I’ve always loved the water! Being by the ocean. Swimming. Floating. Watching the waves. The mist and power of a waterfall. There’s something so calming and enlivening about the sound of moving water.

That was until Jaws ruined it for me. I’m not one for scary movies to begin with, but that damn shark gave me nightmares for years. Then there was the time I was snorkeling in Thailand when a barracuda got in between me and the boat I was swimming towards. It bared its teeth, I panicked, froze and was stuck treading water for what felt like hours, but was probably just a few minutes. This creature was probably less than a foot but was a giant monster in my mind. Thankfully, I made it back to the boat without being eaten up.

How can we deal with fear? I know someone who forced himself to swim with the sharks (with a guide of course), so he could face one of his biggest fears (clearly I was not alone in this). I’m just not that brave, yet I’ve learned to honor the spirit of the shark and its medicine which represents fierce power, authority and adaptability. Along the way, I picked up a large shark’s tooth which has become one of my treasured totems and am in awe of nature’s diversity and magnificence.

The water is boiling over

I’ve been thinking a lot about the water, our waters, all the world’s creatures and the power of transformation. Recently, I took the most relaxing bath, feeling the soft nurturing water against my skin, knowing that it would cleanse me and wash away heaviness and negative energy. I felt safe and supported, ducking under the water to be submerged in a mysterious echo chamber.

My experience was a striking counterpoint to the hurricanes we’ve been witnessing that are wreaking havoc and leaving destruction in their wake. I don’t take my fortune lightly after a friend from Asheville wasn’t able to bathe for 10 days, since her home was destroyed by mud. Thankfully, she was safe and surrounded by so many others who lives unexpectedly became unmoored. This reminded me of another sad story of a young man recently killed on a vacation in Greece by the ocean’s undertow.

Healing and loss sit side by side. Polarity – force and weakness, dark and light, destruction and calm, is apparent everywhere as our environment and world are being pushed to the extremes. We are left to deal with the consequences as every action causes a reaction. The environmental disasters we see daily are no doubt the result of humanity’s selfish and unrelenting need to dominate nature, without regard for the earth’s resources. It’s playing out all around us and is unlikely to stop any time soon.

Things are pretty f*cked up! These recent climate experiences, following all the forest fires, tsunamis and earthquakes, not to mention the ongoing wars and nasty politics, have thrown me for a loop. Climate anxiety is a real thing. In the face of seeming helplessness, I feel called to speak up for the earth. It’s the least I can do and something that feels within my power.

I also honor Indigenous People’s day to acknowledge that is possible to live in harmony with nature and the earth. We have dismissed earth-based practices in our pursuit of gain at our expense.

While I generally prefer optimism, forgive me for being vulnerable to catastrophic thinking. The truth is we are and have been facing cataclysmic challenges as the earth heats up and can no longer modulate itself to maintain balance. All of us are vulnerable personally, within our communities, our countries and globally. There are no climate havens – none of us are protected from the impact of our perpetuating damage on the environment.

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?

Climate denial is clearly a delusion. We can’t hide from the truth. Mother nature is pissed and she’s showing us the implications of our greed and unrelenting push to industrialize without considering our impact. We have been living in a VUCA (volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous) world for a while now, with untold ramifications. It’s one thing to be aware of our situation, yet another to fully acknowledge the impact, though it becomes unavoidable when it’s staring us in the face..

With the rate of change and uncertainty magnified many times over, we might feel woefully under-prepared. However, I know that change is possible. Perhaps not fast enough to turn back time and reverse the damage already done, but to make different decisions going forward. We are always able to make new choices.

The recently passed Yom Kippur holiday in Judaism is a time to ask for atonement. Annually, we reflect on all the ways we may have f*cked up in the last year – whether intentionally (by choice) or unknowingly (unconsciously). It’s an opportunity to take responsibility, make amends and ask for forgiveness – with intention.

If anything I’ve said or done has offended or hurt you, I apologize. I curse a lot gratuitously, don’t always follow-up on things, sometimes make snarky offhanded comments and can be a bit direct in ways that some may find off-putting. I am sorry if my actions may have caused you pain in any way. It’s an act of contrition to acknowledge when we’ve done harm, even if we didn’t realize it at the time.

The goal is to wipe the slate clean and start anew. Not to make little of the bad stuff we did or the sh*t that went down, but to attempt to evaluate and be more thoughtful to choose different actions going forward. There is a desire and opportunity to restore harmony and offset any bad karma.

A similar day exists within the Mayan Cosmovision, Ajmak, which ironically falls today. On Ajmak days, we ask for forgiveness for those we may have hurt, again whether unwittingly or intentionally. Today is 4 Ajmak, the fourth day of the trecena (the Mayan’ calendar’s 13 day cycle), where we are asked to bring more sweetness to the world through our actions and deeds. It’s so ironic, yet appropriate when important themes emerge, in this case around acting to restore faith and make the world better going forward.

As within, so without

Of course we cause harm to others, it’s unavoidable sometimes and accidents happen. Yet we also can’t overlook the ways we hurt ourselves, through unkind words or behaviors. How we treat others often reflects how we’re feeling about ourselves. Though we may feel helpless, I believe we can no longer run away, hide or deny the reality all around us and must recognize our part in creating it. We are being invited, if not required to think differently now, as Mother Nature calls us to account. .

I was trying to find the best balance between making this newsletter a rant vs. an inspirational message. Thankfully my despair gave way to hopefulness as I trust in the resilience of the human spirit. My desire is for love and light to win out over hatred and fear. For practical solutions and innovation to create the path forward, rather than bureaucracy, mediocrity and doing what we’ve always done.

We can and must do better. It starts with small choices at home around recycling, buying fresher foods with less packaging and minimizing our disposable waste. Supporting those leaders, companies and policies that advance a just, sustainable and regenerative future. Doing work we believe in and standing up for the right things at our organizations. Holding others to account when we know they can learn and make different choices. Creating safe spaces to explore our differences.

And there isn’t one solution. Clearly there are many sides to the challenges we face and multiple perspectives should be taken into account. I was reminded that we have suffered from hurricanes, earthquakes and other devastation in previous centuries, so some of what we are experiencing is not new.

None of this is easy. It’s f*cking hard and potentially painful as we start letting old ways of being fall away, to be replaced with the discomfort of not knowing what we’re doing, but needing to persist in spite of the odds. However, I believe those of us who know better can lead the way. The future is in our hands and we have the ability to drive the changes that must happen to create a world that we can live in.

I would love to hear what actions you’ve been taking, large or small, to make a positive impact. We can learn so much from each other and gain inspiration from those who are questioning the way things are to explore new paths.

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On a personal note, I’m excited to share that my book manuscript is complete and the cover design is almost finalized. If you are interested in becoming part of my early beta reader program, please email me to let me know you would like to receive updates. I so appreciate your support and look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.

To swimming with the sharks,

Lenore

P.S. Ready to start making positive changes? Let’s connect in a discovery call where we will explore your challenges and create an exciting path forward. I want to help you create the life and world you imaging. We need your leadership more than ever!