A friend emailed me recently with a thoughtful couple of paragraphs about a shaman friend offering healing to Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton. I’m aware that in those paragraphs, the intent was just a healing of Trump, but then grew into one for all three of these potential public officials in the US’ highest office.
Her paragraphs stirred up something for me about an underlaying maturation process needed. I’ve included the bulk of my response to her below.
I believe there is a collective healing, or perhaps more accurately, an attention to healing the whole, that must continue to be in progress. It’s always been true. It’s just more blatantly visible in this political context.
It’s a bit of a triggering question, but I find myself asking (or thinking), “Can I recognize a Donald Trump in me? Can you recognize a Donald Trump in you?” The translation is, can I find those parts that I don’t like in him (bombastic, arrogant, ignorant, etc.) in me?
The answer is yes. Clearly yes. It doesn’t mean I endorse him. It doesn’t mean I’m always like that. But I can see some of it.
To me, this admission leads to a more compassionate and matured psyche. It may not change the political process or outcome — the system is screwed. But it could change the collective psyche, which is playing itself out in the arena that is the political process. I admit I have more interest in the matured psyche parts than I do in the political process parts.
Remember the phrase, “We don’t see the worlds as they are; we see the worlds as we are.” I don’t know who to attribute that to. But it rings true for me as fertile ground for curiosity and exploration.
A dominant theme in the US at this time is outrage. There is a place for uninhibited outrage and the activism that grows from it — that is the discourse possible in a democracy. Without question. However, outrage seems to grow more outrage, and, well, it’s hard to see how that ends well. It’s time for the collective psyche of us in North America (and I believe the western world as a whole) to show some leadership by maturing ourselves. I believe, in doing so, we create entry point into maturing and moving the whole, including the political process.
Thanks for stirring this. I’m glad that the journey has us in companionship.
This is a time of soul-searching. It should be. And, it’s not completely new. But it is being made more apparent through the triggers of the day (or the two years that lead up to the day, or the two decades that lead up to the two years). Pema Chodron’s words offer a helpful reminder to me, “This very moment is the perfect teacher.” It might just start with our willingness to look more deeply within.