Enlightenment. Peace and happiness. These are yours for the taking and the time is ripe. If you ask people when they learned the most from life, they don’t say it was while they were watching TV or sipping the right wine with dinner. People identify the trials, the problems, diligently slogged through one day at a time as their greatest teachers. Adversity is an opportunity, and today, we are up to our ears in opportunities.
No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, or even if your not on it at all, there is plenty of irritating, galling or horrifying information flying around. Much of it propaganda or supposition, it still manages to create fear in our worried hearts. What you do with the fear makes all the difference. If you jump in with both feet, grab onto the horror, you will be one with the horror. If you ignore the fear, send it to it’s room until it can behave better, it seeps out like acid, burning through your best defenses. If you say – well, that’s just reality, what’s always been will always be, the past is the best predictor of the future – you doom yourself to a never changing world.
If you step back, put objective eyes on the subject, or better yet the person, and widen your view, chances are you’ll see something you haven’t noticed before. If you breathe deeply, let the fear drain through, clear your mind to focus on the here and now, you may realize there is something for you to digest, assimilate and master.
A spiritual practice is any time we are confronted with that which makes us uncomfortable, and, we don’t look away. We look in, deep within. What is true? If I drop my automatic reactions, what arises? Instead of fighting against, what would improve this situation? What would empathy do? What would hope do? What would love do?
Evolution is moving us away from tribes, expanding our idea of family, making a case for understanding your fellow human being beyond borders whether town, city, state or country. Beyond color, religion, nation of origin or political party. We can no longer tolerate judging others by their outer trappings or the propaganda we hear about “them”.
The reality is the world has morphed and changed for the positive in huge ways these past few eons, especially in the last few centuries. As once suggested by a wise teacher – the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. The arc of justice needs us. Let’s shorten that moral arc by standing up to that which no longer serves and change it as our stand-in-the-face-of-fear, take action, leaders modeled for us more than 50 years ago.
This is your opportunity to spend some time with chaos, fear and stuck beliefs in a friendly, open atmosphere filled with love and compassion for you and your fears. It’s a time to move through despair, to learn from these allies in healing, and as a result, pull the rest of the world with you.
Three simple steps.
- Slow your mind and body. Allow what arises to be. Fill yourself with kindness and compassion. Breathe in peace. Let go of tension.
- Put some distance between you and what arises. Act as an observer. Still with, but not in. Create a focus not of the mind but of the space around you. Feel the air, notice the trees, the clouds, make friends with the silence. Breathe. When you bring in the idea of politics today, What thoughts, fears, feelings arise? Where do you feel it in your body? What beliefs feel stuck? Write down what comes to you.
- Question, question, question those beliefs from the space around you. This is not an activity of the brain, these answers come from whatever pops into your head the same as when you are taking a shower or driving mindlessly and something just occurs to you. What are some alternatives?
Insights will come to you. Explore these ideas. Journal the answers, talk with others you trust, do interpretive dance. It doesn’t really matter just as long as you are allowing, observing and questioning what you consider to be the immovable. These simple steps may not feel easy when conflicts and anxieties seize your attention but persevere.
Enlightenment is ours, not only for ourselves but ultimately for all, as a people and a nation. Americans have grit and ingenuity, tenacity and passion. We have a window, a chance to move the arc along in a major way. Big problems can bring leaps and bounds into new and wonderful territory.
Be the shooting star toward a better world.
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