Greetings All –
ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, which is your ability to
respond. Accept this, cultivate it, cherish it and welcome it. It is what will
make you strong. It is what will make you devoted. It is what will bring to you
the relationships you have always desired. This is the empowerment you so
desperately need which you are learning now to claim for yourself. With this
empowerment come the conditions for empowerment that you respond to Knowledge and
follow Knowledge, that you refrain from all motivations
that are not born of Knowledge, that you become objective with yourself and
your motives, that you question yourself without doubting yourself and that you
surround yourself with individuals who can support the emergence of Knowledge
within you and are free to tell you their own perceptions. This is essential
for your well-being and development. This will protect you from self-error,
which as you become more powerful will have greater and greater impact upon you
and others.
ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY TODAY. Accept this, for it
represents your truest and greatest need. Responsibility will enable you to
love and extend yourself into the world.
UPON THE HOUR THINK OF TODAY’S IDEA. And as you
enter meditation twice today, take full responsibility for being a student of Knowledge
and enter into stillness and silence with your complete being. Let no thought
or doubt dissuade you. Do not let ambivalence hold you back. Press onward. Open
yourself. Enter the mystery of your life so that you may be able to respond to
it, for this is the meaning of responsibility.
PRACTICE 271: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly
practice.
Yesterday: Step
270 - With power comes responsibility.
Did I want to know this? I do want the world to be
a better place, but seeking this from a position of powerlessness certainly is
difficult, and then to be responsible with any power, well that is a greater
challenge. This simple idea makes sense, but it also makes complaining more
difficult, as responsibility for improvement lies with me and I don’t know what
to do.
In the journal I dealt with some of this challenge
including my fear of being a mono maniac, focused on a single thing like
Captain Ahab in pursuit of Moby Dick, the white whale which had taken his leg
in an earlier confrontation and led to tragedy for his ship and crew.
This analogy may not make sense to some, but it had
been a concern of mine long before learning about Greater Community Spirituality.
As for this Step and others, there is some comfort
to me and my being a slow learner in that, we aren’t expected to get it all of
the understanding via experience in the first or even second consideration of a
Step/Steps. Achieving the goals set out in Steps to Knowledge is consuming lifetimes,
no doubt, but what else is there to do in time?
12:05
a.m. Wednesday, April 12, 2000 – Today I need movement –
– The
transportation you need will be a function of land-use – the distances between home & work, shopping,
school, recreation – and the number of units/Households/people – everyone with
a vehicle
– Midway
through the suburban century. 1950 – 2000 – 2050 – It doesn't work – yet that's
where all the political power will be 2004. 25% cities – 50% suburbs 25% rural.
Can't
build enough roads – manage traffic
1:03
p.m. Wednesday, April 12 – 1st Practice – "With power comes
responsibility." I've not wanted power all my life because of the
responsibility and conflict it brings. My presence, my ideas generate conflict
– therefore I've stayed low on the radar.
It
seemed to me that you could not have power unless you had physical might and
strength – Getting others to use their strength on my behalf always got me into
more trouble.
Looking
at the Viet Nam time, I went and listed so I wouldn't be an officer sending
people into battle. I understand the military and have those instincts, but
leave that to others now.
I've
avoided physical confrontations and danger always – I learned Tai Chi for
defense, but never had to use it – ---
Fear
of attack for my ideas is not new. If Knowledge wants to use me – fine – I'm
just not into more pain. I stopped viewing myself as weak years ago –
particularly because I'd been strong & responsible for the kids and the
PDC. I was there to keep things going.
I'm
subject to criticism – and it may be justified – I was doing the best I could
and not getting all the help I could.
I
understand completely and deeply that power leads to responsibility. My dilemma
is that I'd like to change things – that requires power – and I'm afraid of it
for reasons known and unknown.
My
ambition is to improve the world w/o causing conflict for others. Some thrive
on conflict – I'm tired of conflict. The times
have been interesting too long.
There
doesn't, however, seem to be a choice other than to align with Knowledge. I
have squandered some of my power through ambivalence. We work on that later. Captain Ahab's
mono mania scared me – any one-note song does.
Practice
#2 9 p.m. I'm tired, wasted – I need my
transportation futures speech tomorrow – must leave @ 7 a.m. To get to RADCO by
9 a.m.
9:55
p.m. – Well – I mapped out four pages of brain stretching transportation stuff.
I'm glad David's room is clear now for my meditation. I'm relieved that I have
the outline – my mind has always delivered – in the service of my spirit. (The
final presentation)
My
ideas about power!
Who
needs it? Power for what? Raw natural power in the movement of wind, water, the
land. The focused power of plants – turning soil/green into food, rock busters;
or animals – power is the life force that must be doing something always to
sustain and expand.
As
people deal with one form of power they may seek to dominate – to impose their
will on others. This is not being responsible.
Here
in this room, in this house – 607 Midland – looking at all of the books, wood
work furniture, the walls/ceiling, clothing – and it is the marvelous work of …
Responsibilities
"…provide the protection and the guidance that you need so that you may
develop appropriately, positively and completely."
Power
is a difficult topic. Let us continue so that our understanding may improve to
the point that we become useful to Knowledge in the world.
NNC
P.S. At Step 271, we are into Part Two of Steps, so
if you’ve found this and find some appeal in this or other Steps, you should
really go to the beginning blog post. From here you learn about Steps to Knowledge and
can begin it on the day that makes sense and then progress as needed. You can
use the posts on this blog as a companion if it helps. They will remain in
order in the archives - one per Step.
Often it takes 18 months to get through the Steps
once. For this blog, the pace is one-a-day, but it really makes no difference
how fast you do it, only that you begin, persist and repeat. Posts here provide
a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One
may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps
students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as
a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well
through the Free School of the New Message.
