What does it mean to be whole in a broken world? Would the world still be broken? If we healed our trauma from the root, do we still need to fear the other if we learn to love ourselves? These are the questions always swirling in my head. I know the world is a mess now and don’t try to pretend that it’s not, but I am seeing this time as a guiding light towards a more connective and whole way of being. Amidst the chaos, there’s a new world arising. I see it more and more as I talk to my family, colleagues and clients. I am witnessing empowered beings doing beautiful work to heal the world. I am witnessing community building, mutual aid, and creative ways to heal outside of the business as usual model. If I was only focused on the fear and destruction and scarcity and loss, I wouldn’t be able to see the sun shining through the shadows, I would give up my precious hope and stop serving the world. We are at a collective choice point on who we want to be in this world and I feel understanding deep time is a piece of the solution or at least it has been for me.

What is Deep Time?

Amidst a time of collapse and crisis, it is hard to know what the next right thing for each of us to do is. I’m not going to pretend that I, as an individual, have any of the answers yet I am curious on how we can collectively move forward in a way that honors our values and continues to bring forth a more loving world in whatever ways we can. This question about what to do got me thinking about time and our relationship to overwhelm when it comes to our perceptions around time. Questions arise, such as: “What are the different categories of time and how do we relate to ourselves within time and space?” Presence and deep time are how I am thinking about time and the big questions of what our work is to do in this life.

It is hard not to give in to the fear of what will happen in the coming months and years to come as a result of choices being made today yet I still feel hopeful. It could be a combination of my understanding of deep time alongside the very rebellious part of me that doesn’t want to give in to the narrative that we have been force fed to believe for centuries. If the system takes my hope and all I have is fear, then they win. My rebellious parts won’t go down without a fight. I have found that the fight I need during this time is a fight for healing and compassion for myself and all those I impact in this beautiful and messy world. While modern oppressive systems are becoming more sophisticated with time, we are simultaneously collectively evolving and learning at a rapid pace from all the information available in the digital age.

What gives me hope is that sense of deep time. According to the Oxford Dictionary, Deep Time is “the multimillion-year time frame within which the earth has existed.” I believe we live multiple lives and there are a multiplicity of truths in any situation. Coming to the belief that I am living just one life of many and am a speck of dust in the vast universe helps me even further my participation in building a new, more loving world. I come from a lineage and a history of people who have fought hard for me to have the abundance and love in my heart that I have today. I think about my children’s great grandchildren and what my legacy may be for them, what work I can do to enhance their lives in the world that they will inherit. I hope to continue the work of my ancestors to bring hope for their future. This is Deep Time. It is following our soul's purpose for this life, connecting with that hope and that mission. This deep time perspective helps inform the why behind my actions and can motivate us to make choices in the present moment that honor our Earthly missions. What do you think of when you think of Deep Time, your ancestors and future generations?

Presence as a Subversive Act

With presence, there is the timeless present moment, which is the reality of any moment in time. In the spirit of Ram Dass, it is about “Be Here Now.” It is viewed by many spiritualists to be the one and only reality where everything else is considered an illusion. It is about lingering and noticing the details, sensations and actions needed for every moment. It is about being awake for what is, the reality of what is, no matter how horrifying that reality may be. If we are not present or in denial about what reality is, then we have no opportunity to change. Awareness is the first step in this understanding. Part of this understanding is the fact that we are in a time of collective collapse and crisis. At such a crucial time, it may seem frivolous to just be in the present moment yet this moment is all that we have. Fearing what comes or wallowing in the past only perpetuates a scarcity mindset and puts us into the same fearful place of the machine. This doesn’t mean we don’t plan for the future (I love planning!), rather it is an opportunity to look at what goals are and be present within the reality of the now to help bring forth the world, the goals, the feelings that we so deeply desire.

Wheel of Fortune Card in the Tarot of Transcendence

Our culture is built on the myth of manifest destiny, of living one life and being terrified of death. We can witness this fear in every aspect of our culture from bio-hacking to Botox to the way we preserve a body after the soul has left. If we can span out and allow ourselves to have a deep time perspective, weaving through millions of years, millions of galaxies, even perhaps millions of lifetimes, we have the opportunity for a perception shift. This collective shift is what is emerging through the cracks of this great collapse. This shift is about understanding the multiplicity of truths in any situation and finding our purpose within the crumble. This is what I am working towards as a future ancestor. I am hoping to help shift perspectives to heal the root. The impact of one person healing deeply and helping others is exponential. As a speck of dust in the universe, I sure hope that I can create the most beautiful and loving dust bunny as my contribution to ushering in a new world. Healing can catch like a spiritual wildfire, igniting each connected organism towards healing self and others in whatever gifts we were given this life.

These ideas are oppositional to the dominant narratives that are prevalent in all the systems we are steeped in. Corporate run media and political campaigns tell us it is hopeless and all we can do is hate the other. This feels like an endless cycle of finger pointing with no self accountability and does not help humans evolve past self destruction and environmental annihilation . I do believe if I say there is no hope, then that will be the reality. I want to allow all the truths there are in the world to be weaved together like a beautiful multidimensional gem. When I speak in this way, I am often called “woo woo” or weird. Being “weird” (or choosing one’s own destiny) means not letting these perpetual systems take our presence, our joy or our hope. If being hopeful and continuing to heal people with integrity and care is weird, then fuck it, I am an absolute weirdo. We are moving out of the dark ages and we are moving out that time quite rapidly as more and more of us allow ourselves to question the systems and get weird. I refuse to call any of this “woo-woo” as this identification de-legitimizes the reality that we are much more than just our physical realities.

Alice questioning time, chasing the Rabbit

Deep Time Questions

If you are ok with being weird (like Alice and the Rabbit chasing time) then perhaps you can ask yourself some pertinent questions about deep time, presence and your purpose in the world. Here are some sample writing prompts that could help inform your understanding of these beliefs.

Do you desire to see the world change? What do you think your contribution to help healing this world is? If you can’t think of anything you are doing now, what is one choice you can make to start to explore what your mission is this lifetime? This next step could be something small and simple (such as picking up trash in a natural area, donating money, loving your family with intention and care, not shopping on Amazon for a month, etc.)
Do you have any hope right now? Where do you find it? Who and what helps you remember to be hopeful in times you feel despair?
What is something you inherited from your lineage and ancestors that you would like to honor and celebrate right here and now? What choices can you make that honor the work they have done to heal the world? If you cannot think of a positive quality of these known ancestors, look back to further generations and get curious about the choices and struggles of these ancestors.
What is one action you can take today to be present and curious about deep time and presence?