What I find most frustrating in today’s world is everything seems to be taken to the extremes. It seems like every example that we are shown of anyone, and of anything, is the rare, scary, worst case scenario, and this “worst case” extreme is being held up, as a typical example of the whole (“the whole” being any particular race, gender affiliation, generation, political party, job/industry, religion, area one lives in, etc.). I don’t honestly relate to the extreme members of any group, whether the group be political, social, religious, etc., even those groups that I technically “belong to” and associate with. I’ve never been “educated” by an extremist or a fundamentalist in any area, because I have already shut down in fear, and in disgust to anything that they have to say.
As seen above, if I had never experienced an ordinary house cat before, and this picture is how I first encountered a cat, I might falsely assume that all domesticated cats are warmongers. In reality, this is actually the first time that I have ever even witnessed a housecat in military regalia. (and this is likely a doctored picture. I don’t assume that “Morris” realizes that he is sitting on an army tank).
I don’t believe that any extremist and fundamentalist is representative of “the whole” of anything. I do believe that hardcore extremists and fundamentalists are more rare than we are led to believe. Yet in my experience lately, our news media, and our social media would have us believing that almost everyone is an extremist about every single one of their own individual beliefs. Can you imagine how exhausting it would be to be that extreme and unyielding about every aspect of your life?! Extremists do not represent my family, nor my friends, nor my community. Do they yours? It takes a lot of energy, (and usually angry, hate-filled, one-minded, intolerant energy) to be an extremist. I prefer being around people who move from their deepest, most soulful energy when they are going about life. These people live their beliefs. Their energy seems to manifest itself in kind, curious, intuitive, loving, open-minded, healthy, thoughtful, and considerate ways. Their energy seems to do a better job of going about their lives mindfully, and confidently “being” the way, versus trying to control and shame and “cancel” and dominate and scare and bully others, into following “a certain prescribed way.” It is much better to be an example of a life well lived, than to try to force, and to indoctrinate your beliefs and your way of life on to anyone else. What say you, Morris?
(Fun Fact: The original Morris, the cat, was a humane society rescue who starred in 58 commercials from 1969-1978, until he died at the age of 17.)
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.