I had an interesting experience today. This morning, I was sitting with the question: What contribution can I be to stop the mass shootings?
Later I read a FB post and had a reaction which led to eventually calling myself a superior bitch. Now I could have asked if it belongs to me, I could have gone into judgment of myself, instead I asked what is right about this?
The awarenesses I got blew me: I do care deeply about people. I protect myself from the pain that that can cause by being superior. What would it take for me to allow myself to be present with that pain and open up a space that allows others to be/do the same?
And how much does continued protection lead to separating from others? How much judgment do I have to do to decide what I will allow to perceive, to be aware of and what not. How much receiving do I have to cut off?
Reading articles in the media, my sense is that Trump is not the cause of the shootings and his rhetoric gives a seeming permission to people who have the same or similar fears. And not everyone with those fears is acting out. So what sets those who act on them with perpetrating violence apart from those who do not? Is it their level of fear, their level of desperation, is it that they have a love for violence, a disregard for life, …… What if there is not one reason?
What is the contribution to change each one of us can be? Are we willing to contribute or do we contribute to change? What about the potency we have developed? We developed it and then refuse to use it to change things? That does not make any sense.
The reason things are becoming easier is that so many more people are choosing change. Every time someone makes a different choice, they open up a space and make it easier for the ones coming behind. So what contribution can we be? It’s not that there are contributions that are worth more or better or bigger than others. Everything is a contribution.