Be Kind.
Last week I reminded you that we always have a choice to choose Love. I know it seems like a sweet idea, but what does it mean in our daily lives?
Take a look at your neighbor, your father, your cousin, your social media “friends”, the driver in the car in front of you. Can you hear the story in your head about how annoying, irritating, selfish, entitled, clueless, etc., they are?
That is the voice of your Ego doing its best to protect you from your fear of feeling powerless, out of control, confused, small, and/or vulnerable.
What I want to remind you is that although your Protector part of you believes it is keeping you safe from some kind of danger, it actually is creating an illusion by making someone else an enemy in order to give you a sense that things are simply black and white.
This is known as polarization.
This coping strategy fuels anger, resentment, revenge, jealousy blame, etc. These reactions give us the illusion of power, the belief that things are in control. If there is an enemy, all I need to do is destroy it, and I will be safe again.
When things are simple, easily defined, unambiguous, ie, polarized, it helps our nervous system to quiet down by giving it a clear sense of what is safe and what is dangerous.
The ability to discern threat in this way is crucial when we really are being chased by a tiger or being held at gun point. In these moments, it is necessary to only react in service of our own survival.
It's like putting your own oxygen mask on first before you even consider helping another person.
The trouble is, the human mind can not tell the difference between real and perceived danger. If you feel afraid, the primitive part of the brain activates its defense mechanisms (via the sympathetic nervous system) in order to protect your life.
While here, there is no love, no connection, no community - only survival.
We are all alone in this place of self preservation.
It's a very vulnerable and lonely place to be.
Anger, fueled by fear, may help us feel powerful in the moment, but it disconnects and divides us; it reinforces separation.
From here, we remain stuck in reactivity; our energy must remain focused only on the resources needed to stay alive.
Kindness, fueled by love, invites connection and hope, and can offer a reprieve from isolation and despair; it reinforces wholeness.
From here, we can then discover solutions to the problems that caused pain and suffering to begin with. Our energy is freed up for creativity, reason, logic, learning, and hope for the future.
If kindness toward others first feels challenging; start with kindness toward yourself when you are feeling vulnerable or afraid.
See if that opens more space within you for Love.
If not, breathe, be still, turn inward, and be curious about that...
As always,
Carol
PS For some musical joy: Be Kind.
A Note About Artificial Intelligence.
While there are many useful and practical applications for the use of AI, for me, writing content that is genuine to my own voice is not one of them.
Be assured that any content you receive from me has been, and always will be, fully inspired by my soul, expressed from my heart, and written authentically by me.
