We are living is an age of way too much outrage! If we are tuned in to the news in any way no matter what side of the political spectrum we are on, you come to realize that it is job #1 for the media to keep us constantly agitated. If I allow myself to be outraged all the time, I’m just participating in and adding to the state of anger that pervades society today.
I want to propose the following: a) Can we remain in touch with all of the serious issues these days and be patient, tolerant & serene? b) Can we accept the fact that there are always 2 sides to any argument and one way through our difficulties is the need to understand those we disagree with?
We create our own reality, no matter what is going on in the outside world. Being in tune with our true nature, our soul, is the way to a happy and truly meaningful life. That being said, it’s challenging to be aware of all the tragedy and suffering on the planet and simply tune it out. Before we can make any meaningful transformation, we must accept what is. How do we accept a global pandemic, the innocent slaughter of children in their classrooms, the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals and apartment building in Ukraine, the grave reality of climate change and the assault on our democracy or the overall lack of civility in our political discourse? Do we become numb to all of this or simply do a “spiritual bypass.”
The fact that the world is in a hot mess now, doesn’t negate the fact that there has been significant progress made for humanity. Unfortunately, the good news doesn’t sell, so the media feeds us what keeps us agitated hence our cortisol levels remain high.
The level of national outrage especially among women went through the roof since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last week. Tuesday it was the bombshell dropped during the January 6th hearings. Every day there is news that can and will cause us to be outraged. It may be hard to accept, that nothing happens in the universe by accident. Please don’t misunderstand me, I get how challenging it is to maintain one’s spiritual center at times like this. And at times it is natural and completely appropriate to be angry!
During the last two and a half years we have witnessed or personally experienced the tragic loss of life, businesses, severe long-term sickness and the co-occurring epidemics of mental illness & addiction. We had our lives disrupted for a reason.
The pandemic forced us to stop, slow way down and take good hard looks at how we were living. Everyone on the planet had their lives shaken up and pain was experienced on many levels. How can we live with a higher mindful consciousness in our everyday lives going forward? What is true mindfulness and how can we practice it. Can we have awareness of and sensitivity to all of this, work for change and still not be in a state of complete outrage? Being joyful, patient and tolerant in a chaotic world, while challenging, will have an uplifting effect on our fellow humans far more than living in in a constant state of anger.