Living in a World Gone Mad

Living in a World Gone Mad

 

I imagine if I were able to observe humans at a macro-level, I might be left with the impression that we are no different than a virus.  Our polluted planet has been infected with a terminal virus named democracy.  Greed, ego and wealth are our most common symptoms.  These symptoms often blind us from seeing the catastrophic scars we are leaving behind on our earth for future generations.

For thousands of years humans lived off the land, taking only what they needed, and giving back what little they had to offer. That mentality has been replaced with an apathetic culture that has lost the ability to show true compassion for others. We are living in an egocentric world that thrives on social media and entertainment.  Our culture lives for today as if yesterday and tomorrow do not matter.  Caught in a constant state of amnesia, we are all living in a world gone mad.

In direct contrast, if you observe modern human behavior on a micro-level, our behaviors seem rather mundane and ordinary.  The vast majority of us are struggling to survive, provide for our families, and in a constant pursuit of happiness.  You might even be able to find moments of pure joy, happiness and compassion.  The very foundation of humanity can be attributed to our innate ability to empathize with one another.

So where did we go wrong?  How did we get so far off track, and can we ever stop this path of destruction we are on?

For the past few years I have been consumed with trying to understand this chaotic world I was born into.  I researched the economy, capitalism, animal rights, women’s rights, civil rights, consumerism, nutrition, mass media, global warming, world hunger, technology, agriculture, the oil industry - and the list goes on and on.  These years of research left me in a constant state of mourning.  I often asked myself, “I am just one person, how can I ever do anything to effect change in this world?”

We have leveled mountains, obliterated the rain forest, polluted our air, poisoned our water, imprisoned and murdered billions of animals.  We have transformed our earth from a paradise, to an earth filled with trash. We are living on this planet as if we have another one to go to.  Most of this damage has been accomplished in the last 50 years.  The more I researched these topics, the more cynical I became.

In a moment of clarity I suddenly realized, that the source of all our problems is money, and the answer is compassion.  Almost every issue our world faces is being created by an insatiable greed that will never be satisfied.  Our modern society associates money with happiness.  The more money you have, the happier you must be.  We are searching for external material objects to provide us happiness, when true happiness can only be found by spreading compassion.  

This realization became the very foundation of our group called Compassion Cultivators.  I am no longer in a constant state of morning, as I am inspired by my community to be an agent of change.  I seek to share this knowledge with my community, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.  We must work towards removing greed and ego from our lives, to make way for empathy and compassion.

I may never be able to answer the question, where did we go wrong?  For it is difficult to place the blame on any one person, one business, or one government.  Collectively we are all responsible for each other, and we are all to blame if we stand by waiting for the world to change.  

The past few years have been a transformative emotional and spiritual journey.  Below are a few realizations that have occurred to me on this journey.

·        Put down your phones and engage in real conversations.  We have lost the ability to stay engaged in the moment, and are living our lives as if we are on the set of a movie.  Real life is not scripted.  

·        Stop worrying about what brand of clothes you are wearing and start smiling at strangers.   Those that mind don’'t matter, and those that matter don’t mind.

·        Popular culture and mass media are cleverly disguised social controls to distract you from what really matters.  Stop polluting your brain, and begin filling it with knowledge that you can share with everyone around you.

·        You must love yourself first; spend time actually getting to know yourself outside of what others have projected you to be.  You might actually find yourself smiling at the person in the mirror looking back at you.  How you treat others is a direct reflection of how you feel about yourself.

·        Animals were given the gift of life, just the same as we were.  They are intelligent, compassionate and emotional creatures that deserve to be treated with respect.  Do some research on the meat and dairy industry, and decide for yourself.  I believe that if people could escape their own complacency, and realize how brutal and torturous we treat animals, they may reconsider their decision to consume meat and dairy.  It may be the single most impactful decision you will ever make for your own health, and the health of our planet.

·        Question everything. (and I mean everything)

·        Accept people for who they are, not what you want them to be.

·        Practice immediacy.  Open your eyes and give rise to the sense of urgency and excitement for life.  

·        The best way to overcome your inherent self-focused desires is to practice humbleness.  Look people in the eye, hug everyone, and never put your needs before anyone else you come across in life.

·        No one is perfect.  Never expect perfection, as we are all on a similar journey, often traveling in opposite directions.  

We must consciously move through life, and share our gifts with each other.  I will leave you with a life changing excerpt from an article by Dr. Robert Holden called, “ You are what you seek. Stop for a moment and look inside.”  

“Can you see that all your pain comes from the belief that your source of happiness is outside you? This single misperception—this little fear—is what feeds your mental junk, your learned unworthiness, and your “not good enough” stuff. Notice how all your thoughts of fear and lack are reversed the moment you accept that every piece of universal joy rests already in your heart. Feel this, now.

Every culture has its sacred sites and holy meeting grounds. Thousands of people every day travel in pilgrimage to far off places like Lourdes, the Great Pyramids, Ayers Rock, the Grand Canyon, Mount Shasta, Stonehenge, Mount Athos, the Himalayas. These places hold sacred energy, they say. And yet, nowhere is more sacred than the human heart—home of your Unconditioned Self. You are sacred ground.

Do you see this?

Your two physical eyes see bits of things. They see bits of the color spectrum, bits of the landscape, bits of the ocean, bits of the sky. They see bits of you and bits of me. But they do not see the big picture. It is only when you look with the heart that you can begin to comprehend the possibility of true wholeness, true beauty, and true oneness.

It is my experience that the most amazing people act as if everything is already here. Great artists tune in to something universal when they create. Great thinkers trust in a solution for every problem. Great leaders lend themselves to guidance and inspiration. Great healers see people’s wholeness long before any cure arrives.

Imagine that! Imagine whatever you want is here right now. What do you want? Wisdom? It’s already here. Peace? It’s already here.

Inspiration? It’s here already. It’s all here, because you are. This is the big picture. This is what your Unconditioned Self sees.

You are what you seek. This means that whatever joy you hoped “to get” after you found your true partner, got the dream job, bought the ideal home, and earned the right money is already in you! When you search for love, joy, power, money, Heaven, and God; you are really searching for the experience of your Unconditioned Self that is unencumbered by fear, separation, and lack.

You are not here to find happiness; you are here to extend it. You are inspiration-packed, wisdom-infused, made with love, and blessed with joy. And so is everyone else. To be free all you have to do is make yourself wholly available to what is already inside you. Real healing is giving up your resistance to your Unconditioned Self.”