News & Updates | January 2021

The Actions Of Our Lives

Well, 2021 has come roaring in like a lion … and the winds of change feel more tornadic than the gentle breezes we wished for in the new year. Through it all, we know that the more practiced we are in not getting attached to outcomes and not reacting to every turn of events, the more we can stay centered and balanced. Some days that’s easier said than done.

Ram Dass counseled, “Remember, we are all affecting the world every moment, whether we mean to or not. Our actions and states of mind matter because we’re so deeply interconnected with one another. Working on our own consciousness is the most important thing that we are doing at any moment, and being love is the supreme creative act.”

To shift our state of mind, perhaps it would help to set aside labels and begin to truly see one another as the spiritual beings we are. This is a path to find commonality. As a black woman and the mother of two incredible black men, I live the prejudices, the stresses, and the fears of what those labels denote. I also recognize pain is unique and pervasive. I appreciate when people take time to grasp the truth of my experiences; likewise, I want to comprehend the intricacies of theirs. Understanding individual experiences is a starting point to acknowledge our interconnectedness.

When I worked in disaster philanthropy, I was in a small North Carolina town that was recovering from its third major hurricane in four years. A volunteer pointed across the road and said, “See that house? We gave it a new roof and shingles. It all looks perfect, right? Well, inside it’s a muddy mess. Sometimes folks are like that too.” People can seem like they’re coping perfectly well on the outside but inside, much is hidden. The creation of Soul Seeds was a response to that reality.

We cannot ignore the fact that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) have been disproportionately impacted by COVID or that women veterans are more likely to be isolated, not seeking care for physical and mental health issues or that abuse, hunger, and homelessness are steadily on the rise. These are factors that have called us to bring our meditative techniques to underrepresented communities, to begin to help heal those hidden wounds. We will be working to build our cultural awareness and our connections with people who have lived experiences – listening well and raising our consciousness. Our states of mind matter, as do our actions.

So, I leave you with this Sanskrit prayer, an invocation for harmony and blessings for all of creation. Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu, often translated as, “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.”