Finding Peace In A Divided World

Just for today… farm photos, but a broader topic.   I’d like to speak from my heart. I imagine that we all have felt the chaos of the last few months (years, even) and the deep divide that seems to have split our country into two diametrically opposed sides.  It can be a daily stressor.  And, tragically, it has fractured friendships and families.   It’s certainly not a new phenomenon.  No, as humans, we have been tribalistic since the beginning – and the sad thing is… it has never served us well.I have given this a lot of thought in the last week as I read news stories that try to predict our future.  I have witnessed hate and vitriol on social media and in the news.   I am saddened by the lack of empathy that I see.   In my lifetime I have witnessed immense acts of love and kindness from both sides of the divide.  Acts of immeasurable goodness are something of which we are all capable.So, how do we go forward?  How do we proceed?  How do we retain the best parts of our ethos – and leave the fear, the judgement, the anger (all of the negativity that weighs us down) behind us?To me, the answer lies in compassion.  To be compassionate, we must realize that every single human being walks their own path.  In essence, our paths feel solitary because no one walks the exact same path.We each experience the world differently – through separate eyes – our personal stories shaping our beliefs and our biases.  In our desire to have companionship, we seek out those with similar ideologies because, in doing so, we gain community and a sense of belonging.  Our shared ideologies give us the sense of being part of a tribe, and, in order for us to feel secure in that tribe – we fortify ourselves with dogmas, philosophies, and theologies that confirm our biases and beliefs.   It doesn’t take long before an “us versus them” mentality takes hold and we forget that we share a collective experience with all of humanity – not just half of it.  In the end, we lose our compassion. I’m not saying that we all need to agree – disagreement is good… it helps us to grow, compromise, and move forward.  What I am saying is that we can never forget that we are more alike than we are different.  I know that I have written those words many times before, but, now more than ever we need to truly take them to heart.  We do not understand another person’s path unless we have walked in their shoes.  Of course, there are those who, for some reason, are devoid of empathy or compassion – those are things we cannot change.  Luckily, those souls are few.So, how do we proceed?  How do we walk forward merging our separate paths into one compassionate experience? For myself… I will strive to practice empathy (listening to diverse perspectives and trying to understand others’ experiences.)  I will foster self awareness by recognizing my own biases and emotions.  I will cultivate mindfulness by focussing on the present moment with a concentration on gratitude for that moment.  For me, Nature certainly helps with this goal! I will try to always engage in respectful dialogue, discussing differences constructively.  I will embrace kindness, making it the goal of every interaction.  I will practice humility by understanding that my own beliefs and biases, though right for me, may not be right for everyone else.  Lastly, I will maintain my inner peace through positivity (releasing negativity through forgiveness),  meditation, the serenity of nature, an appreciation of life’s beauty, and the reminder that peace begins within.I dream of a world in which we celebrate our differences – with an understanding that we are each a tiny, but important, part of something much greater than ourselves.  I dream of a world that allows each person to express their unique individuality in an atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion.  I dream of a world in which our collective works together to elevate every single individual – where kindness and compassion are the gifts that we give not only to others but to ourselves, as well.  I dream of a healthy, harmonious, flourishing Earth that cradles a healthy, happy, loving humanity.I am grateful for all that we share here, in this safe space, with each other – no matter our different perspectives.  I am pretty sure that we agree on more than not.  Sending love from the farm!