Maintaining a balanced mindset is the key to evolution — Part 2 of 2
I was going to wait at least a few days to post this, but I’m buzzing and excited after the NJC’s Wake N Bakes. Chocolate covered espresso beans that get you high AND make grocery shopping bearable? YES PLEASE!
OK, on to part two-act three, scene 36:
I’m calling BS
We all have to work, but if we all work TOGETHER, then we can all REST as well. Without the guilt and shame, we keep pointing at each other for legitimately needing to rest. And isn’t that where we feel our happiest? At rest and at play? It sounds like a purpose in life to me…
When I was younger, damnitt, I wanted to play the part of Princess or queen in our pretend play at my religious daycare after elementary school! I wanted to be doted on and pampered. Every. Last. (Person who identified as a) Girl. There. Did.
And on the other end of things, most of the (persons who identified as) boys at the daycare wanted to be the cop that caught the “bad guy.” Because they were the perpetually “good” guy and, therefore by default, would always win and be more powerful after some kind of slight struggle.
We wanted the world to be as simple as good and bad. Or holy and evil. If it were to remain that simple, the world would feel like a far less complex place with only temporary struggles that you overcome by “powering through” and being a “warrior.”
If you just survived and hung on for the ride, waiting for the wave to pass, so that you could swim towards something again, you were the weakest link. Goodbye!
Actually, in my experience, the hangers-on ended up getting the most human connections out of those interactions. They get the advantage of balancing multiple perspectives and can see, empathize with, and feel what the other side feels like too.
Surprise!!! Both sides think THEY are the good guys, and the bad guys are on the other end of their pointed finger (or words, or politics, or religion, or values, etc.)
I’m happy to be the hanger-on. My kindness has always been mistaken for weakness, yet I see so much from my position in this world that so few others naturally seem to. I’m not THAT damned special, though. That’s kind of my whole point. Us hangers-on, us “balanced minds” that don’t swing too far one way or the other, we KNOW we’re not that special. We KNOW we are in this together, and we have been since long before pandemic drama hit, and it became last year’s catch phrase. We’re waiting for the rest of you fu$!@rs to figure it out so we can continue to evolve.
“Balanced, as all things should be…” (Picture by www.animatedtimes.com)
Maybe this dude really snapped his finger after all?
Listen,
Conflict only prevents us from further evolution, but the momentum and energy never stop, ya dig? So if we don’t stop fighting and EVOLVE, then we continue fighting and DEVOLVE, perpetually assured that it’s THEIR fault.
Guess what? You’re a THEIR! You’re a THEY! You’re a THEM! To someone, you are the bad guy, and they are the good guy. Which one do you identify as? What stories are you telling yourself about your place in this world?
Do you remember teeter-totters? They would go up and down and up and down, each player taking a turn being the winner or the loser or the winner or the loser. This was because of gravity-a force entirely out of their control… (they can only take advantage of its presence).
Maybe it’s time we get off the competitive thing, and we start exploring the rest of the playground? I’ll bet there’s a lot of fun toys out there…and I always used to kick a$$ at some tetherball. How about we call it a tie and move the eff on? See you on the swing set, reader. I’m too tired to play anymore, so I’m just gonna sit here in the middle.
*sigh* there is nothing quite as simultaneously satisfying and annoying as chasing a philosophy train to the end of its tracks.
Was it good for you too, reader? 🚭
This is my brain’s nostalgic soundtrack tonight. ALMOST as good as Michael Franti & Spearhead. But not quite.
Slan!
………….
