Panic. That’s what the media flood our minds with. People attacking people. Panicked people defending themselves. More attacks. More fear.
Violence feels inescapable. But is it?
For the Ego, it is.
Because above all, the Ego fears death, and avoiding it is its North Star. Besides the fact that death is an inevitable part of life, having this as one’s only goal makes living freely almost impossible.
Seeing the tremendous violence perpetrated against peaceful, unarmed citizens in Minneapolis, all our alarms go off. Death is happening, we’ve seen it with our eyes.
My Ego, fearing I’m next, fills me with feelings and thoughts of defense and attack. And once I allow these thoughts and feelings to take root, fear becomes the lens I see life through. That’s when my mind goes wild:
- Will I find a job that gives me and my family financial stability––or will I die?
- Will my son be allowed to transfer to a different state––or will I die?
- Will my body be strong enough to endure the freezing temperatures in Milwaukee––or will I die?
- Will I have enough space in the house for office space––or will I die?
From that place, I see only attacks; my defenses get triggered. I lose space for compassion, for understanding the fear in others. I become a victim and, the moment I can, a perpetrator.
I can’t control other people’s decisions and actions. But I can control my mind to not allow fear to take root in it. I can refuse to close my heart to goodness so that I can continue to bring peace into the world.
Even a tiny drop of nonviolence into the collective consciousness makes a difference, and that’s what I’m doing.
What will you refuse to close your heart to?
Love,
Carolina
Carolina Perez Sanz 