Shared Feelings & Discordant Images

One of the criteria for getting on the constant improvement escalatorIs a commitment to getting a little better every dayWhich might seem like a natural process at first glanceBut is actually uni-directional and not representative of the cycles of natureA less popular orientation, but one I’ve come to valueIs the letting-life-shape-me gyroscopeMaybe bobbling, but finding my center and returning to uprightAgain and againI’m not so committed to improving these daysSo much as beingImproving always seemed to have a corresponding image of what is betterAnd an inherent judgment of not quite good enough yetI find that exhausting.Perhaps it’s just time of lifeBut I’m happy for the shiftIt helps me appreciate where I am, or at least get to know it betterThere’s a settling in my nervous systemThe moving target I chased for so longIs now a coaster on which i set my water glassThe elusive goal of being happy or feeling successful all the timeHas shifted to experiencing the full range of emotionFrom a center that can expand to include itThat goal requires an orientation to feeling what isOver images of what should beBecause feelings bring us together - we all share the same spectrum of feelingsBut no two imaginations are ever envisioning the same thingIf we read the same book, it often evokes similar feelingsBut how we picture it in our minds will be wildly uniqueIt’s why beloved book adaptations so often fail as moviesSo if we’re ever going to develop a peaceful worldIt stands to reason that it will be based on shared feelingsNot on a shared image of what should be that we all agree onThat feels like a fool’s errandSo, today I’d just like to encourage all of usMaybe we don’t need to improve anythingJust for today, let’s set down images of what should beAnd feel the breath in our bodiesAnd the range of emotions that come up for usWe might wobble, but we are designed to come back to centerAnd we will This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fallingtenderly.substack.com