
As my own work of liberation continues to unfold, and whilst I could write about several habits named above (and may do in future posts), I’d like to start with separateness. It illustrates perhaps more than others this crushing orientation towards individualism, and is particularly tragic because of the insane isolation it puts us into. In my experience, much empowerment to access resources can happen, as well as potential learning for society as a whole, when our suffering is held by others, and even more crucially in community.
I emerged from childhood with, i believe, a string of atrophied muscles. By this i mean that it took a long journey of growth and healing to learn how to nurture friendships, be authentic and show the fullness of my humanity (not just the strong sides), reach out to others to meet basic needs such as companionship and fun, and come to trust, at a visceral level, that my life is anchored in a web of interdependent relationships.