I have not been writing anywhere since the last postings here. I now feel moved to share and to generate direction based on my sharings.
John Admin
August 2010
Several months have passed since my last postings on the exploration part of this site. Several linked events this week have urged me to add a post.
Several people in the last week have talked with me about the same sequence of events. The general pattern of which is:
1) They have an underlying mental problem in some form
2) They are largely not understood in this aspect of character (If you break a leg there is an obvious sign; if you have some compulsive behaviour there need be no sign)
3) All have had a 'normal' life, but then something happens to shatter this (A death or divorce or losing a job)
4) This produces a downward spiral into depression, which becomes debilitating to normal life.
Several people have made it clear to me that one way of responding to this is with 'presence', 'creative listening', 'not being judgemental', 'making space', whatever you want to call it.
What does not seem to work is 'helping' or trying to 'save' someone. What can appear to be nothing can reduce the anxiety of another.
The overtones here are the ones from the ebook: making space is healing; looking at a situation from outside of it is healing; our basic 'beingness' is more important than our 'doingness'; in the stillness we find awowness.
I am encouraged over the next ten weeks to look at this specifically from a variety of angles and record what I find here.
The fact of recording it is important to me as a motivator, otherwise I forget the essence of what is happening. It is as much my presence which makes the difference, so alongside looking at the effect of presence on others is to look at the effect of presence on ME. In fact aren't the two the same? The main way in which I will do this are:
a) Through my formal voluntary work
b) At a five day Embracing Change event - see link on my home page and
c) At a week retreat I am helping to facilitate
Alongside this, I want to expand into other areas - more on this later.
