RE-Juicing the Common Ground – Integrity by Rowan Duczek
I embody congruence of thought, word and action. I take responsibility for the spiritual, environmental and human effects of my activities.
Having been brought up in Hamburg, North Germany, I come from a culture where we ‘say what we think, and we think what we say’, very straightforward. When moving to England in the mid 70’s, people often considered me as being ‘blunt’, and my then Irish boyfriend made excuses on my behalf, “Don’t take it personal, she is German…” While I hope that over the years, I have become more sensitive to the cultural and linguistic differences, I am still sometimes surprised that I can cause offence, while there has been no intention on my part to do so.
It was Caroline Myss, who – in one of her lecture – stressed the vital importance of congruence in thought, word and action for us, who consider ourselves on the Spiritual Path. There is such a fine line between ‘being economical with the truth’ (to quote a former politician), supposedly for reasons of being sensitive to the feelings of others and, what I would call, Self-Deception. There is always a need for self-reflection and honesty. When is ‘a little White Lie’ really spoken out of concern for others rather than to cover my own backside?
We are ‘imperfect Human Beings’ and I believe we learn by increments. And I still have a lot to learn, especially when it comes to ecological issues. Yes, I do sort my bins and, after years of dithering, now have a great compost heap in the garden. But I love driving when I could take the bus or bike and I still smoke and enjoy it. Small ‘sins’ perhaps, but they do add up.
Throughout my life, I have occasionally seen people taking on authority positions, when – from my perspective – they have stepped into shoes two sizes too big. Invariably, Integrity seems to be replaced by Pomposity and the temptation to ‘prick their balloon’ I find nearly irresistible. How to do this, in a kind, considerate and hopefully helpful way, is yet another lesson I still need to learn.
