DW's Blog
Anchors and Currents: Balancing Ethical Foundations with the Flow of Change
by DW Green — September 11, 2024
In the early 20th century, Frederick Lewis Donaldson articulated seven social sins that Mahatma Gandhi later popularized. A century later, these principles resonate with even greater urgency in our rapidly evolving society:- Wealth without work
- Pleasure without conscience
- Knowledge without character
- Commerce without morality
- Science without humanity
- Religion without sacrifice
- Politics without principle
The Art of Discernment: Navigating Life with Clarity and Wisdom
by DW Green — September 4, 2024
Discernment is the ability to perceive the world and others from an objective standpoint, free from emotional entanglements. It allows one to interpret life’s symbols and patterns with clarity and empathy, rather than falling victim to desire and aversion. This skill helps distinguish between the heart’s wisdom and the mind’s chatter.
Cultivating discernment requires the courage to sit with discomfort until truth emerges. It involves looking beyond surface-level appearances and delving deeper into the essence of situations and people. By developing this capacity, individuals can make more informed decisions and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics with greater ease.
True discernment fosters a growing sense of optimism and hope for humanity. As one becomes more adept at seeing things as they truly are, it becomes easier to recognize the inherent goodness in people and the potential for positive change in challenging situations.
Rediscovering Our Essence: The Journey to Here and Now
by DW Green — August 28, 2024
We have forgotten what rocks, plants, and animals still know: how to simply be—to be still, to be ourselves, to exist in the Here and Now. To bring your attention to a stone, a tree, or an animal doesn’t mean to think about it, but to simply perceive it, hold it in your awareness. Something of its essence then transmits itself to you. You sense its stillness, and that same stillness arises within you. You recognize how deeply it rests in Being—completely at one with what and where it is. In realizing this, you too come to a place of deep inner rest.
We’ve always been there, here, but didn’t know! Who am I? It’s about getting in touch with the Being part of human. By focusing on the interdependence, unity, and connectedness that was always there from the beginning, the “problem” of self/other isn’t so much solved as dissolved and transcended. This discovery is often depicted as a journey, path, or pilgrimage, but it’s more like the fading of an image on a screen—an interesting trip deep within yourself.
There...
read moreThe Roots of Fear: Unraveling the Self’s Grip on the Present
by DW Green — August 21, 2024
Fear is both innate and learned; it is tied to our past experiences. To liberate our thoughts and feelings from fear, we must understand the past through the lens of the present. The past constantly seeks to shape the present, which then becomes the identifying memory of the “me,” the “mine,” the “I.” The self is the root of all fear. Fear exists only in relation to an idea, and an idea is the response of memory manifesting as thought.Read More: Relating is good, right?
...read moreEmpowerment Through Guidance: Redefining Modern Leadership
by DW Green — August 14, 2024
Guidance is the gift of helping others find their own way forward. It involves listening to the concerns of groups and communities, then using discernment to initiate steps that benefit all. True leadership empowers individuals to lead themselves rather than imposing authority.
Guidance requires letting go of personal agendas and surrendering to life’s natural intelligence. A real leader is an ultimate listener, empathizing with others and creating a safe space for them to embrace their challenges.
Operating at a collective level, guidance recognizes that organizations thrive when individuals are empowered. It acts as the ‘power behind the throne’, facilitating smooth communication and group coherence with minimal interference. Ultimately, guidance trusts in life as the greatest leader and aligns itself with the path of loving service.
Read More – Non-Verbal Communication
...read moreThe Community Mirror: Embracing Conflict as a Path to Personal Growth
by DW Green — August 7, 2024
In the tapestry of human interaction, conflict often emerges as a thread we’d rather not see. Yet, it’s precisely these moments of tension and disagreement that can reveal the most about ourselves and offer the greatest opportunities for growth. When we encounter conflict, we’re presented with a choice: to entrench ourselves in our positions of “right” and “wrong,” or to yield to something larger and more profound.Community life serves as a powerful mirror, reflecting back to us aspects of ourselves that we might otherwise overlook or avoid. It’s within the crucible of communal living that we’re called to recognize our shadow side – those parts of ourselves that we may find uncomfortable or unpleasant. Through our interactions with others, we become aware of the ways in which we can be hard, distant, rigid, and unforgiving.This mirror of community doesn’t just show us our flaws; it reveals our patterns of behavior that impact others. We might notice how we sometimes place our needs before those of the group, show up distracted or late to commitments, or take others for granted. These realizations can be uncomfortable,...read moreThe Essence of Presence: Navigating Being in a World of Becoming
by DW Green — July 31, 2024
‘Presence’ could be understood as PRE-SENSE: Being preceding senses, prior to any sensation. For any content to appear, the capacity of being must come first. In it, thought or sensation (scene, sound, scent, etc.) is known.
In loving ourselves, we love the world. Just as fire, rock, and water are all made of molecules, everything, including you and me, is connected by a small piece of the beginning. The living proof of God’s love and will for you is the gift of your own existence.
Although the human mind likes to believe it is dedicated to truth, in reality, it often seeks confirmation of existing beliefs. The ego is innately prideful and resists the revelation that many of its beliefs are merely perceptual illusions.
For the mind, it is always about becoming, instead of being. It projects into some future time. Yet there is no future time to become in. The actuality is right...
read moreBreaking Free: How Freedom Can Change Your Life and the World
by DW Green — July 24, 2024
Freedom is more than just doing whatever you want. It’s about freeing your mind from negative thoughts and seeing life in a new way. Imagine being stuck in traffic. Instead of getting angry, you could choose to use that time to listen to your favorite music or learn something new. That’s freedom – the power to find the good in any situation.When we’re free, we stop seeing the world as “us vs. them” or “right vs. wrong.” We don’t waste energy defending ourselves or trying to prove we’re better than others. Instead, we try to respond with kindness, even when others aren’t kind to us. It’s like choosing to smile at someone who frowns at you.This way of thinking can change not just our own lives, but the whole world. When more people choose freedom, it’s like a ripple effect. We start to see beyond the things that divide us, like anger, fear, or the need to control others. We begin to understand each other better and work together to solve problems.Freedom isn’t always easy. It takes practice to let go of old habits and negative feelings. But each time we choose to be free – to respond with love instead of anger, or to find opportunity in a challenge –...read moreThe Art of True Learning: Embracing the Unknown
by DW Green — July 17, 2024
Learning is an extraordinary thing—not mere accumulation of knowledge, but a journey into the unknown. While gathering information is relatively easy, a process of moving from the known to the known, true learning involves venturing from the familiar into uncharted territory.
To learn is to embrace uncertainty, to step beyond the boundaries of what we already understand. It’s in this space between the known and the unknown that genuine growth occurs. Ask yourself: Isn’t this how you truly learn?
When we see the truth of “what is,” we free ourselves from the fear of insecurity. This fear often breeds attachment and can lead to the illusion of detachment or renunciation. However, loving “what is” marks the beginning of wisdom. Love alone has the power to share and truly commune with others and the world around us.