This chapter makes some big philosophical claims that are hard to articulate and even harder to prove. In some ways, they are matters of first principles or faith.
Fortunately, we can also train ourselves to experience presence and goodness directly.
Put the book down again. Close your eyes. Take ten of the longest, deepest breaths you’ve ever taken. Calmly. Take time to really savor every moment of it.
Now, just notice: Do you feel better, more calm, more connected within you and what’s beyond you?
I bet you do. I bet you noticed something shift — even if only subtly.
Now, think. Is there ever a time of stress or hardship when ten deep breaths wouldn’t improve your ability to navigate whatever is happening? Or simply just help you feel better in your body and mind?
This is a fully reliable way to calm ourselves and navigate the world. It of course does not solve every problem. And it can’t prevent every tragedy or injustice.
But presence reliably helps. It reliably nudges us in the right direction.
You can call it nervous system regulation if you want. That alone is a life-changing tool.
But we might also ponder that nervous system regulation is just one part of a much vaster, universal process, that everything in the universe is breathing through and co-regulating one another.
This is an excerpt from my upcoming book The Antihero’s Journey: From Burnout to Real Contribution in Polycrisis Times. To read other excerpts, go here.
