ELDERS SHED

PROPHECY OF A HOPI ELDER

“You have been telling the people that this is the

Eleventh Hour, now you must go back

and tell the people that this is the Hour.

And there are things to be considered

Where are you living?

What are you doing?

What are your relationships?

Are you in right relation?

Know your garden.

It is time to speak your Truth.

Be good to each other.

And do not look outside yourself for the leader.”

Then he clasped his hands together,

smiled, and said,

“This could be a good time.

There is a river flowing now very fast.

It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.

They will try to hold on to the shore.

They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination.

The elders say, we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river,

keep our eyes open and our heads above the water.

And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally.

Least of all, ourselves.

For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.

The time of the lone wolf is over.

Gather yourselves!

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the people we are waiting for!”

To follow this Hopi wisdom, you must shed those parts of you that no longer serve you. Have the courage to let the river take you where it’s going. It has its destination. Stop grasping, clawing, and struggling to get back to the familiar shore. 

SHED

shed; shedding

Definition of shed

transitive verb

1: to rid oneself of temporarily or permanently as superfluous or unwanted; shed her inhibitions; the company shed 100 jobs

2: to give off, discharge, or expel from the body of a plant or animal

a: to eject, slough off, or lose as part of the normal processes of life a caterpillar shedding its skin; a cat shedding hair; a deciduous tree sheds its leaves in the fall

b: to discharge usually gradually

3:

a: to pour forth in drops, shed tears

b: to give off or sheds light on the subject

c: to cause (blood) to flow by cutting or wounding

CONSCIOUS SHEDDING

Elder consciously shed those parts of their past and psychology which allow a reformulation of their identity and a marked reduction in their constricting thinking. Conscious shedding allows elders to drop down into who they really are and lets the river take them to their true nature.

Perhaps shedding was prompted by a personal crisis that suddenly forced them to ask deeper questions about existence. Or, maybe longing for more meaning in life gradually increased to the point where they could no longer ignore it. Or, they might have simply exhausted all other options. Either way, they feel it is time to shed the old self because there is no longer a reason to be a fortress protecting that old self. 

Conscious shedding allows you to leave the shore and let the current carry you to your true nature. True nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or what it 'means' to be human.

What is shed in becoming an elder is:

·   Self-Doubt

·   Self-Criticism

·   Self-Deception

·   Timidity

·   Exploiting and Manipulating Others

·   Ego Conciliation

·   Confusion and Doubt about the Future

·   The Veils that Prevent a Spiritual Nature from Occurring

What would your life be like if you shed these in yourself?

THANK YOU. DEEPLY APPRECIATED.

On another note, thank you for your “Following.” I appreciate that your time is the most precious asset. Please note, that this work on being an elder would not be possible without your engagement.

‘Followers’ call you to lead. The mission is clear – “bring eldership powerfully into the world, to change the world.” If not elders, who? As the Hopi so meaningfully assert; “We are the people we have been waiting for.”

One of the most dominant questions at the Contemporary Elder Institute (CEI) is what would be possible if the conversations elders provide were present, heard, and embodied? We believe it would be a trim tab.

Think of the Queen Mary—the whole ship goes by and then comes the rudder. And there's a tiny thing at the edge of the rudder called a trim tab. It's a miniature rudder. Just moving the little trim tab builds a low pressure that pulls the rudder around.

So, thank you all for your interest and your support. You are making a difference in the growth of “elder,” and for those many who have joined me on this elder trail, the El Rastro Mayor. 

Thank you for your readership.