A Difference in Perspective

Faith and the Cult Perspective

More and more lately, I’ve observed what I tend to refer to as a lemming personality in followers of a certain ideology. However, after reading an article about cult followers recently, I’m revising my perspective as it seems to describe the current national crisis more accurately from where I sit. The article pointed out people like me are trying to make sense of something which runs, not on logic, but on faith.

As such, no amount of verifiable facts is going to sway the devout followers from continuing to follow their false idols because “faith tells them their version of reality is the only correct one, and  everyone else is either lying, deceived, or evil.” As I’ve experienced myself, the more you offer them facts, the deeper they’ll dig in their heels while spouting the cult’s flawed rhetoric. Blind faith is, and always has been a tough nut to crack.

Whether it was the people who drank the poison-laced Kool-Aid with Jim Jones, the accusers during the Salem Witch Trials, or the children who turned their parents in for Hitler, they’ll continue to believe even as they, themselves are sold up the river, or throw themselves off a cliff at the insistence of their leader. In many ways, their minds are no longer their own. They’ve accepted the brainwashing as gospel and will go to any lengths asked of them to perpetuate the fraud.

Faith Knows No Logic

Where once, I might have attempted to engage in conversations to understand their perspective, I realize (if I hadn’t already) it’s a losing proposition, and no different than Robert Heinlein’s observation in “Time Enough for Love”:

Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time, and it annoys the pig

I’ve experienced this anomaly in the past when trying to discuss religious freedom with a staunch Catholic, but this is mass hypnotism on a much broader, and far more dangerous scale. Yet it reminds me, my purpose isn’t to sway others to my point of view, but to walk my own walk with honesty, compassion, and most of all, consistency.

I’ve never really considered myself a leader, nor aspired to the position. I honestly believe people have a right to their own perspective, whether it coincides with mine, or clashes dramatically. It doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with perspectives which appear to be detrimental to the health and well-being of the many. Yet the perspective presented by “The Fearless and Unapologetic Left”, where I found the words I quoted in the second paragraph, while skewed in it’s own way, helps me understand why trying to get a large number of Americans to see they’ve willingly allowed a fox to wreak havoc in the hen house of the American political system, while giving up their own rights and freedoms is never going to happen. Stronger, more powerful, more eloquent people than I have tried…and failed.

Maintaining Personal Peace in an Unkind World

As our rights and safeguards are rapidly falling into ruin with nothing, and no one blocking the way of those who want to, like a Corporate raider, break our country into small pieces and sell those pieces off to the highest bidder, I know my only real, achievable options are to do everything I can to maintain my personal peace, and align myself with those who remain free of the cult mentality; those who haven’t ceded their right and ability for critical thinking to the cult/hive mind.

Peaceful, constant resistance is still a powerful tool. Fighting back in unexpected ways is still our ally. Freaking out, screaming at the brainwashed, or resorting to violence will only push us further into the void, and towards what appears to be the death of an empire which managed to survive for almost 250 years before greed and self-interest tore it asunder.

Keeping the Spark of Hope Alive

Still, hope springs eternal, and mine is that logic, common sense, and compassion will find a way to turn things around, and even free at least some of the oblivious from the cult to which they’ve willingly succumbed. But it has to start with quiet, concerted resistance, and with finding a way to connect all the scattered dots without attracting notice until we are able to succeed with a single strike. Anything less will be met with what is becoming harsh, anti-Constitutional, lawless vengeance on the part of the cult.

I’m also continuing to remind myself the only approval I, or anyone else needs is self-approval. It isn’t blind approval, where any flaws or need for improvement are ignored. Instead, it’s accepting what is, but also accepting responsibility for continuing to improve on themselves so they keep learning and growing. It’s also a strong reminder that succumbing to cult/hive mind is not an option. As long as we seek, and find approval within ourselves, we won’t join the hordes of lemmings allowing a mental toddler to lead them blindly down into an abyss from which there’s no escape.

Grateful for a Modicum of Rationality

My gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for continuing to be a critical thinker, and a fact checker.
2. I’m grateful for believing in science, and provable facts.
3. I’m grateful for eschewing false promises or people who expect blind faith.
4. I’m grateful for the people in my life who aren’t willing to sell their souls to a devil on Earth.
5. I’m grateful for the people who are in positions to speak out and be heard…and actually are.

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful. In her spare time, she’s also an accountant with extensive experience in Government Contracting.

Navigating the Boomerang Effect

Lessons Sent by Boomerang

Photo-chaf.haddad via Flikr

One of the most significant aspects of the healing process involves clearing out old, self-limiting beliefs. I’ve discovered it bears a strong resemblance, not so much to sweeping up debris, and depositing it in the trash can to be carried away each week, than to flinging a boomerang as hard as you can in the vain hope it won’t find its way back to you.

Both the spiral nature of your journey, combined with the Universe’s seemingly perverse need to make you revisit old lessons until you achieve mastery contribute to the boomerang effect. Though you may navigate the latest challenge successfully in your own mind, the Universe sets a higher standard. You’re allowed to step back, admire your handiwork, and relax for a little while after meeting the latest challenge, but rest assured, it will come back to haunt you at some as yet undefined later date.

Although you can never be fully prepared for what the Universe metes out to you as part of your lesson plan, you can be forewarned it’ll include a repeat of some of the lessons you believe you’ve seen through to the end. If nothing else, forewarned is forearmed. You’re in a better position to get through the next lesson if it doesn’t completely blindside you, or worse, occur as a sneak attack, with the boomerang already out of reach by the time you can react, and position yourself for minimum damage.

Painful Lessons Stick

Photo – Ky via Flikr

That’s not to say there won’t still be pain involved. After all, the lessons you remember best are the ones that make an impression. Pain seems to be the most memorable of those impressions. You’ll honor your human nature, doing your best to avoid repeating a painful lesson. The “easy A’s”, so to speak, will likely come back stronger and meaner in the future, having lulled you into a false sense of security.

You might think I’m predicting a life of long, hard, painful lessons, but that’s not the case. Many learning experiences will pass almost unnoticed; made easier by everything you’ve learned so far. Though minor boomerangs themselves, they’re more likely to pass by, leaving you with an impression of a tiny gust of wind rather than a resounding whack to the back of your head. It’s the harder, more painful lessons you master which allow for those which are but a spectre’s whisper.

Learning to thrust, parry, and even duck when necessary are skills acquired throughout your lifetime as you learn to assume a stance not unlike a tennis player awaiting their opponent’s serve. You align yourself to be ready for anything entering your life with malicious intent, ready to knock you sideways if you lower your guard, and become unwary.

Resilience Born of Experience

If nothing else, you learn to avoid the worst beatings, and to tuck and roll when necessary so you land on your feet quickly before the next lightening strike explodes the ground beneath your feet; in most cases mentally or emotionally rather than physically. Lessons which blew your doors off once upon a time have left you stronger, smarter, more agile, and more resilient.

What you face now may be much stronger, and more intense than earlier lessons and experiences, but you’ve learned to dodge the boomerang successfully more often than not. Life no longer surprises you as easily. Things that would have had you down for the count once, are little more than a pesky fly you swat with a rolled up newspaper now.

Though there may be lessons which tempt you to give up, assume the fetal position, and pull the blankets over your head, years of overcoming obstacles and challenges have taught you, if nothing else, you’re stronger than you think. Best of all, the challenges pass. Sometimes, you simply learn what you need to, and pass through the latest storm. Others, you kick the latest demon to the curb, sending it scurrying back to its lair, tail between its legs.

A Time to Engage, and a Time to Step Back and Assess

Either way, you add another win to your list of accomplishments; another skill to your virtual rucksack. Each win increases your confidence and determination to return the next ace serve with all the strength and finesse you’ve acquired through overcoming previous challenges, and dodging the boomerangs.

When you do hit a time when life seems overwhelming; when you feel you’ve used up your last ounce of strength, you have the experience and resources to know whether it’s time to step back, recharge, and regroup, or charge forward with guns blazing. You’ve learned you don’t need to engage in every battle, and know there are some sent to drain your energy with no recognizable reward or worthwhile lesson.

There’s no shame in refusing to engage. You have every right to decline some of the battles that come your way so you have the energy to face the ones which give you no choice. Some of those come out of left field, and hit you without warning. You might even feel unprepared to defend yourself or your current position. Remember it’s OK to step back, regroup, and assess the situation before throwing yourself into the fray.

Shifting to a More Logical Mindset

One of the most important lessons you learn when you’ve gotten the hang of dodging most of the boomerangs is the ability to step back and assess a situation before you dive in, driven only by emotions. You learn an emotional sally is the least effective means for overcoming obstacles, though typically, it’s your initial response to the latest in a long stream of lessons.

The ability to throttle back emotions, and engage your logical, analytical side is often the point of a lesson in the first place. Can you disengage, step back, and come back with the proper weapons or tools? Or are you still more likely to let anger, fear, or another emotion drive your train, overlooking the broken trestle a mile up the tracks until you drive yourself into a bottomless chasm?

Experience teaches you what works and what doesn’t. That’s not to say you’ll get it right every time, but you will eventually learn when to go with your gut, and when to engage your brain. You’ll avoid a lot of pain simply by recognizing battles that aren’t yours to wage. Most of all, you’ll recognize which emotions, and challenges are yours, and for which you’re meant to be an innocent, but supportive bystander.

The boomerang, when used correctly can be an innocent toy, a weapon for hunting, or a challenge to be quicker on your feet. You don’t always get to decide when it comes, or where it comes from. You do get to decide how you’re going to respond.

Grateful for Life’s Boomerangs

My gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for the lessons I’ve learned by learning to dodge an incoming boomerang.
2. I’m grateful for the community I’ve built by learning I’ve never been in this alone.
3. I’m grateful for the tools, skills, and knowledge I’ve acquired through both adverse, and friendly conditions.
4. I’m grateful for another day to learn, grow, love, laugh, and dance.
5. I’m grateful for abundance; lessons, skills, resilience, strength, support, friends, community, love, health, peace, harmony, balance, philanthropy, and prosperity.

Namaste

 

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.

If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook as Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author