032: The Antidote To Terror.

12/3/2015

The definition of terror is "extreme fear."

The opposite of which is "extreme love."

Fear clenches. Restricts. Chokes. Like a hyperventilating man who needs oxygen, but will not get it with short, shallow breaths.

Despite his body's urge to go completely ballistic and flail in panic, exerting energy and burning the last bits of oxygen in his system, he must instead:

Calm himself.
Slow his breath.
Deepen his inhale.

And we must do the same.

We can choose to opt-of of bandwagons racing toward Fearville. Just don't jump on. Let 'em ride past you. Hysteria is movement, but not necessarily wise movement. So remain calm and centered, knowing that your grounded state-of-mind is the greatest contribution you can make in a time of heightened pain and unrest.

Greet the knee-jerk rage that wants to kick and punch and react.

Say "Hello" to the rage, and then tell it to stand down.

A clear head + clear heart is needed. A mass shooting of love is needed.

How does that happen? What does that look like? It looks like being slow to draw:

conclusions
policies
judgments
guns

In slowness, direction is revealed. And it's the kind of direction you can live with. It's the kind of direction that transforms a society by transforming its response to rage.

We are all suggestible, to some degree. So the question is, whose suggestions are you taking? If those suggestions -- media of any form -- shorten your breath and tighten your chest, they are not good for your body or mind. Those suggestions are literally constricting life, and your body is even giving you a felt experience... of life narrowing when you feed fear.

And the opposite is true. Life expands when you feed love.

I don't know how a proud and egoic country like mine would implement this ideal on a national level, but if individual people in the nation choose to focus on extreme love, then the same effect will be reached.

Breathe slow and deep. Love extremely. Expect great insight to be revealed. Carry out those insights. Share some of them here, if you are inclined.

2 Comments

Suzanne Matheson link

12/3/2015 03:59:31 pm

This is a story about, "In slowness, direction is revealed. And it's the kind of direction you can live with." While I was sitting quietly, for quite sometime, at the base of a cottonwood tree, at the edge of a clearing, a large white-tailed deer, a buck with antlers just breaking through, stepped into view.
I sat still and small, bundled up in my own arms to disguise my form. The buck did not see me, as he made his way in my direction, foraging on dogwood tenders along the way. Every so often he would lift his head to sounds, I knew not what, and twitch his ears. Closer, closer he came, still unaware of my presence. Then, something caught his attention -- perhaps the NW breeze running perpendicular between us carried a brief wisp of my scent. He looked directly at me! But ... it was as if he was unable to discern what I was ... a mark on the landscape that hadn't been there before. He was only 18 feet away. He stood, with awareness fully active -- gradually turning his head this way and that, eyes fixed on his concern. As he swayed, he would raise his nose ever so slightly, sniffing the air. He really took his time. His peaceful energy radiating from him. He was not to be rushed or panicked.
I don't know if he ever did decide what I was -- after some time, he turned, very slowly, back in the direction he came. Having decided that it might just be best to ere on the side of caution, he made his way back into the woods in very same manner that he left them, and I remained for quite some time basking in his calm.

Erika Harris link

12/4/2015 12:46:16 am

Suzanne, I love how both you and deer waited in slowness! Such a beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing it. And kudos for having the presence of mind to cloak yourself, to encourage that close encounter. They are magical.

032: The Antidote To Terror.

Leave a Reply.