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Labels
I have a history of difficult experiences at dentist offices. So the label "dentist", for much of my life, had a very negative connotation. I had a fear that any "dentist" would cause me harm. So much so that when I was single and dating I would have avoided dating a dentist. In more recent years I stumbled upon a dentist that overcame that "bad" label. His kindness, personality, and approach Find Your People
"In a world of strangers, you don't know who to trust. All you see is danger, try to find what you lost. You can't go it alone, everybody needs help. You got to find your people, then you'll find yourself." (Lyrics from: Find Your People by Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors) Stranger Danger It is so very scary to look around (the neighborhood, city, or country) and feel "different" and not aligned with others. When everyone feels like a stranger, our nervous system tells us we are in Just Like Me
Categorizing By Default How do we end division when our brain automatically wants to label and categorize? We label and categorize automatically because our brains were designed this way to help keep us safe. When our ancestors had to forage for food, the unknown was unsafe. So we learned to favor the known. Dear Disheartened Americans
Recent events greatly impacted the hope, courage, and spirit of many Americans. I have noticed many of you getting very quiet, and even disconnecting from life and other people. Shutting down to protect, is an automatic response of the nervous system when threatened with danger. It can be wise and helpful at times to temporarily retreat. Yet if you retreat into a deep dark cave there is Making Sense of Other People's Choices.
Feel your disappointment, confusion, and anger. But don't stop there. Staying in a mindset of resistance and judgment will maintain a state of division. Certainly there are components in other people's choices that could intensify our frustrations and divide us further. However, to move towards unity we need to first process our feelings and then find components and motivations that will help us align, understand, and rebuild our common humanity. This is not the end of the story.
Find a way to settle yourself. Breathe. Create. Express. Find a way to act. Believe. Uplift. And most of all Love. |