In these interesting times, social media has many people involved in debate. The conversations are important, but sometimes they cease to be a conversation. Sometimes people are just lashing out - or seem to be deliberately inspiring others to do so. It can be challenging to voice an opinion when it feels like an invitation to argument and negativity.
"Hamilton" actor Brandon Victor Dixon was recently asked about the dos and don'ts of speaking out and making political statements:
"I think the 'do' is to make sure that whatever you say, that you lead with positivity, that you lead with love so that you can continue to invite people into the conversation... A lot of times we want to demonize the opposition... In our country we get into this process of winning and losing... I think it's important to make criticisms of the government as a whole and criticisms of the policies, but to do so in a way that you can invite the individuals who maybe were on the opposition before, who voted for somebody who now you are in disagreement with, that you open the door for a conversation with those people because we have to be able to come together. We have to be able to speak with one another. And that is how you alter coalitions. That is how you grow coalitions. That is how you grow consensus."
- Brandon Victor Dixon
I am reminded of an audiobook I have, of a lecture by Carolyn Myss about archetypal patterns:
"If you understand that you're an Advocate and you get that about yourself, you've gotta understand your own journey. Understanding your own journey means, 'I am crafted to represent somebody or a cause. The dicey thing for me is if I make the cause personal. The moment I make the cause personal is the moment I will involve my personal anger as fuel. If I involve my personal anger as fuel, I will take the anger from my youth. I will take anger that has nothing to do with this cause and I will smash it into people's faces and I will feel justified doing that... That contaminates everything I'm doing.'"
- Carolyn Myss, Archetypes: Who Are You? (audiobook)
Here's to us each finding our voice and our passions while avoiding the pitfalls - wherever we may be on our journey.
Namaste,
T
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