The Field.

What. A. Year.

I said to a friend today, ‘I’ve just been donating to random people and charities because I feel like It’s the only way I can be of any help at the moment.’ Yeah great, but actually, not that helpful. I don’t want to list all the things we’re feeling right now. We all know about the social, economic, environmental, political, personal & spiritual turmoil the world is in, and it’s simmering- the moments before the boil. You know the drill. This week, however, I would encourage you to think about this text by twelfth century poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (Rumi). ‘Beyond the rightness or wrongness of things there is a field, I’ll meet you there.’ I think so often, we are all seeking to be right or we are pointing out that other people are wrong. The ‘field’ he talks about it a place where conversation takes place and opinions evolve. The field is a place where people just love good food and good wine and a good laugh. The field is where you can arrive at the communal table with an empty bowl and an empty cup and by the end, be filled to the brim. Not filled with ego or grand expectations but filled with curiosity and hope. I have listened to more people talk about their mental health (in my job) this last 5 months than I ever thought I would in a lifetime. I wasn’t giving them money to help them, I was giving them time. Letting them pull up a virtual chair beside me, showing me their empty bowl and talking to me. Here’s what I’ve learnt. - Asking someone what you can do to help, is better than saying ‘how are you’ - It’s no one else’s job to solve other people’s problems. If you have the capacity to help, try removing some of the barriers in their way instead. - Everyone has a different version of reality. - Kindness is a portal. You don’t have to be good, you just have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. x M

Daily Ceremony acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the land we work on, and we pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.