|
Dear Friend, Do you remember the early photo “enhancement” software, Photoshop, that first came out in the 1990s? Once it was popularized, I was so disheartened whenever I would see a beautiful photograph and feel the need to wonder, “But has it been photoshopped?” I had such regard for the extraordinary truth of the ordinary world that could be skillfully captured through a camera lens, that I balked at alterations. I grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, relying on an assumption that photographs were more like statements of fact, conveying both the horror and beauty of what was real. We were taught things like “seeing is believing.” Call me a purist, but I wanted to be able to see and be touched by what was real; I wanted to trust what I saw. I still do. This week, the New York Times led with a headline, “Trust Matters.” I figured that the article would attempt to convey the breadth of the global AI and political trust-crisis we are in. And it did. Now, it seems that AI is giving us another new, alarming global challenge to face; one that feels vast, incomprehensible, and beyond our individual ability to impact. The question is no longer whether a photo has been enhanced or altered, it’s about whether we can trust that so much of what we see and hear is even real. So, yes, trust matters. A lot. So does being real, truthful, and trustworthy. And each of us has the capacity for impact where being more real, truthful, and worthy of trust is concerned. The difference we can make - even in small ways - may be in bringing our attention closer to home. Perhaps it’s a new moment for the old adage, “Think Globally. Act Locally.” And local right now might mean tending more wholeheartedly to our inner worlds and outer choices. Little things matter. Our seemingly small choices, held up to the light, often reveal and teach us important things. All our choices can also take us closer to or farther from the integrity of our values. In these times of needing to question more of what and who we can trust, and whether what we see and hear is real or true, I am making choices to nestle my actions a little deeper into alignment with who I am and what I care most about. In this spirit, after three years, you might notice that I changed the image at the top of my museletter this month. This may seem like an odd, inconsequential thing to tell you in this context, but I want to share something about this choice that is important to me, and I hope it might be for you too. The image I have used for 36 months, at the top of my website and all my museletters is real and was taken by my partner while we were on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in the Caribbean. (So you know, every image on my website was taken by my partner, who is an amazing and generous photographer). It’s a gorgeous image of a sunrise on a perfect day in a far-off place. It’s easy to imagine waking up grateful every day in that kind of scenery and weather! But, my purpose here is to represent the unconditional and trustworthy embrace of gratefulness. Gratefulness, which reminds us of cause to be thankful even when the scenery and weather are not like a tropical vacation. Gratefulness, which offers us ground on which to stand (or sit!) when life feels hard or dark, when we are lost in the woods, or cannot see through the fog. Gratefulness, which helps us remember that life is a gift and that every day matters. Gratefulness, which reminds us to treasure everything and everyone we have in the unpromised, precious moments we are alive. Gratefulness, which in its humility and accessibility, helps us know that “it is enough to be grateful for the next breath.” For me, the new image I have chosen to feature above serves as a meditation on the depth and breadth of gratefulness. It is an invitation into a sense of promise. And it is real, taken by my partner in the town where we live. The fog. The trees. Nothing was added, nothing removed, Nothing far-off, fantastical, or artificial about it. Artificial Intelligence may seem to be everywhere, but we do not need to give power to this belief. There are so many other, exquisite and resilient intelligences available to us that we need to turn towards and uplift. There is a truth-bank in the Universe that needs our contributions. We need to keep building a deepened sense of trust in ourselves, one another, our communities and the natural world, forging real and robust connections. And, as much as possible, we need to trust and nourish life, offering our most grateful actions to it. Even when our choices feel small, we need to trust that they truly count. I hope you find the words and resources in this museletter, and on my website, to be heartening, especially in hard times. I am so grateful to be in community with you. Please freely share this museletter with others, if you are so moved. Thank you. From the trustworthiness of my heart to yours -
|
