Wonderbringers Newsletter with Monica Parker
View this email in your browser
Hello Wonderseekers!
It was on this day in 1955 that President Eisenhower sent the first set of American advisors to South Vietnam—the first in a series of decisions that would change the face of both countries. Over the next twenty years, Vietnam would descend more deeply into its civil war for independence from French rule, and the United States would become entrenched in a deeply unpopular war they would eventually lose.
Ironically, Ho Chi Minh was a great admirer of the United States, seeing similarities between the Vietnamese and American struggles for independence from European colonial rule. Ho tried on several occasions to petition the US for support in throwing off their French occupiers as the Americans had with their British ones, going so far as supplying manpower and intelligence to the Allied forces in the Pacific during World War 2 and modelling North Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence on the American founding document. Of course, those overtures were for nought and millions lost their lives in the war that ensued.
A turning point in public opinion of the war was when 73-year-old Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thích Quang Duc, set himself on fire as a protest for peace. This extreme form of protest brought about a great deal of soul-searching amongst Buddhist communities, with adherents seeking ways they could align their desire for change in the world with their ethos of compassion and non-attachment. Their thinking led to the development of what is known as Engaged Buddhism, and their tenets contain wisdom applicable to the struggles many people find themselves in today.
How do we balance our desire for systemic change in the world with being a loving and compassionate family member or neighbour to people who support the very systems we oppose?
Us and Them is an illusion: We are all one human (and non-human) family ‘interbeing’ together. When we express anger, judgment or violence towards someone, that expression doesn’t stop with that individual. It is redirected back indiscriminately, harming the very movement we support.
Think systems, not individuals: When we focus our ire on individuals, we lose sight that no single person creates change, for good or for ill. Change is bigger and broader than that. Focusing on people and personalities distracts us from the longitudinal job of change while simultaneously loading the gun of ‘Us and Them’ with bullets that invariably ricochet back.
Focus on actions, not outcomes: The outcome—whether that be peace, rights, action, legislation, protection, etc—is impermanent. Meaning all wars end just as all peace ends. Laws can exist and then be revoked. The actions supporting systemic change must be as consistent in good times as the bad. Small, steady steps every day bring about change, not loud aggressive acts to counter loud aggressive acts. Live a life of ‘being peace’, not just ‘making peace.’
Balance self-care with selflessness: Self-care, like taking a news hiatus, spending time with friends and family, or laughing at a favourite film, doesn’t detract from your efforts to make change. Compassion takes practice and discipline. Self-compassion isn’t an indulgence; it's training and rehearsal for the compassion we hope to show others.
Seek wonder within the suffering: Don’t pretend systems don't need changing or people aren't suffering harm. Instead, find ways to look suffering in the eye while also seeking the wonder that can be found. Stay open. Be curious. Ask questions. Look for silver linings. Connect with others. Be present. Remember, ‘no mud, no lotus.’
Some wonderbringers for me this week:
Listen: Terry Gross from Fresh Air remembers Thich Nhat Hanh, peace activist and Vietnamese Buddhist monk.
Watch: Kristin Neff and The Three Components of Self-Compassion
Book: Julia Baird’s Bright Shining: How Grace Changes Everything
Quotable Quote:
‘Their enemies are not man. They are intolerance, fanaticism, dictatorship, cupidity, hatred, and discrimination which lie within the heart of man.’
- Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn in a letter to Martin Luther King, Jr. regarding the
self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc.
, I talked about cycles of life and the Lunar New Year. If you’d like to read a bit more about my professional cycles and what that means for HATCH, you can find more here.
Also, thank you to everyone who has been in touch over the last few months. I have had so many messages on a multitude of platforms that I have not been able to respond to them all. Please know I do read your messages and appreciate them so much!
And for those asking, yes, I will be offering a vision boarding session in March that is free for Wonderbringers subscribers. Get in touch if you want an invite.
With wonder,
Follow Me
Why am I getting this email?
Good question!
You’re getting this email because you are on HATCH Analytics’s or Monica Parker’s mailing list.
If you don’t want to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at the bottom.
(We do hope you stick around, though.)
Copyright ©*|CURRENT_YEAR|* Monica C. Parker. All rights reserved.
Want to unsubscribe? That’s ok! We’re sad to see you go, but you’ll still be a part of our Wonderbringer community in spirit.
Mailing address:
10 Colosseum Terrace
London, UK NW1 4EB