Our authenticity is the most worthy cause

It's very important for all of us to find a meaning and purpose in our lives. We all hold a yearning, to be able to be purposeful, usually towards something that is a meaningful cause to support something that can bring me that can bring happiness or being a level of productivity. It's very important for all of us to find meaning and purpose in life. And usually, we do this by finding causes, or supporting the things or movements that are meaningful that we resonate with that can be in service to other people. And of course, this is a very valuable thing. And it's an important way in which we participate in the community, and in the group and be a part of the movement of humanity itself towards something that brings us beauty and happiness in these lives.

 But there is a part of this yearning, that is something quite different. And it is something that is much more intimate and much more private. And it is about what is the purpose and the meaning of this particular body, this particular life, this particular constellations, that we are our feelings, our sensations, what brings us joy, in that most private and intimate way, it may have nothing at all to do with what is considered to be an important cause, or considered by a group to be something that is vital and urgent. And I'm not saying that those causes are not worthwhile.

 But I'm saying that hand in hand with those aspects of our yearning, there is also something that is far more private, far more intimate, and sometimes far deeper within us. And the challenge about this aspect of yearning is that it's never usually reflected in anything outside of us. There is nothing outside that gives us permission, that even recognizes what this yearning might be. And it may have nothing to do with what is important, outside of us, yet, it's there. Underneath all those big noisy demands for our attention, our energy and our work in the world, there is this something else that continues to simmer.

Very often we think it's about throwing it out in the world more and more and more. It to be more in service to be more in support to expand our energies and our time and our attention outward. And there is this frantic demand for it we live in a world that is constantly drawing us outside that is demanding energy that is demanding in these paradigms of productivity that demands our constant attention, the offering of our attention constantly to something outside of us. And it rewards us by validation, through indicators of success, or rewards or awards and other things. And again, all of those are meaningful, but there is also this importance of something else that is quiet, that may not be reflected outside. But that's very urgent and important.

 Many of the archetypal traditions, rituals and ceremonies are about this yearning, this yearning for authenticity, at that really deep level. Why are we here in this body? In this constellation that we are? What is the meaning of that? And how do we express that? What is that offering that only we can make? Each one of us individually? And again, it's got nothing to do with self-indulgent individuality or individuation. Indeed, it is when we come to this level of authenticity, that we experience universality, and that's the paradox of authenticity. And that is why it was part of these archetypal traditions because archetypal expressions and intelligence is the most appropriate intelligence for paradoxical realities.

 So, in these ceremonial and ritual traditions, they were it was all there was always a place for ferocity. Because to attend to this authenticity, we do require ferocity because we're not going to be affirmed or recognized or even acknowledged by anything outside of us, it is something that we must bring our attention, our energies, and we offer it to ourselves. Despite everything else, we offer it to ourselves. And in many of these ritual invocations, they are very often part of initiatory ceremonies, where there is a material confrontation with almost like a life and death situation. And yes, in some of these ancient ceremonies, people could actually die. And what it pointed to was the urgency of this yearning, that it is about life and death. And in that sense, it is about what makes this life meaningful. And what makes then every other offering, our participation in the collective, or participation in the community meaningful is when it comes from this addressing this yearning, this yearning for our unique authenticity.

 And most of the time, this relates to a creative expression. I'm not speaking here about being this spectacular artist who's a master of their craft. We don't have to have dance performances and visual arts exhibitions and publish a book of poetry. But it is that the simple dance that we do just because we want to express it, we want to express something, that simple poem that we write, and maybe we will just put it in our drawer, but we had the joy of that offering.

Nature provides us examples all the time is the flower that blooms in our gardens, not because there's it expects to be photographed and put on Facebook, but it just invites us to enjoy the flower just as much as it enjoys blooming. It is the birdsong just listening to the birds singing because they sing for us. And sometimes when I just listen to them, I just feel this incredible validation. And the beautiful thing is that when we land in that expression, an offering of our authenticity, it is there is a validation that emerges from within us. For me, it's like I just land and I feel I know why I'm here. And in this moment, I am here, because these birds are singing to me, and I just here to listen to their song. And really, that provides to me more validation than anything I do outside and anything that people might say, there is something deeply meaningful in that inner validation.

So this offering of our time and energy to excavate our authenticity from within us is what provides that foundation from where we can offer our services or offer our energy and time towards other causes.