Bruce is in Conflict
You may or may not be surprised when you read this from the typing fingers of a conflict specialist: we are all in conflict… some of the time.
Sometimes you select the next one… sometimes it is chosen or just comes to you. One lovely quote says,
Conflict is the beginning of consciousness – M.Esther Harding.
There is always a challenge (good or bad) lying in wait once that current goal or agreement or decision has been reached and sometimes we aren’t aware of issues, differences, being stuck or instability – until something unseats us – or our thinking.
Love, money or health – they all challenge every one of us and Bruce and I, as full time conflict specialists, are not immune to this reality – not at all! Our lives have been plenty full of drama recently. Just the past few days had felt like we were finally out of drama quicksand.
Then… Sunday.
Sunday, just a few days ago (August 21st, 2011) Bruce recommitted himself to continuing his quest to complete an IronMan AND in order to do so, dedicated himself to raising more than $4000 for prostate cancer research and prevention. By raising that incredible amount, he will gain entry into the IronMan of his dreams. Given our only recent peace, I asked him, “why this extra effort, this generosity, and why now?” and he said he’d been in conflict for days knowing that something was calling him and this just felt right.
I didn’t understand it.
Then, yesterday, Monday, August 22nd, I turned on the car radio… and in an instant knew. Jack Layton – a real fighter – had lost his battle to cancer. I cried, from shock, and crushing loss…and while I could not fight for Jack’s politics, nor fight his cancer for him, I felt like I had lost a battle I’d not been given an opportunity to fight… but Bruce’s challenge, that had been so confusing just hours before is now so clearly my own – not only for Bruce, but for me and so many others who have been touched by Jack… or cancer.
Some battles we cannot win without a fight – I will be behind Bruce as he tackles the fight ahead… can you join me there too?
… go here if you want to pledge to help.