the human group - session 53/54 - retrospect/vision
The last discussions of the year were ‘retrospect’ on 2020 and ‘vision’ for 2021. This will be an annual occurrence to finish up each year of the human group.
Looking back upon 2020 was rather banal. This may have been the group or it may have been exhausted as throughout the year we were delivered moments in which to reflect and begin to swim in uncertainty. We explored the function of reflection and gathering the experiences of the year to then reflect upon how it has set us up for the year to come.
Perfectly.
The two groups varied widely, the in-person group was small and intimate and we each took turns to explore our personal journey throughout the year. We started this by drawing a line representing the journey of the year. Then, taking turns we had a round of show and tell, opening up for questions from the group.
The online group dived into goal oriented striving that occurred for some members who then went on to describe the empty feeling felt afterwards as well as the new mountain appearing upon the horizon. Others spoke of the intimidation of looking too far into the future. How do we reel ourselves back to the present?
‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery and today a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.’
Kunfu Panda/unknown/Ashman
In order to balance the fears of the mysterious and overwhelming tomorrow, we must unwrap the present. Each day leading to the end goal has an infinite amount of presents to unwrap from which, will deliver us the tools needed when we cross that bridge or climb that mountain. What can you unwrap from this present moment?
This brings forth another concept or tool that can complement our process and present throughout the year to come. What question do you wish to live in 2021?
In a recent podcast with David Whyte, he spoke of sculpting a beautiful mind with a beautiful question. So what beautiful question do you wish to live into?
Each of the groups took the time to explore what question they wish to live. It was interesting as most of the questions proposed were loaded with a present negation of what is. For example; How can I change? How can I be more me? How can I be authentic? These are all very useful questions yet, what do these particular questions activate within the present?
Do these questions induce a listening or do they activate a thinking process and then an act of will upon the present state of being, further blinding us of our present unknownness by pasting yesterdays history upon the gift of the present.
What question can you live that induces half a step into self forgetting, to then meet the new?
How am I changing?
How can I love this moment?
How can I breath this moment?
How can I reveal myself?
Some beautiful questions to sculpt not just a beautiful mind but a beautiful experience of the present. Enriching the present with unanswerable open questions that facilitate a listening, a learning and a receptivity.
When focused upon a goal we ignore the present beauty and project it into some far off ideal. What would happen if we have a goal but we also have a question to enrich the present with? How would we feel at the top of the mountain, achieving our goal after thoroughly unwrapping the present until this point? Who and what do we become?
We also explored how we wish to greet 2021? What change we wish to be in 2021? We then finished off the session by time travelling 6 months into the future where we checked into the human group with the process of our day. Forming a future vision.
So the year ended for the human group and everyone walked into the unknown equipped with a question to bring presence to our process, an intention of being the change we wish to see in the world and a future anchor in which to guide our trust and faith in the moment.
We are ready for 2021!
Love you all and see you next year.
Love Hadley