In a previous version of myself, this week would have tanked me. Actually, to be more specific, a single announcement would have tanked me within the space of the five seconds that it took me to read the headline. In that instant what was crushed was our (as in belonging to both Shannon and I) vision of our perfect future. We have been cultivating this vision and working toward it for years now. What’s more, the Universe has been seemingly supporting us in both big and small ways all along the way. A little less than six months ago the big break that would move us into our next phase of being in the world was presented to us. At least that’s how it seemed. Other possibilities have also been presented, but well… this was the one.
Everything was falling into alignment. Everything. Every aspect of our being would be placed into perfect play, perfectly balancing work and life while enabling us to fully live into each of our own unique gifts to the world. As you all know by now, this involves charting a viable path forward for humanity in the face of our social-ecological challenges. Then, suddenly… whoosh! The Universe yanked the magic carpet out from under us and sent us tumbling to the ground. We each went to our separate corners to process. My first thought raged forward. It went something like this:
“What in the f*ing hell, Universe?! Are you serious?? You want us to all f*ing die, don’t you??? There are amazing people all over the planet trying to turn this thing around, and you are choosing to not support us???? For real?!!! Really? This is what you are doing? F* you.”
Just to be clear, it wasn’t just us who were effected by this announcement. In fact, this turn of events is devastating to the thousands of people who study, work, support and are part of the local economy of our country’s best college with a mission and curriculum focused on sustainability. Green Mountain College is closing after 185 years. At a time when our country in particular needs to get its act together, we are instead letting what I view as one of our greatest treasures die. We are saying no to the leading edge in sustainability education. We should all be crying right about now.
As you also may have discerned by now, my emotional reaction on the surface was not nearly as intense as the way I just portrayed it. In fact, if you had been watching me in that particular moment, you would not have even know that anything had just happened. This process of writing about it helps me to allow the real emotion of it rise to the surface after the fact. Better late than never! Although hidden, the emotional intensity of it was all of that, at least for a few minutes. Then the next thought came:
“When I look back at my life, I can see without a doubt that the Universe has perfectly supported my every move. How could I conclude that it is not supporting me now?”
Truly I have had the most amazing life thus far. Just in the past twelve years, Shannon and I have been on a mind-blowing adventure in which we have done crazy things that I might never have thought possible. We designed-built the first project in Texas designed to meet the Living Building Challenge. I can’t even begin to describe how far beyond the reach of ordinary reality that was. We built Tiny Drop according to Passive House principles, showcased it to thousands of people, and hauled it to Vermont to its forever home- our 40 acres of paradise in the Green Mountains, which in and of itself came to us via a head scratching turn of events. We have through our teaching efforts at PVAMU won the Grand Award in the DOE Race to Zero Competition not just once, but twice, and now our latest design for net-zero, affordable infill housing is racing toward manifestation. None of this would have happened without the alignment of immeasurable factors, in other words without considerable assistance from forces greater than ourselves. Then came my next thought:
“If the Universe has withdrawn support for my perfect version of the future, maybe it wasn’t the perfect future after all.”
“If that wasn’t the perfect future, then I surely cannot even begin to imagine what will be!”
Now for the unpacking (not literally, of course). The first thing that I have to say is I am hereby banning a phrase from the English language. I know, I know… this is extreme, but really it must be done. Let us never again utter the words “too good to be true.” Henceforth, every time these words might occur to us, let us instead say “not good enough to be true.” Your dream job didn’t come to fruition… it wasn’t a good enough job for you. Your dream relationship didn’t come to fruition… it wasn’t a good enough match for you. Your dream house didn’t pan out… it wasn’t a good enough home for you. You get the picture. This takes a ton of trust. Believe me, I get it.
Yet by moving into a place of trust that the Universe is conspiring to support us, we open up the door to wonder. Have I mentioned that it’s funny how life works? On this particular day, my lesson from A Course in Miracles was to in essence not rely on my own limited perception of what is what, and to instead invite the unlimited vision of the Universe (God for the religious, Christ for the Christian, Consciousness for the spiritual, the absolute for the agnostic, the field for the scientific, etc.) to show me what is what. We most commonly hear this expressed this way: all is not what it seems. That was a powerful juxtaposition, a perfectly designed lesson.
Then there was the text that came in minutes later from one of my former students, who I affectionately call “Mini Me.” She is not about to let us off of the hook. She insists that this is the green light for us to create that something that will be even better. She says, “That program is one that I feel is desperately needed in this country. I was excited for what it was but there’s so much more that it could have been… It could be that this is happening so that the right people now have the opening to bring it. I think you are part of that group.” No pressure or anything. But that’s o.k., because I am hereby including her in this group too, so there! (I know you are reading this, Mini Me 😉 )
Another tool that I am experimenting with right now is called The Wonder Method, by Alain and Jody Herriott. I’m just getting started with it, so I can’t really comment on it yet. That said, I love the way that they succinctly describe the state of wonder:
“Wonder is like a ‘?.’ Interestingly, the Japanese symbol for wonder is a question mark. The act of using wonder is like pushing a reset switch: it gives us access to a state of potential where anything is possible.“
Perhaps you have heard this expressed in this way: live the question. Wonder describes a state of being in which we remove our constrictions on reality. We stop being so dang certain. We normally equate certainty as being aware of the truth. Yet this is a slippery slope, because by its very nature to be certain is to have eliminated the majority of reality and of what is possible and to have replaced it with only one version of reality and of what is possible. On the other hand, to be deeply certain- of your next move for example- is to tap into the full extent of possibility through your intuition. To know the difference is more art than science. Our culture tends to dismiss intuition or knowingness with rational decision making. I’ll leave this for you to contemplate.
All I can tell you is that wonder feels a whole lot better than having it all figured out. Wonder leaves the door open for a new reality that is beyond our wildest imaginations. We are going to need a reality such as that. So bring on the wonder.
Such an important post! Who knows what wondrous things await you NOW?! The closing of Green Mountain College reminds me of the closing of Black Mountain College in North Carolina. It was such a key place for educational reform and committed to principles like integration and holistic, interdisciplinary learning at a time when those things were not popular. When it closed its doors in the late 50s, it was a sad moment. But from that there rose a brave coalition of artists and creative thinkers dedicated to the ideals the college espoused. Eventually, the Black Mountain Center for the Arts (I think that’s the name) was born, and there are readings, education, and activism that still happen on that campus, even though it is not an official institute of higher learning! So, as you and your mini YOU say, who knows?? Maybe Green Mountain will join its sister Black Mountain, and new worlds will open up right before your eyes. Whatever happens, you are right to see that the Universe is still supporting you amd Shannon and leading you both right to the spot you need to be. Very exciting!
Wow!!!! Thanks for sharing the story of Black Mountain College! That makes it all feel much more possible!
“Not good enough to be true!” I love it and my new mantra. Thank you for sharing!