It's What Lights Us Up That Gets Us Moving!

I saw a witty political meme this morning where Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is emphatically asking where all the Women's Protest supporters were on election day. I'm sure many people are asking this very same question in light of the crowds that event drew. What sticks out in my mind is not so much the women's rights aspect of things but the anti-Trump sentiment what was pervasive in the atmosphere--especially in many of the highly publicized speeches. The simple fact of the matter is this: Hillary Clinton is not a candidate people get passionate about. Donald Trump, on the other hand, definitely inspires passion, be that positive or negative.

I don't believe Donald Trump is our savior. I don't believe Donald Trump is a demon. What I do believe is that he is here to inspire us and kick us into high gear. It is the very fact that the Donald lives an extremely colorful life that has put him into the spotlight in the first place. He is larger than life. His flaws are all on display of the public and he holds nothing back. He is definitely not a politician (or like any politician we have seen before). That said, I believe it is his bold uniqueness that has propelled him into the ultimate spotlight. The people who voted for him did so because they are looking for monumental change. The people who didn't are fighting mad because they are looking to keep the establishment identity intact. Either way, people are energized in powerful ways--and that's the point!

We are at a time and place in our history where change is required if we are to free ourselves from the bonds that have enslaved us for centuries. Most of us are guilty of sleeping while the psychopaths in charge manipulate our money, resources and power for their own personal gain. We the People have not been a part of that process for a long time. (We ironically believe that voting is what gives us power, all the while that has been manipulated as well!) In this time of worldwide suffering and pain, it is necessary that We the People shake off our apathy and begin to reclaim our own power.

Donald Trump has inspired us to do that. His supporters are looking forward to radical changes in the way the President does things. His opposition looks on in abhorrence at the fact he is not following the normal playbook. Either way, Donald Trump is making people stand up and take notice. He is energizing people in ways that no one saw coming just a few short years ago. It's pretty much love or hate. There is no in between with the Donald.

Donald Trump might be the best thing that has happened to the United States of America and the world. He might be the worst thing that has happened to the United States of America and the world. Ultimately, Donald Trump's place in history depends on what We the People choose to BE in this moment and in the future. If he inspires us to BE the change we wish to see in the world, it is my belief he has fulfilled his mission.

It will be interesting to see how many people attack me today because they read this and assume I am a Trump supporter! Are you one? Let's get this party started! Comment below!!!

The Reason We Fight

Several months ago, I met some church friends of my parents who had come to the hospital where my mom was having tests run. As they had heard various stories involving myself and my sisters, who were also at the hospital, they asked questions in order to understand which one of us went with various stories. Apparently, I said something that hit home because the man said, "So you're the conspiracy theorist." I laughed and confessed that was me.

The irony is, my parents would never have described me to anyone as a conspiracy theorist (even though they know I am one). Until that moment, I had no idea the people from the church community I grew up in called me that behind my back. It does not come as a big surprise (nor does it upset me). I have had quite a few of them unfriend me on Facebook because they cannot stomach much of what I post on my page (which is oddly tame compared to the stuff I research). There are probably many more who have unfollowed my page in order to keep themselves sane. It goes with the territory when you make the decision to be as transparent in your beliefs as possible. I have never had problems standing up for what I believe in, even when it means standing alone.

It dawns on me now that the political divide we are feeling in the United States of America and the rest of the world is really not about differences in political philosophy as much as it about resolving the cognitive dissonance this election has brought up within ourselves. Face it. The world is changing in BIG ways. Change is difficult for most of us in the best of times. When the whole world is in upheaval at the same time, it is going to bring up some pretty big garbage that needs to be sorted through and dealt with.

Cognitive dissonance occurs when our rational minds are confronted with information our hearts tell us is true but are not quite ready to deal with in a rational way. We will run from it, go into denial, argue, and even fight in order to get away from this growing awareness. The thing is, cognitive dissonance will not go away, even if you change who you hang out with or your physical location. Truth will seek you out (and sometimes hunt you down) until you choose to look at it.

How do you know you are in a state of cognitive dissonance? You know because certain topics set you on edge (or sometimes on fire). You feel compelled to argue and justify why you believe as you do. As you go deeper into the process, you find your "rational" arguments begin to lose their power but you argue on. Sometimes you go so far as dismiss arguments altogether, justifying your beliefs solely on the thought the other side is "stupid" or "ignorant" and just hasn't thought it through.

My interactions on social media lately have been interesting. When I post anything that could be interpreted as positive toward Trump, I am immediately labeled an ignorant, conservative Trump supporter and told why my approval is baseless. When I post my approval of the Women's March that swept DC and many areas of the country, I am told it was all funded by George Soros and is just a way to keep Trump demonized in the minds of the people. (I do need to confess I enjoy playing the devil's advocate. I don't expect people will agree with me, but I do want people to assess why they believe as they do.) 

My own personal areas of cognitive dissonance involve my own ego when it comes to dealing with personal attacks. I am learning to deal with attacks in positive ways, attempting to bend and adapt in ways that do not break me or my composure. I have a long way to go before I get to that place of inner peace. I'm sure more garbage will naturally appear once this one is dealt with in full. I, too, am a work-in-progress.

The next time someone or something makes you angry enough to argue or fight, take a moment to ask yourself why. It may just be that your heart is bringing awareness to your mind so you have the capacity to face it, deal with it, and heal it. Our whole world begins to heal when we deal with the cognitive dissonance within ourselves.

~CSE

  

Resolutions

It is officially 2017, and most of us are busy planning how our lives will be better. This is where resolutions come in--those pesky little promises we make to ourselves to try to become better than we were the year before. For many of us, those resolutions fall by the wayside within the first few months as old habits and patterns are remembered.

This year, I have one resolution: I am going to begin asking for what I want. That might sound like an easy thing to do, but I have spent most of my life doing things for everyone except me. It has dawned on me that my life is not where I want it to be because I have not opened myself up to the possibilities.

Part of my problem is low self esteem. Regardless of my outgoing nature, the simple fact of the matter is deep down I have never felt worthy to receive. Some of this stems from negative messages I received about myself when I was a child. The other part of this was my religious programming where I was taught my life was all about God and others--never about me. Thinking about myself was "selfish". I never came first. Consequently, I have lived a life where I am not part of the equation, other than to be used for the benefit of others.

Now that my children are grown and out of the nest, I have had some time to analyze and understand why I am where I am. I have time to think about what I want and what is important to me. I have time to meditate and call upon the wisdom of God/Source/Oneness to guide me into new paths.

I have no idea where this year will lead me. I just know that I am allowing myself to be open to new possibilities as I reach out and ask the Universe what more is possible. I am excited to see where this will lead me.

~CSE