Thursday, October 13, 2011

Occupy Wall Street - Hidden Patterns of Emerging Power

Beneath the surface of events, hidden patterns guide and shape our thoughts and actions. What appears to be today's news arises from timeless, archetypal stories. When we see and understand the deeper patterns unfolding before us, we are better equipped to utilize the shifting tides of the moment and act effectively for real change.

The Occupy Wall Street demonstrations are no exception. The protesters in the street shout "We are the 99%!" "Enough is enough!" "Contribute your share!" Those occupying the towers looming above mutter "Stop complaining." "You are incoherent." "Get a job." In the struggle between the voices of the masses and the fortresses of wealth, each side blames the other for the conflict. Beneath the surface divisions, however, both sides are cooperating to enact the primal pattern of the Lifeboat.

The Lifeboat expresses the tendency to separate ourselves from the uncertainty of the ever-shifting tides of living. To protect ourselves from sinking beneath waves of change, we create a protective structure we believe will keep us above the roiling currents. Yet, armoring ourselves against the sea of living disconnects us from nourishing flows of renewal. We dwell in isolation, fear the world, and contract into alienation and depression. The ocean of consciousness, however, will not let us hide forever. Surges of energy and awareness pound our defensive walls until they soften and we respond to their call.

In the Occupy Wall Street story, the wealthy 1% are doing everything they can to survive as they are, maintaining the Lifeboats separating them from the 99% who are suffering economic uncertainty. But, as Michael Moore observed about the 1%, "They can only build the gates so high." Beneath the surface of the situation, the pattern of the Lifeboat can point the way toward a solution. As long as both sides believe it is "us against them," their problems will continue. As soon as everyone involved sees their roles in the dynamic processes unfolding, methods for revitalizing economic health can be found. When the wealthy 1% acknowledge that their riches, influence and security are interdependent with the labor and wellbeing of the 99% percent, they can use their knowledge and finances to discover new methods for enriching the global economy. When the 99% acknowledge their vast untapped resources and the power of their labor and creativity, they can look into the emerging energies of the digital age and shape them into a new economy that nourishes each individual while strengthening the whole society. The beginning is looking beneath the surface and connecting with the archetypal patterns guiding and shaping the events.

Read more about the Lifeboat and other archetypes shaping your life in my forthcoming book, 24 PATTERNS OF WISDOM; Navigating the challenges and awakenings of the human journey. The ebook is available now from Amazon Kindle. The print edition will be available mid November.

9 comments:

  1. Beautiful. You always manage to craft into words and sentences what aimlessly swirls around in my head as a "we're not seeing the whole picture" feeling.

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  2. Thanks, Connie. Glad the post was clarifying. I'm finding that viewing the world through the pattern making lens of my architect's awareness helps to see the hidden structures with events. I'll be writing more blogs from this viewpoint in the coming months.

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  3. Beautiful "big picture" view. Always makes me hopeful to step out of the politics of it all, and view the larger human potential! I hope more and more people can come to see the larger emerging patterns, and I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts in coming posts!
    Jennifer
    ps - "The Temple in the House" and "Home for the Soul" have been two of my favorites since picking them up in architecture school!

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  4. Thanks, Jennifer. The "big picture" view does bring the details into focus. It also offers the space for new, creative ways of dealing with events to emerge. Together we can continue broadening our lens to encompass greater possibilities.

    Great hearing you have enjoyed my books. I'm excited about my new book, 24 PATTERNS OF WISDOM: Navigating the Challenges and Awakenings of the Human Journey, coming out in mid November!

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  5. Thank you, Anthony, for this very nourishing post that touches the mind to think in terms of creative movements and possibilities. Infinite gratitude to you, a thinker who opens doors of consciousness through work and words, and who stands at the doorway to lead us home ~ into the deeper spaces of knowings and awakenings.

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  6. Thank you, Naomi, for your kind comment. Within the tidal waves of information we encounter each day, we all need to help each other find the patterns of consciousness shaping events. Sharing this wisdom we help each other find our way through. Thank you for being a reflector of that wisdom.

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  7. I agree, Tony, with your conclusion on the 1% and the 99%. The 1% will continue to benefit themselves as well as everyone else once they recognize their connection to All That Is. And the 99%, those who wordsmithed this nomenclature, will rise from the cells of victimhood once they recognize 'their vast untapped resources'.

    BTW, as an architect, you might be interested in the story of South Mountain Co. and Jon Abrams book, _Companies We Keep_.

    Oh, yeah: my nine-year-old daughter says she would like to be an architect.

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  8. Thanks for your comment, Tom. I'll check out Companies We Keep. Also, glad to hear your daughter is drawn to architecture. It offers great possibilities for integrating inner and outer aspects of life. If there is any way I can support her inspiration and knowledge about the field, let me know.

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  9. Thanks, Tony, for the offer.

    I will monitor the progression of my daughter's interest. Should it continue, I will definitely contact you for ideas on supporting her inspiration and knowledge.

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