We all see
it. Things are getting a little out of hand in the world. And though we have so
many theories and controversial topics, we all know that we are not headed in a
good direction. Why are we doing this?
Religion, for
one, has overtaken much of how we live today- even if we aren’t religious. And
with this, we are told to live a certain way- what we say, how we act, what we
do…which is inevitably taking away our own freedom. Now, understand that I have
nothing against religion itself, its those behind religion who tend to take it
too far- taking it out of context or way too literally, using it as a weapon or
a threat or a scare tactic, as a reason for hatred and separation. Religion is
man-created for people to have a basis of morals to live by, to give them a
sense of purpose and direction. And each religion is essentially the same in
that there is a higher power guiding us. So why can’t we just be okay with
that?
Aside from
religion, we all have our beliefs, so we can’t say it’s just religion. We are
all accustomed to the way we are brought up and what we have personally
experienced which make us think and do in different ways. I have always been
one to speak my mind and to think outside the box. I also know that I can be
called an atheist, non-believer, or conspiracy theorist, but i really
don’t care. One thing we should know is that putting all of this aside, we NEED
to be putting it aside! That’s what’s going to get us out of this grave that
we’ve dug for ourselves! We are all human, we are all different yet all the
same. We need to see that in order to rise above ourselves, because we are
literally killing off our own species.
With this
whole 2012 ‘doomsday’ theory and ‘global warming’ threats, we are truly missing
the message. The message is that we are destroying our own world by what we do
and how we act. We are not going to be judged or become extinct next
year….2012, by the Mayan calendar, is merely a mark of a big shift in world
consciousness. The whole claim of the world ending in 2012 is a myth conjured up
by non-Mayans. Mayans have already explained what their calandar means. Here is
a clear example: http://www.shiftoftheages.com/Maya-Message-2012
We need to
see the pattern here. We need to look at the big picture. And we need to act.
Now. Below are the
10 key components that will indeed help the shift of human and worldly
consciousness. People are already starting to wake up and follow the New World
Paradigm, and you will see how, and you will see that it is truly up to each
one of us to make this shift a shift for the better.
1. SHUT UP
& LISTEN
To others, to ourselves, to nature
Too many of
us tend to talk over one another these days. We aren’t really listening and
paying attention to one another, especially if we don’t agree with what the
other is saying. This is one of the things we are doing to cause destruction in
this world. All we want is for our voice to be heard and to be right. We are
losing our open-mindedness. We may be missing something vital- something we
never saw before- something that could more so shape who we are- something that
could save us.
We also need
to be focusing on what our instincts are telling us. Yes, we really should be
listening to the voices in our head. They are there for a reason. Hence the
term “voice of reason”. We all have it, but can be altered by the outside
world, drugs, etc. Media and society are implanting and brainwashing us to
think and act a certain way, so we become engrossed in the exterior and lose
focus on the interior. I used to consider myself a hardcore Christian until I
decided to follow my inner voice, expand my horizons, and just let all ideas
seep in until I found my ground. And what I landed upon is that religion is
man-made, spirituality is what we all possess. We are all spiritual beings.
Many become more relaxed, centered, enlightened, happier, and more tolerant
with the outer world by means of meditation, yoga and prayer.
(Mind you,
prayer doesn’t have to be religious or done a certain way, either.)
The one other
voice we are ignoring is that of nature. It’s been trying to relay a message to
us for a long time now. It’s crying out to us for help. It needs to let us know
that we need nature to survive, that it is a part of us and we are a part of
it. If we can’t see that we are indeed one with nature and need to live
cohesively with it instead of abuse it and take advantage of it, it will run
dry and we will not have an inhabitable planet much longer. We need to start
taking care of it as it has been taking care of us. Without nature we can’t
have food, water, fresh air, fuel….And natural disasters are a form of a
wake-up call to humanity. They are becoming increasingly dangerous and
sporadic. And what are the two same messages we get after such an event? 1.
Nature is more powerful than us. 2. We are all the same. Religions, politics,
lifestyles, races are all tossed aside and forgotten about.
2. TAKE A
GOOD LOOK IN THE MIRROR
Stop blaming others for your unhappiness!
Going back to
the whole right and wrong thing here- we need to quit pointing fingers and
blaming others for our strife, and we also need to get off our high horses of
pride and start looking within. Instead of saying that we are right and they
are wrong, we should be asking ourselves what’s wrong with us and what we can
change. This again has led to separatism and problems in the world.
We can’t seem
to own up to our mistakes or closed-mindedness or apologize for any faults we
may bare. This whole American Pride thing has been taken way out of context,
I’d say. If we can respect each other in what we believe in, how we live, and
what we choose to say and do without someone getting offended, world peace
could actually happen.
Just imagine
the barriers that would be knocked down- mentally, spiritually,
physiologically, and would even cause a massive (yet positive) upheaval with
politics and countries. To have that weight being lifted off our shoulders
would help us breathe again, personally, and as a species. If we don’t start
correcting and evolving ourselves, we will not be able to respect or accept
others.
3. THE ONLY
TRUE FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF
Stop living in fear.
We tend to
act out of fear. Fear is not the opposite of love, because love is all their
is. Fear stems from love. It is essentially the dark side of love. Love can
cause positive and negative emotions, but it’s what we do with those emotions
that make all the difference. When we act out of fear, it is because we love
something so much. But fear is not an emotion to let guide us. Fear turns into
anger, distrust, hatred, war and separation.
We are
surrounded by fear on a daily basis. The things that we fear the most is having
no money, losing those we love, and not succeeding in life. Corporations remind
us all of the time that we must have more in order to feel happy- which can
solidify that we have money, that we are succeeding and have something to show
it for, and that money can buy love. Some may even fear the simple notion of
losing. That’s when we tend to hold onto something or someone so tight that it
slips through the cracks between our fingers. The big whammies here is failure.
We are a society based on consumption and achieving- and if we don’t meet these
expectations to the highest degree, we’ve failed. Getting 2nd place or a 3.8
GPA isn’t good enough anymore. We end up making excuses for ourselves,
because we fear that we have failed. Reminds me of a great book by Wayne Dwyer
called Excuses Begone.
We become so
wrapped up in covering up our own failures, fearing that we will be judged and
rejected, that we start blaming others to hide it all. For instance, the hate
against certain topics such as homosexuality, abortion, and transgenders.
‘They’ are the ones who are wrong, ‘they’ will be judged and ‘they’ will be
committed to eternal damnation, because ‘they’ are full of blasphemy and of the
devil. If you truly believe this, then you would believe and know that if there
is such a thing as ultimate judgment, then it will be handled appropriately.
Church, for instance, have been digging themselves a hole for hundreds of years
that it has gotten nearly impossible for them to get out. They fear failure
and judgment. And though they are taught not to live a life of pride, that’s
exactly what they are doing when they judge, condemn, or not be accepting of
someone like them. Pope Joh Paul II made a public apology in 1993 of the
Vatican laws that had been broken over the years including the crusades, the
Inquisition, the Holocaust, child molestations, and actions and judgments of
hate put upon those of other religious realms. Wow! The pope apologized on
behalf of other Catholics! Because he was not afraid to tell the truth. He was
not afraid to admit that no one is perfect- not even the Vatican. (Now,
politicians are a whole other blog!)
4. THE ONLY
SEPARATION SHOULD BE THAT WHICH SEPARATES US
The church, the law, and the facts
Three major
components have somehow intersected and have become the most destructive
factors in the world: Religion, politics, and science. Each alone can be pretty
harmless and unquestioned. However, humanity has chosen to use them with or
against one another for the satisfaction of power. Especially with America, we
have become a country structured around one main religion- Christianity. We
wouldn’t have separate political parties if it weren’t for religious beliefs
and certain political leaders wouldn’t be where they are if it weren’t for
their religion. It has been proven that those candidates who voice their faith
in God and Christianity are more likely to win a political race, due to the
fact that America is a Christian-based nation. Does that really mean that they
are they best leaders for our country? That’s what some people think- others
think it is quite cutthroat and will lead to biased decision-making.
So, then,
maybe we should be okay with taking out the words “under God” in the Pledge of
Allegiance. Afterall, that wasn’t in the original script- not until 1954. Some
religious politician decided to add it in. Oh, and then what about “In God We
Trust” on our money? Because that’s the only one we can trust? We are
undoubtedly a Christian-American nation, but it has done us more harm than
good. Now we have to deal with ‘political correctness’ and try to avoid
offending others by no longer displaying Christmas trees, Nativity scenes, or
Easter bunnies. We are encouraged to only say “Happy Holidays” to respect and
include others’ religions. This is all just getting out of hand.
There has
always been a clash with religion and science, also. Science exists to prove or
disprove theories and is based off of facts- facts that can’t be changed,
though how we do the experiments can change. Religion has changed over the
years, and there isn’t just one religion. Atheists tend to argue that there
needs to be scientific proof of God or a higher existence for it to be true.
Scientists say it can’t be proven, but the one thing that has been proven is
that energy is everywhere and that it cannot be destroyed, only manipulated.
Religious folk state that it has to do with faith.
So why even
bother trying to prove anything? Science should be kept science, religion
should be kept religion, and politics- well…they wouldn’t be so confusing or
frustrating if it weren’t for religion, because of the different views and
beliefs which have led to different parties and affiliations. I bet there could
be a great scientific study done on that theory!
5. ENJOY THE
LITTLE THINGS & DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
What really matters to you?
With all of
this separation, hate, drama, media, and war, we sure do take for granted the
smaller things in life. For example, when listening to Amanda Knox’s dad speak
after she arrived to her hometown of Seattle, where I also live, the one thing
I remember the most is when a reporter asked him “What do you think she looks
forward to the most?” His reply was refreshing to hear. “Honestly, it’s the
little things we take for granted, like, she can’t wait to lay in grass. She’s
been surrounded by concrete walls for 4 years.” This poor, innocent girl has
had to suffer in confinement, to crave the feeling of grass against her body.
We don’t think of such a thing on a daily basis. Literally stop to smell the
roses! Stop to pet the cute puppy! Stop to take a breathe of fresh air! Stop to
take in the beautiful sunset! Take a moment to tell the ones you love them!
We need to
re-instill in our minds how fortunate we really are. The one thing I always
relish is a nice, hot bath. But I live daily giving thanks to the essentials,
especially when life seems to get rough. I have a wonderful partner, an amazing
son, a house to live in, food to eat, my family, and a job. I have a job. Even
though it’s not exactly what I want to be doing or as much as I’d like to be
paid, at least I am employed. And I think of those (who I know and who I don’t
know) that have been jobless for a long time or who have recently been laid
off. The economy is rough right now and it won’t get any better unless we start
following this essential paradigm. We can’t wait for someone else to wave a
wand and change it for us. And we can’t keep sitting here blaming someone else
for where we are or the state of our economy. Instead, we need to go within, be
thankful for what we have, and find peace with all that is going on.
Many of our
larger frustrations with the economy have effected our relationships, families,
habits, and attitudes. It’s time we shift gears, here. This wave of negativity
is spreading into areas of our lives which is causing physical and emotional
ailments as well as divorces, abuse, death, and addictions. This is where
Gandhi’s saying resonates with so much truth: “You must be the change you wish
to see in the world.” Change starts from me. It starts from you. This is where
the first 4 and next 4 elements of the paradigm meet. Stop getting pissed off
at the driver who doesn’t turn quick enough, quit getting frustrated at the
computer for the error message it keeps giving you, stop ranting because the
barista forgot to add whipped cream to your mocha.
And the one
thing we are neglecting to do is talk about our feelings. We become so
overwhelmed with our worries and fears that we forget that there are people who
are there, willing to listen and help. To close up is to give up. We need to
know that we are not alone and that there are people who care. Otherwise, if we
ignore our feelings, we will bury ourselves and not be able to find a way out,
which usually resorts to a vice of some kind- whether it be self-infliction,
drugs, alcohol, sex….we always try to replace our guilt with another. Don’t let
it build up or else it will somehow come back and slap you in the face. Be
thankful for what you have, know that you have people that care about you, and
know that there is always a solution- always a way out. Remember to take care
of you. Don’t give up so easily.
6. KINDNESS
IS CONTAGIOUS
Just put on a happy face!
Ok, it sounds
cheesy and cliche, but we should all know how true it is. As a negative
attitude is contagious, a positive attitude is even more so. Have you ever seen
that Liberty Mutual commercial where one person stops to help someone then that
someone helps someone else and so on? It really does and can happen! When
someone does something for you that makes you feel good, generally you are apt
to do something for someone else to make them feel good. It’s a natural
domino-effect instinct. It’s an exchange of good energy. In tying in with the
whole ‘be the change you wish to see in the world’, change really does start
with you. The simplest act of kindness we naturally contract and pass along
like a disease is a smile. So, the basic assignment here is to just smile more.
Smile at the cashier. Smile at the crazy driver. Smile at the barista. Smile at
the angry customer. And, to add another saying; “Smile. People will wonder what
you’re up to.” Ah, that’s the enjoyment of it all. It’s like you have a secret,
and that secret is that you are spreading happiness and changing the world one
smile at a time. How great of a feeling is that?
Want to move
up a level? Go the extra mile to help someone or make them feel better. Hold
the door for people, Let the person behind you go first, volunteer at a
homeless shelter or library, donate some charity and see how good you feel
afterwards.
And next? Be
open-minded. Be accepting. Know that we are all of the same species, and we all
want the same thing: love. Why wait for a natural disaster or catastrophe to be
kind and generous?
Scientists
and doctors alike have only recently revealed their discovery that stress
induces poor health and disease. Well, it’s been said for thousands of years
that the only thing that kills us is stress. We are truly causing our own
sicknesses. Not only with personal stressors, but chemicals, pollutants, and
other such environmental stressors. The opposite of this, too, is being
overprotective of our health with high paranoia of germs. We need the bacteria
in order to build up a tolerance and to strengthen our immune system. Not all
bacteria is bad. We stress out more on stress itself, really! “I’m so tired of
being stressed…” Well, then find something that will de-stress you! Change your
habits, your sleep pattern, your diet, your thoughts, write a journal, go for a
jog, work out, meditate, do yoga…find a healthy outlet so that stress will not
build up, and change your attitude so that you have your own natural defense
shield against stress.
We are so
focused on the pain and suffering in this world, which only makes us more
unhappy and stressed out, which then leads to illness. So why not let kindness
and happiness be the spreading diseases in this world? If we were less stressed
and had less stressors around us, we’d be a lot healthier and happier and the number
of diseases would go down in the world.
7. GO BACK TO
YOUR ROOTS
Ah, the simple life.
This should
be fundamental for our survival through rough times. Resources are getting low.
Now, I am a thrifty person, but why not go the extra mile? Support local
businesses, especially farmers markets and naturally-made products. Community
is what will keep us thriving. Also, organic products- TRUE organic products
are much healthier for us and do not require fuel or chemicals. Organic
products in the store are not 100% organic. The truest form of organic foods
will be from farmer’s markets or your own back yard. Start growing your own
food if you can. And, if you are able to do that, learn to recycle and compost
food waste and use for fertilizer which is rich in the nutrients needed to grow
more food. Many city dwellers currently grow their own food as well as own
chickens for eggs. This is definitely prominent in the NW, but no matter where
you live, it can be done.
Also, we need
to stop being so obsessed with and consumed by such things as electronics and
fashion. I sure as hell don’t have to have the latest model or best name brand,
but so many of us do. We’ve got to stop letting corporations zap our brains
into thinking we have to have bigger and better things so that we can get
lazier, cooler, or prettier. These ‘things’ are consuming us, not the other way
around! Soon we will be walking around mutated into these non-feeling beings.
Lastly, we
have to stop being sucked into these over-dramatic reality shows and celeb
stories. WHO CARES!!!!! Getting involved in other people’s drama is only taking
away from the issues we are personally dealing with. It’s our escape from our
reality. It makes us feel better about our lives. It’s just a bunch of garbage
that is filling our brains so that we lose focus on what really matters. It’s
almost like a drug, if you think about it. We take it in- we get consumed- we
are a bit numb from reality- pretty soon we start talking about these strangers
we don’t even know like they are our classmates in HS- thus we become
delusional. Hate on me if you want, but from every conversation I’ve heard on
Housewives of New Jersey or The Bachelor/Bachelorette or Survivor or Dancing
With The Stars….Oi, makes my head spin with a very nauseous feeling in my
stomach.
Now, I am
very thankful for the world wide web- without it, I wouldn’t be able to be in
touch with friends I haven’t seen in a long time or relatives half-way across
the world. I wouldn’t be able to just send a quick message. I wouldn’t be able
to do as extensive research with so many facts at the tips of my fingers. I
wouldn’t be able to expressively share my thoughts on a blog like this. But
there’s a big difference in making it useful and being addicted to it.
We are
essentially missing the actual human interaction. We need it to survive. We
need to cherish those in our lives. We need to stop putting all of our energy
into things that really aren’t important- because the only thing that should be
important is family.
8. RE-INVENT
FREEDOM
‘The land of the free and the home of the brave’???
What made
America free in the first place? The declaration of Independence claiming our
freedom from Great Britain and France. We provided opportunity. We had much
land to give. People still come to America to live the ‘American dream’ of
freedom and opportunity. But it’s obviously not the same as it used to be. We
became greedy. And with over-saturation of manufacturing, corporations, and
population, we are only making matters worse for our own country. Certain
‘what-ifs’ were not thought through as we promoted our country and opened its
doors. Now we deal with illegal immigration, greed, poverty like never before,
and one screwed up justice system. All of this has led many Americans to be
scared. Either we become suspicious and paranoid of the future and the state of
our economy or we cover it with pride. American pride. Embellishing the ‘We are
better than you’ attitude makes us all the more feeble as a country. 9/11 shook
us all up, there’s no doubt about that. Some immediately threw up defence and
plastered the American flag wherever they could. The government decided to then
start a war, which has now been dubbed the longest American war in history.
Some came up with conspiracy theories, saying that the government helped plot
the ‘terrorist attacks’. No matter what, thousands of innocent lives were taken
that day as well as over the period of the following war. I just ask- where is
it all getting us? Not freedom, that’s for sure. So what are we fighting for?
War is an action of fear and to give a sense of pride.
There has to
be a way to recreate the meaning of freedom for our country. And what has
caused the disintegration of that would obviously be everything else I am
speaking of in this paradigm that we need to change. We need to stay out of
other people’s business, cut the drama, stop being greedy, start being honest,
and know that we are all in this world together. Once we start being the light
of peace, it will spread. We were founded on being a free country, and it’s
about time we bring that true freedom back.
9. KNOCK DOWN
THE WALL BETWEEN RIGHT & WRONG
Imagine…
The Berlin
Wall can be a physical and metaphoric example, here. This does have a lot to do
with separation. The only reason there is separation in this world is because
we think that there is a right and a wrong- and that the side we’re on is
always right.
So, what
makes something or someone right or wrong? Who says so? Let’s see….we tend to
base reasoning off of a scripture, a law, a commandment….Hmmm, don’t these all
derive from religion or politics? Aren’t these what cause separation? But it
takes one person to say we must follow these scriptures, laws, commandments…Now
I am not going to even dig up the argument of such things as if the bible was
written by man or is The Word of God, what I am saying is it can just take one
human to say we must live a certain way. Laws, on the other hand, are the end
result of an area that lacks structure or has raised red flags of some sort.
Structure is
good- we should have guidelines to live by, but over the years it has really
gotten out of hand. That’s why we are fighting over the legalization of
marijuana, that’s why there’s controversies everywhere we turn, that’s why laws
have been overturned, and that’s why there is such a thing as being
‘politically correct’ now and we add to that list every day of the right and
wrong ways to do or say things. We are all walking on eggshells so as not to
step on anyone’s toes or offend anyone. It’s pretty much like we can’t be
ourselves anymore. The only ones who can are comedians- quite frankly, I envy
them. They get paid to tell jokes that can totally tear a certain type of
person apart, but we laugh hysterically, even though there is a little bit of
truth behind every joke. Yet, if an ordinary white person calls a coloured
person ‘black’ nowadays, it’s wrong. All because someone said so.
This is
getting to be such utter nonsense. We all just need to lighten up, be more
open-minded, and stop the sickening pride behind the fear that we’re hiding.
10. LOVE
CONQUERS ALL
How deep is your love?
Believe it or
not, we are all beings of love. I’ve slipped in bits of spirituality in this
blog, but that’s what it’s all about. We are spiritual beings in human form. No
one has to believe that. But we are all here for one purpose- to love and be
loved. We need love in order to survive. There was a scientific experiment done
with couple of baby monkeys. One baby monkey was put in a small room with a
dummy resembling the mom, made of terry cloth, but there was no food or water
available. The other baby monkey was in another small room with a dummy that
was made of plain wire, though it had a bottle of food attached to the mouth
area. The monkey in the room with the terry cloth dummy and no food/water found
comfort against the dummy and seemed content. The monkey in with the wire dummy
ate some, but became scared and lonely.
Love has been
scientifically proven without argument. But can we take that and prove that
love conquers all? Even world hunger? Even homelessness? Even crime? Even war?
Even hate? YES! We NEED to see this! We need to just love. Love thy neighbor,
and love thy enemy. Let go of differences and know that we are all unique but
the same underneath. And the other important thing we need to understand is
that there is no such thing as a bad person. The reason people do certain
things is because of built up issues that they haven’t dealt with. Sure, you can
call it the devil, but for everyone to be on the same level, we must dismiss
blaming someone or something. These lost sheep know no other way, because of
what they have experienced in life. We must be forgiving and understanding of
that. Sure, I haven’t been in the position of having someone hurt or kill a
loved one, and yes I am sure that I would have pain and anger, but I would need
to remind myself everything that I just spoke of, as hard as that may be. But
if we don’t start thinking and living in this perspective, we will never evolve
as a species and become united.
___
So, now we
need to ask ourselves- How do we want to raise our children? How do we want the
generations after us to live? What kind of a world do you want them to
experience? That of hatred, war, famine, suffering? Or of love, peace,
abundance, and unity? It’s up to you. No, really. It is.
And I leave
you with some well-known, powerful lyrics that you read carefully, or listen to
them, and I hope that they will resonate within you:
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class="message">An error occurred.</h1><div
class="submessage"><a
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC5AAqDrAmM">Try watching
this video on www.youtube.com</a>, or enable JavaScript if it is disabled
in Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try
No people below us, above it’s only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there’s no countries, it isn’t hard to do
No need to kill or die for and no religions too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
(From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/j/john-lennon-lyrics/imagine-lyrics.html)
Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger a brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing for the world
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world
will live as one
transferred - original post date 10/14/2011
