Shaking the hell right out of it
Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.
–Bertrand Russell
Okay, I was testing everyone with last week’s movie night. Forgive me for being a little obnoxious as an opportunity to make a point. I decided when I started blogging and publishing articles that I had to stay away from taking a deconstructionist point of view. “The News” is generally about broadcasting what’s wrong in the world at any given moment. For anyone who identifies as an empathic intellectual, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of critiquing, taking apart, and dissecting what’s wrong. You could spend a life-time looking at everything through a pessimistic lens or filter, always diagnosing, never contributing solutions.
Yes, that’s an important component of awareness, but aren’t there already plenty of people devoting their lives to reminding us what’s fracked up? Are we really in danger of running out of critics, naysayers, and alarmists?
Moral Outrage is a Trap
I spent the vast majority of my life in a state of outrage. I continue to struggle, on a daily basis, with impulses and input triggers for outrage…
When you’re an empath, sensitive to feeling the emotions and vibes of other people, you’re bound to wind up carrying a burden of suffering; outrage and righteous indignation are a given — inevitable — they come with the territory of consciousness. When you’re righteously indignant and outraged, you’re motivated by consciousness and compassion, right? You’re responding to injustice. You’re technically a good person; a better person for being aware, right?
Hating the haters just isn’t going to cut it. You can dedicate yourself to tearing down towers of greed and axes of evil — that’s never going to be the same thing as building Lighthouses.
When I say I struggle with outrage, that doesn’t mean I’m losing or failing, or that I’ve resigned myself to defeat; I wrestle my sense of outrage a step further — I shift it — into an ever-unfolding, on-going process of co-creation where the questions are “So what? Now what?”
Diatribes
Throughout my twenties, before there were blogs, I was still blogging. I wrote a column, a series of essays, on culture and spirit called Diatribes. They were intended for spoken word and live speeches and film narration. I successfully attached a few of them to films; my efforts, the display of my talent, was well received. But they were essentially rants — criticisms, diagnoses. Skill or literary merit can — and often does — exist separate from potential solutions, treatments, courses-of-action.
I can identify with the juvenile mindset of the creator of Esoteric Agenda because I personally know that channel all too well. It’s a trap; a 24-7 live feed with no remote control.
In 1997, I was introduced to the idea of Gratitude Journaling by Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way; it changed my writing — and, I realize now — my very thought processes. My existing journals suddenly seemed like records of whining and despair. Maybe well-written, maybe insightful — but “So what? Now what?”
The Book of Faded Green
For years, my private non-fiction notebooks lined up on a shelf in a subtle spectrum of subdued hues in leather and velvet. I selected them with some subconscious aesthetic instinct but I would consciously use the colors and textures as conceptual parameters. I would name them for their literal appearance, which became the abstract lens or filter through which I viewed the contents.
There is a Book of Sunday Gray, a Book of Blood Red, a Book of Wine, a Book of Sky… (I suppose it’s unfortunate that I couldn’t stomach a Rose-colored diary.)
I worked on filling multiple books simultaneously, organically, but with an obsessive, disciplined writer’s work ethic. It was a meaningful coincidence that a blank book bound in soft moss-colored velvet was available for my first experiments in gratitude. Beyond the contents and the intentions, the most magical thing about the Book of Faded Green is that it was physically transformed through use to reflect the content, instead of the other way around. My “scientific” theory is that natural oil on my hands and the wear of its repeated handling changed it from faded and fuzzy to slick and saturated.
Before I finished filling its pages the somber little tome awoke to some supernatural Spring - it literally turned shiny bright leaf-green.
I had to change its name to reflect its greening — simply to the Book of Green — and that’s how I came to discover what the book was really about. It wasn’t doomed to be faded; its face and body were malleable, able to be shifted through my intentions and actions.
The rules of the assignment are simple:
Beyond just a list of what you’re grateful for — what’s good and wonderful about your experience — it’s a bridge out of pessimism that acknowledges and focuses on the steps in between.
- You are not allowed to complain, whine, or rant — except in the context of a proposed solution.
- You don’t ignore your suffering or your problems — but you can’t identify them without recording a potential treatment or possible course of action.
For example:
- Instead of writing thoughts like “I’m broke; I’m worried about money.”
- Instead of “I’m lonely; I wish I could meet someone.”
You append the undesirable situation with an answer to the questions “So what? Now what?” It doesn’t have to be the answer — just an answer.
- “My finances need my attention; I’m going to keep a conscious record of every penny I spend for a month… I’m going to find a second job…”
- “I wish I could meet someone; I’m going to join a gym… I’m going to join a class filled with people who are likely to share my interests… I’m going to say Yes next time my co-workers ask me to go out with them after work.”
Not long after that, I decided to make a change from corporate human resources to university career counseling and student advisement, while pursuing a master’s in clinical psychotherapy. Long story short, I discovered the distinction between analysis and coaching. Although I whole-heartedly understand and value the need for deconstruction, analysis, and thoughtful exploration of what’s “wrong” with people, for me and my sense of life purpose, “therapy” proved to be a misnomer.
Clinical analysis didn’t answer “So what? Now what?” Coaching is the professional vehicle for designing steps forward. But I also needed to bring the spiritual and religious component into that as much as possible, and so I chose to study and obtain a Masters in Holistic Ministry, which would allow me to coach others forward with spirit.
A Special Place in Hell
My outrage continued to plague me and strain against my best intentions. Something you may not know about me is that I am an obsessive consumer of “reality infotainment.” I’m a serious political/news junkie.
Even as recently as three years ago, my first personal blog concept was an aspiring pundit’s vehicle — a tongue-in-cheeky, modern twist on fire and brimstone called A Special Place in Hell. You know the old expression, “There’s a special place in hell for people who _____” There’s certainly no shortage of material.
Let me be clear, I don’t believe in a Supernatural Hell — but I do believe we make our own Hell in a very real way, right here in the Third Dimension. I similarly believe in the Ascension of Humanity and that Heaven on Earth is a future worldly reality. Which would you rather spend your energy dwelling in?
Gorging myself on politics and punditry… “So what? Now what?” Regurgitating and spewing bad news? It’s a formula for indigestion, a pessimistic obesity of the mind, heart, and soul. The world doesn’t need me to diagnose it. That’s not enough of a contribution. It’s social psychoanalysis; not spiritual coaching.
I would be consigning and resigning myself to my own Special Place in Hell.
Now What?
Consciousness, sensitivity, sympathy, empathy, and outrage… They take you half-way across the rope swing, the high wire, to the steepest vantage point on the Gorge, and then what? That’s the place where the tiniest movement is magnified, where the elastic bounce becomes most dangerous and… nauseating.
It doesn’t get you to the other side. It’s a scary half-way point where you panic, where even turning around and going back just doesn’t logically make sense, seeing as how it requires the same effort as completing the journey.
My spirit guides and Master Mother Mary delivered me the blue-print concept for Shift Your Spirits as an alternative direction. It’s actually not easy for me at all to consume the political punditry and righteous rants backstage in my dressing room. The commitment to come out once a week and try to answer “Now what?” is the most difficult writing assignment I could have ever accepted.
I am committed to breathing deeply at this half-way point — don’t look down, look forward — and keep asking “Now what?”
What is it about where we are right now that is wonderful and powerful? Conspiracy theories and deconstructive social analysis, whistle-blowing, righteous indignation, and moral outrage cause us to vibrate dangerously in our precarious position half-way across this tightrope walk — they move the wire in a sickening, frightening bounce.
Foundation for Conscious Evolution
Hang on. Don’t look down. There are brilliant minds asking “So now what?” One of my most beloved gurus is futurist author Barbara Marx Hubbard. If you want a meaningful “sequel” to films like Esoteric Agenda and Zeitgeist, or if you want to take that ending and proceed from there, if your consciousness is burdening you with more despair than hopeful options — and if you want to watch something that doesn’t feel like “two hours of your life you’ll never get back” — I recommend you watch Humanity Ascending.
In the forward to Barbara Marx Hubbard’s book Conscious Evolution: Awakening the Power of Our Social Potential, Neale Donald Walsch says he believes “the human race is beginning to lose patience with itself.”
What makes this particular period so revolutionary is that people are now doing rather than simply watching all of this. They are taking hold of the apple cart and shaking the hell out of it. And that is exactly what they are trying to do: shake the hell right out of it.
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23 Responses to “Shaking the hell right out of it”
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Hi Slade,
I love it! The question “Now what?” brings with it more than just solution-oriented thinking. It contains a certain measure of accountability. If we answer this question in any way at all, we might just have to change the status quo.
Blessings,
Andrea
Fantastic.
‘Cos so what if we’re destroying the planet? None of it matters unless it motivates us to take responsibility and do something. Who cares if the whole human race goes out with a bang or a whimper?
Yep, it’s all going on right on Planet Earth.
And it’s all up to us as to what will go on.
We’re creating it right now with our thoughts and responses.
And that means action, on a daily basis, that reflects the “Now what” vision we can collectively hold, embrace and bring to light.
Here’s to solution-orientated thinking and responding.
Love your work Slade.
Many blessings
Slade, thanks for this!
I used my writing for years as a vehicle for spewing outrage, without offering solution, without looking within to find soulution. Isn’t it easier to whine than to take action. But, perhaps, that’s because, fear takes over, and action, true meaningful movement within each of us, means we have to overcome some fear.
I chose, just over a year ago, to go beyond my fear and began using my writing as a healing device for myself. In doing so, my writing has become a healing device for others. It just so happens, that it comes out now as music.
I wanted to say, thank you again,Slade, for your Spirit Guide reading months ago. That it helped clarify the light path for me! It continues to brighten each day, as more of my path is revealed. I walk in the “now what?” each day, reaching past fear because I know that it can be done, and that what is most important, is true heart action in each moment.
Let’s look at spiritual awareness from a different viewpoint. Let’s say our individual spirit is at first a baby. It sees the world from a very limited point of view, it cries when it feels hunger or discomfort and expects to be taken care of…then it rolls over and it’s like there’s a whole new world and it moves around a little..then it sits up and sees differently, then it stands and walks and anothr whole world opens up.
Do we get mad at the baby for not taking care of itself, for not seeing the world we see? Does outrage help the baby at all? Does God (however you want to define God) not love us at every stage of development?
Our collevtive spiritual awareness is in its infancy, there are definitely those of us who feel connected to our higher selves but that is because we are far along enough to see the connection…that world….
So to the question, now what? The answer is love. The answer is always love, no matter what the question. The less they see, the more we love, the more we love, the faster they roll over.
~ Carol
Awesome Slade!
This comes at the perfect time for me, I’ve found myself in that situation way more often than I’d like to admit… I complain about all the low level details I need to take care of before I can move on to the big stuff I want to get done this year. But instead of coming up with solutions to those problems I just try to overlook the facts, losing myself in my dreams without connecting them to reality at all. It’s time to set my priorities straight.
Slade, thank you for this. It was beautifully and eloquently expressed and inspirational.
Andrea,
The “accountability factor” — yes, thank you, brilliant insight. We can acknowledge the mess we’ve made in our learning process — we can acknowledge what we are displeased with our actions as a species, and without denying or refuting them, use them as a measure of our progress and a motivation toward the creative vision we want to manifest.
KL,
A good point on the environment — I think it’s well-understood and agreed upon that we’re having a negative impact there — one of the over-arching messages in Hubbard’s work on Conscious Evolution is that all the “bad news” is information and that information can be a valuable part of the process and indeed a motivator to keep cocreating forward. “The Sky is Falling!” Okay, now that we’ve established that, what power do we have on hand to address it?
Lynette,
There’s another valuable clue, component, factor in your comment — “go beyond the fear”. Like pain, fear can be a valuable tool — it may not be pleasant, but it can be useful. It’s not about necessarily getting rid of fear, or avoiding fear, but working through it. Beyond it. I don’t believe we’re meant to escape suffering so much as we’re meant to learn how to transcend suffering…
I’m so happy to hear that the Reading I did for you continues to affect you, on an on-going basis — that makes my day!
:-)
Carol,
Your infant metaphor absolutely echoes Barbara Hubbard’s description of conscious evolution as a collective birthing process. Have you read any of her books or watched her film series (linked in the post above)?
If you haven’t, I think you’ll feel (joyfully) that someone has been reading your mind… Or connecting to the same network of energy…
Vitor,
This evolutionary process reflects a quantum leap from self-conscious life to universally conscious collective life — what plays out for you as an individual is playing out on a larger scale… But you know this, Fractal Mystic!
:-)
Mags,
You’re very welcome — thanks a million for the compliments!
:-)
Hi Slade
Sometimes I am so entrenched in religion, even I find it hard to believe. And when I say that I don’t mean religious activity but a mindset that often frames things for me. Nor do I mean religion in any traditional sense of the word.
I was doing dishes this morning and this post came into my mind. I read it yesterday. Along with the messages in the post, I get rather complete visuals and an even more complete story.
In my story, you appear as the priest, pulpit and all, and you’ve got a lot to say. And you do desperately want us all to hear it. It’s a cross somewhere between a hell and damnation speech and beseeching. Once I come back to the reality of the soapy water, I begin to laugh. As I see yet another picture.
You post on Sundays. I look forward to see what the priest has to say each week. Since the last time I actually attended religious services was when I was a kid, I revert to that time momentarily. I hear what’s been said but wasn’t always listening. But I’m no longer a child. I can hear and listen now. At least most of the time.
And I haven’t ever lost the interest that sparked that child’s need to know. I just never expected it would ever be rekindled by a priest again.
Well darn! Here I thought the infant metaphor was all mine…stupid collective consciousness synchronicity shooting down my ego again!
Barbara,
The imagery and venues you describe are very much intentional, although my best intentions are to play them with some subtly… Not sure how much I’m succeeding at the subtle part, but I’m happy to know the obvious is at least well-received on your end.
:-)
Carol,
If it makes your ego feel any better, give her a warm pat on the head because you’re obviously really tuned in, sister! With a clear channel and a nice amplifier many people aspire to.
:-)
Whoa. I so needed to read this today.
And I think that now I will staple it to my forehead. Seriously.
You amaze me.
xoxo Mandy
Hmm… I like the sound of that
Slade, beautifully written! My positive energy scale just went up a notch after reading this — bravo! *applause*
I am an empath myself. You might want to check out the work of Rose Rosetree. Her book Empowered by Empathy helped me enormously. Thanks for all the great articles!
Hey Slade,
Thanks for the article. Its certainly a tough line to walk, thats for sure.
On one hard, you don’t want to act out of good intentions but actually do more harm than good, on the other, if all anyone writes is expose then who will
I’ve been super addicted to reddit over the last few months, and definitely feel where you are coming from. The more you know, the more you know how many people are hopelessly addicted to taking selfish, short-sighed approaches. It can be really frustrating.
The weird thing to me is, peace is the default. Peace should be easy. growing crops isn’t all that hard, especially with tech advances. But as a race we make it so complicated.
Here I am, vegan, debt-free, progressively employed, and I don’t know what more to do.
But critique isn’t the answer, you’re right about that. Thanks for the great writing man!
Dan
Mandy,
Vitor,
Cool!
Irene,
It pumped you up? Fantastic! Thank you
Ryan,
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing the link to a resource that worked for you.
Dan,
Your comment has inspired me to write some posts addressing how you ARE already doing “it” — you don’t always have to be striving. Plugging in to that peace and trucking right along is maintaining your node in network; and to some degree, that’s all we’re after here.
There is such a thing as doing enough, and doing it well.
Slade,
Hmmm.. This theory shall work also to repel fear of failure. For example, when I fail in my business, instead of cursing myself - 1) I don’t have luck or 2) Why is it happening to me only ? I shall say - 1) How can I get better ? or 2) Am I doing all that I needed in order to succeed ?
Great post.
Shilpan
I like the concept what “so now what”. It sort of calls upon us to stop wallowing in the moment and to focus beyond the stumbling blocks.
I stumbled upon your blog for the first time. Really loved what you had to offer.
Shilpan,
Thanks for offering a different application of the idea — self-criticism. Indeed.
Shamelle,
Thank you for the compliment to my blog offerings! I agree — wallowing… Sometimes you need to grieve or acknowledge the way you feel, and I think it’s okay and healthy to do so. But keep it brief and move on to the inevitable next step, the question “Now what?” will always be there waiting for you when you become tired of wallowing. I guess then it really becomes a question of how long you want to spend in that state.
Wow, Slade, I was thinking this a.m. that I wanted to take the exercise of my morning pages to another level. Now when I list my whiny complaints, I can shift them into a different (and better) place by asking the question, “Now what?” It also focuses me on what I want and how much of that exists right now if I’d just notice.
I also enjoyed hearing about your own personal career trajectory, and the latest “assignment” to Shift Your Spirits. Always a joy to read you.
Slade,
Your response to the observations I made played a few different ways for me. So it took me awhile to sort out my own thoughts. Today I received an answer and wanted to clarify.
The emphasis of your role as priest/minister is what I have taken from your work. Even coloring it with the extreme idea of accepting all as gospel, although I know the acuality, each with a personal gospel.
I think that is the context I’ve related to you all along. Not an excuse, but how I now realize the only role I’ve put you in. Hope that makes sense.
[…] Let’s assume, just for the sake of simplicity, that the Chicken-Little Collective Self-Image is 100% true. Again, I challenge you, as I’ve challenged myself, to ask Now what? […]
What a fresh voice you have, and words to match! So glad to have found your blog.
I couldn’t agree more that moral outrage is a trap. Bravo!