Edgewalkers

Serving Those Who Walk Between the Worlds

Edgewalkers

The Importance of Spiritual Practice in Navigating Uncertainty

Edgewalker Senior Associate Patricia Campanile

We are not in control. The uncertain times we have been living in have shown us that regardless of our good intentions to plan, organize, make resolutions and control our lives we have been asked to let go and create a plan B. Whether change has been forced upon us or we had to make difficult and necessary decisions to shift our plans, we were often left with feelings of disappointment, sadness, frustration and despair. Unanswered questions, what’s next, what now, and feeling as if we are sailing through the “fog” of the unknown can also be an opportunity to discover, recover and apply spiritual practices that can guide us into our new future and evolving world.

I love how Thomas Merton describes uncertainty: “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope.” My inherent Edgewalker nature and those of my colleagues and friends who share the Edgewalker journey are supported by our orientation to look to the future and focus on opening to new possibilities. To quote the wisdom of Buddha: ” To know and not to do is really not to know.” NOW is the time to do, and be, what we know! This is when “the spiritual rubber meets the road.” These are the times to support ourselves and one another by integrating and applying our spiritual practices and rituals, and modeling and walking our talk with integrity and courage. When Edgewalkers access their spiritual connection they are more easily guided by their intuitive wisdom, trust their faith in the Universe and rely on their inner strength.

Spiritual practices and ritual can anchor and guide you to stay balanced, centered and focused as you move away from familiar shores as the new horizons unfold. For many these practices are no longer optional but necessary to assist you in staying the course and discovering what is next with curiosity and an open heart and mind. What are your navigational “tools” as you sail through uncertainty? Some examples of spiritual practices and rituals include prayer and meditation, yoga and breath work, walking a labyrinth, reading books on personal and spiritual development, journaling, creating an altar and sacred space, setting intentions on the new moon and letting go of the old and what no longer serves you on the full moon. Space clearing and feng shui as well as creating a vision board can help you attract what you want. Being in the beauty and peace of Nature can ground and expand you and provide perspective as you step away from everyday life. Experiencing the energy of a group, whether online (such as Edgewalker Cafes) or in person gatherings such as drumming circles, support groups, church services, and sacred dance create the interconnectedness and support that community provides, whether it be the Edgewalker community or one you resonate with.

As you explore and reflect on your journey thus far, remember that the choices you have made throughout your life have brought you to this exact moment. There are no accidents. What will you consciously choose now with the knowledge and discernment you have accumulated over your lifetime? Are there spiritual practices and rituals you can add to your daily life to assist you as you move forward? Utilizing what you have learned and chosen to embrace along your journey develops the strength, the “muscle” of awareness, trust, courage and self-acceptance. Clarity and certainty are available to us if we are fully present, breathe and appreciate each moment. This is the greatest spiritual practice of all!

Bridge Building

By Judi Neal, Founder, Edgewalkers International

Photo by Dominik JPW, used by permission from Unsplash

One of the most quoted phrases from Rumi’s poetry is this:

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

Edgewalkers understand this and are bridge builders because of it. They build bridges between disciplines, between cultures, and between the physical and non-physical world. They are tuned into the field of unitary or non-dual consciousness that is “out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing.” Edgewalkers sense the underlying patterns, connections and relationships and feel called to help others see them too.

Mari Ishihara was in the first MBA course I taught at the University of New Haven, and she was an amazing student. We later became friends and I was fortunate to travel with her to Japan several times and to stay with her family.  Her mother became “Oka-san” (honored mother) to me.  After graduation, Mari went to work in New York City for a large financial institution based in Japan.  Two years later they asked her to transfer back to Japan and work in the home office. That turned out to be a painful move for her at first. She found that she had become too Americanized to fit into the more formal, hierarchical and rigid structure of the home office, a place that basically expected female employees to serve tea.  She returned to the U.S. to work for another company in New York, and this time her experience was more positive because she was now valued as a bridge builder. She could help the American leaders in the company understand and connect to Japanese companies. At the same time, Japanese clients trusted and valued her as someone who could understand their culture and their business needs.  

In these polarized times, we need bridge builders more than ever. We need leaders who can rise above differences and see the shared humanity.  We need leaders who can inspire people to work together towards a unifying vision, one that serves the greater good.  Van Jones, a CNN contributor, is one of the most powerful bridge building voices in the U.S.  In his book, Beyond the Messy Truth, he offers a blueprint for nine different national issues that can unite the political right and the left.  One of those was prison reform, and Jones was instrumental in passing the FIRST STEP Act – a bipartisan federal bill that is considered the most substantial breakthrough in criminal justice in a generation.

Edgewalkers who are bridge builders generally have some kind of contemplative practice that supports them in seeing the interconnectedness in the world. That could be anything from mindfulness practices to spending time in nature to engaging in artistic expression. Besides inner work, they put energy into outer work, so they build a bridge between self and the world. They are committed to making a positive difference in their neighborhoods, communities, companies, or countries. They keep informed about trends and events related to the things they care about. And they get involved. 

In your own practice, consider what worlds you walk between and the way you build bridges between these worlds.  (See our previous blog on “Walking Between Worlds” by Patricia Campanile). When things seem polarized, how well do you look for commonalities? How much are you able to see the underlying Oneness, and how does that impact your effectiveness?

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there. Rumi

We’d love to hear your thoughts and your bridge building stories in the Comments below.

“Walking Between Worlds”

Patricia Campanile, Edgewalker Senior Associate

“Edgewalkers” by Contemporary Master Artist Dario Campanile 2021 oil on canvas http://www.campanileabstract.com/

Edgewalkers International evolved from Dr. Judi Neal’s book Edgewalkers: People and Organizations that Take Risks, Build Bridges and Break New Ground. The Edgewalker Organization mission is “Serving Those Who Walk Between the Worlds.” Judi says, “Edgewalkers are people who walk between worlds and have the ability to build bridges between different worlds. They have a strong inner life and are very grounded and effective in the everyday external world. This orientation looks to the future and is focused on openness to possibilities.”

My path as an Edgewalker often includes “walking between worlds.” My intention is balancing and integrating heaven and earth, spiritual practices and practical skills, embracing diversity and global cultures, being USA born and a global citizen. I value body, mind, spirit. I understand the importance of cultivating physical health, emotional well-being, intellect and knowledge, and the connection to deep intuitive wisdom and a universal faith in the Divine and Higher Intelligence. As a risk taker I know I must be grounded in order to break new ground while bridging others to new ways of thinking, being, seeing. My openness and willingness to live and work on the edge, out of the box, and unconventionally is fueled by my courage, passion and curiosity for change, transformation, evolution.

One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein ” We cannot solve our problems at the level of consciousness we created them.” Collectively we find ourselves in times we have never experienced before. It is time to raise our consciousness, our awareness for a new paradigm for humanity. A shift in perspective and reality based on innovation and creative solutions will serve all of humanity. Many of the solutions we seek have not yet been realized. We are leaving behind a world that in many ways has not served us and is not sustainable. The space is opening up to growth opportunities as we spiral up to the next level of conscious awareness in order to bridge a new reality and break new ground. It is a time to embrace and access “walking between worlds” and explore what is available to us on other realms. Many of our answers await us here if we have the courage and curiosity, enthusiasm and energy, to go where we have never gone before. To create a new world that works for all of us is a (w)holistic balancing act that we can practice, integrate and celebrate together if we choose. Step to the edge of the unknown, the fear, the uncertainty. Our support and strength will come from trusting our inner wisdom and knowledge from our life experiences, launching us to new heights where we thrive and flourish as one planet!

The Power of Diversity

Sara Minkara, Edgewalker and Diversity Champion

By Judi Neal, founder of Edgewalkers.

My mother was an Edgewalker although she would have told you she was “just a housewife.” She was always interested in people who were not the same as her. We moved to Hawaii when I was eight years old and she immediately began learning about the Hawaiian culture.  She loved making friends with people from diverse backgrounds.  She signed me up for ukulele and hula lessons, both of which I loved.  Embracing diversity is a core part of the Hawaiian culture, where no one race, religion, or other forms of identity were dominant.  It’s called the Spirit of Aloha. 

Thanksgiving dinners in Hawaii were particularly memorable. My mother would put out the best dishes and would invite someone to join us who might otherwise be alone on Thanksgiving.  She invited people from different cultures and almost always invited someone from the Navy base in Pearl Harbor, where my father worked.  My favorite experience is the year when she invited a Navy sailor and his hearing-impaired parents.  It was the first time I had seen American sign language used, and I was entranced.  I was also deeply touched by the love between son and parents, and the way they could so comfortably communicate with each other in a manner that was completely new to me.

Edgewalkers are curious about others and are likely to be the ones in a room that look for someone who is “different” from the others there and go over to talk to them. They have the sense that there could be something interesting to learn from this person. And it is in their connecting nature (Connecting is one of the Edgewalker skills), that makes them want to help that person feel a part of things. 

Cindy Wigglesworth has identified 21 skills of spiritual intelligence and has written a wonderful book about measuring and developing these skills. One of those skills is called “Complexity of Inner Thought” and includes the ability to be comfortable with holding the tension of conflicting ideas, and to be comfortable with paradox and mystery. As Edgewalkers, we see and value differences in others while at the same time can connect to our shared humanity and our underlying oneness.

In these days of polarization, and what Otto Sharmer calls the “Post-Truth, Post-Democracy, and Post-Humanity” world, my hero of bridge-building through valuing differences and connecting to our shared humanity is the journalist Van Jones. He has an incredible way of reaching out to others who see the world differently so we can understand others at a deeper level.  His book, Beyond the Messy Truth, offers eight practical approaches to positive change that both the political right and the left can embrace as an example of embracing differences and finding commonality.

One of my newest Edgewalker heroes is Sara Minkara. She describes herself as an advocate, entrepreneur and pioneer. Sara is all of that and so much more. She is a young, blind Muslim, first-generation American who is a champion for diversity and who helps empower others to unlock their fullest potential. She founded and is CEO of a nonprofit called Empowerment Through Integration. Sara walks between many worlds and builds bridges with heart and connection.  

Please join us at our next Edgewalker Café on March 11th, at 11am Eastern when Sara and Judi will explore the connections between Edgewalking and diversity. Sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page to receive the Zoom link.  All are welcome!

Here are some questions to ponder:

What is your relationship to diversity?

In what ways do you build bridges?

What’s one way you could get a little bit out of your comfort zone regarding diversity?