Everyone has to have noticed what seems to be an increase in violence, anger, and division in the world. There’s something tragic to see or hear about everyday.
Everybody wants there to be some peace and resolution but there’s no one consensus to how to help. The world is rapidly changing.
We can’t deny it. We might like the changes or we might hate them. Either way things are shifting quickly.
It’s easy to make things political. And maybe that’s part of the problem. But it is affecting all of us to some degree whether we see our world’s problems as political or not.
Because no matter what we do, we can’t isolate from the world.
So why are we so angry and divided?
There’s a saying about mediation that goes something like this. “Meditating isn’t about getting away from the world, it’s about stepping into it. Because the world is in you.”
Resistance is Futile
You know when you’re not feeling well and you try to tell yourself to snap out of it? Yeah, it doesn’t work so well.
It’s only when we accept the fact that we’re depressed, anxious, or angry that we begin the process of getting through it. It’s when we get past the shame of being in shame, get over the anger of being angry, we can do something with it. 
Is it reasonable to think that if we can just get other people to change that things will be better? Ideally, we’d like it to be this way.
But realistically things don’t change when we expect others to change.
Why? If everyone is expecting everyone else to change, can we really expect things to change?
We’re Addicted
There’s nothing wrong with anger. It’s a human emotion that we all have. There’s no getting rid of it.
But then, why do we turn from it? Or why do we get angry when others are angry?
Right now, it seems the world is stuck. We’re in this place of perpetual frustration with the world around us. We don’t see our own place in the problems we are seeing.
It’s like we’re addicted to being angry, blaming others, pointing fingers, and being offended. We say that we want peace, but do we really want peace?
The Lack of Focus on Self
When we get the peace that we seek, when all of the things around us come together in harmony, does that change the internal struggles we deal with?
If there were to be peace around you, you’d be faced eye to eye with everything you’ve ever struggled with. Still want peace?
There would be no excuses, no one to blame, nothing or no one left to “get their act to together”. It’d just be you and your shadows. You and your skeletons.
It’s easy to see why we stay stuck in perpetual conflict. Most of us would rather do anything to not have to deal with what we are internally dealing with.
It’s much easier to put our energies into what is outside of us.
It’s much easier to look externally.
Being Realistic
Ever read the news on the internet, see something horrible, and think “we’ve got to do something about this”?
But then you realize that you can’t even get to work on time or can’t even find peace and resolution in your own relationship?
You can’t figure out a way to be a more focused parent for your kids but you want to put your conscious energy into world affairs.
Does that seem realistic?
The Stuff You Deal With IS Important
Your problems are important. But do you believe that?
Yeah, maybe they’re not as important as global warming or the conflict in the Middle East. But honestly, what are you going to do about it?
And even if you are active in social change (and don’t get me wrong we NEED people to be active in social change) why is it ok to neglect your needs?
Why is it ok for you to be out of balance or not be happy? Does your family deserve that? Do your kids benefit from it? Does it make your life any better?
When is it time for you to work on you?
Focusing on What You Can Change Now
Ask yourself this question. What if everyone in the world decided to face their biggest fears, begin healing old wounds, and improved their personal well being? What would the world look like?
What’s stopping us from from doing this now? Better yet, where do we get off thinking we’re an exception? Thinking we’re not as important as everyone else?
But our stuff is important. Our needs do deserve to be met. Our families, our spouses, and our kids do depend on us to take care of ourselves.
How many social justice warriors do you think are truly happy? So many of them are searching for peace but couldn’t tell you what it’s like to be at ease.
And those who are happy, have you ever talked to them to find out why?
How are they able to put up with the ugliest parts of reality and still smile, laugh, and love life?
We all want things to change but how many of us are willing to change? Do we want to continue to be a part of the minutia of the conflict around us?
Do we want to stay frustrated, angry, and bitter about how nothing seems to be getting better? Or do we want to look inward and do our own changing?
And maybe when we do this, we’ll see our world change right before us and get what we’ve been looking for all along.
That’s not selfish. It’s what the world needs.
Peace.
What are your thoughts?