What I want from us is empty our minds
We fake the thoughts, and fracture the times
We go blind when we've needed to see
And this leans on me, like a rootless...
One thing that pains me greatly whenever I read about an injustice or tragedy or cause online, is sometimes not even the issue itself – it’s the reaction and commentary from my fellow humanity.
If you take out the trolls, who are there to be cruel for the fun of it, and weed out the troubling comments that are genuine, it can be hard not to get angry, or incredulous, or frustrated, or simply just damned tired of trying to speak a point that should be loud and clear, but that is somehow being lost on so many.
You can put some of it down to ignorance, and some of it down to rigidity of thinking, and some of it down to simply being nasty. But the majority of it, or so it seems to me, stems from apathy and indifference, fear and extreme tunnel vision.
The media, the governments, the corporations – they’ve all done their job well, circulating this cycle of belief that people can’t make a difference, they can’t change the bigger picture.
Why bother? What difference will it make?
Why should I care about such and such, when I have my own problems?
It’s limiting to think this way, because you are never going to make a difference in any way whatsoever if you have no belief in yourself. And this lack of self-belief then projects itself out onto everyone else, because subconsciously, people see what they could be and instead of taking inspiration, they lash out at it.
So when people do make a stand, they are criticized for it, not because they are doing it all wrong, but because people don’t think they should be doing it at all. Activists should not unlawfully occupy Shell ships - that’s breaking the law. Even though, morally, Shell are committing a far greater crime against humanity. Occupy protestors should not be out on the streets - they should be back home getting jobs and not out causing inconveniences to the general public. Even though what they’re fighting for is of benefit to everyone.
Why does the world have this mentality? There are numerous elements to it, which make up a complex web of unconscious beliefs that the modern world has created.
Fear – most are subconsciously afraid of change, of the unknown, of repercussions, and of a new era – even a better one.
Apathy – many are trapped in the mindset of, “Why bother, nothing ever changes? No one can make a real difference.”
Indifference – others have become desensitized to what truly matters, through materialism, self-absorption, lack of compassion, or just plain ignorance.
People have become so wrapped up in this modern world, bombarded by so much information and “stuff”, that they have forgotten to simply be. Our minds are filled with racing thoughts. And if we don’t have enough going on in our own lives to worry about, then the media will helpfully put a hefty spoonful more into our heads. All these thoughts keep us too preoccupied to see the truth, too worried to create a better world because all those worries are so focused upon, they actually become manifest.
It’s all about fear, guilt, pressure, and bullying. Even charities are buying into this consumerist mentality, with clipboard-wielding representatives chasing you down the street trying to make you feel guilty because you have nice shoes and bought a cup of coffee.
And while the world becomes more and more wrapped up in itself, it lets the rest of the world slide by, not noticing as it falls further and further towards the edge of the precipice.
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
- Martin Luther King, Jnr.
It is as if we have starved our tree of life, so preoccupied with getting the best branch to ourselves that we have neglected it, cut off the roots to further our own selfish cause, and thus cut off our life source, forgetting to look outward at the beautiful view, the full picture, until it is too late and the tree is toppling to the ground, sustainable no longer.
Yes, it is easy to blame the banks, and the media, and the government, and the terrorists, and whoever else for the state our world is currently in. And yes, they have created a terrible mess. But we have to take some accountability too. We let them. The question now is, are we going to let them continue down this road, or are we going to forge a new one?
Do you really want this dominion of uncaring, idiotic, power-hungry corrupt politicians and corporations to continue keeping their grip on our world? Really?
It’s time to wake up. Time to stop, to empty the mind of the incessant chatter and reconnect to what truly matters. Yes, it is true to say that right now, we can’t make much of a difference. How can we make a difference to anyone else’s life, when we can’t get a grip on our own? But if everyone thought this way, nothing would ever get started. Yes, there will be times when it seems like we are getting nowhere. Times when things go horribly wrong. Times when we feel like we are actually going backwards. That’s life. But we owe it to ourselves and our future generations to kick ourselves up the backsides and start living like we should be living. Loving and caring like we should be loving and caring, not just about those close to us, but about everyone.
It’s time to go within, and start valuing ourselves. Becoming empowered again. Healing and accepting and loving ourselves, and then extending that out to others. Opening our eyes and seeing the corrupt world for what it truly is. We can’t hide away any longer and pretend it isn’t happening. We can’t pretend it will all go away, that our inaction doesn’t matter, that turning a blind eye won’t make things worse.
Or else, eventually we’ll bring our heads up from out of the sand, and find that our world has changed beyond recognition, with no way of finding our way back.
