There is much about life that remains a mystery. And we are all different from one another but still, there are a “few” things we all have in common.
We call them the Nine Basic Givens:
- Perfection – We are all imperfect. We have all made mistakes, and we will continue to do so throughout our lives. Yet, in our imperfection, we are perfect … perfectly human.
- Trauma – Every human being experiences trauma in some form. We can’t fully know another’s trauma, but we can honor that traumatic experiences are part of life. Everyone will encounter betrayal, loss, and suffering at some level.
- Parenting – Everyone who parents makes mistakes. Those who parented you made mistakes, and if you are parenting, you have made and will make mistakes, too.
- Ups and Downs – Ups and downs are inevitable. Life is in constant motion. You will experience easier times and more challenging times, and both are essential parts of what makes life so meaningful.
- Getting There – There is no final "place" to reach. The quality of your life is determined by how you are “being” during the journey, not by what you have accomplished, where you are, or where you think you might get to.
- Change – Change is constant. It takes effort to try to stay the same. Your ability to change the world starts with your capacity to change yourself. Life reflects you and evolves as you evolve.
- Choosing – Whether consciously or unconsciously, you are always choosing. Each moment offers infinite possibilities for how we act, react, and respond. What we choose to do with our lives shapes our experience.
- Getting Through – You will get through life; you have no choice. You have been born, so you will get through life, regardless of the challenges you face. The important question is, how will you make it through life? What will your relationship to life be?
- Moments – This day will never come again. Our lives are a series of moments that pass—and they pass faster than you think. The question is, can you honor the moments of your life? What will you do with the life you have been given?
This is where we begin.
Not as abstract ideas, but as ways of honoring a shared experience of live..
We invite you to pause.
To ask different questions.
To challenge yourself—and one another—
To reconsider.
What do you believe about life?
What have you quietly accepted without ever naming?
Which of these givens stirs something in you?
Let them meet you where you are.
Let them open the door to reflection, to compassion, to change.
There is wisdom in naming what we all are carrying, feeling and believing.
And power in doing it together.
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