“…now that I am becoming less lonely and more loved,

I am also becoming more visible and therefore more vulnerable.” – Audre Lorde

 

As Jane Austen might say, it is a truth rather stealthily acknowledged that we are living in a relatively peaceful time in human history.

Yes, I said a peaceful time. Despite the violence overload in the news.

But there is a reason why we as a species dwell on the horror and conflicts.

It’s not just “if it bleeds, it leads.”

It’s not just “we’re giving the public what they want.”

And it’s not just the financial incentive to cater to sensationalism and gore.

There is another, deeper reason. Basically, we’re stuck in an old story – an ancient mental rut.

Conflict, hatred, fear, envy, ignorance. We’re used to telling ourselves these myths about human nature. It’s pretty easy to believe – given our collective track record – that we’re angry, guilt-ridden creatures. And the more we repeat these tales, the more pervasive and real they become.

But maturation means taking oneself into account.

Being mature means confronting the well-worn myths we tell ourselves and asking: Do they serve me anymore? Are these mental stories actually harming me? If so, how can I move into a new, more just, whole, and honest way of being?

Today’s burning questions are:

Are we ready, as humans, to be less lonely and more loved? Less blind and more visible? Less defensive and more vulnerable?

 

Are we ready to age into beauty, wisdom, and set fire to old myths, preparing our ground for new, fruitful growth?

The body of the world will heal: AS LONG AS

we change the way the mind of the world thinks,

we change the way the eyes and ears of the world perceive,

and we change the way the hands and heart of the world reach out, hold, and set free.

Once we embody these questions and mental transformations in ourselves, maybe we’ll really start to believe that we’re living in a peaceful era.

For peace must be a daily reality, not a global abstraction.