What an intense time! We can feel the anxious, hopeful, and fearful energy surrounding next week’s election. The U.S. and much of the world are politically and socially polarized in potentially dangerous ways. Regardless of our political preferences, we can all agree on wanting to live in a country and a world where:
- People can respectfully express their views without fear.
- Power is transferred peacefully after a fair election, according to the law.
- We can rise above the general level of our collective discourse.
I believe in the power of shared intentionality. How can we contribute to creating a “field of peace, acceptance, and possibility”?
{Just as we share air and our physical environment, we also share a “field of consciousness” that impacts us in non-material ways}.
My life is guided by a clear intention: bringing clarity, care, and kindness into as many moments as possible. Often I fail. This cultural moment offers many opportunities for practicing this intention. In this spirit, I offer “helpful hints” that are supporting me in learning to be a “peacemaker”:
The Power of Not Knowing – The First Principle of Zen
As Mark Twain humorously and poignantly noted:
“Most of the worst things in my life never happened.”
Our brains tend to catastrophize and focus on the worst outcomes. While this habit can have survival value, it also generates anxiety. Reflecting on my life, I’ve found that my worst fears rarely materialized. Although we might face challenges depending on the election results, often positive, life-affirming outcomes emerge from seemingly negative events. Is this true for you?
Without wearing blinders or rose-colored glasses, we must acknowledge that we do not truly KNOW what will result from the election. Your preferred candidate might win, yet the outcomes could disappoint you. Conversely, your “enemy” might win, leading to unanticipated positive developments.
Hold opinions lightly, let go of the “Blinding Light of Certainty”.
Listening from Your Heart and to the Hearts of Others
While respectful debate can be beneficial, it requires both parties to listen deeply. Adversarial views can broaden our understanding; no one possesses the whole truth. Beyond all our disagreements, can we listen for something, anything, that connects us to the true concerns and needs of the other?
When engaging with someone who is unwilling to listen, the most powerful response is to offer authentic, curious listening. This can be challenging, especially when faced with disrespectful tones or aggressive gestures. As long as we feel “safe enough,” we can breathe, ground ourselves, and listen to the true fears, needs, and views of others. Looking beyond words, see into the other’s humanity.
Letting Go of Being Right or Being Heard
Expressing our point of view can be helpful, insisting on being heard rarely is. In political conversations, your ideas MAY influence others, but without a sense of safety and respect, this is very unlikely. Absent this atmosphere, dialogue often resembles two television sets on different channels, each talking past the other. Letting go of the need to be right or to be heard is both generous and challenging.
Do not underestimate the difficulty or benefit of this intention. In reactive/triggered moments, acknowledging our feelings and apologizing later can be the best course of action. Self-forgiveness is essential for becoming a peacemaker.
Managing Anxiety in Uncertain Times
Many of us harbor “enemy images” of those with opposing views. The “law of group polarization” suggests that people who interact exclusively with like-minded individuals become more extreme. This siloed thinking can lead to aggressive behavior and greater certainty. While some individuals may have violent intentions, such violence is rare. It’s crucial to avoid a mindset of fear while remaining aware of actual danger. We must also recognize that vulnerable populations often face legitimate threats. Those of us in more secure social positions can offer support and care to those who feel unsafe.
In Challenging Moments
When anxiety creeps into our hearts and minds, let’s remember:
- We can contribute peaceful thoughts and actions to our collective consciousness, knowing others are doing the same.
- We do not truly KNOW the effects of the election results.
- We can distinguish actual danger from our imagined fears.
- To allow nature, beauty, humor, and heartfelt connections heal and support us. Challenge unhelpful thinking, reduce media consumption, and avoid engaging in fearful, repetitive conversations (though occasional venting can be cathartic!). Take pauses to find gratitude and invite nourishing breaths into your lungs and heart.
Let’s work together to foster goodness, peace, and positive intentions in our shared field of consciousness.
Blessings to us all and peace on this Earth….
Russell
The Peace of Wild Things
When despair grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
– Wendell Berry