The ego-mind was at work inside the young man in Arizona who did the shooting. Sometimes the ego-mind can drive a person out of his or her mind. Other times people who are run by the ego-mind live in fear and hate and spend their days judging and attacking those who think differently then they do. When the ego is in charge it turns some people into extremist in the political realm and you get people who strap bombs to themselves, or use guns to make a point and then you have those who incite them. When ego driven extremist talk they usually cite doctrine and radical beliefs that make little sense to people who think rationally and are less ego-directed. Please take the time to see how Arizona is a reflection of all of us.
Most of us have a full time job just trying to make it and spend little time sorting out what we are thinking. If our survival is the main mode of being in the world then fear may be occupying a lot of space in our mind. Once fear takes hold the ego grabs the stirring wheel and we head down the road towards reactivity and impulsivity. In reaction our important values are pushed aside and our obsessive mind goes for doing whatever it takes, whenever we feel an impulse to do so. This is how people rationalize all kinds of power grabs, greed, war, killings, bombings and other crimes against their fellow humanity. This is a mind out of control with ego in the drivers seat.
Isn’t it time we:
Step back from the drama
Slow down
Go inward
Ask ourselves what we are thinking
Find out who is in charge of our own mind
Look at what beliefs we need to examine
See if our heart is open and engaged in our life
Look to see if we are living according to our values
Explore what really matter most to us
Ask if we are open enough to grow and change
Notice where anger is showing up in our life
See if we can be less judging and more accepting
Find ways to become a more aware and conscious person
Seek to make a positive difference in the world
What other questions come to your mind when you take the time to realize that what happened in Arizona is a reflection of all of us?
We need to change the energy of fear, anger and hate and the ego driven mind to a healthy way of being in the world. I will share more in the next few weeks about how to raise your energy and take more charge of your inner life. On the January 4th I wrote an article here at the blog that would be helpful in fine tuning who you are.
Take some time today to find the peace within because your peace is so needed in the world.