Truth or Fiction...

I am making a strong attempt to not sound condescending or righteous while I am writing this blog; I want it to be neutral.  Something interesting is happening in the world.  People are hanging onto their beliefs and even changing well known scientific fact or history to suit a narrative of their own.  Older people, Baby Boomers and Generation X’ers, are more susceptible it seems.  I spoke to my Millennial son about why they don’t get suckered into this phenomenon as much and in his opinion it is very simple;  They know how to recognize garbage when they see it and we don’t.

You see it’s simple; they have never lived in a world where fact and fiction has not been the opposite side of the coin. They know movies are fake (even the ones that claim to be based in fact) and they know that we the older generation put a spin on everything to make people buy in.  Well guess what – they ain’t buying what we are selling!

However this bending of the truth has opened a sticky area that feels like leaky gut syndrome to me… crap just keeps trickling out.  If you repeat the lie enough, people will believe it.   They will send link after link of information found on dubious sites as proof that they are right.  Yet when historical or scientific facts are stated, if it doesn’t suit the narrative, it is discarded as being the conspiracy that we are being fed, by I am not sure whom.  The end result I believe is that we are getting sick and losing our moral compass.

In general society has taken a step back.  There is no longer “THE Truth” there is only the spin you want it to have.  What we don’t understand is that every Tom, Dick and Harriett can now have their opinion heard.  This is a good thing most of the time but when the ignorant starts leading the blind… well then I really don’t know.  Now when I say ignorant let me clarify that I don’t mean uneducated, no, I mean the people who actually do know better but are willfully misleading because they have decided that “commonly” understood, well known facts no longer suit their narrative.

Why do I feel this is a problem you ask? Well, I had a very disconcerting chat on facebook with a group of acquaintances from high school.  Little did I know that they are Holocaust deniers and I foolishly engaged.  They sent me link after link of facts that they have found on the internet to support their philosophy, that Hitler didn’t give the order for “The Final Solution” and that only one or two million Jews were murdered because it wasn’t possible to murder more etc. etc.  Even when another person provided some alternative sites that speak to the number of people including Jews that died in camps they just refuted it with the claim that it was Jewish propaganda.   I just left the conversation but I was deeply saddened because to me it doesn’t matter how many people died, six million or three hundred thousand (which was one claim) it remains a terrible, horrific time in history and one that I hope we never repeat.

 But my real fear is that I think we will repeat it.  I fear we have not learned anything from the past. We refute and dispute known facts.  We have people that believe the earth is flat for crying out loud!  When did that become a thing?  Why would our planet be the only one in the Universe that is different?  We sow division. Racism, Antisemitism, Misogyny and Militant Feminism is blatant.  The disenfranchised are disregarded.  People (Syria) are bombed daily and no-one bats an eye.  Children are put into holding cells (cages) and nothing is done.  Refugees are shunned and pushed to the margins of society.  Have we have lost our ability to have or even show compassion for all humans?

I don’t know how to fix this globally.  Perhaps finding “better” people to vote for will help, but power corrupts we have seen it many times.  After that sticky conversation about the Holocaust I spoke to my son about it and he looked at me incredulously.  “Unfriend them, why would you want to be friends with people like that?!” he asked.  And that is when I realized the power is mine. I can create my world in a way that it supports Sacred Life.  I can share with an open heart and have compassion for my fellow human beings.  I can refrain from judgement and I can fight against darkness by shining my light far and wide.  This doesn’t mean that I will avoid people who disagree with me but if they are actively working on creating division and hate… then they gotta go…

Love & Light

Empaths – what are you doing in my space?

I know, I just pissed a lot of people off but I think it is a question that begs asking.  I am worn out by the expressed self-pity of empaths.  What is an empath anyway?  The dictionary says: “A person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual.”

Really, did I give you permission to step into my circle and “feel” my mental or emotional state? I don’t think so!  Surely my thoughts, feelings and emotions are mine to feel and own and not to be randomly high jacked by another.  What really annoys me on top of it all is that the empath will then take my angst or fears as their own; take it on and wear it like a cloak, all the time bemoaning how horrid it is to feel other people’s stuff.  Well enough then – DON’T!  I have not given you permission in the first place!

Let’s get one thing straight, this is not a paranormal ability.  Every person I know has the ability to feel what another is feeling and feel empathy for another.  Some choose not to use their ability at all and remain quietly asleep. Others don’t give a damn and disregard everyone’s feelings but their own.  That doesn’t mean they can’t, they just don’t want to.  Perhaps sociopaths and psychopaths feel nothing at all – but they are not most people, then again one could argue that they feel everything and that it is exactly this ability that makes them such skilled manipulators.

Most people will feel empathy for others when faced with their sadness or grief, this is normal.  So what is the difference you ask?  The difference is that most people will not be so presumptive as to tell you that they can feel your feelings better than you can.

Empaths that can’t go to busy places with a lot of people, or the one crying in a crowd… you need to find a way to ground yourself.  Perhaps look at ways that you can protect yourself from the onslaught of other people’s feelings.  I know it must be very confusing and chaotic.  Do you feel it makes you special and different and is this feeling of "specialness" stopping you from holding your space? Is there a different way your gift can be applied where you don’t have to be crushed by all that is going on around you? If as you say it is such a burden to bear it might be time to find a way to tone it down.  There really is no need for you to absorb my feelings or anyone else’s.

Personally I feel deep empathy for people. Let me add that this has not always been so. It is only after my awakening and starting to heal that I have been able to open up enough.  As a person who works with people working on their personal growth it is a requirement.  However, I have their permission and it is in a safe controlled environment.  When I go out into the world, I go with an open heart but a protected Soul.  I keep my fibers to myself and don’t impose my luminosity, feelings or presence.  And I don’t want anyone doing that to me…

Love & Light