We know that lack of self-awareness is dangerous and the injury that come from it. Today I am asking you to consider that no matter how much you believe you already know and practice, there might be something you are missing, that we are missing as a collective. And that out of our lack of individual and collective awareness we are creating and allowing injury, destroying ourselves, and unprepared for the possibilities. (Opening note: Take care of yourself the best you can. If you need support there is a resource list attached.)
Let’s start with our goal: A world that is as safe as can be. Where we have addressed all that is within our ability to address, and prepared as best we can for the possibilities.
Then, how do we meet our goal? For anything to operate at its best, we start with analysis, so that we are aware of what we know, what we don’t, and the possibilities. Without this we are moving forward illogically with all the damage that entails.
Analyzing the world as a whole isn’t the job of a single individual. However, as a single individual, if you step back and start the analysis, what you will realize is how the world functions as a whole. And because it functions as a whole the only way to work towards it functioning its best is to approach it through that wholeness. You will also realize how many siloed issues are actually interconnected.
Before we move into “What do we do?”, I need to take a moment to examine one of the key areas of the interconnectedness, logic and connection. And let me define those a bit. When I use the word logic, I mean to the best of our ability thinking things completely through, considering all the possibilities, objectively, without bias. Pure complete logic. When I use the word connection, I mean both internally – I know who I am, how I function, and stay as self-aware as I can to function the best I can – and, externally - that mental-emotional connection to others and our world.
So why is logic-connection so important? Let’s start with connection. If I am self-aware and connected to myself and others then I am not going to rest until there is as much safety as possible for all and we are prepared for the possibilities. And if I am logical, then I will look at all things the way I should. Logic-connection together is foundational to our approach to everything. But let’s make that specific.
Take any real issue that you find important, outside of it legitimately being outside our ability at this moment in time, the reason it isn’t being addressed as it should be to some extent will involve the lack of logic-connection. Let’s take some examples – child abuse, violence, racism, poverty, all the ways individuals are deindividualized, marginalized, oppressed; the environment, our personal and universal survival. If we were logical and did the work of analyzing, then we realize the core to all of them is how individuals either haven’t been taught logic-connection, or how to practice-live it correctly. And if we were connected to ourselves and each other, then we would make the adjustments to our lives to make sure that all that could be addressed was.
Logic-connection is the foundation.
So as we are aware the world has to be viewed as a whole and we have to start living and working that way, what do we do?
There are the individual changes and the global ones. And the algorithm adjusts based on the data available and functionality of the whole.
We might need to start with ourselves:
Personal work - Do I need to understand myself better? Do I need to work on internal or/and external connection? Do I need to understand the process of logic better? Who can I ask for feedback on areas I might be missing?
Then things we can do as individuals:
Begin with connection:
Picture the world.
Now see and hear every child and adult who needs help.
Every last one.
In real time our realties are connected.
Whatever they are ‘living’ through or as they might be dying, we can’t close our eyes, cover our ears, turn away, or disconnect in any way.
And they know we are here.
If we lived this way,
What would we be doing differently this very moment?
Would anything stop us?
What would we say to them about the decisions we are making?
What if we were the ones living or dying through it?
Now we are going to focus in:
Connect to every child that needs us right this moment. All of them. Everywhere.
Be a part of their realities.
Hold that connection.
Now, look into the future. Connect to every child that is going to be where those children are in the next few days, weeks, and months if we don’t do something.
If it was your or my child we wouldn't rest, and every child is ours to care for that way.
That’s one level of connection – that connection to the immediate needs in our world.
Then we go to another – that we also have to think about sustainable survival, long term greater good, and being prepared for the possibilities. For ourselves, for each other.
That internal and external emotional connection keeps us focused and through all that is necessary.
Then let’s move to logic:
While it is logically possible that there might be some things that can’t be affected, as far as we know: Everything we do, affects everything everywhere. And with right focus, that translates to everything we do affects every child. Again, going back to how the world function as a whole, how we use our time, resources, every single thing we do or don’t do affects every child. The difference is us being aware and making the effects be those that create safety and take care of them. And we use logic and its application to accomplish all that is possible.
So logically, again, no one person can analyze and change everything. We have to logically both do what we can while working for the global.
Let’s put logic-connection together:
Being driven by the connection to those who need us now, keeping them safe, and our own well-being and survival, we want to do so as expediently and effectively as possible. That means doing what we can personally, while getting to those who can do this as it needs to be. It will take all of us capable, within whatever capacities we have, working in flow.
A few notes about this section: All of this post is abbreviated from part one of a much more in-depth series of modules that works through the issues and needed adaptable frameworks. For the sake of time and simplification, this section also both skips and abbreviates some elements. Also, keep in mind, we have to deal with the reality that because we let everything go this long, we can’t do everything the best we can right away because of the immediate priority needs, and that many things will take societal restructuring. So for right now, we deal with “These parts need margin, or ‘just are’ based on our current situation.” It gets easier with practice. And the more everyone does their part, the easier all of it will be.
Some personal steps:
A personal flow might consist of to the best of my ability -
- Taking care of myself, and if applicable those I’m responsible for, in all ways;
- Working to prepare for everything – both physically and skills;
- Taking care of the environment;
- Taking time to understand our reality to hopefully work towards a better future;
- Holding and address that I am responsible for every child that needs us now, and keeping any other child from needing us in the same way, and the greater good of the world, including my own well-being and survival – through my personal actions and advocacy.
We start analyzing how we use our time and resources through the lens of the goals, including as part of the core: “Is what I’m doing right this moment leaving a child being abused longer? Could we get to the children quicker if I did this different? Is this the best thing to keep another child from being abused?”
And keeping the full flow in mind, analyze everything we do for the balance: Do I need to heat this part of my food? Do I need to add spice? How am I using utilities? How am I using my resources? What am I spending my money on? Can I do this more efficiently? What’s the priority? Simple pragmatic balance.
And we take steps. Every day we do something to ask/help others on some level to get connected and involved. This can include networking, letters, whatever form it needs to take. While we have to get education about child abuse prevention, recognizing, responding, and referral to every individual appropriate for their developmental and functional level, we also have to be advocating for both that and education on logic-connection on a global level. Think how if individuals were given and raised with the skills for logic-connection to whatever level they are capable of the world would change. It’s a simple and hard way to live, but the right way.
I’m ending the material of this post here. There is obviously a lot to discuss and do. Logic-connection is the foundation. Again, take care of yourself the best you can, and access the resources for support if needed. We may not have hope, but any hope we have is in us, unless something surprises us. Hopefully the hope. Gwen.
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