Exposure Is A Trusted Ally
"So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known."-Jesus Of Nazareth
One of the great dualities of our day is that in an age where technologies have the ability to explore/expose virtually every aspect of our life we have an enormous amount of money, media and other resources devoted solely to censorship, cancellations and promoting certain narratives. People feel offended or perhaps even threatened by certain content and so they rush to shut down the source of that content. This entitlement-form of thinking and acting will never produce positive outcomes. When I was a kid, my dad would quote an old Dodge commercial "Grab life by the horns" sometimes changing it to "Grab the bull by the horns". The implication here is that I must face what's in front of me to move on and improve myself. Easier said than done for sure; but it does ring true. I'll do my best to describe some helpful tactics to do this along with personal examples.
1. Don't rush into a problem without at least a basic (ideally fundamental) understanding of the problem. So often we react based on our emotions, past, biases, family, etc. These may offer some insights, but are likely to have significant flaws and yield poor results. Take time to pause and reflect. Give yourself the space needed to form a clear picture and build from there. Journaling can be a good tool here. Write down needed information (ex. dates, people, places, etc.)
2. Seek out support from trustworthy people (friends, family, coworkers...) This relates to my first point, but it can give you an even bigger foot in the door to figuring out what you need. Be prepared to agree to disagree. Honest and open debate/disagreements can yield much fruit if done respectfully.
3. "If you see something, say something." This regular announcement from NYC and other transit lines is so important. In a way it's similar to my school teachers who encouraged us to ask questions "If you have a question about something, there's a very good chance at least 10 other people have the same or similar question." Sure some people may be offended or disappointed, but it's not all about them. Life isn't simply about comfort and convenience. Sometimes we need to be the squeaky wheel. And with phones and social media, we have many different outlets to choose from.
Recently I've been actively using Twitter to share content I feel is important for nearly everyone to be aware of. Often this content is of a heavy/undesirable nature and I wish some of it wasn't true. But it is. Videos of thugs out in the street threatening violence "There will be blood" at a drag show in Cleveland, Ohio. Masses of people on the street with trash all around in El Paso. Certain aspects of the war in Ukraine/Nato, etc... I'd personally rather not see these things. But burying my head in the sand won't help. Exposure of this filth and those involved in it is at least potentially the start of some solutions. We can't solve problems we don't know about. I try to share good things too: classic music, comedy, prayer/faith, humanitarian videos. These do exist and are essential to coping with life's stressors.
In short, I encourage everyone to follow his or her conscience. We are often smarter and better than we give ourselves credit for. We must indeed be gentle with ourselves and others (as much as possible) as we navigate the stormy seas of life. Humility is also vitally important. We must admit to ourselves and others around us that we don't have all the answers; nor are we supposed to. It is in humbling ourselves that we open the door to more insight and potentially even a divine source of wisdom/revelation. Peace be to you and God love you.
Comments
Post a Comment