daring to be naive … (10/30/11)
“I’m guilty of extraordinary naivete, I suppose. But it’s a naivete that I really don’t want to abandon, not even now.” ~ Jock Sturges
From a very early age, we are all steeped in a culture that encourages us to “be informed” that we might “act wisely” and thereby “live safely”. Of course, the price we pay for adhering to these norms is a loss of the very things that make us truly special as a …species — we forget our ability to see new solutions to old problems; we forget our ability to pause and be amazed at the innate Beauty of life; we forget our ability to actively Care for others when we least wish to do so.
And yet even though we might have forgotten these Gifts, they are still alive & well within us. We CAN choose to be open-minded and see a different way of responding to fear & pain. We CAN choose to rebel against the grain of all things “responsible” and “prudent” in order to give Love a try. We can choose to be “humble as a child” and simply believe in the power of Kindness — even though all those around us might call us “unrealistic” or even “crazy”.
In essence, we can choose to believe in the power of Love, as Love is the only response that the fearful truly fear. Love is the only response that actually works. As such, instead of choosing to fight back with anger & indignation, we can choose differently this time around. We can choose to respond to hatred with forgiveness, to aggression with calm, and to injustice with compassion.
In essence, we can choose to be naive once again …
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