Cognitive Dissonance

Photo Credit - Wikipedia

Two coyotes were photographed in front of Wrigley Field last week. The story was featured nationally on television and on the web. While we are accustomed to seeing squirrels, raccoons and birds in urban settings, the sighting of much larger wildlife, especially carnivores, is often of concern to the general public.

The story, along with the photographs released raised two issues for me. The first, as always, is the recognition that we humans are intruding on the landscape needed for wildlife to live successfully. As we encroached further into wilderness areas, these exchanges will occur more frequently and often with fatal results for the wildlife involved.

The second and more introspective thought is the dissonance of the photo itself. The image of two coyotes walking across the front of an urban sports facility doesn’t resonate with the contemporary view of nature being separate from the human experience. How and why were those coyotes in central Chicago, located far from any natural area? Were the coyotes just passing through or had they set up a new territory within the confines of the city?

Over the past month, I decided to return to the workforce. I sent out resumes, contacted business colleagues and even took on a short-term contract project. The process was familiar and there was a comfort level in returning to the work that I had done for so long. But there is a kernel of discontent building within me. As soon as I made a commitment to the contract, I was inundated with opportunities more in alignment with my current life without work. Yes, the money, the frequent interaction with friends and colleagues and the energy of being back in the bustle of downtown does bring excitement to a life that has been devoted to quiet and reflection. But I have found myself entirely focused on the job, pushing aside what I had thought was important soul-searching work.

On my blog, I put a quotation from Bertrand Russell as a permanent feature. The quote “It is the preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” I came across this quote over the summer and it resonated so strongly with me that I have set it up as a daily message on my calendar. I have become a victim once again to the preoccupation of possessions, in my case: money, recognition and sensory excitement. Perhaps that is why I now see soul-searching opportunities everywhere. My soul is reminding me to seek a balance between the material and the spiritual.