Wow —
There are so many people that I have run into today or postings that I see on Facebook and such that are so completly dark with negative energy.
Most of it has to deal with the election that just took place in the United States. There are opinions all over the place. There are finger pointing, and probably the one that took me most by surprise is the “promise” of one that there was no way she would come together in any kind of compromise or work together in any sort of way with other people since her candidate did not win.
Wow.
I listened to a friend earlier today. The election was just one of the many troubling issues on her plate … but it was there. I found I really had very little to say. Honestly, it was only about a month ago that I really put together that this was a presidential election year. There were so many more pressing issues in my life that watching debates and keeping up on the issues was not even remotely near the top of the list. I do not even watch that much commercial TV so I was spared the commercials and Dean has this computer rigged to accept very little in the way of advertisements, and for some glorious reason I did not even receive one political phone call … so I was very, very much out of the whole election year loop.
I did manage to read a little bit the past couple of weeks and go and cast a vote yesterday — but, I know I was not near as informed as I probably should have been at the ballot box.
Then, how does one become informed? Some of my information comes from my history/political degree which gives me an interesting viewpoint on how much power any one person we are electing actually has in office. Some … well, if I want to be really informed I should probably read at least 3 or 4 different sources that are written by people of 3 or 4 different backgrounds and political tendencies themselves to try and get at what is really happening.
This is what we do when we learn anything. We read, we talk to people, we go to classes, we listen. I know in growing in my own spiritual life it was commented by someone that they were amazed how many teachers I have — that I have one that I go to for general guidance, another one is guiding in ordination and I have three teachers for healing arts, and two for QiQong … on and on. I was very honest with a student today that I am continually learning, that I am very upfront that I do not have all the answers and that I continually frequent classes myself, even in the midst of teaching others.
Sometimes, I think I really, really know something and come across a teacher or another student or friend that really, really thinks and knows something totally different. I have come to realize, that much like reading many different viewpoints on the same political issue, that it is possible for both of us to have completely the right answer. The answer is completely right for each of us, and as soon as we recognize that it indeed can work out for both of us it is a lesson to both so that we are able to recognize which way/viewpoint may help another in the future.
My way or the highway really does not work. We are so many, many different people. It would be like telling my left handed child to please do something exactly the same way as my right handed child. It just does not work that way. There have to be allowances for each of our innate gifts and talents. We always hear reminders of this when someone mentions that Albert Einstein was considered very stupid in traditional school because of his dyslexia but then was proven to be one of the most brilliant humans that ever walked the earth.
What if we all treated each other like we learned differently but were really very smart? What if we all took the time to listen before belittling? What if we took the time to really hear where each of us is coming from instead of just turning the off switch or becoming very negative because things did not turn out the way we thought it should?
The turmoil made me think of these things …. and how downright nasty and hurtful and depressed and negative some are being towards each other … whether they “won” or not, but I really think it goes further than that into how we live our daily lives. What if each and every day we reminded ourselves that each of us is capable of doing the best we can with what we have and that it is not possible to do any different unless a simple and reasonable conversation and exchange of ideas can take place. What if we each took the time for complete personal responsibility in what we ourselves are doing and thinking and acting. What if we each realized that it is our OWN choices, what we learn from them — including our choice to be happy or not happy — that is important and not what others may or may not do around us.
I react or dont react
I choose or do not choose
I am responsible for me
If each and every person took one day at a time and realized that our lives are really in our own hands and that we treat each other EACTLY how we would like to be treated (whether we agree with that person or not) this entire world would be a very different place.
I have been called an idealist more than once for viewpoints like this. I have been told that really, it is not the way the world is so how can I expect people to act that way. My response? It starts with just ONE person. ONE person can move mountains. We are ALL connected. Spew negativity and receive negativity. Spew hope, understanding, forgiveness and Light and that is what one will receive.
It is hard — it is so very hard. I would much rather blame doctors, my mother-in-law, myself, and even Dean on the fact that he is not here to share life with me, that I have to deal with so much right now that seems daunting and crawl into a hole because of it and tell everyone I have more than a right to do so given everything that has happened the past couple of years. I could totally use this as my excuse to not do anything at all, be grumpy and a myriad of other things. Each and every day I remind myself it is a new day when I awake and think of as many things as I can to be thankful for before my heart starts hurting again. Take each day one at a time, treat each person I would like to be and with the respect I want to be treated with myself.
I know it is not the same thing as world events — but, isn’t the world people? Doing good where I can is a start. Taking care of myself is a start. Take care of yourself. We can all be winners.