The Principle of Engagement

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After professionally teaching people about engagement for more than 20 years, I have begun to acknowledge a simple principle that drives this work that I call the Principle of Engagement.

Life is not a problem to be solved, nor a question to be answered. Life is a mystery to be experienced.—Alan Watts

The Principle of Engagement is that all things are connected everywhere always in all ways.

This is a governing law of all existence, like the law of gravity.

The Principle of Engagement is universal, and nothing escapes it. All existence constantly swirls around in a ball of evolution and transformation as things arrive, things stay, things leave, and things change. These things include people, ideas, places, knowledge, experiences, feelings, and so much more. Everything seems to exist in flux. Except for engagement.

Because of the Principle of Engagement, nothing is suspended without purpose in existence. Humans have struggled to explain this for eons, with the world’s religions and science becoming ensnared in a global tit-for-tat over why and how we exist. In the midst of those competitions, existence goes on existing. The Principle of Engagement shows the reason why.

No matter what your circumstances, the Principle of Engagement acts as a grand animator and carrier of existence right now. Your emotions, your actions, your wisdom, your life are all supported by this principle. So are your screw ups. Your indiscretions, your gracelessness, your mistakes, and your angers are all supported by this principle. Rather than wanting you to do anything, the Principle of Engagement holds you exactly as you are, because who you are right now is exactly who you are supposed to be. That was true two minutes, hours, days, months, years, and decades ago, and it will be true tomorrow too.

When you truly want to change, be different, move or transform, you will. You have always done this, and you always will. The Principle of Engagement has always supported you before, it supports you now, and it will support you in the future. Always in all ways.

The Principle of Engagement affects everything in the Universe – but it is not everything in the Universe. Each thing is the seed of a Universe unto its own, including ideas, people, thoughts, places, all that. Within these Universes there are a hundred thousand million trillion other forces at work, including laws that affect all things. Since the Principle of Engagement is universal, it is at work among all these things right now. Its does not draw things together or separate anything among them; it just is. It does not allow suffering or withhold enlightenment; it just is. The Principle of Engagement perfectly weaves connectivity to hold all things in perfect alignment with everything, all the time.

We make seemingly infinite choices within this weaving. Decision-making reigns supreme throughout our lives. However, these decisions can be made without the tension and dis-ease we can get so busy with. Knowing the Principle of Engagement is always at work, we can relax into the rhythm of life and earnestly love where we’re at and what we’re doing in any moment. This may not eliminate suffering and pain from our lives, but it can bring a strong measure of tranquility to how we see life. We learn day-to-day living is a reflection of our interior shown as our exterior.

The Principle of Engagement holds you here, now, where you stand and as you are. This is life.