Managing the tragic gap

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I've had at least four conversations in the past two weeks regarding everyday life, hope for the future and the perceived general state of our world, not just this country. I wanted to know how people are feeling internally. I found that there is a feeling of "we are pretty much screwed," "this planet is screwed" and "there is no hope for us or the planet, and no one seems to be doing to do anything to change that." 

Those were clearly heavy, sobering sentiments to hear. There is a profound disparity between the way things are and the way we wish them to be...the "tragic gap." There is a sense of why bother trying to change anything or trying to make a difference, the machine is too big!

In this short video, Parker Palmer suggests that you can bridge the "tragic gap" and take action, even though you may never see results and may never know whether your actions helped, you bridge the gap by being "faithful" to three things:

1. Know your individual gifts (your natural skill set, natural interests & abilities).
2. Know what you perceive to be the needs around you (local, global, etc.).
3. Open your awareness to see how your gifts "intersect" with the needs you see and then go be of service.

You don't have to be of service in grand "heroic" type ways! Parker addresses how that mindset is limiting by pointing out that small tasks become perceived as the only ones worthy of our time & effort because they tend to be the ones that show us results, show us if we actually did make a difference. That may be so, but I actually feel starting small is a valid entry point into serving a need. 

Just do something. Reaching beyond yourself and "getting dirty with life" whether or not you see the direct results of your efforts, can be a path out of mild depression, loneliness, internal overwhelm and loss of hope. Choose to make a practice of doing the above 1-3 and release yourself from the expectation of results.

The tighter we hold onto a results-based frame of reference as our standard for determining whether or not we take action, the less likely we are to get involved in the world around us (...unless of course, the task is small). 

Soooo...
A. What are your individual gifts? 
B. What do you perceive to be the needs in the community around you (that community may, in fact, be your family) 
C. How do your individual gifts, interests, and abilities intersect with those needs you perceived?

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