If You Change The Way You Look At Things...

"If you change the way you look at things,

the things you look at change."

             - Dr. Wayne W. Dyer 

Why do we continue to hold onto the idea that knowingly and intentionally offending groups of people will result in unification and peace??? It makse zero sense to me.  In fact, it does quite the opposite- it creates MORE division, more anger, more resentment, more hatred - everything that we say we don't want.  If we aren't willing to be open to new ways of looking at the world and how to improve it, things will never change.

A few days ago, I posted something on Facebook about the fact that U.S. National Women's Soccer Team member Megan Rapinoe had kneeled for the second time during the national anthem prior to their game on Sunday.  I wrote that it was disappointing to me that she had made this choice which I felt was disrespectful and offensive to many.  

Acutely aware that this is a controversial and highly charged subject, I was prepared for the fact that there would be comments from people who do not agree - which in all honesty I actually welcome because I am very conscious of the fact that being open to other ways of looking at things can often lead to personal expansion and growth.  I always ask myself if perhaps there is something that hadn't occured to me or if listening to another perspective would allow me to see the issue differently.  I am receptive to exploring other opinions and changing mine if I become enlightened and realize that perhaps I've been narrow minded or unfair.

But after reading the comments, I was left feeling frustrated that my thoughts on the subject were misunderstood and that because I didn't agree with Megan's methodology that somehow this translated to my failing to recognize the severity and significance of the issue or that I must not have understood how brave she was to stand up for somehing she believed in so strongly.  This could not be farther from the truth.  I deleted the post and the thread because it was obviously not conveying what I had intended it to convey.  My apologies to any of you that were offended.

So to clarify, while I believe without hesitation that Megan's heart is definitely in the right place on this issue, the fact that she cares so much is commendable and what she did was indeed a brave thing to do, I also think her actions were misguided and will only result in more of the same.  

It occurs to me that we find ourselves living in a society where looking at things differently from mainstream thinking is so foreign that many people can't wrap their brains around it.  Thinking outside the box means just that - it's the idea that doing something different than what has always been done before might be a better option if we want to achieve different results.  "Group thinking" or "herd mentality" is so powerful that it can easily cloud one's thinking and essentially block out one's innate abilty to problem solve from a perspective of abstract thought and personal imagination. 

My whole point was this: if you knowingly and intentionally take a stand on an issue by doing something that attract lots of attention by offending another group or groups of people, by definition you are not acting as an instrument of peace.  Instead you are acting as an instrument of polarization which not only does nothing to solve the problem at hand but also leads to even more anger, hatred, resentment and division.  I think the time has come to unite the country, not divide it.  

I look around at the condition of not only our nation, but our entire world and I am terrified for our children and grandchildren and for all of the future generations to come.  I see extreme violence, racism, dishonestly, inolerace and corruption that plagues every single government agency and instituion at every level.  I see mainstream media outlets, federal agencies and medical communities that are controlled by pharmaceutical companies and big corporations whose only concern is creating more patients and lining their own pockets.

I see the buyout of Monsanto by Bayer this week and wonder how much worse our food supply could possibly get and what that means to all Americans in terms of health and wellbeing.  I see issues with our water supply, pesticides, forced vaccinations and constant exposure to toxins everywhere we go that are wreaking havoc on not only our bodies, but on our minds as well.

I see people being treated poorly and without compassion.  I see a constant focus on "selfies" and materialism and the "what's in it for me?" mentality instead of "how may I serve?".  The message that our kids are getting is not going to lead them down the road to happiness and contentment - it's a disaster in the making as far as I'm concerned.  We are focusing on the wrong things and until there is a major shift in consciousness, nothing is ever going to change.  

There is an intolerable amount of suffering everywhere and it's not just about one issue - it's much much bigger than just one issue.  In order to create change, we must bring light into the darkness and offer love in the face of rage, hatred and discontent.  In the presence of compassion, understanding and tolerance only peace remains.

We have to recognize that we need more constructive ways to make our voices heard, to stand up for what we believe in - and we must be respectful and tolerant of the beliefs and feelings of others.  To have an attitude of, "I don't care who I offend" no mater how virtuous and pure your intentions might be is counterproductive and will only result in more separation when what our world desperately needs is the complete opposite.  Offending more people is not the answer!

This is just my opinion obviously and I certtainly don't have all of the answers - but I challenge everyone to think of ways to improve our country and our world by doing things that are unprecedented and extaordinary instead of just doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results - which, I believe, is the very definition of insanity.