Americans have one old tradition occurs at the end of  November: Thanksgiving. We gather with friends and family, we enjoy a feast together, and we express our thanks. In recent years, that spirit of gratitude has been immediately followed by another tradition, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, days of frenzied in-person and on-line shopping that encourage consumption and encroach more and more into the peaceful spirit of Thanksgiving itself.

 

Starting this year a brand new tradition was born. November 27, 2012 was the first-ever Giving Tuesday, an initiative started by Henry Timms, Executive Deputy Director of the 92nd Street Y in New York City.

 

The idea was for businesses, families, individuals, and organizations to do something generous for another. More than 2,000 organizations participated. On the appointed day, non-profits held fund-raising drives aimed at encouraging people to give money away to good causes instead of  spending it. Meanwhile, for-profit corporations focused on making offerings rather than earnings. Discover card, for example, waived transaction fees for donations made to their charitable partners on Giving Tuesday.  To read about Radical Joy for Hard Times's contribution, "Make Joyful Sounds,"see RADICAL JOY FOR HARD TIMES NEWS below.

 

Although the project was only conceived in August, by the time the appointed day arrived, it had  made the national media, with stories on ABC News, the LA Times, Huffington Post and many other outlets.

 

"We have two days that are good for the economy. Here is a new day that is good for the soul," said  Timms.

 

(And now a proud boast: Henry Timms is my godson!)

   

On the afternoon of March 11, 2011 Susumu Suguwara was in his fishing boat, Sunflower, when he caught sight of the tsunami rushing toward him. The 64-year-old resident of Oshima, Japan was skilled at reading the sea, and he knew death was just moments away.

 

Instead of turning back to shore, however, Suguwara did just the opposite. Saying a silent goodbye to the fishermen in other boats around him and offering apologies for not being able to save them, he headed right into the wave.

 

"I talked to my boat and said you've been with me 42 years. If we live or die, then we'll be together, then I pushed on full throttle."

 

The thirty-foot wave plowed into him, but when the water had collapsed on the other side of the boat and he saw the shore, he knew he'd survived. Four or five more waves followed, but Suguwara and his Sunflower were intact.

 

He did not head back to shore right away, but took time to get his bearings. When he did return, Sugawara at once put Sunflower to work transporting people, supplies, and medicine. He never charged for his service.

 

How do you ride into the wave in hard times? This story offers a few guidelines:

 

1. Acknowledge the truth. Know the reality that's confronting you.

2. Don't attempt to flee. Head right into the thick of it.

3. Even though you're overwhelmed by your opponent, neither fight it nor capitulate to it. Find a rhythm with it and hang on.

4. When the onslaught ends, take a while to get your bearings.

5. Make your way back to familiar shores.

6. Reach out and help others using what you've brought back.

 

These simple steps may not apply in every situation, but they offer a beautiful, bold template for how to accept reality, take care of yourself, and then bring your experience back to serve others in need.

 

 

Painting above: The Great Wave of Kanagawa by Hokusai, 1829.  

 

 

My friend Sara Firman sent me a link to a blog, "The Psychology of Well Being," by Jeremy McCarthy, whose community of Long Beach, New York, was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy. McCarthy was seeking some guidance on how to survive tragedy with a positive attitude and found inspiration from several linguistic concepts from Japan.

 

This excerpt is from McCarthy's blog:

 

Shoga Nai:  This is basically the equivalent of "shit happens." Or accepting the things that you cannot change. Acceptance helps us to avoid spiraling down by lamenting things we cannot change and is a good base from which to move forward focusing on what we most value.

 

Ganbatte: This is the cry that Japanese sports fans will use to cheer on their favorite athletes. It is a cry of encouragement telling people to "go for it" and do their best.

 

Gaman: [Author Tim] Patterson says the Carp seen in Japanese flags and kites is a national symbol of "gaman" or perseverance. The Carp embodies the spirit of gaman by tirelessly swimming upstream. Patterson defines gaman as the ability "to struggle and persist in an endeavor without complaining, despite seemingly insurmountable challenges."

 

Ittai: Japanese prime minister Naoko Kan [often talked] about "ittai" or the Japanese people "becoming one body." The community came closer together after the earthquake and the tragedy brought out a sense of unity and brotherhood.

 

Whether the difficulty we face is public or private, these principles let us know we're not alone and that in every difficult moment paths are before us to help us through the darkness.

 

 
My article, "Gaze Even Here," appears in the current issue of ORION magazine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Beloved, the universal symbol of your ecstatic bond with your own radiant self, invites you to say YES! to Life. The Beloved is an archetype who appears in the myths and legends of many lands, in the prayers of mystics, and in Jungian psychology as a symbol of the integrated Self. Elusive yet accessible, always beckoning you to step over limitations into your own greater adventure, loving you utterly as you are, yet perceiving how you can be more fully you, the Beloved invites you to step into the whole world as if into the arms of a waiting lover.

Facilitator: Trebbe Johnson

Registration and Cost info: Contact Rowe

Instructor: Trebbe Johnson

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