Hear, hear, Caitlin. I'm not too sure about the framing, but yes one needs both the internal and external views. Perhaps a unifying concept is compassion both for oneself and those around one (well, the whole ecosystem actually).
I find that a tonic and reminder is tenderness to self and kindness to others, or tenderness both ways. Here we come to gifts. Everyone understands the joy that comes for ones' self when one gives as considered gift. The joy that lights up on their face immediately lights in one's heart too. You Caitlin have embraced the gift economy in your approach to publishing; here it is, do what you want (minus racists).
I commented recently on smiling as a tiny gifting, the spreading of joy. A radio show I used to listen to had an outro: "if you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours". Participating in this practice of small scale gifting, or just being nice, reminds us that we need to care for ourselves and that suffering is out there and that we have agency to address it. It connects "me" with "us". One can bridge the inner and outer with compassion and joy.
Hear, hear, Caitlin. I'm not too sure about the framing, but yes one needs both the internal and external views. Perhaps a unifying concept is compassion both for oneself and those around one (well, the whole ecosystem actually).
I find that a tonic and reminder is tenderness to self and kindness to others, or tenderness both ways. Here we come to gifts. Everyone understands the joy that comes for ones' self when one gives as considered gift. The joy that lights up on their face immediately lights in one's heart too. You Caitlin have embraced the gift economy in your approach to publishing; here it is, do what you want (minus racists).
I commented recently on smiling as a tiny gifting, the spreading of joy. A radio show I used to listen to had an outro: "if you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours". Participating in this practice of small scale gifting, or just being nice, reminds us that we need to care for ourselves and that suffering is out there and that we have agency to address it. It connects "me" with "us". One can bridge the inner and outer with compassion and joy.