I have to pause now and again to appreciate the wisdom of the popular songwriters of the sixties and seventies. John Lennon’s “Imagine” is a great example. Truly, what does it look like to imagine all the people living in harmony? The world would be a very different place.
Anyone who has undergone spiritual development and experienced the ephemeral qualities of the sameness within all beings (or non-duality), knows that this is the only sane way to be. And yet, it appears that humanity chooses the exact opposite.
However, I believe that most of humanity has actually not chosen this. Rather, it’s a very small group of extremely powerful ego-centric individuals who have manipulated culture to their advantage. They feed fear and violence, and profit from it.
The rest of humanity, just trying to get by, buys into the lies and relentless negative conditioning, and is therefore victimized. We are like the ignorant happy cows on the way into the slaughterhouse. Fortunately, I believe strongly that this will change as we scale positive consciousness globally and begin to phase out those negative forces.
Another classic and wise song I love is the Simon and Garfunkel classic “Feelin’ Groovy.” With everyone so hyper-aroused and feeling out of control, it’s powerful advice when he admonishes to “slow down, you move too fast, you’ve got to make this moment last.”
Why not try that right now? Just for a moment, breathe deeply and recognize that everything outside of you is something that you can’t control. So slow down, enjoy this moment, and let the fear recede until there is nothing but the now. In the present, there is no memory and no fear, just a passive noticing of what is arising. This is the most powerful practice to overcome the overwhelm we’re all feeling these days.
After slowing down and making the moment last, you can begin to simplify and declutter your life. Begin to say no to new commitments and wiggle out of the ones that don’t resonate with you. I would also recommend cutting out social media and network news (or radically limiting your access). I haven’t had network TV in my house for over twenty years. This has greatly contributed to my ability to remain positive and mindful when the world appears to be falling apart.
Life gets more peaceful and content when we slow down, shut down negativity, and simplify. With a steady commitment to these practices, we can someday fulfill John’s vision of living in true harmony.