Subject: The Core Remains Vital

Celebrating the Journey
Special Edition
Monday, September 17, 2001
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Celebrating the Journey will appear in its usual format on
Wednesday. The following piece by Tom Crum is too
important not to present in its entirety, now. I have seen
many essays during the past week that have affected me
deeply. This is one of the very best.

I offer it as a gift to you and as a challenge as well.

Celebrate life!

Namaste, Margo

We have been shaken to the core. And yet…and yet…if we have the
courage to be still, to feel and to listen within, we will discover
that, underneath the rubble, the core remains vital. It is to this
core, this place beyond our tears, our anger, and our fears, that we
now must go.

This journey to this center does not deny grief and rage but works
through them — not by acting out of the emotions, but by feeling
them, by holding them as you’d hold an injured child; knowing
that deep inside, at the core, the essence of life and love and healing
is continually bubbling forth.

Being shaken to the core is to be shaken to the source of our
greatest power. It is from here that our greatest strength and our
greatest contributions have emerged throughout human history.
World War II is said to have created “the greatest generation.”
It is now our turn: We can breathe deeply and bring our awareness
to center, to gain the courage and ability to let go of judgment,
prejudice, and righteousness. We can walk a new path to lead
humanity to higher ground. Criminals and terrorists are grown
in a soil created by revenge, fear and separation. We can plant
our feet in soil based on tough love and centered connection.

We can make our “rescue mission” to listen actively to each other,
to lend our prayers and our helping hands to others, and to seek and
appreciate the gift of being together.

We can be centered in the possibility of ending the cycle of
violence forever. In our own actions and conversations we can help
others be aware that force follows force blindly, causing a
never-ending cycle of suffering and revenge throughout the ages.
Only when we are centered will we be guided to the most effective
actions without injuring or implicating the innocent.

Our greatest contribution toward humanity may be ahead of us.
May we get centered and embrace it.

Thomas Crum

Aiki Works, Inc., PO Box 251, Victor, NY 14564
716-924-7302; Fax: 716-924-2799
http://www.aikiworks.com/
mailto:AikiWorks@aol.com

—
“Until he extends his circle of compassion to include
all living things, man will not himself find peace.”
Albert Schweitzer

Margo Chisholm
Coach, Speaker, Author, Therapist
Partnering you in having success,
freedom and joy in all areas of your life
970-704-9336 fax 970-704-9346
margo@tothesummit.com

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