On Getting Our Asses Kicked
And what to do about it....
"I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked." - Brene Brown
I have something to share with you. It emerged from the quote above. Kamala Harris went into the arena of this election knowing she was daring greatly and that she might very well get her ass kicked. Judging by the results of the election we all got our asses kicked. But Harris didn’t waste any time feeling sorry for herself or bemoaning her loss. Instead she said:
”The Light of America's Promise Will Always Burn Bright. I do NOT concede the fight that fueled this campaign. Let us fill the sky with the light of billions of stars - the light of optimism, faith, truth, and service.”
I cried all the way through her concession speech. Then I went back to work on my my latest project, Dreaming Wide Awake. Dreaming Wide Awake doesn’t focus on what is wrong with our country and the world. It doesn’t rail against those who are caught up in the dystopian dream they’re hell bent on creating. Instead it recalls us to a quote shared with me by the brilliant
.“Your work is to discover who you are and then with all your heart give your light to the world.” - Jennifer Williamson
Before you read any further I want to be clear that I am not downplaying the very real shock, trauma, and heartache that we’re all feeling. We need time to grieve and process what’s happened. But I am reminding us that there is a larger, more powerful truth at work here. The short piece below chronicles my journey to that truth and invites you to join me as we come together to “fix” our country.
Dreaming Wide Awake is about learning to live in two worlds - the world where we are in competition with with one another, where money determines our value, and we are taught to be afraid to make mistakes. In this world, work is not supposed to be fun. It's just something we have to do to survive. Happiness, satisfaction, and self-awareness are beside the point. In addition, trying to share our dreams with others - to be different in any way - is seen as egotistical and delusional. "What makes you think you're so special?" the adults in my life used to ask me when I talked about wanting to become an artist. I was too young at the time to verbalize what I knew instinctively - that everyone is special with a unique path, purpose, and gift to contribute to our collective story.
In the second world, dreams are alive and well, and creative self-expression is encouraged. The goal of education is to help each child discover, develop, and share their one-of-a-kind gifts while learning to live in balance with other humans, the planet, and the web of life they share. If you are born dreaming wide awake, as I was, the whole notion of comparison, competition, and the need to perform to earn approval and the right to exist is both alienating and deeply painful. Dreaming wide awake means you are able to see and propose alternatives to the status quo, offer new ideas, and create beautiful stories that can teach, allay fears, and break down walls. Those who dream wide awake are hardwired to not only create but help others find their own creative outlets as well.
It has taken me most of my 69 years on the planet to figure out that what most people call the "real world," is actually a dream and a bad one at that. Rumi, the visionary 13th-century poet, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic said it best:
"This place is a dream.
Only a sleeper considers it real...
and though we seem to be sleeping,
there is an inner wakefulness
that directs the dream,
that will eventually startle us back
to the truth of who we are.” - Rumi
On the Dreaming Wide Awake site you will see examples of some of the work I've done to startle myself awake. I hope you enjoy and benefit from it as much as I have and that you too will begin to dare to dream wide awake.
With Love,
Jena
P.S. The site is isn’t complete yet, so please be kind.
P.P.S.S. Be sure to play the wonderful rendition of Cold Play’s “Fix You” as performed by Leann Rimes and Reuben De Melo. It’s amazing.
Interview between Brene Brown and VP Kamala Harris:
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/courageous-leadership-and-winning-in-2024/
Coppyright 2024 by Jena Ball. All Rights Reserved.
Thank you for this, Jena. Thank you for the gift that is you. I am grieving, and the mother lion has awakened in me on behalf of my daughter and my two stepdaughters. For all our daughters. For all of us. How I use that fierce and powerful voice is yet to be determined. I'll wait until my rage and terror has settled a bit more. Then, count me in!
Good one, Jena! And you mentioned Margot Potter!