Things I'm determined to avoid - 05 May 2020
Today I feel calm but questioning, concerned, compassionate and wanting to highlight our need for social justice, for safeguarding our freedom while accepting the need for us all to respect and accept some restrictions right now in order to minimise loss of life and proliferation of this disease that has spread so rapidly around the whole planet. As time goes on, I know that that become harder not easier for many people. So I’ve been looking at how I, and maybe we, can take responsibility for and command of our attitudes, approach to life, priorities and motivation. How we can lift our enthusiasm even when things are difficult and encourage others to do likewise. I wonder what you could do… I’ve been looking at the courage, the creativity, the humour that has emerged with great admiration. Seeing how our spirit can lift as we allow ourselves to be inspired and how that shifts us away from negativity. I’ve been watching videos of children singing, watching people’s contributions of talent, wit and wisdom. And that has led me to look again at the things that create more negativity. Things I’m determined to avoid.
Gossip spreads just like a virus and once out there, we can’t stop it. It spreads like wildfire and does untold harm. There’s a parallel there with the spreading of false facts, conspiracy theories and such whether face to face or worse – on social media where it might be seen and heard by thousands of people who will then pass it on to thousands more, causing alarm and fear at each turn. So I decided to follow some rules. First I watch my own emotional reaction to whatever I read or hear. Does this raise uneasy emotion in me? Do I feel angry, affronted, disgusted? Why? What does my intuition say? Where does the information come from? Does it sound professional and as though it’s based upon facts? If so where are those facts? I wonder if it were taken out of context, edited, added to? Is it really just an exercise in spreading fear?
What I’m doing here is breaking up any tendency to have a knee-jerk reaction and instead, pause, think, make a decision, then act. Do I really want to share this with anyone? Can I honestly vouch for it? I guess what I’m looking for is transparency and authenticity before I’m willing to put my name to it. The likelihood is that if there’s a lot of emotion or the use of emotive language, though there may have been some cold fact in there somewhere in the beginning, what I’m now seeing has possibly had at least one person’s emotional reaction added, and probably several more as it’s gone through several hearts and minds on its way to me. So can I be absolutely sure that the information is true? What would be my motivation in passing it on? What do I hope to gain? Does sharing this serve our higher good and the higher good of humanity?
So I guess I must now ask myself those questions about writing this. Here are my answers… I am motivated to encourage us all to think carefully about whether any information or opinion we disseminate would heal or do harm. I believe that we need to raise our integrity and be clear about the truth; to balance our common welfare against wanting to appear well informed, especially at this time when many people are so vulnerable and eager to have any information no matter what the source. To raise our consciousness and act wisely. and make sure that anything we share is as close to the truth as we can make it.
Go well. Keep safe. Much love
Brenda