In peace, sons bury their fathers; in war, fathers bury their sons. -Tolstoy
The world has become a very backward place. It has been that way for thousands of years. The conquest of one nation over another, the corporate hostile takeovers, the lust for power over the masses…all of it has led us down the merry path of world wars and destruction of people, places, and now the very planet upon which we live. What can we do to stop this madness?
As soon as one gains one freedom, another is taken away. There is this strange mechanism in action, the gears of which no one really understands. With powerful people pulling strings on marionette puppets and making the masses dance to one tune or another, whichever serves the greed of the day, it becomes difficult to even know who the puppetier actually is. Conspiracy theorists abound, each with a variation on a theme. Who is one to believe? Public outcry happens over something seemingly inconsequencial, while in the shadows something more sinister is at play, making people think that they are standing up for what is good and right, while actually putting guns to their own heads and pulling the triggers…not even realizing that they are holding the guns.
There is too much insane detail to go into as examples of all of this. But what I want to do is to say this. Don’t trust what others say. Trust what you know to be true for you. Are you the person you want to be? Are you the person who is becoming the person you hope to one day be? Do you see humanity as something that is worth fighting for? Do you see yourself standing up for what you know to be right? These are the things that are important. Because everything else just diminishes us as human beings.
People have often thought of me as quite subversive. The reason for this, I can only assume, is because I don’t follow anyone else’s rules and regulations. Yes, I obey driver safety laws to the best of my ability, but when it comes to other things that are far more important, I obey my own set of rules and regulations. So I am not about to sell my soul to a “cause” or to a “political platform” when that cause or platform goes completely against who I am as a human being.
I find politics in general to be nothing more than a shit storm of lies and deceipt, so I do my best to stay as far away from that as possible. Yes, I vote, mostly because there are places in the world where people are denied that right. So I am going to make sure that I exercise that right whenever the opportunity arises. As to who I vote for…well, that will vary depending upon a lot of factors. I must say that in this last election in Canada, I felt dirty, not because I am, but because none of the candidates actually struck me as clean in any way. They all had their own twisted agendas and it made me, for the first time in my life, feel disgusted that I had to put an X beside someone’s name who I knew was just another con artist among con artists. I have, until then, always felt a wee bit of hope in the ballot that I cast. This time I walked away feeling slimed and like I really did not give a shit who won anymore. That, to me, was very distressing. When someone is put into a situation where they have to vote for whomever they dislike the least, this is not a good sign at all. It is an indication of a very broken system.
But that is how the entire world seems to be running…on a very broken system. This can lead to some pretty harsh realities. This is the type of scenario that is necessary for yet another war to erupt, and I, for one, do not want that to happen. So I am left with, “What can I do to make any amount of difference in this crazy, messed up world?”
The answer is…I do ME. I be the best I can possibly be. I have compassion for my own humanity and extend that to my fellow humans. I focus on what brings me joy and comfort and encourage others to do the same. I take time for silence, without all the hectic commotion of screen time or public gatherings (have I mentioned how much I dislike going to the mall after November 1st?) and just chill with where I am at in this very moment. I meditate daily. I allow myself to breathe and to relax and to have a sip of whatever drink I have going at the time (sometimes it is coffee, water, hot chocolate, tea or even spiced rum…anything in moderation for this dude). I get my exercise, I let myself have “spa days” where I just pamper myself with attending to the calluses on my feet and my nails top and bottom…etc. When it is warm enough outside I step out and relax on my deck and let myself appreciate the weather, the trees around me, the abundance of birds in my back yard and my dog. On cold nights I fire up the fireplace and watch a movie or a series that I am following while I cuddle with said dog. I engage in musical practices (which is something I also incorporate into the healing work that I do for a living) which allows me to feel beauty in an auditory fashion. I read books and allow myself to get inspired by what I read. All of these types of things bring me back to who I am.
The thing is that, no matter what is happening around me in the world, no matter how distressing it may be, I am responsible for only me. I can choose to have war going on inside of me. Or I can choose to have peace going on inside of me. Either way, something will be goin on. So I prefer to feed the more positive thing than the negative thing. That way I am much more available as a positive influence on those around me who will perhaps need me to shine some light for them. Believe me when I say that I do not take a Polly Anna approach to life. In fact, I can be as cynical as the rest of my fellow humans. But I come at it from a place of trusting myself instead of allowing myself to be snowed by others. Thus I am able to help others find their own trust in themselves as well.
I encourage you, the reader, to find the things that bring you inner peace. Go with those things. Put down the weapons of war and self-destruction within yourself. Plant the seeds of peace and of light within you and nourish those seeds so that they can grow and bloom and produce soul food for yourself and for others.