A Way Forward

 

 

We have become so diametrically opposed.  We are either a Red or a Blue State, anti-vax or pro-vaccine.  We have completely fallen into a left brain style of thinking where it is "me" instead of "we," feeling that I'm right and they are wrong.  And it is no surprise, since we've been taught judgement and duality from the womb up: good/bad, right/wrong, up/down, dark and light.  By the time we are in our twenties, we've become pros at this way of seeing the world.  Too often it takes decades, if not to the very ends of our lives, to learn how to loosen our grip on these more rigid perspectives.

     One day, years ago, while I was out gardening, it dawned on me that Diversity Negates Right and Wrong.  In a world of so much intricate beauty and variety, there can be no absolute truth.  A field of daisies requires different care than a rose.  What is right for a cat may or may not be right for a dog.  

     When we think that we have found THE way, either through original thought, or because we have heard or seen something that resonates with the way we feel or have been taught to think, we jump on that band wagon and look for or join a tribe that supports us.  A shaky new faith has always been bolstered by the presence of others who agree.  Then, to make ourselves feel even more reassured about being right, we try to recruit others and begin proselytizing.  Dominant religious and political beliefs are good examples of this.  And they give us a feeling of belonging, of being a part of something.  It helps us to feel less lonely, even if we are still sitting alone in our own home somewhere.  

     And, we can get really invested in our stance.  "I'm a thumb and I know what is best for the rest of you fingers.  I've got it all figured out and if you will just listen to me..."  But, the baby finger says, "No, that doesn't work for me!"  Because, we are all unique.  We've each got different requirements and various jobs to do.  And yet, more importantly, in this example, "We are all cells in the body of humanity."  (Peace Pilgrim.)  We are all a part of the same whole.

     We've got too many big jobs ahead of us to get lost in the squabbles over details.  And we've got a baby to birth here, a new human consciousness that is waiting to be born, where we embrace our "We" rather than just "Me."

     So, how do we start to come together?  
1.)  I like to go outside and take a little break from all the details involved in organizing details.  Here I can pause, look up and see the beauty around me.  If even just for a moment, this lets me expand into a greater viewpoint that involves more than just me.
2.)  Reaching out and connecting, helping someone with something or asking for help is a great way to come together.  We all like to help each other.  We feel honored when someone asks us for our help and we feel good about ourselves when we give it.  Or, just calling a friend for a chat lets both of us feel more connected.
3.)  Finding common ground, (it's always there even if we have strong differences,) be it baseball, knitting or a love for animals and plants, this is always a great way to come together.  We can acknowledge our differences, we don't have to focus on them.  (John and Susan Marks have made tremendous headway in finding peace and moving forward along these lines with their global work, Search For Common Ground.) 

     Basically, I think we all really want the same things.  We all want to feel safe and have peace in our lives.  We all want to be healthy and get a good night's sleep so we can awaken with bright new ideas for our day ahead and do what we would love to do.  We all want to have fun and laugh and play.  We all love to marvel at the beauties and majesty and awesomeness of nature and to feel one with all around us.  And all of this opens us up to greater love.  Love is the core essence of our being.  Love is what we have come from and will return to.  It is also what we are all really reaching for when we feel so divided.

     And I think that these common goals are what we really want and would be best for us to focus on and come together around.  So, let's try to find ways, that we each feel inspired to do, to help make that happen, first in our own lives and then letting that naturally flow out, in whatever way it best fits, to others.