Humankind would not have endured and cannot continue without the capacity to form rewarding, nurturing, and enduring relationships. We survive because we can love. And we can love because we can empathize — that is, stand in another’s shoes and care about what it feels like to be there.
– Bruce Perry & Maia Szalavitz
Hi everyone,
For many of us, this week felt disillusioning, violating and assaulting. The fear, dread and anger persist. Living Ubuntu is producing a documentary. Given the election results, I couldn’t help but reflect more deeply on the common themes of authoritarianism, oppression and endoctrination. If we want children to grow up to be healthy adults, able to empathize and love, willing to be ‘upstanders’ when needed, do we really want to ignore school programs where students get the message that:
“… as long as you did what you were told you would get a good grade…” ?
(watch trailer here)
There is a reason psychotherapists who specialize in trauma recovery wind up talking about re-connecting with benevolence. After the shattering of what we previously believed, for the sake of restoring health, we must re-affirm our connection to goodness. Beyond the disconnection that accompanies woundedness, we belong to the greater whole. We survive because we can love.
It has not been an easy time to plan for a fundraising event. We have struggled. Several volunteers posed the question to me awhile ago asking if the timing was right and suggesting that possibly it should be postponed. My response was, “I can’t fully explain it, but it feels important that we do it at this time, despite the difficulties, soon after the election. We don’t know what is going to happen. We might be heading into challenging times. I am not sure it would be easier at a future time. For whatever reason it feels important to offer an event based in compassion, connection and interconnection soon after the election.”
As much as I know how, I try to trust my gut on these things. And now I know with even more conviction, not only do we need this event as an opportunity to re-affirm our connection to goodness and to one another, we need to make sure the film gets completed. Your support is necessary and genuinely greatly appreciated.
And — don’t forget that this coming Saturday, November 12 10:30am we will be a Tanaka Farms in Irvine for a free cooking demo, How to Cook Vegan for the Holidays. I am really looking forward to it! See you there?
For more upcoming events, scroll to the bottom of this email.
In the spirit of Ubuntu,
Barbara English, LMFT, CBT, TRE® Certification Trainer
Co-founder and Executive Director, Living Ubuntu
livingubuntu.org | facebook | donate »
(949) 891-2005
[Ubuntu] n. We belong to the greater whole.
:::UPCOMING EVENTS:::
How to Cook Vegan for the Holidays
Saturday, November 12, 10:30am – 12:00pm
Irvine
Orange County for Climate Action Meeting – note change of time, agenda and location!
Wednesday, November 16, 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Irvine
An Evening of Compassion and Being Together (an event to benefit Living Ubuntu) –– buy tickets now!
Sunday, November 20, 4:00pm – 7:00pm
Newport Beach
Re-Examining our Belief Systems: Growing Beyond the Known (a 4-part TRE® workshop series)
Saturdays: January 21, February 25, March 18, April 15, 9am-4:30pm each day
Newport Beach
