I’ve been feeling recently as if the whole world is in turmoil. Maybe I’m just becoming more aware? Maybe I’m projecting my own sense of disquietude? Or maybe as they say, time really is moving faster, and everything is changing. My Yahoo home page doesn’t help. Each day when I log on to check my email I see news of military action of countries against each other, yet another bank failing, worldwide financial crisis, our troops being killed, all the political fisticuffs of the election, natural disasters on multiple continents, murder and mayhem…
Some say humanity is on the brink of a shift. There are even two books called “The Shift” (which I haven’t read yet but now that I’m done with coursework for my Masters degree, I’m hoping to have time to read). There’s also a book called The Shack which is supposed to be really interesting in its perspective – that’s my next “must read.” My point is that I know I’m not the only one feeling this uncertainty. It almost feels as if the ground is moving under me sometimes – as if reality itself is changing (and no, I don’t do drugs! LOL!). But what is reality changing into?
A few months ago I was reading a lot about the 2012 predictions and about the time leading up to 2012. There are predictions of doom and also predictions of hope and change – predictions of a shift in human consciousness. I look around and realize how much has changed, just in the last decade in terms of the dialog & interests of people. Years ago a person had to be careful talking about ‘energy’ that people would think you were weird. Now you can find chakra products at WalMart! Yoga and meditation are mentioned (or used for advertising) in even the most mainstream publications. Things are changing. Mellen Thomas Benedict talks about an evolution of consciousness. At the same time, some people are talking about 2012 as the end of the world, and others express disappointment at the slow pace of progress in the evolution of human consciousness.
Is this shift just a matter of wishful thinking or are we as a species being presented with an opportunity? If we are accelerating toward something – and if in fact our thoughts create our reality, isn’t it up to us to decide what that ‘something’ is? It seems imperative that we chose to believe that we are accelerating towards a brighter future. I find myself often sliding into fear as I wonder about what is going to happen. The messages are all around to back up that fear: The terrorists are going to get us! The Earth is going to be destroyed! Your money is going to disappear! Those people will ruin our democracy! I have to remind myself to take charge of my perception and chose to operate from a place of empowerment & awareness rather than from a place of fear. I have to remind myself to see progress in change rather than a steady march toward destruction.
When you work with children it is recommended that you offer rewards instead of punishments. So instead of saying “If you misbehave again you’re going in time out!” you say “If you’d like to be able to play some more then chose to do the right thing” What’s the difference? Fear versus empowerment. It’s a subtle difference, but can be quite powerful. As an example of this, our rhetoric about the environment can be: “If we don’t change our destructive behavior, the earth will be destroyed.” That statement just makes me feel hopeless. An alternate perspective is: “If we want to preserve and heal the Earth, we will be better stewards of it.” That statement feels like a call to action with the possibility of success. It’s a small difference, but there may be power in those subtleties.
I continue to believe that small changes in each of us can create a huge change in the overall consciousness. Each of us is, after all, only really able to change ourselves. I also believe that a big shift in our thinking can happen in an instant. For example, when 9-11 happened, we woke up one day and everything was different – it was a negative difference, for sure, but it only took a few hours. Isn’t it possible that the same shift could happen for the better? What if we each chose, instead of looking at our civilization as propelling itself into the depths of consumerism and despair, to look at all the positive changes happening now and focus on maximizing those? What if we chose to focus on the fact that there is more environmental consciousness now than there was 10 years ago instead of heralding the Earth’s destruction as inevitable? What if we chose to recognize and celebrate that yoga and meditation are becoming part of mainstream awareness rather than decrying “the commercialization of spirituality”? What if we rejoice that our nation is finally able to conceive of (and perhaps elect) an African American in its highest office and that our youth are energized to participate in the electoral process, rather than lamenting the vitriol that has been stirred up by this presidential campaign?
If we look at the positive shifts that our societies are making we might feel more hopeful and carry that hope into the way we view the world. I’m not suggesting that we bury our heads in the sand and ignore the issues that obviously require attention and action. I’m just suggestion a shift in where we hold our perspective. We are not avoiding destruction, we are embracing an enlightened consciousness. Our focus is not on death, but on life.