Free Zoom Monday Meditation Series Begins October 28th
Navigating the Realities of Our Times
Free Monday Meditations on Zoom
Six Mondays starting October 28th
October 28; November 4, 11, 18, 25; December 2
10 am ET / 7 am PT / 16 CET for 20 minutes
FREE—All are welcome
Register to receive 2-day reminders and links to recordings after each session
Election day in the U.S. is less than two weeks away. Early voting has already begun. Tensions and stress levels are high. Join me for the next six Mondays as we navigate this precarious time together. The article below sets up the context and focus for these meditations.
In a 2018 interview in The Guardian, Pulitzer Prize winning American author Marilynne Robinson talked about fear and vulnerability as part of the human experience, her faith in democracy, her hope for the recovery of liberalism after the Trump era, and about how she looks at life and the world. She had just published a collection of essays titled What Are We Doing Here? Towards the end of the interview, she was asked what single thing she believed would make the world a better place. Her response: “Loving it more.”
Loving it more. Those words give me pause—and hope. I’ve just returned from a working trip in Belgium. The trip was built around a three-day retreat with the Transformational Presence Program Leaders from across Europe and the U.S. who I have been mentoring since 2018. Our love and commitment to living Transformational Presence, our deep love and respect for each other, and the space we create together is what draws us to be there. At one point during a partner exercise, we were asked: What gives you hope? My partner’s immediate response was, “This. This gives me hope. Transformational Presence gives me hope. Who we are together gives me hope.”
Rounding out the trip, I was also asked to lead a workshop at the European Union Parliament for Directors of departments supporting the work of the Parliament, as well as an open masterclass at the end of the trip for leaders and coaches. Participants came from Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and the U.S.
The emerging theme through all of the events was surrender in its highest form—giving over to something bigger than ourselves and partnering with it for creation. In one way or another, the whole trip was about living into why we are here—clarifying who we are called to be and what we are called to do in these turbulent times, and exploring tools and approaches for conscious living and leading. And learning to be Love—to live Love—no matter what is happening in these restless and unsettled times.
Which brings me back to Marilynne Robinson’s words: Loving it more. What we do not love we will not save. If we don’t love this world that is our home, if we don’t love the country in which we live, the family we come from—even when it’s hard, even when we don’t like it, even when we’re scared, even when we’re angry or frustrated, even when we’re in disbelief about what could happen—if we don’t love this world, we’re not going to care for it. If we don’t love the soul of humanity, we aren’t going to care for each other. Especially when we find ourselves on opposite sides of an issue.
During our Transformational Presence Leader Retreat, we had the chance to spend a half hour with the head of the secretariat for the Constitutional Affairs Committee at the European Parliament. He spoke about how the EU government works and some of the current challenges the government is facing—the intensifying political and social polarization across Europe as well as the impacts of disinformation, systems hacking, the war in Ukraine, and the increasing instability in the Middle East. I asked him about the potential impacts of the upcoming U.S. elections on Europe. His response was both illuminating and disconcerting.
Which brings me to the free Monday Meditation series that will begin in a few days. How can we navigate the uncertainties and realities of our times without being overtaken by them? How can we remain present and rooted in Love—loving the world more—and do our part to create a space of healing and transformation as we walk the path in front of us?
These questions will be our focus in the six-week Monday Meditation series on Zoom. Remembering who we are, exploring simple tools for navigating these challenging times, and remaining anchored in Love no matter the outcomes of elections or situations around us. The 20-minute Zoom calls will also be recorded so that you can listen at your convenience if you are not able to join the live calls or want to listen again. Registration is free to all. Once you register, you will receive a reminder email two days before each call. Then within 24 hours after each call, you will receive a link to the recording. I hope you can join us.
When so much is at stake, it can be hard to hold hope, to keep a positive outlook, and to stay grounded and centered. Sometimes we just don’t know what to do—how to navigate—how to make a difference.
Yet there is a way forward. We can start by meeting “what is” with compassion and honesty—by loving the world more—by being present in Love. Somewhere in all that is happening, there is guidance and direction if we pay attention. Join us when you can for the next six Mondays and let’s pay attention together. I look forward to welcoming you there.
Resources:
FREE Live 20-minute Monday Meditations with Alan on Zoom—6 Mondays, October 28th - December 2nd
Alan leads a half-hour contemplative worship service, “Touching the Sacred Within” at First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist, in Newburyport, Massachusetts at 8 am the first Sunday of each month. All are welcome.