Take Your Power Back
Emotional outbursts are not the answer…
Wow, what a week. It’s revealing to see how many people let politics dictate their emotional state completely. Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, regardless of which political party or candidate wins, ultimately we are responsible for our inner state and how we choose to show up.
Taking Your Power Back
If you are one of those who are living in fear, anger and distress following last week’s election I urge you to take your power back. Ultimately, no one is coming to save you. No political party, no politician, no one. You are solely responsible for your life and wellbeing.
I saw the exact same thing happening in the UK after Brexit. People were angry, sad and upset, allowing a political decision outside of their control to ruin their precious days. Our days are finite. We shouldn’t waste a single one of them getting angry and throwing emotional tantrums because of something that is outside of our control. Life goes on, the daily routines continue. All we have is this present moment. The truth is that there is nothing wrong with this present moment except your thoughts and interpretation of events, which may or may not be correct.
If you allow things outside of yourself to throw you so completely off balance you are giving your power away and are easily manipulated and controlled.
True power is a calm assurance. We should aim to not live the unknown sorrows of tomorrow today.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
- Matthew 6:34
Disrupted Personal Relationships
I’ve also seen a lot of people claiming that if you voted this way or that way they can no longer be friends with you. There’s a lot of anger, hatred and fear. Yet these people claim to be pro-peace and to be tolerant. Hypocritical much?
Why do we not understand that we have to be what we wish to see in the world? If you are disowning people for their contrary beliefs and opinions you are contributing to more division, disunity, hatred, fear and intolerance. This is not the solution.
We should be able to respect other’s opinions and to have an open mind so we can try to understand each others differences rather than judging each other. Be open minded enough to understand that there is a possibility that you are not right about everything.
Peace will happen when we allow for different opinions, values and beliefs, respecting each other and treating each other as we ourselves wish to be treated despite our differences.
Fostering Understanding
I have completely changed my views and beliefs on a lot of things over the last few years. Many of us change our views and beliefs throughout life as we start to do research and listen to both sides rather than just one side of any issue.
We cannot make informed decisions unless we take the time to suspend our beliefs for long enough to listen to opposing viewpoints. Once we have gathered enough information we can make an informed decision, but we have to go out of our way to listen to the opposing side. Otherwise, we are simply reinforcing our own ideas. This is very easily done in a world dictated by social media and algorithms playing to our preferences. So we are responsible for making a conscious effort to seek out the opposing views, if for no other reason than to understand.
Taking Responsibility
If we are so easily angered and saddened by external events we should investigate why we give our power away so easily, projecting our wounding onto the outside world.
You are responsible for becoming your best version and contributing to a better world by setting an example. Not by behaving like a powerless victim throwing a tantrum. That’s not getting us anywhere. Perhaps it’s time for radical honesty and for a deep look in the mirror.
You may not like what you find there, but unless you start seeing yourself through honest compassion and investigate where you need to direct your inner work, you cannot become a better, more empowered version of yourself nor can you contribute to more peace and unity.
Before you start with an angry or sad outburst, take a deep breath and reflect. Is this all you are capable of being in this moment and is this really what you wish to contribute to?
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
- Viktor Frankl
You can be much more than this. Don’t allow politics to make you a hateful or fearful person. That is the greatest loss of all. We can decide who we wish to be regardless of outside circumstances. That is true power, true freedom and true grace.
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Yes and yes🙌
Hege you are such a wise person and this is such a wise post. Years ago, I had friends and family constantly updating me on what the President was ABOUT to do, and how it was going to be horrible for everyone. Every time I would ask them 'Who told you that?' and they would reply 'I heard it on the news!"
I realized that half the time what the 'news' told us didn't actually happen, but even if it did, I had no control over it. So in my mind it made no sense to get worried and upset about something that I had zero control over. Like you, I decided to focus on what I could control, and tune out the rest.
I wish more people could do this. I am seeing so many friends now that are devastated over the fear that something will happen because that's what they have heard will happen....according to the news.
An unfortunate lesson I learned a long time ago: The news is in the business of selling lies, because thats what drives the attention they need to stay in business. Hopefully more people wake up to that and start giving 'the news' less of their valuable attention.