Claiming Our Natural Intelligence
The Ah-ha Moment…
by Patti Lindgren Gera

Five years ago, I had one of those ah-ha moments that change your life so deeply it will never be the same. A date with truth and inspiration that grabs you deep, sweeps you up and plops you down, on a path of no return. It made me stop, check out, and check into a journey of discovery and rebirth.

That ah-ha was this:
….that we are co-creating in every moment, and that by doing so without conscious attention, we are creating a world none of us want and that we cannot sustain; and that becoming more cooperative, more imaginative, less attached to our own ideas, and less afraid, is work we need to lean into in order to evolve into our ability to co-create a world that works…

How did I get to this point?

It was through my experience of working with clients and watching them struggle to see themselves and their environment in whole, objective, and appreciative ways. They would make choices for important projects based on fears and beliefs, such as “that will never work,” “we can’t do that,” or “s/he won’t like it.” Sometimes, it was a lack of imagination, hope, and trust. Often there was competition, and many times they were so busy watching cellphones or thinking about something else, they were barely there at all.

Rarely did I see consideration for the larger picture of long-term return on investment of resources, or what impacts on others, or life were generated by decisions. In fact, often attention was not paid to others at all, except for how to compete or what could be gained.

I would watch magnificent possibilities go untapped, born out of the love and creativity that lived in those very same humans around those very same tables. I watched hours upon hours spent in meetings with little reward for the effort and time put in when compared to its true potential.

And every day, I would contribute to the harm and waste of these ways, just to keep my doors open and food on my own family’s table. I was part of the problem. I had to find a more life-giving way to be in this world with others, to help us find our magic, and put it to the uses that our world calls out so loudly for today.

I was maturing into a grown-up perspective on the whole of our creation, taking notice (with much alarm) of how much suffering humanity was creating and living, right here at home and around the globe. I could see the reflection of my own behaviour and that of my clients at work on every level, in people, families and pods, organizations, governments, and communities—especially in the so-called modern world.

We weren’t standing in our power and we weren’t walking in beauty, alone or together. We were caught in an endless cycle of chasing our tails, stopping to scuttle now and then as we clashed up against each other, competing to lose. And that is why I checked out.

“Who does this co-creating of a world based on an economy of consumption, competition, and the growth thereof, and expects to live?” I wondered. “Why aren’t we paying attention?” I knew we humans were much more creative, intelligent, and caring at the core than our co-creation was telling us. But, I was stumped about how to move through these blocks of awareness, sense of responsibility, and sense of adventure. I also knew that if I didn’t figure it out, I might as well not even be here. This was work I was meant to do.

I had no idea what was in store for me, and sometimes I wonder if I would have chosen the path if I had. What followed was the initiation of my lifetime, where I went to places I didn’t know existed and felt things I’d never felt. I went into the infinite lands of the unseen forces that underlie creation—from the dark world where experience is composted into wisdom and love to the heights of vision and natural power.

Real life, as we call it, seems to happen somewhere on a spectrum I’ll call the middle. Our task as humans, it now seems to me, is to figure out how to express here, now, in a way that merges the powers of presence and attention with wisdom, compassion, and bold life-giving vision.

It won’t be easy, but I do believe it can be done. And I know there are many of you out there who are ready, like me. My journey took me to great teachers of ancient and emergent ways. I have new naturally intelligent tools for conscious co-creativity along with the willingness and commitment to show up and lean in.

I believe that I have a personal responsibility to the whole of life and that living from truth and love, applying my skills and inherent creativity is The Way I must go. And, I submit, The Way we all should be striving for and supporting one another to achieve.

It is time to grow up and into ourselves. Our grandchildren are waiting for us to show up, as are millions of people who suffer right here, right now, on this globe. In fact, I also submit, that except for a rare few perhaps, most of humanity is suffering from something, whether a lack of food, shelter, safety, love, community, or a lack of authentic and just purpose with its attendant creative flow.

Creative flow within one’s authentic and just purpose is, to me, the new currency for the new world. Being who we are, doing what we love, for the greatest good of life. Let’s show up and lean in.

Patti Lindgren Gera is the Founder and Principal of Truth and Dare Coaching and Consulting, a co-creative adventure in right livelihood. Go to www.truthanddare.ca or call (306) 653-2993 to explore how we can adventure together.