“The most basic activism we can have in our lives is to live consciously in a nation living in fantasies.” ~ Bell Hooks
An unconscionable chaos is playing out upon a world stage, yet what are we to do about it…
“The most basic activism we can have in our lives is to live consciously in a nation living in fantasies.”
Times are changing with hate-centered actions taking the loudest, scariest lead, and yet amidst this hostile, illegal rampage there are multiple rays of hope. Hope for something better, hope for something based in care, based in kindness, based in treating everyone as the humans they truly are.
Oh, sure, this hope is getting buried, as news organizations act afraid and as those leading this abhorrent frenzy keep baying the loudest. The thing is, however, this hope is here and it’s not going anywhere no matter how hard they try to bury it.
The entirety of Bell Hooks quote goes “The most basic activism we can have in our lives is to live consciously in a nation living in fantasies. Living consciously is living with a core of healthy self-esteem. You will face reality, you will not delude yourself.”
Bell Hooks is only speaking the clearest of truths with this statement – To live consciously is to live in a way that not only respects yourself, but respects others and the reality you are all a part of. To truly have respect you must have honesty and you must have love. Now this does not mean you need to love your haters or anything like that. It simply means that you love all living things for the life they each represent and you’ll do your best to cause no harm and where you see harm you’ll do what you can to rectify it.
This also does not mean that you have to fix anyone else’s mess, it just means you can see a situation and mind your ways of interacting with it. For example, if I see racism I will educate myself, call it out as exactly what it is, and do everything in my power to act in ways that refute such hate filled rhetoric. If I see individuals in power who are overreaching and acting in hateful, idiotic, harmful ways, I will call my representatives, I will sign petitions, I will do whatever I can to enact the checks and balances that are supposed to be in play. If I see someone who is simply being hateful because they can I will actively disengage and refuse to interact with the hate.
What it all comes down to is – how are you choosing to interact with the world around you? Are you choosing to live consciously or are you blindly following along? Are you choosing to live with a core of health self-esteem? Are you choosing to face reality without deluding yourself and responding to the hate without giving it the satisfaction of a reaction?
It’s constant work, it always has been. It’s also not always easy to disengage while being fully engaged, but damn if it’s not empowering! To be able to say calmly and clearly “yes, I see you and your hate, but you will get nothing from me. I have a life full of joy and love to protect and a community that I am caring for despite your hostility and chosen ignorance. Go be a hate filled, pathetic turd over there.” – That is power and that is what will make a true difference. To act with a core of health self-esteem and to face yourself, and the world, without delusion is to step fully into yourself and your own power – and that scares them more than anything else.
I’m doing my best to follow Bell Hooks advice, and while I’m far from perfect at it, it really does sooth my soul and spirits to keep a copy of it at hand to remind me of what I can do in such a horrifically intense and frightening time. We can all keep the flames of hope alive and burning and we can start by choosing to take a stand within ourselves. We can and we will get through these times and we can make our lives, our communities, and the greater world a better place while we do it, even if only in small, simple ways.
Go forth and be your awesome, loving, kind, amazing self. I’m glad you’re here and I’m ready to get through this together – one bit of self-awareness at a time!!!
As always, take care and just know that you are not alone.
Namaste ~ Ella
~ So sorry things have been so screwy with my posting! My phone died the second week of January and that is my command center with all of my reminders, notes, tasks, ect, and without it I’ve been sooooo discombobulated, lol. I should be getting one in the next week or so, so hopefully my posting gets into a much better groove quickly! Thank You so very, very much for your wonderful patience!!!
~ Also, I promise not all Affirmation Mondays will be about the political scene – I swear, lol!!!
~ Affirmation Mondays are positive words of wisdom, insight and joy to add a bit of cheer to the start of your week and any day you need a bit of a pick-me-up! For even more inspiration please check out my Affirmation Mondays Pinterest Board and my Instagram!
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