39 Comments

Hi Dan. I couldn't make it real time but just watched this and meditated with you. Thank you. You must know what you are doing here helps set intention. You help reset my nervous system and I consider heavily how I show up in the world right now. This has a ripple effect with our family, friends, neighbors and the person I may not know but interact with during the day. While I want to throw a major temper tantrum, it begs a question I heard in many of the meditations "Is this useful?" As I walked this morning I had this full on conversation with myself and had to ask some hard questions. Has the resentment and anger I've held on to for far too long going to be repeated now? Will I continue to grind through conversations with my blue buddies and feel exhausted afterwards? Will I choose to read threads on FB with groups I follow that will only enflame me over and over? I know I have lost so much time and joy while marinating in all this negativity and hate. These are all choices. I must examine my heart and be clear on healthy boundaries on what I choose to expose myself to daily. This is all I can control and it's not easy. While rejection is the opposite of acceptance, I know I will never accept this vulgar clown as my president but I will find peace with all of this in my own time and way. I am proud of my vote for Kamala. My hands are clean. I'm truthfully done trying to understand the other side because it's never reciprocated. Stephen Covey's habit - "Seek first to understand, then to be understood" does not resonate with most of the Republicans I know. They are right in their minds, and true to the displays of the leader they have now voted into office (plus add in all the sound bites from FOX) they want nothing more than to get in my face, raising their voices, belittling & humiliating me and I can't do this anymore. I am outnumbered and its very uncomfortable. It's not a safe place and this saddens me. Love all you do and the way you deliver!

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Kimberly, your comment ‘These are all choices’ resonates so much and is something I’ve been thinking about recently and, of course, today. Thank you for putting it into words. Sending a big virtual hug to you

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Sending love to you.

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Right back to you as well. :) Take good care

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Watching and meditating with the video not the live, really need this today. Community strongly felt. Thank you. Forgot that I am not my emotions this morning. Needed reminder that there is grief not i am grief. Thank you

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Thank you, Dan. So many of the people I “follow” in the internet-y places are taking space today. I understand that and send them love. And I’m also really grateful to you (and this platform) for you being present with us. The grieving is so real.

Love no matter what. Let’s fucking go.

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I can't tell you how helpful it is that today, with all the feelings coming up, there was this video to help steady me. I'm a Canadian, so I’m somewhat removed (although it hasn't felt that way) but I'm feeling such despair this morning. Having Dan talk to me through the video made me feel less alone. Thank you.

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I love the renegade sangha idea ❤️

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I heard the podcast the other day, the bit about isolation and lack of connection among us. I will fall down, but I choose love, at the local level. Being kind and grateful and caring of the people in my circle. Ripple effect is all I have. Thank you for fostering this community.

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I think we really need to work on the isolation part. The lack of common ‘third spaces’ in North America is making it really hard to connect with people. I am retired and feel incredibly isolated. I have made a number of attempts to join in with groups and connect with others, but I think people are pretty closed these days. I recently spoke to an old friend who feels the same, and he said that he feels he’s lost some of his social skills since the pandemic, after that he was working at home and lives in a small community. In addition, I think the polarized social environment makes a lot of people afraid to really connect.

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Thank you. I appreciate the vital work you’re doing. More of this in the world, please. A sangha of foul mouthed bodhisattvas! (Possibly my favorite phrase to date.) 🙏🏻

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I found this extremely useful after a day of work. I'm a high school ESL teacher, all of my students are immigrants and it was obviously a very difficult night last night and morning today. I like that you mention find ways to help people no matter the scale. It made interactions with my students more worthwhile. Today I felt more gratitude for the interactions and I was grateful for my job. It is so nice to have high quality face to face interactions and not be stuck at home with an anxious monkey mind. Once again, extremely useful video. I love the label foul mouthed bodhisattvas.

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Thank you Dan. Tears are still falling but i’m literally counting my many blessings. And taking a 4-year break from all news sources.

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Thank you for guiding our renegade sangha. Deep sadness, and underneath that love, for humanity is present right now. Trying not to time travel ahead, but I’m also aware of the writing on the wall. My daughter and future son-in-law are trans, and I’m experiencing a lot of fear and mama bear fierceness right now.

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Pam! Same with my family! 🏳️‍⚧️💞🏳️‍🌈

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Dan, THANK YOU for our renegade sangha!!! I SO APPRECIATED your brilliant response to Andy… (paraphrasing you…):

This is what’s here … can I see how impermanent it is? Can I phrase “I am anxious “ as “there is anxiety”… then you can get some distance… get curious… inner peace: the ability to be cool about what we’re feeling and then make smart decisions.

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Thank you for the renegade sangha. It is the sangha I’ve been looking for

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Canadian here. Almost everyone I know north of the border is devastated by this outcome. Want you to know that we are SO with you. Thank you, Dan, for letting us be together during this time…

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Thank you. I need to feel close to like-minded people though this. I’m thankful for everyone here. My deepest gratitude to all.

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Thanks Dan. Love the idea (and name) of the renegade sangha.

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Thank you Dan for sharing/creating this platform and thank you for sharing your wisdom. I’ve recently come across your podcasts and find them to be super helpful and have shared quite a few with my husband to listen to.

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