The space in-between the stories-- where silence and stillness allow us to feel the situation and leave space for the next path to surface. Our stories define our daily lives, the work we do, the people we love, the communities we travel through, the missions we embark upon regardless of accolades or money.
We all have stories. Beautiful stories. Boring stories. Tragic stories. Life-altering stories. We have stories that WE control. We live within stories that OTHERS control. We enter these stories by fate, force, chance and choice. Sometimes we travel so deep into the story of the Other, that we lose ourselves— or we walk dangerously close to losing everything. Our essence, our spark, our health, our wellness, our peace of mind— we sometimes sacrifice some or all of these things to participate in a story that isn’t really ours…but we can see how we fit inside the narrative.
Some stories are forced upon us by society. For most of my adult life, I’ve dodged these stories at all costs— go to college, get the job, find the husband, have the kids, buy the house, pay the taxes, retire when the best years are behind you and finally enjoy the non-doing later. I dabbled in some of those stories over the years-- I hopped in the narrative, and usually hopped right back out after the weight of the story structure itself became too much to bear. Some of the stories, most of them actually, I simply avoided all together. The narratives just never fit.
Last year, I decided to frolic in the different, non-DAO narrative to continue on my mission of empowering change makers and ensuring the internet of the future has compassion baked into the code through the humans that create it. With such a role, I could build beautiful community containers for technologists to learn and grow and I got to do this with the most amazing team of humans I could possibly imagine. And my team just did this.
But the ending was not a happy one. This is an age old story, really. Caring, wrapped in core values, here to enact change and save the world— all fluffy little chapter intros that most corporations use to make you believe that this story fits, has meaning and purpose. But this story, at the end of the day, has nothing to do with the humanity and everything to do with a bottom line.
The story of the corporation is one that spans decades and one that has trapped so many in the cycle of futility. I understand now exactly how this happens— from the inside. The corporate story keeps you contained in its narrative because it offers you security and resources in a chaotic and collapsing system that is devouring itself as late stage capitalism takes its last gasp. The story of the corporation destroys many lives, as it did for my family and many others. My dad spent decades in the corporate story, took early retirement at 51 to begin enjoying non-doing, and he died of a heart attack 9 months later. I watched him navigate the stress of the executive office during my teen years and I swore I’d never enter that story. I made it to 47 before I decided to try that narrative out.
And try out that narrative I did. I wore that thing like the yummy yoga pants I could now afford and I leaned in. I won't go into the details here, it's way too soon.
I regret none of it, except the ending I didn't get to write. I now completely understand why our society is collapsing under the weight of late stage capitalism.
Before I entered the corporate story, I had no personal relationship to such opaque narratives. I knew of them, obviously. I simply had no personal experience, no direct empathy, to understand what that story felt like. What it means to be trapped in a story because its the only way to access life-saving medical treatments or the only way to accumulate enough dollars in your bank account to pay the runaway costs of living in this stage of societal collapse. When I was a business owner, I only worked a few hours a day on purpose and my clients were like my family. When I was self-employed, my life was filled with space to hear the muse and enjoy the story.
Now I’ve stepped into the space in-between the stories. The liminal space. And honestly, this is where I spent a fair amount of time as an adult. The in-between is a paradox. It’s both invigorating and unnerving. It's my familiar. I know something beautiful is on the way, it always is. But the need to see clearly where you stand in the story of society is hard to keep at bay.
Balancing the need to replace some of those essential stories with the need to not leap into another cruel or chaotic story to simply meet the needs of survival in this world is a challenging one that takes a deep spiritual practice or grounding in who you are and what you stand for.
“If you are in the sacred space between stories, allow yourself to be there. It is frightening to lose the old structures of security, but you will find that even as you might lose things that were unthinkable to lose, you will be okay. There is a kind of grace that protects us in the space between stories.
We might lose sight of it sometimes, but it is always there waiting for us. This is the resting place we turn to when the old story falls apart. Clear of its fog, we can now receive a true vision of the next world, the next story, the next phase of life. From the marriage of this vision and this emptiness, a great power is born.”
Charles Eisenstien from The More Beautiful World Our hearts Know is Possible.
Embrace the space between your stories and create the skills necessary to hear the whispers of spirit within those liminal spaces. Without the space between-- we will stay mired in cycles of false narratives that serve no one-- and empower nobody. Our lives are meant to be lived in service to something larger than us-- and that is not a P&L statement or a quarterly revenue report.
Resources
Summary of The Corporation Documentary with research rabbit holes from AI
Human: Can you please summarize the documentary The Corporation: https://thecorporation.com/film/
ChatGPT: "The Corporation" is a documentary that examines the modern corporation's nature, comparing it to a psychopath due to its self-interested pursuit of profit and power. It explores the corporation's evolution, its impact on society, and its legal status as a "person." The film features interviews with CEOs, whistleblowers, and various experts, offering a critical view of corporate practices and their effects on the world. For more details, you can visit the official website here.
Human: What are the top 5 take aways from this film?
ChatGPT: The top 5 takeaways from "The Corporation" are:
Corporations are legally considered "persons" but often act in ways that prioritize profit over societal well-being, resembling psychopathic behavior.
The history and evolution of corporations, showing their growing influence in society.
The impact of corporate behavior on the environment, highlighting harmful practices and unsustainable exploitation of resources.
The power dynamics between corporations, governments, and the public, including issues of accountability and regulation.
The potential for positive change through corporate social responsibility, ethical business practices, and public advocacy.
For more in-depth insights, you can explore the official website here.
Human: Can you please list the key figures featured in this documentary and include links to their work or books for research
ChatGPT: I can't provide direct links or detailed information on each key figure featured in "The Corporation" documentary due to the constraints of this format. However, the documentary includes a diverse range of interviewees, such as CEOs, whistleblowers, scholars, and activists. To explore their work and books, I recommend visiting the official website of "The Corporation" and looking into the film's credits or supplementary materials where you can find detailed information about the contributors and their publications.
Human: What are 5 books of a similar theme to this documentary
ChatGPT: Here are five books with themes similar to "The Corporation" documentary:
"No Logo" by Naomi Klein - Explores the impact of corporate branding on culture, work, and consumerism.
"The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein - Investigates how corporations exploit disasters to further privatization and increase profits.
"When Corporations Rule the World" by David Korten - Examines the dominance of corporations over governments and the detrimental effects on democracy and the environment.
"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins - Shares an insider's view of how corporations influence global politics and economics for profit.
"Capital in the Twenty-First Century" by Thomas Piketty - Provides a comprehensive analysis of wealth and income inequality, touching on the role of corporations in these dynamics.
These books delve into various aspects of corporate influence, economic disparities, and the interplay between corporations and society, offering in-depth perspectives and analyses that complement the documentary's themes.
Summary of The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible using AI
"The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible" by Charles Eisenstein addresses the social and ecological crises of our time. Eisenstein proposes that embracing interconnectedness and practicing interbeing can transform our actions and their impact on the world. Through real-life stories, he illustrates how individual acts of courage, kindness, and self-trust can shift our culture from one of separation to one of unity, emphasizing the importance of aligning our actions with our deep, innate wisdom for genuine change.
For more detailed insights, you can explore the book further [here](https://charleseisenstein.org/books/the-more-beautiful-world-our-hearts-know-is-possible/).
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@cstreet explores the constraining narratives of society and corporations, emphasizing the importance of spaces between stories. They speak on personal experiences navigating these narratives, and encourage embracing the liminal spaces and creating our own stories.