D
2014
Fifty years ago President Johnson said:
"These are the stakes—to make a world in which all of God's children can live, or to go into the dark. We must love each other, or we must die." Needless to say, when glancing over the historical time line, his words fall into line with a long list of similar quotes, which offer us this choice: Make love or war.
If it's true that education is key to getting from point A to point B, then it makes sense to surmise that the masses, who populate third world nations, today, are just getting their feet wet while education has taught us to remain afloat in the deep end by differentiating sharks from dolphins. On the other hand, education does not stop us from being human, suggesting our making mistakes in judgment no matter how many degrees we acrue. While judging life in third world countries, today, people having short memories, because it's true that a time existed in our nation when children worked twelve hour shifts in factories along side of their parents, suggesting that maturity of thought, concerning prejudicial attitudes, relies upon leadership's directives more often than we'd think.
In terms of educating the masses, sound reason exists as to why change for the better stalls 'over there' more so than here. Differences in our learning curves have less to do with smarts, more to do with levels of education, overcoming reactiveness, based in primal fear. The less educated, the more likely we are to believe whatever we hear.
As to change for the better here and now? I believe the divisive nature of our statesmen and populous need to hear: Friends, Romans, Countrymen, open your eyes, ears and minds … in the absence of education, concerning our need for personal growth in self awareness, our nation will continue to engage in peace talks that provide for short lived national security, because in the long run, we and our allies will find ourselves forced to engage in war after war in order to keep warmongers from invading our shores, as has been true throughout our history, thus far. If it's true that everything's connected, most especially throughout the global nature of life, today, then it's also true that everything I write, concerning two sides of human nature, circles back to this fact: We all have much left to learn about each other, but more importantly, about ourselves.
2002
When asked about my perceptions, concerning men, women, leadership—and sex—in our society, today, I reply: Though we've not yet achieved a healthy balance since General Upheaval became the name of the game during the decade of the sixties, our nation has been progressing through a maze of confusion while attempting to process so much that's gone wrong, without benefit of a protective cocoon.
2014
I believe we've not pinpointed the main root of the problem, because we're afraid to look into that which has changed so drastically, in home after home. Anyone see a Golden Calf being worshipped? We live life, today, as though Moses dropped all three tablets and came down from on-high empty handed. Did you see the movie Magnolia? Or were you home, getting high? Do you remember people throwing popcorn bags into the trash while scratching their heads asking their friends, why in the world were frogs falling out of the sky? The symbolism packed into that movie, a commentary on society in our nation as a whole, was meant to impact deeply upon our souls.
When David said that was his favorite movie, that year, intuition whispered into my ear: Annie, your family's comedy writer will grow to be a serious writer, one day. Perhaps, one day, my youngest son will pen a script, depicting the world transitioning from separatist leanings toward global awareness, concerning our need to embrace the classic nature of this concept: 'All for One and One for All'.
It's my hope that world leadership wakes up to smell the coffee before too much time passes. Sending our young men and women into battle on the killing fields is no different from the worst kind of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual torture.
2002
"Decade by decade? Why does positive change take so long to develop?"
"It's always about mindsets, Mom. Mindsets, concerning the transition of values that re-stabilize society as a whole, are not widely accepted, overnight. We need to remember that change offers everyone concerned a mixed bag of tricks and treats.
As people need to hold onto a sense of political, financial, intellectual, social, physical and spiritual stability to feel emotionally secure, changing mindsets takes time … most especially when change takes place on a global scope, which, in the absence of farsightedness, most of us fear. I'm sure these same fears were aroused when colonies transformed into states, and then again, when statesmen united to form The United States. Unlike The Pill, none of those changes produced an overnight sensation.
Change that proves monumental in scope must be driven by astute leadership. However, no matter how astute leadership proves to be, many balls in need of juggling will bounce out of control before the bigger picture clarifies for the populous, in general.
"What makes you believe change for the better will come true, Annie?"
I feel it in my bones. I believe that scientific minds, so intelligent as to brainstorm toward landing a man on the moon and then bring him safely home will make good use of the science of psychology figure out how to end war. While reading about the evolution of history, I gain insight into underlying patterns. Just as the world encountered upheaval while transitioning from The Dark Ages toward embracing The Age of Enlightenment, just as city-states transitioned into nations, I believe the same has been true as educated mindsets begin to adjust and expand to accept the necessity of embracing a global frame of mind as our future unfolds.
During hard times, money doesn't disappear. It changes hands. Each time values transition toward change, 'haves' turn into 'have nots'. Actually, I'm not just talking about money. We all have lots to lose when any narrow mindset solidifies into stone. Before narrow mindedness and negative attitudes can soften enough so that personal growth leads to wide spread reform, solid trains of thought need to simmer in the melting pot until, one day, insight rises to the top, clarifying where insecurity, leading toward misperception, has steered the moral (?) majority onto a self-righteous path, suggesting: I'm better than you, so it's my way or the highway. Accepting change on a global scope is no tea party.
In a nutshell: *It takes much longer than we'd think before change in attitude, which has defined an entire society's way of life, sinks in so deep as to create a lasting effect. Why? Because changing our mindsets, most especially when considering values in transition, takes tons of work in terms of deepening self awareness, concerning the necessity to dismantle walls of denial in home after home. It's mindsets, which shape our patterns of thought, at home, that make prejudicious attitudes so hard to eradicate.
As working toward change proves difficult for every person in every generation, we repeat history while fearing each infinitesimal step forward. And for that reason, these are the first strengths that I believe we need to set a high value upon if significant change for the better is to take place with our lifetime: Courage and humility. Courage to accept ourselves as being strong enough to embrace the humility necessary to identify our vulnerabilities. As none are omnipotent, strengths and vulnerabilities exist within us, all.
For example, think about everything I chose to study about raising children when while raising my kids and beyond. As I look back over the past FORTY years, it's clear to see that the media has just recently begun to disseminate trains of thought, which I've been expressing in classes, workshops and seminars and practicing at home for more than four decades.
(Hmmm … suddenly I understand why bible stories remain classically pertinent, from one generation to the next. Fortifying our spirits with thoughts of freedom, we wander for FORTY years through desert wastelands seeking a safe haven in which to settle, where wearied hearts, bodies, and lost souls may feel welcomed and nourished within an open minded system that expands society's strengths beyond an outmoded value system, which had steam rolled over individuals of all ages, colors, nationalities, and religious differences in the past. In short, progress never stops reaching toward change for the better for all … and that's why the necessity of embracing personal growth by way of educating the masses, the world over, proves to be a classic, constant, universal, and timeless necessity, as well … Maybe any person on a mission is a missionary!)
Today, I smile while listening to young parents spouting theories of positive discipline as though they are brand new. This proves that mindsets, which we learn to absorb, adopt and carry forth, while growing up in our parents' homes, may provide us with one pattern of thought, while, later in life, our minds remain capable of opening to consider expanding trains of thought, which make so much sense that we consciously choose to put change-for-the-better into practice—in hopes of encouraging positive focus, by way of education, in home after home—the world over … "
"Annie, where do you get these ideas?"
*"I read a lot …
I seriously consider what I read …
And though I'm known as being loquacious
Deeper truth suggests that
My listening skills are well practiced
Much more than most give me credit for ...
In the past, the limited nature of that perception irked me
Then, rather than dwelling on negative attitudes
I chose to look for silver linings in dark clouds, and
Here's how that change in my attitude
Works well for me to this very day:
I concur that it's always darkest before the dawn
So, when my thoughts travel through
Dark tunnels of confusion for too long
I seek out guidance and ask:
What have I not learned about myself that I need to know?
Guidance encourages me to identify and examine
Fearful mindsets that set up roadblocks, which
Stop me from experimenting with change …
So far, my experiments have created
Long range change for the better
For everyone concerned—with this exception:
There are those whose sense of security
Is so mired in denial that
The very word—insight—
Seems to make them shake in their boots
Today, upon recognizing a mindset in denial, I grow quiet
While weaving a cocoon in which to deepen
My understanding of a confounding change in me
And thus will you see me
Making U turns before a serious crack in the foundation of
A deeply valued relationship transforms into
A breaking point beyond repair
And as re-evaluating my mindsets has been my history
It makes sense to stick with this program as long as
It works better than any other, so far …
2014
Though I continue to place faith in my statement to Mom, concerning my ability to reconsider my mindsets in hopes of progressing past fear toward change for the better, that does not mean experience will not offer me reason to see a less secure view of myself as 2002 transitions toward 2014… so much to learn ... So little time ... no time to waste ... The time to consider self awareness in depth is now ... Swoosh! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's my super hero ... Socrates!!
No comments:
Post a Comment