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Hey Subscriber First Name I’ve just returned from an amazing weekend with the wonderful Re-Action Collective. They’re the people behind the inspiring ACTionism film I’ve screened a couple of times in Dorset. The film highlights the shift in power when we move from being passive consumers to active citizens. It also reminds us that when we connect with others who are making positive change, that we can have fun, find hope and nurture joy. Camping in a field with this inspiring community led to us doing things like forest bathing, sewing in nature, debating democratic processes and learning how to tell purposeful stories. It was great to be able to explore some of the biggest challenges we’re facing with people who are curious, compassionate and keen to claim our autonomy when everything can feel overwhelming. So how does that all relate to our prompt from last week? "What’s one belief or assumption I usually accept and what happens if I explore it from the opposite perspective? Where do I feel resistance and what might that reveal about my blind spots or assumptions?"
Well, it all became relevant when we were asked to imagine the future we would like to be part of. It required drawing, painting and general crafting. This brought up a belief for me that I’m terrible at these types of activities and is something that I would often avoid. But this time, I decided to wholeheartedly give it a go. I could feel the resistance, which came from my need to be ‘good’ at drawing but then I challenged that and decided that it really didn’t matter. My worry about creating something I perceived as below standard was stopping me from having fun. It also reminded me of some flow journaling I did last week where I had an urge to grip my pen less tightly. The act of releasing my grip when I was writing led to a release so I decided to embrace that with the artwork too. And this new found gentleness worked. The artwork actually turned out ok. I was even comfortable enough to stand up and talk through the image. I think that’s a useful reminder for life. I can now see that my desire for perfection comes from a place of fear. In the past, it has paralysed me from even getting started on something. But my healing journey and growing my self compassion has now got me to a point that I’m comfortable with giving it a go and learning along the way. The shame of getting things wrong isn’t mine to hold as long as I’ve tried my best and acted with the right intentions.
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