is a way of paying attention to where the revelations of the natural world can be heard in their own voice, and you are allowed to be transformed by them.”

The ravages of the war in Ukraine, and the devastation of the floods in Queensland and NSW, dominate Australian news media reports. Amidst such tragedy, why would we choose to dance? Why would we choose to consciously engage in the dance of being and becoming?

The threat of war from Russia toward the Ukraine sits heavily on the hearts and minds of many people across the globe. War creates much pain and suffering for all involved, except those who politically or economically profit from it.

In reference to the current lockdown in Melbourne, Australia, I heard a radio commentator lamenting about the “lost time” that we will “never get back.”

As I was contemplating our christmas tree and the covid year that we have all endured, I was reminded of John O’Donohue’s words regarding ‘The Tree As Artist of Belonging.’ O’Donohue’s words (see below) will centre my reflections as I enter into the new covid normal Christmas season.

The lockdown was over! Now we could leave the house for any reason we chose! I had my list of things to do; my first list in 100 days. One task on the list was to buy a paper for mum. After having bought the paper, I was on my way back to the car when I noticed a sense of hurriedness within me. “Funny,” I thought, “I haven’t felt that sensation for quite a while.” Then a question floated into my mind: “Do I need to hurry?

I am rereading Margaret J Wheatley’s book “So Far From Home.” The sentence that particularly caught my attention was: “it is the Tower of Babel, everybody shouting and nobody listening.” That sentence particularly caught my attention, perhaps because of the rising level of angst being expressed in the community and social media. There seems to be a lot of shouting and nobody really listening. How disconcerting!

The second lockdown in Melbourne has a discernably different feel to it than the first. Perhaps this is because the first lockdown was countrywide. Therefore, there was a sense of “we’re all in this together.” Now Victoria is the only state in lockdown and Melbourne in is stage 4 lockdown. While most of us know this second lockdown is important to stem the spread of the virus, it is hard work emotionally.

In our modern, fast-paced world, how often is it heard: “I’m trying to find a work/life balance?” And yet, what does that actually mean? Can we truly compartmentalize our lives into a work/life balance? And if so, what could such a balance look like?

“Change begins with honesty” was the heading on an Uplift emaIl sitting in my inbox. I let that phrase continue to wash over me as I reflected on the justifiable pain and anger expressed through the current protests against systemic racism. As I reflected on the phrase “change begins with honesty” I was confronted by the insight that although I do not actively participate in systemic raciscm, I am Australian born of white skin colour, therefore I am inherently part of the problem of systemic racism.

How many times have we seen and heard the phrase: “we’re all in this together” during the covid-19 crisis. Such a rallying call has been connected to the need to stay home and practice physical distancing. Now, as the covid-19 restrictions are being rolled back, that phrase is more important than ever. Why?

When I write on possible reactions/responses to the call to stay home during this time of the covid-19 virus, I am mindful that many people are suffering distress through loss of a loved one, financial stress, family violence and/or generalized fear and anxiety. Also, there are the many who are homeless, so the call to stay home is meaningless at best, or like a slap in the face at worst. Therefore, I offer the following response for those who are not fighting for survival in their outer lives or inner being, but rather for those who are ‘simply’ experiencing disruption in their lives.

The following came through my inbox the other day from Michelle and Joel Levey. It caught my attention and in response, I have chosen to embrace the shift in term from social distancing to physical distancing. I have found that the shift has released a sense of pressure that had arisen within me and I am more open to exploring new ways of social connection in this time of the need for physical distancing.

As a global community we have had to act swiftly and decisively. May we learn some lessons from living through the coronavirus - lessons that we take into a future of living responsibly with climate change.

We are living in uncertain times, particularly in the light of climate change. Uncertainty can give rise to feelings of anxiety. One response to living with uncertainty is to try to gain control again. Another is to contract into paralytic despair, or denial. Both of those responses are natural human responses, however they are both unhelpful. How can we live well with uncertainty?

The following quotation is from an article by Charles Einsenstein which highlights the collective assumption behind our present destructive way of being in the world.