What’s going on…what’s going on?

The other day I was reminded of a song by Marvin Gaye back in 1971 “What’s going on”.  It is a beautiful song and is still true today, which can invoke sadness in me.  Then I remember how far we have come, how far I have grown in consciousness and heart.  Here are a few verses….

Mother, Mother..there’s too many of you crying.  Brother, brother, brother, there’s far too many of  you dying.  You know we’ve got to find a way to bring some lovin’ here today.

Father, father we don’t need to escalate.  You see, war is not the answer for only LOVE can conquer hate.  You know we’ve got to find a way to bring some lovin’ here today.  Picket lines and picket signs don’t punish me with brutality.  Talk to me, so you can see.  Oh, what’s going on, what’s going on.  Ya, what’s going on, ah what’s going on

When our brains, our very bodies feel threatened by what’s going on, we lose our perspective.  Our higher brains are shut down. Our limbic system is activated..we go into fight/flight/freeze.  When we can use a tool I teach others,  to calm this limbic system, we arrive at neutral .  In this state we can become observer’s of what’s truly going on inside of us and in the world outside of us.

In order for lasting peace we/I need to continually watch the conflicting parts inside of me.  Peace is the absence of conflict and I can access this anytime I choose it.  Funny who taught you that you can actually choose your emotions rather than being tossed around by them!

Think about this, if we believe in war being the answer, then we participate in it.  Perhaps it is the wars we wage within ourselves and with others.  I know I can be so sure of my “rightness” and your “wrongness”…no peace in that.

Think about how we have tried “war on cancer”, “war on crime”, “war on drugs”.  Think about our politics..debate, that very word creates opposition.  Think about the video games we play, the movies we watch, the sports we watch.  Do they create peace? Contemplate “fighting for peace”.    Our words, actions and thoughts perhaps are co-creating this lack of peace in ourselves and our world.

What can I do, you may ask?  For me, it truly is to be mindful of my own emotions, thoughts and behaviors that are not in alignment with the peace I want to see in the world.

I think this is what Gandhi meant by “be the change you want to see in the world”.  If I want to see peace, I must be peace and look for that in the world.  We are all living in this matrix of energy that is influencing us all of the time.  So my question to you, is what are you feeding this field?

Men let me know what you think.  Women let me know what you feel.