Three Touchstones for Navigating a Restless and Uncertain World
Finding possibility in the face of disillusionment and despair
(Note: I begin this article with a bit of context for the current restlessness and uncertainty in our lives and in the world. However, if you are short on time and want to cut straight to the Three Touchstones exercise, a simple tool to help you navigate today’s uncertainties, you can scroll down to “The Three Touchstones” heading and start there. If you want to listen from that point, fast forward the audio to 07:56 and start there.)
It’s been a disquieting and disconcerting week. Here in the U.S., we’re reeling from a deeply distressing presidential debate, leaving many citizens disillusioned about our future. Our political system continues to break open and our two primary parties seem to be living in completely different universes. President Biden is considering whether he will remain in the race, which could, in fact, be a turning point. And the Supreme Court concluded its term with more alarming rulings, taking away freedoms and protections for ordinary citizens and putting the future of our democracy further at risk.
In France, the Far Right made significant gains in the first round of legislative elections; the second round will follow in a few days. General elections are being held today in the United Kingdom. And this is just three countries. In 2024, there have been or will be national elections in more than 60 countries, representing half of the world’s population. Politically, socially, economically, emotionally, and spiritually, the ground beneath our feet is rumbling.
On July 1st, TIME magazine reporter Koh Ewe wrote:
A tsunami of change is sweeping ballot boxes worldwide. … What’s clear is that people don’t want things to stay the same. … Researchers say this widespread yearning for something different… stems from a sense of hopelessness, whether about dim economic prospects, climate change, disinformation, or even the state of democracy. … 2024 has been described as a “make-or-break year for democracy” [that] could significantly shape the course of the world’s future.
It's a lot to take in. It’s no wonder that so many people choose to tune out—they say it’s just too much, too upsetting or depressing—too much noise, we’re in too deep, can’t find a way out.
So how do we navigate?
How do we find center and grounding in the face of turmoil and uncertainty? We start with ourselves.
As a subscriber to this Substack column, chances are you have a good sense of who you are and what’s important to you, and maybe also why you’re here. You might be very clear about the path you are on, or maybe you feel like you’re in some kind of transition. Like me, you may be a life-long learner, ever curious about how life works. Yet also like me, sometimes you might be unsure about how to navigate the rapidly changing political, social, economic, and emotional terrain of today’s world. You seek to understand as well as to be understood. And given all that is happening, maybe sometimes you long for respectful candor—just telling the unvarnished truth—whether from politicians and leaders or in your day-to-day personal and professional relationships. You strive to live your life with integrity and purpose. You want your presence to matter.
Sometimes, also like me, you might feel centered and confident even as you ride the waves of restlessness and uncertainty. Yet there may also be times when you wonder if there will ever be a feeling of stability in your country or your family or your company again. You’re not alone. With all that is happening politically, socially, economically, and emotionally in the world around us, it’s understandable if sometimes we even feel disillusioned or lost. After all, we’ve been on this roller-coaster for a few years now.
In August 2021, we were beginning to come out of 18 months of pandemic—18 months of uncertainty, upheaval, transition, and challenge. We all have our own stories of that time. Some of us thrived, while others just cobbled together a way to survive. And some of us struggled. Even today, some are just barely holding on.
For me, that year and a half brought both gifts and challenges, enormous loss as well as liberation, unexpected as well as intentional change. In the summer of 2021, I found myself deeply disturbed by so much that was breaking open around me, yet grateful that more of what had been hidden for so long was coming out into the open. I wrote in my journal that while the immediate path ahead was still likely to be rough, the long path held promise. I was hopeful.
Now it’s July 2024—three years later—and in many ways, I’m still in that same place. There are still gifts and challenges, I still experience both loss and liberation, and I continue to meet the unexpected even as I live with clear intention. At times, I find it hard to believe that we are where we are. Yet I’m still grateful that the Great Breaking Open continues to do its work—even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient. And even after the events of the last week, I am still hopeful, yet I admit that sometimes I’m not sure where that hope is coming from. And I also admit that in my inner world, occasionally, despair insidiously tries to steal the future. The Three Touchstones have helped me find my way.
The Three Touchstones
During that summer of 2021, I was given three touchstones in my morning meditation—touchstones that would help me navigate my uncertainty, go deeper within myself, and recognize possibilities that I wasn’t yet seeing. Working with these touchstones shifted my relationship to all that was happening and deepened my understanding of who I was at the time and my place within the bigger picture. They came to me in the form of awareness prompts, helping me recognize the truth of where I am in the moment. They can also be powerful journaling prompts.
Three years later, these touchstones remain at the center of my daily practice, giving structure to my inner process. They continue to deepen my awareness around whatever is happening and bring clarity to my presence, my thinking, and my choices and actions. Their power is in their open simplicity.
The touchstone prompts are:
I am…
I trust…
I invite…
I am…
Right here, right now, how do you complete the sentence or paragraph that begins with “I am…”? Allow your deeper self to speak or write and see what comes. This is not necessarily about who you are in the bigger picture of your existence. It’s about giving words to who you are right now within the context of what is going on around you and within you. It’s about acknowledging what is real for you right here, right now. You might complete the phrase with just one or two words; on the other hand, you may find that there is more waiting to be expressed. Let your first feelings and thoughts translate into words without judgment. What you say or write is only for you, so allow yourself to be completely honest.
And then take a breath and go deeper. What’s underneath? Who are you in the heart of your being in the face of what is happening? How are you showing up?
Take your time and when you are ready, move on to the second prompt.
I trust…
Trust can have many layers, many facets, many degrees. So let this moment and this process be simple. Take a deep breath into the heart of your being. What do you truly trust within the context of what is happening? Perhaps it is some part of you; perhaps it is another person, or an organization or a social structure. Or maybe you trust in a higher power or in a greater good. Or perhaps you have a fundamental trust that somehow you will be taken care of. There is no right or wrong.
It's not uncommon to first recognize what you don’t trust. That was a big surprise for me when I first started working with these touchstones. I found what I didn’t trust before I found what I did trust. Again, be present to what you are feeling right here, right now, with no judgment. It’s important to be honest with yourself about both what you do trust and what you don’t. Give yourself full permission to discover what is true for you right now around trust. It’s just information. Be willing to be present with whatever shows up. And then sense: What feels important to pay attention to?
Again, take your time, and when you are ready, move on to the third prompt.
I invite…
Having become clearer about what’s happening inside you right now, what you trust and what you don’t, and what feels important to pay attention to, what do you choose to invite into your life or your circumstance right now? Perhaps you choose to invite love or courage to be with you, or honesty, or playfulness, or creativity, or strength. Or maybe you invite non-judgment or compassion into your space. You might choose to ask “resolution” to somehow make itself clear in the next hours or days, or invite a spirit of cooperation or understanding into your situation or circumstance.
Making a conscious invitation is another way of setting intention—of creating intentional space. What is the intentional space you choose to create? What will you invite to be present with you now?
Give yourself time
Give yourself time with each touchstone prompt before you move on to the next. Allow each touchstone to work on you rather than being too quick to “figure out” what words should come next. Listen, sense, and feel into your whole system—let your deeper awareness speak. Proceed at the pace that is right for you, and know that it may vary from day to day.
You might work with a couple of Transformational Presence tools or exercises to help you go deeper. A few months ago I wrote about our Three Intelligences and included an exercise. And if feelings and emotions have taken over and are keeping you from getting to the essence or to what is real, you might use the Four Levels of Engagement (the third video in this link) to help you cut through the noise and confusion.
Give yourself breathing space for whatever comes up. Then allow it to walk with you through your day and in your dreams. And then check in with these touchstones again later. More may want to be expressed. Working with these touchstones is a process and a practice. As you continue your practice over time—days or weeks—your system will get more and more at home with this kind of exploration.
Practice using these touchstones when things are good. Don’t wait until there is a crisis. When challenges arise, if you have already been working with them, insights, discoveries, and next steps are more likely to come with greater ease. And if as you read this article, things are already hard, it’s ok. Start where you are. Use these prompts to help you come back to your center. You can do it.
I am…. I trust…. I invite….
Resources:
Two Transformational Presence tools: The Three Intelligences and Four Levels of Engagement (the third video in this link)
It's grounding just to read this, Alan. At times like these, it is easy to get lost in worry. But we have ourselves to come back to, and your touchstones invite us to unclench and explore even as what's going on outside feels strange or chaotic. We all need tools like these. Thank you.
Thanks, Alan! These are such powerful prompts for staying grounded in the present moment especially while facing turbulent times.