What's Really Important A Time to Question
What is really important to me is having peace of mind and a sense of security. I would like to go to sleep at night with a clear and restful mind, one that is not a morass of grave fears and anger over the state of the things, or full of anxiety that the world is out of control and me along with it.
I remember a time when my worst anxieties were about figuring out what my personal goals might be, and how and if I would meet them. I may have fretted over the perfect job or relationship, whether to buy that stereo I coveted, or a new car. I might have stressed over the Giant’s chances of getting into the World Series, the USA doing well in the summer Olympics, or that old stock going up a few dollars. I may have mulled over whether I could afford to take a trip to the Bahamas, bask in the sun and enjoy scuba diving in the clear bluish waters over a sprawling coral reef. I can think of a thousand such things.
I recall when finding myself spiritually was a major goal; pondering for the first time that I might actually be a spirit in a body, living many lifetimes, not just one. I didn’t know, but the idea was as intriguing as no longer needing to define myself as the meatsuit (physical body) and ego I’d come to believe were all that I am.
It was uplifting to believe in more than a universe created by chaos and destined to chance. I never identified with any religion, but recall when I read the teachings of Jesus and the exploits of Gandhi, realizing the profound potential in surrendering to love and faith. I pondered over life working for us, not against us if only we would allow ourselves to not be immersed in fear. It was empowering to believe that we were a race destined for greater things than was obvious from a history largely defined by fear, avarice and conquest.
True, I had grown up during the Cold War with a Nike base just up the road, and we periodically did the hide-under-the-desk drill in school (as if that would be protection against a thermonuclear explosion) but I never really believed war would happen. It seemed absolutely insane that our race would be stupid enough to start a battle where everyone would lose.
In those days I slept more soundly. The message put forward, even by our government, seemed always full of optimism and the promise of a brighter future. The wars to end all wars were over, mankind would learn from the mistakes of the past, build a safer and more secure world, cure all disease, feed the hungry, and resolve the differences between nations. I admit that all sounds a bit pollyanna-ish and I plead guilty to terminal optimism.
I was filled with hope, vision and relative peace of mind that all was as it should be, and the world was moving slowly forward toward peace and harmony, and not backward toward our brutish Neanderthal roots. The only real anxiety under which I labored was the doubt about my ability to realize my own potential and not screw up.
That was all yesterday. Today I face the challenge of regaining lost innocence in a world that has fostered and seemingly encouraged cynicism, pessimism and insecurity in the guise of fear in all its many manifestations. I know I’m not alone in this regard.
The start of the 21st Century, instead of fostering the epitome of our hopes, has turned into a nightmare in which we are being constantly reminded of all there is to fear. We may need to hone our perceptions, awaken our gut feelings and stir up our intellect. We need to learn to discern truth from falsehood, and reality from misconception. It is possible that we are being manipulated and controlled 24/7 in the media and by governments that many of us no longer fully trust. What we need to discover is if that is so, why, and how to put a stop to it.
The world belongs to us, not our governments or our business conglomerates, but to “we the people.� I believe this ideal has become seriously lost and forgotten. Are we allowing ourselves to be manipulated by the constant threat of fear from both within and without? Benjamin Franklin quite astutely warned us with “Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.� If this is true, are we as a people in danger of finding out the hard way?
There are many things that now bother me:
• the continual human predilection for fear, violence and war
• a War on Terrorism which seems akin to trying to declare war on hate
• the readiness with which so many will sacrifice their liberties and freedom for security
• rampant intolerance and bigotry in so many people of faith
• the denial of global warming
• large deficits, huge national debt, and the selling of America by outsourcing of jobs and borrowing foreign money to supply tax cuts (mainly to those in no need of them) during a time of war
• the high price of gas coinciding with the huge profits being reaped by the Petroleum Industry, also in a time of war
• the new credo in business that seems to believe “its okay to screw people as long as its technically legal or you don’t get caught�
I will write about some or all of these things and many others in future blogs. It is my hope that readers will join me with their comments so we create an open dialogue. I expect the views I share will resonate with some, and not with others, and that’s okay. Hopefully we will agree to disagree.
What’s really important is that there is debate and time to question.
Comments
I just received this from you, and upon looking at what I have seen just cruising through, it is great...someone put a lot of work into this site. Good luck! Is this your site? or is this a combined site of contributors?
SHALOM
AND INDEED MAY PEACE WITHIN AND PEACE WITHOUT HELP US FOLLOW OUR PATHS TO ANSWERS OF THE OUR SPIRIT AND OUR SOUL.
Posted by: BENITA | August 16, 2006 07:35 PM
The schism no longer seems to be between good and evil. (Those definitions blurred to gray for me years ago.) Nor does it seem to be between Red and Blue or even between religious beliefs. (I define myself as a political independent and see the divine, or divine potential, in all religions.)
As you so eloquently communicate, the schism seems to be defining itself between love (inner-peace) and fear. It's getting more and more difficult to not get caught up in the snare of fears which surround us. Is there a line between fear which most call common sense (health insurance) and the fear some call paranoia (access by the government to personal information)? Where do we draw that line? Does our own sense of freedoms lost generate even more fear?
Mom always suggested I whistle when I felt afraid. However, I've come to realize that the best way to reduce my own fear within is to do something about the situation that is causing the fear. For me, the key action is to define and take whatever steps I can to hold the increasing fear around me in check. (These steps could be personal and/or communal.)
What works for me is daily meditation. That sets my mind in a state of peace which is less prone to react with fear to fear when fear presents itself.
Posted by: Deb | August 17, 2006 07:40 AM
Thanks for your comment Debbie. I agree “it’s getting more and more difficult to not get caught up in the snare of fears which surrounds us.� At some time I started to become cognizant of the reality that the less I fear the less time I dwell on anger. It became obvious that both fear and anger diminish me, forcing me out of my center of well-being, the source of my true power. I’d guess that is pretty much true for all of us.
Certainly, the fear of a lion on the path keeps us out of its way, and the fear of fire tells us not to stick our hand in the fireplace, yet as you point out, those are common sense protections, and not the paranoia which creates a boogieman around every corner, and a perceived threat in every situation, making us afraid to face the day. That latter fear makes us powerless as an individual and weak as a nation when it is relentlessly encouraged, and most often as an incentive to believe one person or entity can protect us better than another, rather than because there is something we ourselves can do.
Not only does it lessen our ability to love (our greatest strength), in the wrong hands it becomes an instrument not of security, but one of control. No one said it better than Hermann Goering in 1939.
"Naturally the common people don't want war, but after all it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along,… All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."
Keep up with your meditation, you are on the right track!
Posted by: Stephen Rose | August 17, 2006 03:35 PM
Fear! That does seem to be the theme of our people nowadays. It's like a cancer that spreads rapidly and kills quickly. It kills our hopes, our dreams, and our ability to love.
Common Sense seems to be lacking when Fear arrives. There are so many of the issues you mentioned that could be solved or help to resolve if we (and our leaders) used some common sense.
I agree with you Stephen.. it often seems I am living in a different country than the one I grew up in. I dont understand many of the things that are allowed to go on, where are the people's outrage, why are they not screaming from the rooftops that things are gonna change?
Why are "We The People" allowing FEAR to control our actions and our voices. Why are we not telling our leaders and CEO's that it is US the average american that they answer to.. Our Government and Big Business' need to FEAR THE PEOPLE.. the People should not fear their government.
Is this the America we want.. one that is overrun by fear and no common sense? Where Companies are allowed to take their factories overseas..(taking our jobs with them), pay their CEO's millions of dollars in retirement bonus', while telling the poor workers who make their products, "you get no more pensions, and no more healthcare, we're also cutting your pay!"
Where our leaders tell us we cant get our prescriptions cheaper and we are forced to pay outrageous prices for meds that keep us alive while choosing to eat or not.
Where deceit, greed, hate, fear and power control our lives??
Wake UP!! Get out there and have your voices heard!! Use some common sense.. if it sounds like lies and self-interest then SAY SO! Voice your concerns and demand action! VOTE, contact your representives... constantly!
I am heartsick at what I see going on in this beautiful country. I am heartsick at how we ignore the signs of Global Warming. PLEASE People., dont let our country die and be taken over by leaders and big business.. dont let go of our freedoms so easily!!!
Kate
Posted by: Katerina | August 18, 2006 01:20 PM
Fear(free ear) has for centuries been a massive control methodology for the leader who is greedy for power. We had a free country, and safety for all the years I have been walking this earth, this lifetime. We feared for our soldiers dying in the wars and tried to be their back bone of strength in hard times.
FEAR now, is believing in false truths , If one truly thinks , these last years we've had nothing to trust! Not our leaders, not our president, and certainly not all the sub-levels of government who have free reign to do as they will. We don't even know who they are.
We have sadly overlooked that we did not even try to find the master of 9/11. Instead, without a people's vote, and having the legal system of the constitution pushed aside by a vile need of one man to play King, or God. Since he says God talked to him, was he indeed listening the evil of his own path caring nothing of us.
I recently ran an experiment via mailing list. Since I am trained in this area, I expected a different response.
People were too confused to answer one question..
I have seen speaking of new words in a phrase now implemented as good grammar..
We hear it daily, from people who reach out through the screen that has no mind. The people speaking and writing for our ears and eyes are not even aware this was implemented.......we call that a trigger response. Everytime I heard it, my mind would not accept the words that came after. However, the trained me knew the old fashion trigger word response.
For instance, let's make up a word, opensheer. I could help my patients anywhere in the world for having put in a positive response to me saying opensheer. No other voice can evoke it.
God, i am going on here...I want so badly for people to understand that the nation is in fact victims of brainwashing by a sentence to twigger. Television buries it in commercials, and suddenly you have cravings for what is advertised.....
To me, this is the worst thing anyone can do to others for power.
We are now a fear based country. Israel believes it is a failure, tho they tried to keep the peace by leaving that war zone country......
If Israel failed (which I do not believe) then we do have something to fear and oh my,
does this mean I should trust anyone saying they are protecting us?? My retort is,
WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW THE HEZ TERRORISTS HAD SO MUCH TRAINING AND POWER. Where was our intelligence that they did not know of the strength of Iran? Where are the leaders who say they listen to others , but don't? Yesterday, the Federal District Court in Michigan voted that Bush has indeed broken constitutional law in illegal phone taping, and the US Supreme Court said his administration made up its' own rules for prisons with no trial or rights. Bypassing the constitution and invading our lives.
We both know deep in our gut, no good can come of any of this. If we know this at a higher level of spirit and thinking, FEAR IS NOW A WEAPON, and we fail.
Sorry for saying so much when I could have condensed it..
WE ARE NOW A FEAR BASED COUNTRY FEARING TO FLY, FEARING OUR NEIGHBORS WHO LOOK WRONG. FEARING WE WILL BE BROKE AND LEFT ALONE TO DIE BECAUSE SO MUCH GOVERNMENT MONEYS HAVE BEEN MISSPENT.
I thank God I do not have that level of fear, just a wee discomfort since gas and food and just living has become too high. I know I will be welcomed by a loving God as a spirit who has done it's best.
YES.........FEAR IS THE GREATEST KILLER OF THE HUMAN MIND THAT THEN GOES WITHIN THE BODY AND MAKES IT ILL....
SHALOM
Posted by: BENITA | August 19, 2006 01:14 PM
History is not then and now as much as a continuum from then to now. All that happened in the past, has landed us where we are today. WWII catapulted us into the nuclear age and all the technology the war effort fostered has multiplied and spread us into our now; computers, cell phones, advanced communications, Tang...all the hallmarks of our advanced age. But what of our humanity? It's still operating on a flight or fight level without cease. Without lions. On CNN 24/7. Those of us who survived a duck and cover childhood get sentimental over it's innocence. But it was our innocence as children, not that times were so much better. The waking up from fear is a personal inner process. From there it becomes easier to wage peace. Anyway, turning off the tv, listening to music once in awhile and dancing is how I survive. Taking a break for beauty can help restore one. Ducking and covering don't cut it....
Posted by: beanie | August 19, 2006 04:23 PM
Stephen, it's nice to see you in this forum. I sincerely hope that enough people, who are willing to engage in some pro-active thinking, will read this and be moved to action.
I added a link to this blog on the "friends" page of my emerging site: http://odddug.com/ Check it out.
Love and blessings, DougT
Posted by: dougt | August 20, 2006 12:07 PM
Beanie, I can’t disagree with you that mankind is on a continuum of sorts, and the fright/flight syndrome as part of our animal past still haunts our present. There is also no doubt I look at the fifties through the filters of youth.
What’s annoying, if not infuriating is the still prevalent mentality that fear has more power than not fear, and the willingness of so many to be manipulated by it. I understand this; most people have no clue of their real power and lack the faith and belief to realize the potential that some great spiritual teachers unfolded for them. Perhaps it’s that very potential they fear? According to Nelson Mandela “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…�
I concur that fear has been used throughout history to manipulate and control, easier in times of war than in times of peace. Obviously the world is not ready for peace; all too many say it’s not possible, “we’ve always had war.� When people believe in peace as much as they do in war, we will have it, and as you infer this is something that will begin with individuals, not nations.
You may be on the right track, “turning off the TV, listening to music once in awhile and dancing.� Some of us still feel the need to keep a watchful eye on and confront the insanity while the numbers of people like yourself grow large enough that such vigilance is no longer needed. Godspeed!
Posted by: Stephen Rose | August 23, 2006 08:38 PM