Meditation Can’t Change the Awful Things Happening in the World, Michelle.
the outer world reflects our inner ones
Given that I’m me (and Zuck, Musk & The Google Gods know what I search for & read), I see a lot of content about meditation, mindfulness, and self-healing online.
Some of the content is pretty shallow and consists of “live, laugh, love & light” statements that don’t go deeper than “meditate and heal yourself.”
Part of it also includes commentary like this:
Meditation doesn’t change the fact that I don’t have enough time to do everything on my list…work, family, life, and trying to meditate? No.
It doesn’t fix my <_______>. Insert terrible marriage, depressed/anxious teenager, sh*tty boss, racist neighbor, retirement woes, healthcare options, any circumstance out of our control here.
AND
No one can meditate their way out of years of systemic oppression, a neverending pandemic, discrimination, death of a loved one, racism, equity gaps, disease, ableist policymaking, war crimes, and the cruelty of the world.
All the above statements?
True.
Also, not entirely...
It isn’t that these statements aren’t valid. They are.
But often these statements are resistances that are bitterly shared in retaliation to the idea that peace, both internally and externally, is actually possible.
When we agree with these above statements without going deeper, it casually dismisses the tools that are here to help calm our inner worlds so we can change the outer one.
Many humans want to feel peace desperately but don’t know how to achieve it.
It’s in our biological nature. Humans were designed for homeostasis; a foundation of stability and peace allows us to trust ourselves so we can seek out security and connection and the freedom to pursue meaningful things and self-actualize.
(Yes, I Maslow’d this. No, Maslow’d isn’t a real word. I’m working on my neologisms.)
“Mindfulness” and “Meditation” aren’t twin unicorns that ride in on a trail of glitter to solve all our problems.
They can’t end racial profiling or hate that leads to Black humans being murdered. They don’t stop BIPOC oppression or rewrite ableist laws. They can’t reverse Putin and Russian soldiers from invading and torturing people in Ukraine. They can’t end partisan rants, pandemics, or stop Death in its tracks.
They don’t give control of women’s bodies back to women or halt violence against children and vulnerable humans.
They can’t grant equitable access to struggling families or close a wage gap.
They don’t transform your partner, child, or others in your orbit. These things can’t even deposit a million dollars in your retirement fund.
They were never meant to.
Meditation, mindfulness, self-reflection, and claiming and protecting our time to deeply breathe and calm inner conflicts are simply an invitation to rest and work toward bringing peace within ourselves so we can continue to work toward bringing that energy to the world outside of us.
These practices can’t change what has been…but they can help us bring peace, clarity, and calm to what’s happening right now and influence what happens next.
No good plan was ever brought to fruition and sustained from chaos.
No good life is achieved from steeping in our own inner turmoils.
Seek peace to spread peace.
I promise you, it is inside you right now.
Xox,
Michelle
P.S. I’m offering a day-long retreat with guided visualization and mindful rituals for peace-seekers who need some reflection and rejuvenation time. We’ll also create our own meaningful steps forward. Tentatively: June 11, 2022, in Irvington, VA (about 75 minutes outside Richmond). $169. Want more info? Reply here.💜
P.P.S. See this blog pic? My interview with Benita Conde tackles the topics in this email…and more. It’s simply beautiful. Watch it here & subscribe for more like it.
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