Wednesday, May 27, 2015

 From today's New York Times,  quoting from an editorial by Thomas Friedman:

Otto Scharmer, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who works with communities trapped in perpetual conflicts, defines the main features of the fundamentalist mind-set by its opposites: What is the opposite of an open mind? he asks. “You are stuck in one truth.” What is the opposite of an open heart? “You are stuck in one collective skin; everything is us-versus-them and, therefore, empathy for the other is impossible.” And what is the opposite of an open will? “You are enslaved to old intentions that originate in the past and not from the present, and so you cannot open up to any emerging new opportunities.”

Friedman's topic was political chaos in the Middle East, rooted in religious fundamentalism. However, I see this truth as applying equally to each of us personally. We can become stuck in one truth, defined by our past experiences. In doing so we close ourselves off from others, from new experiences, and from positive spiritual growth.

Getting "unstuck" in our minds, hearts, and spirits begins with honest self-examination. From self-examination comes self-awareness. From self-awareness comes openness all the wonders and mysteries of life!

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