Dysfunction Trending...

“It is no measure of Health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

— Jiddu Krishnamurti

Something’s been on my mind for a very long time. But first, a story…I remember seeing a client many years ago, and as she was giving me her health history, she spoke in acronyms, describing all of the afflictions she suffered with as 3-letter disorders and how she managed them. There were probably 6 or 7 she claimed to have. She spoke in a soft voice and energetically emanated someone who was highly identified with these ailments and her suffering. It was her primary focus at the time. It really struck me…not that she didn’t actually suffer, but that she had taken on so many currently promoted afflictions, all with acronyms from mainstream media and their associated medications, in her own life. I also heard her speak of the groups she was in for support, and how she dealt with her family and how they supported her needs. It was then I realized that she felt loved through these afflictions, and they kept her sense of belonging alive. But she was paying a heavy price with her mindset.

Through the years I have seen this tendency with others, kind of like an adult peer pressure to fit in. And it’s not just with health and medications, it’s with politics, raising children, fashion of course, social media, travel, food, sports, recreational purchases. I have experienced it within myself, but I have a strong radar for it, and I make adjustments. But I also believe that this pattern has dangerous implications for society.

I believe it is a strong need to belong, without enough mindful discernment to make the most mature and caring choices. Little by little, we go off the rails, and the cost is high. Some examples: We might feel we are making seemingly benign shopping choices, but they are contributing to entire rainforests being decimated and long-existing cultures displaced. Or we see a Pharma advertisement showing a happy laughing family in the park due to a medication they are taking and wonder if we should also be taking it. Or a desire to save taxes drives us in our voting only to experience the hidden first stages of fascism. Or simple choices we let our children make that lead to an imbalanced hormonal physiology for them resulting in anxiety and depression. I don’t need to highlight all of the examples I’ve witnessed. This is more of an invitation for you to inquire yourself, to peel back the layers of your own life and the choices being made, and see the power of influence beneath it. And I think that the message here is about taking a deeper look at where we are putting our attention, how we are feeding our sense of belonging. Are our choices diminishing the immunity of our minds and bodies and those of our families? Are we succumbing to systematic outer control by buying into messages of what “should” ail us? Do we have the right to make decisions for ourselves about how strong we are, how resilient we are, how brilliant our bodies are at healing and regulating given the right choices and environment?

There are examples too numerous to count from indigenous cultures about this, about the fundamental attitudes, philosophies, practices and teachings on the subject of dysfunctional minds and societies, and the predictions about where we will end up if we choose it. Ancient historical teachings from many lineages have spoken of what it means to have a healthy mind, a healthy body, a sovereign life, and a compassionate heart, which lead to a healthy society and humanity. We are going off the rails. I so very often hear conversations about how increasingly crazy this world is, and I know that just on the other side of this story is a story just waiting to be told, that has been told all along by some, of an individual and collective creative brilliant world filled with people who rely on their inner authority, attunement with nature, and their wise hearts to drive daily living and societal participation. And I’m not talking about protesting. I’m talking about making personal decisions that match our highest value system.

So I’ll leave you with this. YOU get to decide how healthy you are, how vibrant you are, how creative you are, how loved you are, how purposeful you are, how intelligent you are, how much you have to offer this world. And another tip, age does not diminish our capacity to be relevant and useful, and you can find examples of powerful people at all ages to prove this just by looking for it.

I say, let’s create a healthy society by creating a healthy personal life.

To your Health on every level, Melanie

I’m offering FREE sessions with just a few spots open to explore these and other deeper topics that you feel are relevant for you. Reach out to me at Melanie@innertegrity.com. Or visit my website at www.innertegrity.com/sessions. Tell a friend. Share the news. And thank you as always for reading!