What stories do we need now?

Stories are not “just” words. We all have stories in our minds, about who we are, how we got here, how the world works, and what really matters. Stories are our ways of understanding reality, but they also create our reality. We each have our individual storylines that play like audio tracks in our own heads, shaped by our life experiences and those who raised us. And we have collective stories, shared within a society. These collective stories in particular become like the air we breathe - they are so mutually held that we don’t even notice that they are just views, and not, in fact, reality.

Stories are powerful, and they can be helpful or harmful, even dangerous. There are collective stories that got us to where we are in this moment, as a society. Stories of rugged individualism which hold that anything we have, we got by ourselves and deserve and that those who don’t have, must not have made the effort, and therefore don’t deserve. Worldviews that see profit and growth as the ultimate good, without considering the cost to other people and the planet. Stories that my personal desires are more important than the collective good. Stories of supremacy, superiority, who matters, and who doesn’t. We have collective stories that we are separate, disconnected individuals.

If stories got us here, what are the stories that can help us now? I believe the story, the way of understanding ourselves and the world, that we need now is that of Interbeing. At a time when it’s more clear than ever that what happens in Wuhan is not separate from what happens in Milan or New York, that each of our actions contribute to the well being of our entire community (i.e. wearing masks and keeping distance helps stem the pandemic). Where we know that none of us are ultimately safe if any of us are targeted, and so we stand up for those that are more vulnerable than ourselves.

As practitioners, what helps us inhabit and grow Interbeing? Here are some simple practices you can bring in.

Eating meditation: take 5 minutes at the start of your meal to contemplate your food. What are all the ingredients, how did they come to be, what elements created those ingredients (the sun, the Earth, the rain, etc.)? How many people were involved in growing and preparing the food, and getting it to you? As you eat your food, think about how all of these elements and people are supporting your existence right now!

Gratitude practice: think about all the people, all the infrastructure, that helped you be here now - living, breathing, surviving. Make this a daily practice to build your solidity, resilience, and sense of interconnection during uncertain times.

Practicing with suffering: if suffering is arising in you or those you care about, send love and compassion - Metta, or the wish for wellbeing. Then bring into your consciousness other people who are experiencing the same or similar suffering - people you know and those you don’t know. It helps to remember that we are not alone, and also creates more compassion and connection with others, rather than identifying with and clinging to “my” suffering.

At this time of increased social distancing and isolation, it is more clear than ever how much we need each other. For both personal and collective well-being, we need to remember our interdependence and Interbeing. It’s the story that we need to adapt into our collective consciousness, to save us now.