Stories… I read the paper, look at facebook posts and hear people talk. Almost everything is a story, a perspective from someone’s head, a possible myth we tell ourselves about the world we live in based on an experience, an observation, or a belief. Stories about the fire, about who or what is at fault, about how to fix this mess or waiting for others to make it go away.
Stories about climate change, about who or what is at fault, about how to fix that supposed problem or to force others to change. Stories about Trump, about blaming him, about how we can get rid of him so that our world is a better place. In my story, not much has changed since the election other than which side is bitching and moaning. Many tried to impeach Obama when he was elected. Remember? I am sure many will want to argue with my story. Funny thing… it’s my story and you don’t have to agree. If you are into peace and diversity and freedom, I suggest you try to hear a diverse story and allow people to tell their story. Maybe the South was right in some ways. It’s not about picking sides, is it?
I have an old pattern of contempt for myself when I cannot fix the conflict that violently swirls around me. People that cannot speak to their own family members because they disagree. A past marriage that ended in unresolved conflict. Team members that hold resentment toward one another. I had seen this inability to resolve all conflicts as my fault. I now know this is not my fault. This is our fault. We all engage in contempt, conflict and confusion usually created by a story we tell ourselves. We hold tightly to our stories and allow the story to continue the conflict.
A better choice might be curiosity, compassion, and courage. This is an individual choice. As long as I look outside myself and focus on others, I do not have to work on myself. That’s more comfortable and convenient but solves nothing. It creates more of the same dysfunction.
Oh, the stories we weave, cling to, and tell over and over again. What are the unintended consequences of your story?
Chris Martin
Hamilton
Howard says
“Maybe the South was right in some ways.”? The South decided to take up arms and kill their fellow Americans in order to preserve their ability to own other human beings. They were traitorous white supremacists, plain and simple. In what ways was that right exactly? Along the same lines, in what ways was Adolf Hitler “right”?
Bottom line: when one side is in favor of slavery, white supremacy, or genocide, it is absolutely, positively all “about picking sides”. Which side are you on Chris Martin?