« Wisdom from Michael Pollan | Main
November 06, 2024
The Aftermath: What to Focus on Now?
As I tuned into a few news channels on election day, my body began to ache more and more, and nausea followed. I ran upstairs to throw up, as I heard the noise of the newscasters blaring from downstairs. To me, it was noise, not news. It was friction, not flow. They tried everything in their power to keep us glued to the edge of our seats. "It's too early to say for the swing states," but the banter was more like theater. Has it always been theater?
I knew the outcome just as I knew the outcome before the first time Trump got elected. It was utter disbelief for those of us living in blue regions of blue states. No one believed it was possible then and many couldn't see it happen a second time and yet here we are.
We call in our own theater . . . you know, what we want to watch. We turn the dial to what we want to see and experience whether we are aware of it, or not. The consciousness of the All That Is seems to be calling in these changes as a necessary step to heal humanity's collective trauma.
Some of us can't stomach what we see but others have become numb to it, or they choose false hope because it's more comfortable than unknown territory. Truth be told, there is plenty of toxic behavior in both political parties. This post isn't about party, nor is it about politics although I realize some of you reading this are thinking it is about now. This is really about our human will and what we elect to bring into our field, consciously or unconsciously. We choose our reality in each and every moment. As confusion continued to reign, Trump's brilliant showmanship convinced people that he was the only non status quo choice who would make "American great again." And everyone has their own perception of what makes a nation great, don't they?
Those are the words Trump spews and they brought comfort to some who may have needed to hear them to feel safe. Those who are dancing in the street over the election's outcome are likely feeling empowered. He's the only president to become a convicted felon. He was also found guilty of all 34 felony counts, yet his fan base either doesn't care or chooses not to believe it. The wealthy may have simply turned a blind eye for additional tax breaks to their millions. And yet others might even be saying, "We don't care if you break laws, deport immigrants or blow up countries to make America great again." They're in an ego bubble of sorts with myriad justifications to support their choices. Certainly, Musk and Putin will be drinking fine champagne this week.
But imagine that you live in a rural area, have access to limited information and your community buys into a fear-based storyline. You'd easily become an outcast if you don't go along with it. This is far from new nor should we judge. People do what they feel they must do to feel a sense of belonging.
For those of you who are disheartened by a convicted felon leading the nation, you might very well be feeling powerless and frustrated. Even angry. If you believe in healthcare for all, you may be terrified that yours will be taken away. Perhaps you don't have a permanent visa but are cleaning homes for the wealthy, and left wondering when and how you'll be deported. Maybe you care deeply about our environment and climate change and are feeling Gaia's tears. And those of you who believe in economic and political unity might be worried about a global war.
As teachers of expanded consciousness, we don't focus on politics for all the obvious reasons. It's divisive in nature and not useful as a pathway to a life of serenity and peace. Love runs much deeper than political choices and we won't all make the same choices. We need to be okay with that and we need to be okay with everyone's voice. Our democratic amendments protect our freedom of speech as well as the right to free press, at least for now.
Its not up to anyone, regardless of position, to tell people what to think, who to vote for, or what to believe. Each of us has our own unique path and the human part of us needs to share what we align with on ours.
The human part of us deeply cares about empathy, dignity and how the toxicity of words can either destroy or create. The human part of us wants dignity to be extended to all regardless of their sexual orientation, race or religion. The human part of us knows that healthcare is a human right, not one reserved for the wealthy and privileged. The human part of us is sickened when laws dictate a woman's right to choose what to do with her own body. The human part of us embraces the balance and equality of masculine and feminine in all walks of life, not only when and where patriarchy dictates. The human part of us understands that the earth and all living things are interconnected. Cause and effect is always at play even if we don't always understand its intricate and mystical dance. Ancient spiritual masters have always known this as do our indigenous grandmothers and grandfathers. And now science is catching up.
This humanness needs to vent for a moment and pour forth what needs to roll through my fingers in the immediate aftermath. I don't apologize for the words, for after they come, I bid them farewell for I realize they won't serve us on a path to states of expanded awareness and consciousness. The truth is that we've actually been here before and experienced divisiveness throughout our history. We've ventured into territory much uglier than the duality we see today, but its easy to forget.
That said, its normal to feel outrage, disbelief, uncertainty, shock or even grief. Let those feelings come and flow through you for its all part of having a human experience. Being on a spiritual path doesn't mean being blind to the physical realm, even if you believe it to be nothing more than maya, an illusion. But we must not let the sadness, horror and fear of those emotions and feelings linger in our body. We cannot allow them to stick to us or become us. Feel disappointed if you must and even untethered for a while as you process the feelings you need to.
Feelings and emotions will surface, but they are not our beliefs. They are connected to memories of what has come before. Now is the time to truly remember who you are as an energy being and stay in the present moment.
After all, we are multidimensional beings having a human experience . . . as Divinity. As Love. As Light.
As you sit in silence and breathe into an inner knowing, trust that all is okay. As you sit in silence and breathe into love, let the light bathe you as you incorporate its glow. As you sit in silence and breathe into resilience, remember your stamina and all the things you hold dear. These inherent qualities will never leave you. Trust in your Higher Self, your Soul Self. Trust in the heart. Trust in the potential of our species. Everything is a process, just like the cycles we have witnessed across millennia. Let the theater play out, for play out it must.
Today, go inward to and allow your Higher Self to embrace whatever tenderness you feel. Ask Her to show you the way. Invite Him in to reconnect you to your heart. Focus on what you can manifest in this moment, for each intention matters. Choose to read lesser known quality journalism that doesn't have a conflict of interest. Unplug from social media when you feel it negatively impacting your emotions. Walk in nature and listen to the stream flow past you. Tend to your garden and dig your hands deep into the soil, connecting to Gaia and her wisdom. Make conscious decisions in your business or job. Have the courage to speak your truth. Listen to a neighbor who is has recently lost a loved one: don't avoid the awkwardness you might initially feel—knock on the door, bring them food, hold their hands, listen to their grief and remind them they are not alone. Hug your child, create your art, clean up your neighborhood, sing your songs, write your novel, share your poetry and most of all, dance to your drum beat, not another.
These are the things we can control: our own human spirit. It is alive and well regardless of the theater around us, its actors begging us to notice their importance on stage. It i merely noise in the field, but it doesn't have to be your field. Inward is the journey and we must have faith in the ever winding, forever changing and never certain path of life. As the boy recalls an old proverb from his country in Paul Coelho's The Alchemist on the final leg of his harrowing journey, "It is said that the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn."
The human spirit is resilient and will prevail when the heart leads. There's a universal truth that everyone can feel when they quiet the mind and listen to their soul speak. Don't choose the voices that are imploring you to join their chaos. Trust in the still point of your heart. Remember the strength, courage and faith of the women in Afghanistan and Iran who will not go backward, the resilience of Eastern Europeans and South Americans who kept the faith through dictatorships and the awe-inspiring stories of your own ancestors who paved the way for you to have better lives. Sit and bathe in that gratitude.
Regardless of whether you align with these views or not or how you voted in this election, my guess is that we can agree on the beauty and resilience of the human spirit and nourishing its potential. Perhaps we can even agree that love is a constant force underlying humanity's inner desires, even if we don't always see it played out that way in our governments at home or abroad.
Remember dear friends, you are the teacher, the leader, the guru, and the voice to trust when things go astray. When life feel uncertain or you fear the future, turn to gratitude. You are Divinity, you are Godde, you are Source, you are the Universe and the Universe is in you.
We are the drops of ocean but we are also the ocean itself. We are intricately and mysteriously woven into this universal tapestry of energy many now refer to as the collective consciousness. Choose love over fear. Listen to that inner voice—the still point. When you are faced with what appears to be tumultuous waters ahead, remember that you are not alone. We are in this together and in that unity, we will rest in the purity of our hearts.
Find that still point, for in that void—in that silence—you will find both the grace and resilience to stay the course, even with a smile on your face.
November 6, 2024 in America The Free, On People & Life, On Politics, Reflections | Permalink