[bpcyclist]

Hi, guys. Just trying to improve my overall peace and joy and serenity and wondering if it is possible to somehow maybe transmute, or something, this energy and passion for human rights that sometimes does, I freely admit, consume me (always has, since childhood--I am weird!) and, while experiencing and expressing tha passion for others' rights, not be so, sort of, angry. You know, I am just barely too young to actually remember Dr. King, but I have read and watched tons about him. He somehow had this unbelievable ability to emanate love, all while totally transformign the universe for the better--despite the resistance of some very nasty and powerful people.

Does anyone have any thoughts for me on this?Thanks!!!!!!1

[oldbutwise]

I used to have major anger problems when I was younger. Not surprising since I describe my school days as 1 year of kindergarten and 12 years of absolute hell. I had to learn to try to figure out what it was about that particular thing that was making me so angry. Was I empathizing with the people who were going through it? Did I feel powerless to stop what I saw happening? For a variety of reasons I had to stop watching the news and reading the newspaper. I haven't really done either for at least 25 years. Every time I did I got furious. Since then I've been much calmer although obviously some things can make my blood boil. Realizing that there was only so much I could do helped a lot too. As much as I'd love to be Superman and save the world every day I'm just a guy. It's OK. And being bipolar letting myself get so worked up like that is a "very bad idea". It took me a while to stop feeling selfish when I do this, but I have to take care of myself before I can help anybody, or even be there for anybody like my girlfriend. Just food for thought.

[Travelinglady]

I find prayer helps.

[Sometimes psychotic]

It’s how you picture the people you’re trying to change.....are they simply unaware and in need of teaching and gentle guidance or are the a holes ?

[Fuzzybear]

I agree with the post above. Well put! Are the people you are trying to change just unaware and in need of gentle teaching and guidance... or are they NOT open to the sort of positive change or growth (however slow or fast) you have a vision for? or are they simply A holes.

Good post @bpcyclist. You have my support always, my good friend

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by bpcyclist

Hi, guys. Just trying to improve my overall peace and joy and serenity and wondering if it is possible to somehow maybe transmute, or something, this energy and passion for human rights that sometimes does, I freely admit, consume me (always has, since childhood--I am weird!) and, while experiencing and expressing tha passion for others' rights, not be so, sort of, angry. You know, I am just barely too young to actually remember Dr. King, but I have read and watched tons about him. He somehow had this unbelievable ability to emanate love, all while totally transformign the universe for the better--despite the resistance of some very nasty and powerful people.

Does anyone have any thoughts for me on this?Thanks!!!!!!1

Good post, I can relate to quite a bit of this.....

[*Beth*]

This is a wonderful reason to practice meditation, because we can learn to view all of humanity as a tribe. At the same time, we notice that there are those within the tribe who need to have their thought adjusted for the good of the entire tribe of humanity.

I'll just share a story.

Today my husband and I finally decided to get out of the house. We drove about an hour away to Lake Nockamixen in rural Pennsylvania. On our way home, we drove through rural Bucks County, which is a very wealthy area with a small population. At an intersection of two country roads, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, was an elderly white man holding two signs. One read "Black Lives Matter" and the other "Show Love, Not Violence". By chance, we were one of four cars at the intersection. Odd to even see another. Each car honked in support and the occupants waved, happily. In one car there was even a black couple, which is rare in those parts, since the African American population there is quite small.

The above experience makes me feel doubly happy that we went out. Though it may seem like nothing compared to the large crowds of protesters present throughout the US, and world, it was something. It was something.

[bpcyclist]

Originally Posted by oldbutwise

I used to have major anger problems when I was younger. Not surprising since I describe my school days as 1 year of kindergarten and 12 years of absolute hell. I had to learn to try to figure out what it was about that particular thing that was making me so angry. Was I empathizing with the people who were going through it? Did I feel powerless to stop what I saw happening? For a variety of reasons I had to stop watching the news and reading the newspaper. I haven't really done either for at least 25 years. Every time I did I got furious. Since then I've been much calmer although obviously some things can make my blood boil. Realizing that there was only so much I could do helped a lot too. As much as I'd love to be Superman and save the world every day I'm just a guy. It's OK. And being bipolar letting myself get so worked up like that is a "very bad idea". It took me a while to stop feeling selfish when I do this, but I have to take care of myself before I can help anybody, or even be there for anybody like my girlfriend. Just food for thought.

I completely relate to every single woprd you wrote. Thanks!!

[bpcyclist]

Originally Posted by BirdDancer

I'll just share a story.

Today my husband and I finally decided to get out of the house. We drove about an hour away to Lake Nockamixen in rural Pennsylvania. On our way home, we drove through rural Bucks County, which is a very wealthy area with a small population. At an intersection of two country roads, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, was an elderly white man holding two signs. One read "Black Lives Matter" and the other "Show Love, Not Violence". By chance, we were one of four cars at the intersection. Odd to even see another. Each car honked in support and the occupants waved, happily. In one car there was even a black couple, which is rare in those parts, since the African American population there is quite small.

The above experience makes me feel doubly happy that we went out. Though it may seem like nothing compared to the large crowds of protesters present throughout the US, and world, it was something. It was something.

I gave a talk in Bucks County once. So beautiful, and moneyed, as you say.

Thank you for sharing this story--it made me smile. We can do this!!!

[fern46]

I think it comes down to one's beliefs about judgment, victimhood and free will.

Imagine that all we experience comes from the same source. ALL of it, not just the parts you percieve to be good. Under that model it is entirely possible that the choices others make serve as great a purpose as those you make. Unique, but equal.

Looking at an isolated incident makes sense sometimes, but all isolations fit somewhere within the whole and as best I can tell there is a general trajectory over time of expansion. Its like we watch the same play and drama play out on greater and greater scales each time.

Now onto judgment and free will. It is my belief we are here to learn or at least we are presented with the option of doing so. Sometimes we learn from the hero role. Sometimes we learn as victims or victimizers. Sometimes we learn as children and other times as parents. Sometimes as patients. Other times as healers. We learn through destruction. It might require one person to dip into various roles to get a well rounded education. Others can simply learn through observation and stick with their specialty. Neither is right or wrong if we assume the goal is to learn and expand.

The inputs for any one individual are unique and they are on their own expansive trajectory. What might feel like insensitive and evil behavior to you might be a step toward love for someone who is in a much darker place. It is all relative and using a lens of relativity to look at what is happening helps me the most. It helps me step away from judgment and focus more on my own choice and what I am choosing to put forward.

There are people who know in their soul without a doubt the abuses we see are wrong. They want to scream and yell and force becsuse why the beck can't everyone else just see what is so obviously clear? For those people, maybe the expansion and learning opportunity lies within acceptance and allowance. This is the same lesson the super star student who judges his slower classmates is given the opportunity to learn. If he judges, he is rejected. If he approaches with love, compassion and allowance he is sometimes given an opportunity to tutor his classmate.

This does not mean anyone needs to tolerate abusive behavior, but perhaps some can grow in their ability to emanate that love you speak of even in the face of this horror show because they know dropping down to another frequency just fuels an already out of control fire.

As a parent I struggle with this all the time on a small scale when I see my children fight and especially when my oldest manipulates or uses physical strength against my youngest. When I shame the oldest or try to force change he rejects the lesson every single time. When I explode in anger, he rejects me. When I allow him to show his feelings, make his case and tell him it is ok to feel as he does, but it is possible to also see things another way and ask him if he is willing to discuss it together, he listens sometimes. He is especially open when I remind him I love him and accept him the same no matter what he chooses. Either way, he is getting time away on his own to think about it. I won't contribute to the behavior or passively allow it to continue in my presence.

That's how I feel I need to approach this. All of the people involved deserve my love and acceptance. They deserve my patience. If they are open to discussion of perspectives, great. If not, they can know I am not an enemy and I will do nothing to further their pain. Meanwhile, I will step in an shut down any open displays of abuse happening in my presence as best I can. I have no idea if that is right or wrong or enough, but it is what I feel is appropriate for me.

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by fern46

I think it comes down to one's beliefs about judgment, victimhood and free will.

Imagine that all we experience comes from the same source. ALL of it, not just the parts you percieve to be good. Under that model it is entirely possible that the choices others make serve as great a purpose as those you make. Unique, but equal.

Looking at an isolated incident makes sense sometimes, but all isolations fit somewhere within the whole and as best I can tell there is a general trajectory over time of expansion. Its like we watch the same play and drama play out on greater and greater scales each time.

Now onto judgment and free will. It is my belief we are here to learn or at least we are presented with the option of doing so. Sometimes we learn from the hero role. Sometimes we learn as victims or victimizers. Sometimes we learn as children and other times as parents. Sometimes as patients. Other times as healers. We learn through destruction. It might require one person to dip into various roles to get a well rounded education. Others can simply learn through observation and stick with their specialty. Neither is right or wrong if we assume the goal is to learn and expand.

The inputs for any one individual are unique and they are on their own expansive trajectory. What might feel like insensitive and evil behavior to you might be a step toward love for someone who is in a much darker place. It is all relative and using a lens of relativity to look at what is happening helps me the most. It helps me step away from judgment and focus more on my own choice and what I am choosing to put forward.

There are people who know in their soul without a doubt the abuses we see are wrong. They want to scream and yell and force becsuse why the beck can't everyone else just see what is so obviously clear? For those people, maybe the expansion and learning opportunity lies within acceptance and allowance. This is the same lesson the super star student who judges his slower classmates is given the opportunity to learn. If he judges, he is rejected. If he approaches with love, compassion and allowance he is sometimes given an opportunity to tutor his classmate.

This does not mean anyone needs to tolerate abusive behavior, but perhaps some can grow in their ability to emanate that love you speak of even in the face of this horror show because they know dropping down to another frequency just fuels an already out of control fire.

As a parent I struggle with this all the time on a small scale when I see my children fight and especially when my oldest manipulates or uses physical strength against my youngest. When I shame the oldest or try to force change he rejects the lesson every single time. When I explode in anger, he rejects me. When I allow him to show his feelings, make his case and tell him it is ok to feel as he does, but it is possible to also see things another way and ask him if he is willing to discuss it together, he listens sometimes. He is especially open when I remind him I love him and accept him the same no matter what he chooses. Either way, he is getting time away on his own to think about it. I won't contribute to the behavior or passively allow it to continue in my presence.

That's how I feel I need to approach this. All of the people involved deserve my love and acceptance. They deserve my patience. If they are open to discussion of perspectives, great. If not, they can know I am not an enemy and I will do nothing to further their pain. Meanwhile, I will step in an shut down any open displays of abuse happening in my presence as best I can. I have no idea if that is right or wrong or enough, but it is what I feel is appropriate for me.

Great post, my friend