We like to fix things in linear ways. We want concrete solutions to concrete problems. It’s not very realistic.
Years ago I worked in home improvement stores and I sold hardware instead of software.
We are good at learning ways to wash, bolt, tear, saw, paint, and glue. It’s very satisfying. It’s mainly on the surface level. Even if we tear it all down, it’s usually just one structure, a remodel of the same condition.
We have to figure out how to fix what lies beneath. How to fix less solid life situations.
We need to upgrade the software of our hearts and minds and stop grabbing hammers and glue to make things pretty short term.
It’s not fixing the hardwood floor, it’s tending the oak trees that made it. It’s not rewiring the electrical box, it’s fine tuning the energy before it’s directed. We might try adjusting the current, the frequency, before placing new wiring.
Before re-plumbing, go to the well. Go to it and dig a new one if the old one is dry, ruined, sour, or contaminated. Go to the trouble of clearing out old ways before doing the busy work of fixing the superficial. Otherwise, it can be more of a looking busy thing rather than making all level changes.
If we have termites we can’t coat ourselves in shellac to fix it. That only traps the bugs inside.
We all like the short and sweet Youtube fix with a 1-2 minute how-to video. Fixing a kitchen is just easier than fixing the inhabitant.
Systemic can refer to a substance entering through plant roots then passing through tissues. Or, it’s within a group of people or trees or clouds or bricks where something relates to all of it rather than a single localized area. You can’t trim back clouds- you have to find what feeds the vapor that forms the shapes.
When something is vaguely everywhere, it’s harder to freeze it into one frame. It’s less clear for all to witness than a large meteor, for example.
When I talk with people about what isn’t working for them, it’s rarely localized, say, just the knee. We don’t call most problems systemic, but they are. In my work, we say instead, everything is connected. We look at holistic remedies. We start with the whole to fix the local.
Driving down I-5 south, I listened to a show on NPR. It was about a book telling of our addiction to comfort. Oh yes, I like comfort, who doesn’t like comfort? I’d say we are addicted to comfort based on the amount of complaining that goes on if anything isn’t comfortable.
The author of the book took ice baths. He said these were “loud signals” or something like that. He said when we endure some discomfort, we actually create resilience.
I agree it can be kind of thrilling to be uncomfortable for manageable periods of time.
I went to the Umpqua river. I felt the water with my hand. It felt uncomfortably too cold. It seemed unachievable to swim. How could I survive? Then I thought of ice baths and how we can train our mind to adjust. We don’t have to freak out. So, I lowered into the water. It was cold. I relaxed, settled. Less than 15 seconds passed and I felt happy, relaxed, alive, and invigorated. I went from uncomfortable to comfortable. It was worth the effort.
We have room to develop. We might be still be larvae, not yet fully formed. I recently learned that lightning bugs spend the majority of their lives as larvae. Toward the end of their existence, they become a beetle like creature with a bottom that glows and flickers, sending out signs of where they are in space.
We are still larvae
By the end our butt’s light up
Lightning bug haiku
We are surrounded by systemic climates. Build your uncomfortable muscles. Prime the well of fresh thoughts. Everything is connected.
oh boy! that was one of the best efforts yet! nice work, Ace!