Thursday 21 September 2017

Ground it firmly in reality.

This is the fifth action.

The reality is yours to own. You are the owner of your life and your truth. You are free to express your beliefs but not to dictate or control the response you receive.

If you call out to a stranger "Merry Christmas" and they say they don't celebrate Christmas, you can feel offended or hurt, but it doesn't mean you are being criticized for celebrating Christmas.  It doesn't mean that everyone should be Christian so you don't have to feel bad for not knowing that other people might not share your experiences.

Also if you live in a country that worships and celebrates consumerism you can feel annoyed because that is not what Christmas means to you. You are free to not participate in the shopping orgy and you can even mention that to one who does, but this doesn't mean you are being forced to give up your religious beliefs.

If you live in North America and you have a high standard of living because you are white, male and able-bodied and you have worked hard, you might resent others for pointing out their experiences of discrimination but it doesn't mean they are making you feel guilty. It doesn't mean that there is no prejudice just because you have not experienced it.

In reality everyone suffers. Everyone has been hurt by someone and something. Many have suffered trauma and can't always keep that pain inside.

We all experience the world differently. There are no guarantees that life will be easy. Many know this already because they have lost their home, their family, their tribe, and must endure life in a place where they are not understood, not welcomed.

Justice and injustice are experienced locally. The power you have is limited to what you can do. It always comes back to this. No matter what  theories say about your worth and your future, no matter how privileged a small group of people may be, or the system that elevates or oppresses you, no matter how corrupt the world is - all you have, is what you can do.

This includes the way you think, the words you say, the beliefs you preach, the plans you make, the songs you sing and the people you love ... this is all you have. But it is a lot and the human drama is one that will continue until it dies.

Kindness helps.




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