You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
....... R. Buckminster Fuller, *Critical Path*
Thanks to Rob Breszny for pointing me in the direction of this quote. He is my favorite astrologer.
How does a person go about resisting the urge to fight the existing reality? First have a look at existing reality, a clear eyed, clear hearted look. You can't flinch. You can't look in some other direction, hoping the change will happen without first really seeing what IS.
Well, I guess you can. I've tried looking away, hoping the existing reality would just disappear, but somehow, it never works that way for me. To build a model that makes the old ways obsolete requires that I know the old model like the back of my hand. Ouch!
Of course I'm as deluded as the next human, but sometimes I get a clear view, a glimpse of the "real world." Whoa ... the experience is like a cold drink tossed right into the face. Bracing! Invigorating! ... Humbling! Brilliant. Thanks, Bucky.
Happy Boxing Day!
4 comments:
This is exactly what my Zen teacher says...really FACE what is, without turning away. It's harder to do than we realize!
Lovely photo, as usual. :)
I guess the only thing we can change is our own way of seeing and thinking about a thing.
Beautiful tree reflection!
It seems fairly idealistic to think one can actually design a new path. I will content myself with coexisting with what I find to be imperfect. I'm not convinced I can change the world.
Ugh. Fuller's quote totally captures my dismal experience in this town. I guess that's been my problem: I've been fighting the existing reality when I should have just been accepting it. As for building new models, I've tried that. Maybe I haven't tried hard enough or my new model hasn't been original enough to obliterate the existing one. I don't know. All I know is, working in this town makes me so very tired and leaves me feeling like Barbara said: "not convinced I can change the world" or even influence positively my little corner of it.
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