Are you conscious about the culture you are co-creating?

Are you an integral soul trapped in a traditional (or modern) culture? Are you inclined to co-create a more inclusive, open, conscious culture with your friends and fellow travelers?

How do we do that? Are you recognizing the trappings of traditional, modern, and postmodern cultures when we are ensnared in them? Crap, you mean there are other choices we can make for our lifestyle?

Thoughts? Practices? Inclinations? Infuriations?

     permalink

Re: Are you conscious about the culture you are co-creating?

hello! i’m going to just jump in with this!

mine is an interesting, though hardly unique, situation. a year and a half ago i moved to a city where i had no real friends or sense of connection. where i live now (austin) is very different from the urban culture that i’m accustomed to (manhattan, philadelphia). i’ve always considered myself an extremely open-minded, open-hearted, non-judgmental sort of person. and i was that way in “my culture”. it has been interesting to observe how i shut down in a “culture” that is a bit foreign to my way of living, doing, and being. it’s funny how you don’t realize how and where you are closed and judgmental until you move outside of your circle. i am stunned to observe how readily i dismiss people whose choices i don’t understand or agree with. it is quite the interesting journey to keep my heart open to those who have chosen paths that i wouldn’t choose for myself. i might not have had the opportunity to become aware of this tendency if i had remained in “my culture.”

i think i’ve done fairly well at skirting the “shoulds” of modern society and creating / living the life that feels right for me. however, avoiding the arrogance and pride at having done so is another matter altogether!

my question is this - how do you remain open and loving, to oneself and others, when you find yourself in an environment where you have A) yet to connect with people whom you resonate with and B) have to constantly discard what you think you know and attune yourself to who / what / where life is giving you right now?

i hope this isn’t too rambling and off-topic, but this is what is on my mind and i would love to hear your insights.

     permalink

Re: Are you conscious about the culture you are co-creating?

shobhana,
oh! how true and right you are! i’ve had that happen several times, when i’ve traveled and moved places. it is very surprising indeed. i fall into being judgmental and thinking how they aren’t as integral as i am. the second that thought pops in my head it’s like a giant “oops!” and it’s a check to my arrogance. i think it’s easy to fall into that simply because we are human and though we strive to be integral and conscious in our every act and motive, sometimes we get carried away and fall into old patterns. i think it’s all a part of the evolution process. but, the way i look at it, if we notice that we’ve been more closed towards others, that we’ve become arrogant at how superior we are, the fact that we notice and then make a change about our actions is a step in the right direction. perhaps even a leap! we have the intent to change and are taking the steps to open ourselves and being aware of our own actions and thoughts is half the battle.

i think there’s always people you resonate with wherever you go. you will find them when the time is ripe. perhaps the kosmos is giving you this time to reflect exactly on what you are writing about. i’ve looked at times like that in my life as learning experiences, as an opoortunity to grow in my acceptance and the value in everything.

i also think that we always have to constantly discard who we think we are. we have a tendency to get rooted in our concept of ourselves too much as it is. it’s really a blessing when we are constantly thrown out of that by our circumstances, however completely uncomfortable having that happen over and over again might be!! i personally have a terrible time reminding and believing that myself, but i try :) things are a constant give and take and a balance between the two.

-k

     permalink

Re: Are you conscious about the culture you are co-creating?

thanks krisztina,

that’s it exactly! wow! what a trap/trip.

>i also think that we always have to constantly discard who we think we are.

yes! thank you for reminding me of that. it seems i need to remember that with every breath…

- shobhi

     permalink