This is an article I wrote a little while back...I'd love to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below. I’m an Aussie living in the south-west of England. But most of my work these days is with people in the USA. I regularly come into contact with people from different sides of the political spectrum and the overwhelming thing I’ve noticed is this:Each side thinks the other side is evil. Not just silly, misinformed, a bit wrong, or misguided…but actually evil. If each side thinks the other is evil, where does that leave us? Where does it all end up? Civil war? What can be done about it? Is it hopeless? Those who don’t take the red vs blue stance, believe that both sides are controlled by other forces beyond them. The banking cartels, the deep state, the illuminati etc etc. But ultimately, the effect is the same. “My opinion is right and yours is wrong”. Clearly, direct political action like protesting has a negligible effect. Voting, even when handled legally and fairly is mainly directed towards the 2 party system. But many on both sides believe that the election process has been hi-jacked anyway (by the other side, of course). I believe the solution lies closer to home. And I’m not talking about “finding peace in yourself before creating peace in the world”, although this has its place. I’m talking about seeking a new way forward with the people we disagree with. Try this on for size: Next time you’re having a conversation with someone who disagrees with you, listen to them. I mean, really listen to them. Try to actually understand their thought processes. Aim to be able to argue their case better than they can. Put aside your own opinions for the duration of the conversation. Decide to hang them up on the hook like a coat. Don’t worry, they’ll still be there when the conversation is over. In fact, your opinions will raise their head continually throughout the conversation, usually in the form of a strong desire to contradict, tell them they’re wrong, yell, scream or maybe even lash out. That’s ok.

Did Steiner write on that? The interplay between the will forces (intending, aspiring, applying, pursuing) and the more receptive states. I find it still quite trendy in spiritual jargon (New Age primarily) to speak of "surrender" and the need for surrender and fair enough but what we are surrendering to? The "flow" could well be the status quo and the programmed societal narratives of control often times. The path of least resistance is not necessarily the higher path, the moral path. On that subject, another philosophical question that has always had a grip on me: free will or destiny? It could be paraphrased as old karma or new karma? We create new karma every day and yet there are fated events and consequences all derived from past karma. I'll pause here as too much to ponder 😜 Any reflections welcome!

Thank you to all of those who joined us today on the free Spiritual Development Session! I especially enjoyed the insights and experience our attendees shared. From Buddhist backgrounds to "Heartfulness" meditation and excellent questions regarding the trinity of Thinking, Feeling and Willing....and their connection with Steiner's work. This was a bit of a test run to see how it went, who showed up and how the Skool platform works. I'll run another session soon. For those who attended, please let me know in the comments below: - what you thought of the session - what worked and what didn't - how the session might be improved Best wishes Mick

I hope you don't mind me speaking personally here for a minute: As I get older, I realise more and more that all the previous identities I built up, are not actually me. I don't feel bad about them. They were necessary. They were all I had. But as time goes on I begin to notice old thought patterns, habits and ways of being falling away. I've always questioned everything, but now I'm not even sure who's doing the questioning. Someone said to me once that we continually build up a paradigm with which to understand the world. Then, step by step, life goes about dismantling this paradigm with it's small or big tragedies, it's disappointments and it's revelations...and we have to build up a whole new paradigm! Even the spiritual paradigms we have need to continually be renewed...otherwise they just become another dogma to cling to. Then there's the fact that as we grow, we find more and more parts of ourselves, that we didn't know existed...even as other parts die away. This can be wonderful and terrifying. But all is growth...and it doesn't seem to end. But maybe we can also find "rest" within this continual growth and movement. This is my big challenge and something I want to solve. This journey the self is not for the faint hearted. But if you're on that path to becoming more and more of who you are (whoever that is), welcome. Warm wishes Mick PS. would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this. Please feel free to comment below and I'll get back to you asap (Art work: Antonín Slavíček - "In the Veltrusy Park", 1901)