manifesto.... or never say never

"be careful." it's like "be still." "be quiet." "don't run." "don't jump." "don't argue." "don't." would it be more honest or fair to change our commands to statements of our own experience--- "I'm worried about you." or "I'm scared." or "I'm annoyed by all your noise and motion."? those be and don't commands are so bossy. I had an argument with someone dear to me about, "be careful". it is often said to someone we love. "be safe." "be good." hhmmmm. The don't commands have been out of my vocabulary for a long time. I am "careful" not to say "don't" as a command too often. and now I think I will make extra effort to leave the "be's" out of my vocabulary as much as I can for awhile and instead just say "I love you" as parting words as they go out into the adventures of their days. I trust them to decide how to "be" for themselves. I am also quite curious to see how they have "been" when I see them or speak to them again. Especially the young ones. Especially the old ones. Especially all of them. :-) The western psychologists have some good points to make about "I statements". Language can be powerful in shaping our realities. The questions of what is real to me and what I believe and how I was as a child and a recent discussion about consciously directed energy and also a conversation with Farland and Kiley and Adam at dinner the other night about allowing small children to be frightened in a safe environment or to take risks at young ages and become responsible for their own physical bodies combined with a National Geographic article on the Tongass National Forest and one about Swarm Theory plus John Eaton's answers to "what is real to you?" plus countless life experiences and wonderful people ---- these have all culminated in this manifesto. I will be the change I want to see and i will NOT tell you what to be. or how to be or who to be or what to do. though i will tell the truth of my experience to you most especially when your actions are affecting me which is likely to happen sooner or later in this universe of interconnectedness. I will love exuberantly and ask lots of pertinent and impertinent questions and believe the answers and I will NOT be too careful or too safe or too quiet or too still. I will be light and allow darkness it's quiet places and stillnesses too. I will allow all behavior and choose my own carefully and lovingly and with courage. I will believe in everything and be unattached to outcome. I will live with gratitude and gusto. use all the glorious senses and gifts I have been given. I will continue to expand my capacity to be delighted. Being delighted is so damn much fun. I will practice loving unconditionally which does not involve commands to be a certain way or lists of do's and don'ts, but does involve being honest about my experiences and does involve being interested in other's honest experiences, ie - really listening. I will recognize fear in myself and others and respond to it with love and patience, rather than more fear. I will put these commitments into practice most dilligently in my interactions with those that are physically and emotionally closest to me. I will walk my talk and share the challenges and joys of doing so-- as in riding my bike to work and/or speaking up and risking being shot down. :-) I will never stop learning. (darn -- I said never. giggle.) my brain is already working on a personal environmental manifesto -- I'll give it time. now the house & yard are clammoring noisily for my ACTION and there is a niece and a nephew and a sister that I must travel a few miles to HUG. I love them so. :-) and tonight -- a date! with my husband and son at a cowboy junkies concert. am I the luckiest girl in the world??? methinks -- yes, I'm pretty darn lucky.