I am just back from a fantastic summer vacation, and the juxtaposition of the joy I shared with beloved friends, and the frantic push toward societal insanity that was discussed over dinners and gatherings, is not lost on me.
You know, mainstream media is doing a brilliant job of hypnotizing people to act on their many unresolved inner demons, and they are savvy at taking that unresolved energy and focusing its target in ways that frankly are creating civil wars around the globe. For most of us, this is a scary and very real prospect. It does seem to be escalating daily, spinning out of control, a leviathan that will swallow us whole at any moment. And many if not most perceive it to be exclusively outside of themselves to which they are a victim. To me, this is the urgent crisis.
Here’s the thing…it is us as individuals and collaborators who must take the deeper responsibility in our personal lives to create a life that thrives. It is those of us who do see through these maniacal shenanigans, who live by our choices regarding the world we want to promote, who can demonstrate a fulfilling life for those who truly need that kind of modeling. And I am personally grateful to witness many of you reading this doing just that, living a generous life that thrives. Yes, this includes speaking out productively about hatred, division, inequity, abuse, societal erosion. When we put the values we most highly regard at the forefront of our attention, and let those drive the actions we take, the words we speak, the social media we promote, we can speak out most effectively toward that which we see must change.
There are simply two choices as I see it: 1) We either jump into the maelstrom media frenzy of hatred and division, and run our emotional and psychological life through that filter, magnifying anger and depression or; 2) We see the tactical game that is being played, at the cost of human life and liberty, and take the strongest stand we can to clarify the value system we will live by and how we will relate to the world, how we will treat others and how we will treat ourselves.
We cannot positively shift the global stage currently playing out without short-circuiting our feeding frenzy on the hypnotic mainstream messaging that is continuously promoting division within the human family. Only individually can we choose to extricate ourselves from wading through the same swamp as the alligators. Only with our own integrity can we say a deeper NO to division and a deeper YES to the value system we will promote in our thoughts and daily choices. If we are simply staying angry about what is happening in our world, we are participating in its toxic reach. We are literally feeding it. And if we can help another find that place of integrity within, we are helping everyone. There is also a heck of a lot of positive albeit less financially-backed media out there that are presenting so many ideas and solutions to the question of how to thrive in this world. Look for these outlets as they are growing all the time, in science and technology, psychology, daily living, health and wellness, relationships, politics.
For me, that means declaring here and now that no matter what I read, and how much I disagree with the tactics, that I will make sure I am absolutely clear about where I stand in the world I wish to see. I will live that to the best of my ability, and I will speak out to promote it when I see that it is being compromised. I won’t be perfect, but I will tickle myself with that reminder daily. I know that I don’t have control over the massive machine that is our media, or those running our global governments, but I do have control over whether I get sucked into the cyclonic storm that just distracts and confuses me, and gives them psychological power over me. That is the choicepoint, and that is my invitation to you. Make your integrity, your Innertegrity, stronger than their game, and together we will rise and thrive.
One key way to strengthen this choice point is to activate that which lives creatively within you to express, be it the smallest exploration or a grand gesture that you would share with your world. It is in stimulating this very personal inquiry and creation that you learn more about your deepest values, what you are gifted at, what you might even excel at, and how you communicate with your environment. All of this plays a crucial role in your own integrity and power. It is also a way to turn attention inward and get clear, rather than place all the attention on external forces that feel so overwhelming. Paradoxically, it is this inward turn that best serves to clarify our message and our place in the world, where we can better serve outwardly.
Get support to get these creative juices flowing. Reach out to someone in your community, or reach out to me for a Session to explore the possiibilities.
Wishing you all a rejuvenating, and clarifying, summertime…
Melanie