We Have a Choice

Will Protests Alone Produce The Evolution We Want?

By Crystal Foster

These worldwide protests have been a big wake-up call, and alerted masses of people to the fact that there are vast numbers who want change. People are starting to see that we all want the same things. But it is time to take the next step.

As long as there are demonstrations against what those “in charge” are doing, we the people send the message that we hope to be listened to and for their actions to change. We hope that these ones in control at the top will start to work for the same things we want: peace, health, freedom and harmony for all people, and care of the earth.

If that were their agenda, that is what we would already have.

Marching against their actions now in the hope that our outrage will make them change their behaviour is doing two things: placing our faith in these people, and threatening them. We are saying both, “I believe you will listen and change your actions,” and “You’d better change your actions, or else!”

Or Else What?

That is where we will be pushed to. Those who have been in control all this time won’t stop until they have no other choice. They hope to see things descend into chaos, so that people will look to them in desperation to create order again.

It is time now to move the choice away from them and onto us. We actually have a choice right now. To be free. The world we all want will not be made by the same people who got us to where we are today. It will be made by us.

We ourselves have placed conditions on our peace and freedom. We have believed that when we start earning enough, or have achieved xyz, or an event has happened, then we will feel peaceful and be free. True peace, happiness, and freedom don’t appear as a result of outer conditions. They also cannot be found in any other moment than right now. This moment is all we truly ever have.

All of the chaos and unrest we’ve seen is happening to force us to realize that we can’t rely on outer conditions to bring our inner peace. It is happening so that we will turn within ourselves. There is a part of every one of us that is absolute peace, love, strength, and freedom. It cannot be taken away by anyone.

When Nelson Mandela was persecuted and jailed, did he lose himself to anger? When Jesus was ridiculed and killed, did he shout at those who were insulting him and cower in fear? When Mother Theresa saw the pain and suffering every day in Calcutta, did she become so traumatized she couldn’t face it anymore and gave up? No. They had each been on their own journey within, and connected with the truth of who they were. They knew they could withstand anything and live in their truth.

I have seen this in working with survivors of trauma, and in myself when I was faced with my deepest pain. What I have seen is that when people go through something that feels like it just might break them, the way through it is to go within. All you want to do is run from the pain. You want to fight whoever caused it, eat, drink, or drug it away so you can’t feel it, never leave the house again so you are never reminded of it, or throw yourself into work or partying to forget it.

You can never run far enough. Feelings of pain will never stop having a hold on you until you face them.

Going within means coming face to face with the pain whenever it hits you. Breathing through it. Allowing it to be there, part of your experience in that moment. Then something beautiful happens. The pain doesn’t destroy you. And you realize that you are not the pain.

You are the eternal being underneath this pain, that can never be destroyed. You are a brave one that chose to come and live on this planet and be faced with pain like this so that you could learn through experience. You came here so that you could connect with the deep truth of who you are, and live that truth no matter what is going on around you. Now is the time to live that truth.

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