A Riff on Krista Tippett’s 3 Practices for Wisdom and Wholeness

This Ted Talk by Krista Tippett is a perennial favourite that I find myself returning to time and again. And while I certainly think that it’s jam-packed with insight and can stand all on its own, I would like to spend a little time discussing how I see it relating to the work that we are doing here at Common Earth. 

In this talk, Krista shares three practices that she believes can help us to participate in the remaking of this troubled world.  I will look at each of them in turn. 

The first is to see the generative story or narrative of our time.  She cautions us against our propensity to pay more attention and give more weight to that which is wrong, difficult, or painful. She cites the real evolutionary imperative to ward against danger and one of the most effective ways of doing so is to be aware of it.  But when we don’t intentionally make space to recognize, relish even, the other side of the coin – all that is going right in the world, all the beauty that surrounds us, then we create a negatively distorted perception of reality. 

Anyone who has taken our courses knows the power that our thoughts have on shaping our perspectives. You are likely equally aware of the emphasis I personally place on becoming more aware of our stories – whether they are individual or societal, they have such an insidious impact on our everyday experience of life that to not consciously consider them is to miss the opportunity to participate in the writing of your own story. 

We weave this idea of narrative into the Common Earth experience in myriad ways. We explore our origin story with an exploration of the incredible creative unfolding of the universe and how we are each manifestations of that same creative energy.  We end every session with a Daisy Story – real stories of individuals who are recognizing their power to shape their stories as inspiration for each of us to do the same.  And finally, we spend a great deal of time exploring the role of our thinking on our experience of life. When we are upset by a narrative we are having about something, recognizing that it is a story, that may or may not have merit, is an invaluable tool in our ability to not get too hooked into our own thoughts and therefore make room for other stories that may serve us better.   

The second practice she points to is to “live the questions”, as advised by Rilke, which cultivates patience and discovery, guiding us through life’s unresolved mysteries.  I love this council as it reminds us to have the humility and courage to sit with not knowing.  It is a far more comfortable place to sit in certainty, but when we succumb to the desire for this comfort, we shut ourselves off from some of the most essential things required of us right now.  First of all, if our starting place is one of certainty, we leave no space to entertain new possibilities or ideas. This is a conversation and empathy killer.  We definitely can’t talk to one another if we are not open to listening to questions and opinions that are different than those we already hold.  

Furthermore, how can we honour the idea of emergence, that there is an intelligence to life far greater than our own, if we don’t have the capacity to sit with not knowing YET? 

But beyond simply sitting with the uncertainty, we need to develop the wonder and imagination to ask the right questions. For, as Krista says, “questions illicit answers in their likeness. Answers rise or fall to the questions they meet.” To me, this means that it’s incumbent upon us to question everything. We need to be asking ourselves big, audacious questions. Questions not about saving the status quo, but daring questions. Questions like the foundational one around which Common Earth is built: How can we move to a post-carbon, caring society?  I am doing my utmost to follow her guidance by faithfully living that very question. 

Her third and final practice is an invitation to honour our calling and our wholeness. It is precisely what is required of humanity if we are to have the emotional fortitude to navigate the enormity of what we are up against.  There is a quote by Kierkegaard, widely considered the first existential philosopher, who said almost two hundred years ago that 

We are being called to break the illusion that we are individuals and embrace the interconnected web of life that we are each a part of. This means honouring the other people, species, and all the other complex systems that contribute to this larger whole such that we orient ourselves towards that which is generative or life-giving.   

 So, in her formidable wisdom, she comes full circle, and asks us to beg the question of ourselves, how can we, as individuals, help to usher in a new, more life-sustaining and more joyful way of being for all of us.  And that is a great question indeed! I urge you to live it fully.