How Do You Feel?
Q: How do you feel?
A: The full spectrum answer begins in my heart and expands through my cells, touching deep emotions, physical sensations, and thoughts around why, what is happening, the present moment, the future, and literally the science of feeling itself. Neurotransmitters emit their lightning bolts through my limbic system as I am swathed in the neural phenomena of memories, while stimulus of thought engages my nervous system tracking through my endocrine system and so it goes…
Emotions are primal and deeply intrinsic to our human experience, expressed through what some refer to as the “theater” of the body. Feelings are our response to those emotions and are reflected in our facial expressions, the gestures of our hands, the posture of our spine, and the pace of our heart. All of these reflect our mostly immediate reactions to our emotions in the form of these feelings. They do not belong to robots as much as AI wants to own them. That which is artificial can only imitate the sacred, and thus will never truly be within itself.
At times I am conscious, and others, unconscious to what is occurring on this internal stage. Reflecting upon this inner realm brings me to a constant state of awe as I peer through the velvet curtains into my mind that extends from eternity to eternity. What I see is disturbing, humbling and honest. The world is playing out upon the delicate cosmic flesh of my psyche. Current events, devastation, wild fires, displacement of families, the inhumane crimes that my country is committing as I write this. The teargassing of innocent children while puppets in leadership positions are held by strings of a stronger hidden agenda. And then there are the bellies of whales full of plastic, do we need more proof that we are failing?
How do I feel? I feel all of it, simultaneously screeching and tearing me apart one headline at a time. I am living the paradox between wanting to get cozy in a blanket in the fetal position while also ready to suit up to defend all of our people, whatever the cost, from “the enemy”. An inner super hero, chomping at the bit to be on the ground in the action, is juxtaposed with the reality of my life and what it is asking of me, here and now.
I can’t fly to every frontline; however, I can review myself. I can’t change others’ minds, although I can work to change my own. My choices, my actions, my thoughts, my vote, my breath, my body… I am reminded of some words from the Sufi Mystic Ali Khawwas that a friend shared with me recently.
“All wisdom can be stated in two lines:
What is done for you – allow it to be done.
What you must do yourself – make sure you do it.”
May we all do our part, in the face of crisis, in calm, on the frontlines, in our homes…may we help one another. May we extend our hearts beyond our limited beliefs. May we ask of each other…How do you feel?
