“A good heart and a good mind - those are what you need to be a chief.” - Louis Farmer, ONONDAGA
The combination of heart and mind is very powerful. The Medicine Wheel teaches that two worlds exist - the seen and the unseen. The seen world is the physical, and the unseen is the spiritual world. Both worlds are necessary to discover true reality. The heart represents the unseen, and the mind represents the seen. Blessed is the leader or person who has developed both the heart and the mind. Truly, this person is of tremendous value to the people.
Secrets and Intimacy
“We feared that if we ever revealed ourselves as we were, we would surely be rejected.” - Basic Text, p. 32
Having relationships without barriers, ones in which we can be entirely open with our feelings, is something many of us desire. At the same time, the possibility of such intimacy causes us more fear than almost any other situation in life. If we examine what frightens us, we’ll usually find that we are attempting to hide an aspect of our personalities that we are ashamed of, an aspect we sometimes haven’t even admitted to ourselves. We don’t want others to know of our insecurities, our pain, or our neediness, so we simply refuse to expose them. We may imagine that if no one knows about our imperfections, those imperfections will cease to exist. This is the point where our relationships stop. To maintain intimacy in a relationship, it is essential that we acknowledge our defects and accept them. When we do, the fortress of denial, erected to keep these things hidden, will come crashing down, enabling us to build up our relationships with others.
Just for Today: I have opportunities to share my inner self. I will take advantage of those opportunities and draw closer to those I love.
Inviting Generosity
“When we allow another person to step up and help us, we give them a chance to express their own love and generosity.” - Living Clean, Chapter 7, “Being of Service”
Railroading newcomers into service is an age-old tradition in the Fellowship. We do it with love, remembering our own reluctance to volunteer, and with gratitude for what early service opportunities gave us. We complied back then since the people suggesting that we make coffee, set out literature, or greet people at the door were clean, after all. We trusted that they knew a thing or two, so we surrendered to doing as they suggested. Years later, we’re the ones nominating newcomers for those same lifesaving commitments. By then, we recognize that some of the benefits we derive from service come from practicing love and generosity. Service often gives us our first sustained exposure to the good feelings that come with giving of ourselves. As we support other members, meetings, and service bodies—and rope others into doing the same—our generosity is evident in our contributions.
Longtime members assure us that this is no accident. Generously serving each other and the Fellowship develops our capacity; we grow as human beings, and the Fellowship grows as a community. We open doors for others to practice generosity; in turn, they reach out to bring others along. An interlinked series of relationships defines the history of almost every Fellowship community.
We are the direct beneficiaries of our predecessors’ vision and generosity. And yet, the names of those still with us might not come to mind when we need to recruit panelists for H&I, hosts for the convention’s hospitality room, or facilitators for the newcomer orientation. We may assume that our most seasoned members are above such tasks or that they’d volunteer if they were interested. One member had this to say: “I’ve grown old in the Fellowship—which beats the alternative—but I’m not as plugged into what’s happening in the Fellowship beyond my home group and sponsees. My phone doesn’t ring like it used to. But I’ll tell you this: Being asked to help never gets old. I still have more to give.”
I will practice generosity by inviting another member—new, old, or in between—to help me or to serve the Fellowship.
By integrating the wisdom of the Natives and the Fellowship, we can transcend cultural boundaries and promote well-being and spiritual awakening. Today, let us remember to connect our hearts and minds, embrace the openness and intimacy in our relationships, and practice generosity by encouraging others to step up and serve. In this unity, we find strength, purpose, and community.