RESPONSE ABILITY vs. REACTING
Everything speaks. if the color of your walls or a potted plant can make a difference in the way we feel, our attitudes then just imagine how much we- with our presence alone , impact others and the world around us. We are made of energy and that energy travels outward making a difference in others, in the world. What are you emitting? Love or fear?
everything we think and feel and do, makes a difference. we tend to ‘project’ responsibility onto others; it is their fault that we are unhappy. we deny and project our own character shortcomings onto others and then blame and point that fatal finger. if only they would change and be and act as I think they should...if only the world was peaceful I would be peaceful.
This is victim thinking-powerless and unaccountable. In order to change the world, improve the world, we must change our response to reality as it really is. We must first accept the world and others and by doing so, we have changed ourselves. We also need to accept ourselves just as we are, imperfect, mortal, and human.
Habits die hard and only with conscious intentional effort. Our beliefs and our thinking are deeply ingrained and for the most part, our reactions to circumstances are automatic and unconscious. The challenge is to become more aware of ourselves; not in a narcissistic manner but in a self examining way. Only then, slowly, bit by bit, do we get to know ourselves for who and how we truly are. And with that hard earned awareness comes the ability to respond to situations and people instead of react to them.
Until we learn to do this we will continue to demonize others and project those aspects of ourselves, all the petty, critical, violence and selfishness that are parts of who and how we are, onto others.
People who don’t like people who are different from them like to make rules and laws that make being different from them wrong, bad or illegal. We all do this. We judge and criticize and fault others. Ever notice that?
“We” are uncomfortable and feel threatened by those who look, think or act differently from us so instead of learning how to change our thinking and manage our own emotions, we prefer to condemn others and inhibit their freedom to be themselves. And so it goes..
The enemy of peace is not outside but inside of us. Be honest. Why expect to have a peaceful loving relationship with others when we can’t even accomplish that with ourselves? The only solution to the problems of the world is to admit and deal with those problems within ourselves.
4/1/11
