Have you seen the show/movie (I haven’t finished it yet and can’t remember which it is) Social Dilemma?
(Oh hi, by the way, April was crazy busy, right?)
Over the past several months and in some ways over the past several decades I’ve become deradicalized. What I mean by that is not that I was militant at any point in my life, but I was fairly easy to tip over to a fighting stance…of feeling swayed by the fight or flight or freeze instinct.
I mean I usually flew away from conflict, but at some point, I realized that wasn’t great so I started freezing, then fighting, then some combination of the three. But now…I can usually talk myself down and simply observe and relate/participate without feeling like I’m simply in reaction mode at all times.
A few things moved me away from that…stepping away from the face book was one.
COVID changed things for me a bit. In my early 20’s I had social anxiety, in my late 30s I’ve had social hesitancy. It’s different. It’s not that I feel any fear of socializing anymore, simply a distaste for the fact it’s almost all virtual these days (or for the past year).
What I’ve realized as I’ve cautiously re-engaged with mainstream and social media (which is nearly the same as broadcast/mainstream media) is the play on emotions of pitting us (everyday folks) against each other.
Language is important to me. Massively import. Linguistics/learning/literacy is more than just professional expertise, it’s personal for me. I hate misanthropy. It’s probably my least favorite feeling you could ever feel and it feels like cramps, butterflies, and nausea in the pit of my stomach. I struggled mentally for many years and not trusting anyone was certainly one of the contributing factors.
Then I learned how to trust myself, fully. Once I learned that, I was able to determine who I could/should trust and what for. This is more powerful than it might sound. It was life-changing. I started seeing more than I thought there was to the people around me. I started hearing and understanding more of what they were saying.
You know how because we can’t hear tonation in a person’s voice internet communication requires a bit more tact if we’re looking to not offend? Well, turns out all communication is like that we just often assume we understand people and don’t always find out when we haven’t. There were times when I felt completely alone and misunderstood in the world and it was painful. I was afraid to share any of myself with others for fear of being shamed or hurt.
And then one day that was no longer the case. It wasn’t all of a sudden, but it was significant for me when I realized I could be more present in my conversations and situations with people. There were a number of subtle practices that helped me. Engaging with word, music, sound and response helped. One of the ways that works for me is through sound healing.
One of the first healing artists I learned of was Krishna Das, that was over 15 years ago. Krishna Das is still super influential and has a great free offer I have to share.
On Wednesday, May 26, Krishna Das will share how devotional chanting can help you move out of reaction mode — without getting your buttons pushed, which only creates more suffering…
You can register here for Become a Pilgrim on the Path of Love Through Devotional Chanting With Krishna Das: here
I’d love to hear if you attend and how you feel about it.
*I’ll receive a bonus if you upgrade after the event.
I look forward to sharing more with you soon (the school year is almost over, whew)!