We live in the age of information- inundated daily with data, news, and seemingly competing perspectives. The clamor creates a cacophony which can be felt internally as well as clearly observed in the collective. This flow of information can be experienced as a tidal wave, threatening to overwhelm or flood the channels for action. To make matters more challenging, as cultural theorist Byung Chul Han notes- information is “Janus-faced– it simultaneously produces certainty and uncertainty.” How can we respond to such an onslaught of illuminating but destabilizing input? As Carl Jung has always emphasized, a reliable first step involves cultivating self-awareness. Through ongoing, deep introspection and discourse with the wisdom of those around us, we identify our distinct nature. As James Hollis advised us, we need to “access our inner compass, the promptings of the psyche that help us find our way through the complex thickets of choice.” The art of composing contour, discerning boundaries, and carving out the path ahead is at once personal and relational. It aligns us in the midst of disorienting circumstances. Immersed in this active process, we uncover our own creative fingerprints, the unique offering which we contribute to the evolving design. Supported by our community- through clumsy but genuine reciprocity and mutual care, we are delivered into uncharted and renewing territory. One established practice of collaborative self reflection is the ‘life review’. Hospice professionals and death-tenders have long documented the transformation and healing which comes from imagining our personal narratives and mythos in a structured way. Therapeutic professionals, and the clients they serve, have realized this process is also constructive before end-of-life– for caregivers, those at midlife transitions, or anyone aiming to approach their own story intentionally. A recent piece from The New York Times, A ‘Life Review’ Can Be Powerful, At Any Age , explores this expansion and informed the creation of our Summer Lunch & Learn offering, “Reimagining Your Story Through the Eyes of Wisdom”. This introductory hour is followed by an opportunity for deeper, collaborative practice through a workshop series. The collective dreaming and practice here invites us into the empowering experience of being an authority in imagining our own life stories. Other Summer programming with The Community for Conscious Aging includes delving into Drew Leder’s ‘Chessboard of Healing’, which highlights the strengths and shadows of various coping strategies that keep us afloat as we navigate troubled waters. A Lunch and Learn explores identity and resilience for those making the midlife transition– especially those in the “sandwich generation” who practice the precarious balancing act of caregiving for elders while also parenting and, somehow, trying to self-actualize. A book study engages the question- how do we imagine ourselves beyond the roles we’ve been prescribed, or adopted out of necessity, so that we can more deeply experience soulfulness? And a virtual workshop approaches the timely issue of growing older alongside the digital age.  When we find ourselves facing daunting thresholds or deluges of information which threaten to blot out guiding light, I’m reminded of the voice of Joseph Campbell, “The dark night of the soul comes just before revelation. When everything is lost, and all seems darkness, then comes the new life and all that is needed.” The Community for Conscious Aging welcomes your voice to our space for envisioning, and experiencing, relational clarity and wholeness.

Without a learning community, I tend to get stuck and stay there. I have a couple of red flags I watch for. I may binge watch shows on streaming services or mindlessly buy art supplies or office supplies that I don’t need. Once I notice the drain of time and money, I know it is time to get myself in gear. I typically start with reading and listening. My Audible list and bookshelves are full of resources---more books than I can consume. But this can become a stuck place, too, avoiding the work of change by leaning on others’ knowledge. Changing my perception, shifting my habitual behaviors, and improving my relationships involves discernment and action. What influences do I want to be changed by and what are the actions I need to take? In 2007, following intense periods of reading and attending lectures and workshops, I started participating in practice groups. These groups, much like a lab that accompanies a college lecture course, were designed to help learners process the teachings and apply them in their everyday interactions. They became an invaluable tool to catalyze growth and transformation. When a lecture or workshop didn’t have a practice group as a follow up, I would gravitate toward other learners and start one. Since 2017, I’ve consistently practiced in one group that regularly gathers across various topics and interests with the common thread of self-reflection, expression, and harvesting insights that change our lives. I tend to stay motivated and inspired as long as we meet regularly. We share resources and invite each other to lectures and workshops. We’ve even taken our learning community on weekend retreats in the nearby Piney Woods to engage in a time for practice, reflection, and connection. Our learning lab agreements have become the heart of our community, building trust, compassion, and grace. We relate with care — not transactionally or co-dependently. Between meetings we use a group text string to share growth milestones, celebrate when we set healthy boundaries, and request and offer support. When someone needs help — like a ride or a hand with a move — we say, “all invitation, no expectation,” honoring each other’s capacity without needing explanation. Through consistent practice, we’ve created the change and connection we were seeking from the start. This summer it is my great pleasure to host two learning labs for The Jung Center community, one online and one in-person. We will share what we are learning from The Jung Center programs, programs in other spaces, and through our life experiences. Using specific agreements and a structure for equal and respectful contribution, we will highlight what inspires us, name our blocks and barriers, and honor each person’s journey and inner guidance as we harvest and apply insights that help improve our lives and contribute to the broader community.