Have you taken a good look around lately? Have you listened to the news, especially a source other than the U.S. official news agencies like Fox and CNN and the networks? Our world looks more and more like what I've not only seen, but have lived as an individual in Recovery.
We humans have been ignoring the consequences of the way we have demanded to live in the world to the point that now those consequences are acute and can only be ignored by the most insane of our species. Interestingly enough ,we, the U.S. are so addicted to our way of life that we seem to have no collective perspective that the game is up. I've read for 30 years that this situation was coming and the predictions are no longer predictions they are now facts.
If you've ever dealt with an addiction you can possibly see my point of view that our culture has a serious problem and is only now entering into a pre-contemplative stage of awareness. Pre-contemplative means simply at the point of considering that there might be a problem here. Like an old junkie I hear our Government say that there's plenty more dope (oil) in Alaska and in sensitive environmental areas off shore etc...that if we get into that stash we're cool for another 50 years.
Sometimes the perspectives of an addicted mind are so blind and stupid that it's really difficult for me to remain compassionate with their ignorance and lies. In Recovery, the first step is to admit that there is a problem and realize that the way of thinking and acting that created the problem will not solve it. More oil will not fix this situation. We have been desecrating this planet for the sake of our shallow entertainment and demands that whatever we, humans, say we want we deserve and need. That's been a lie.
Look around the U.S., we don't need three homes per wealthy family. We don't need more malls or cheaper crap from Wal-Mart or more varieties of Cheeseburgers or another low cost airline. We need a relationship with our self , the one inside you that has been waiting to be heard since you got strung out on trying to be good enough and started chasing the great lie of success American style.
The other night I was with a very successful Mexican friend who lived in the U.S, for several years. He went to L.A. as a wet back, started working parking cars at a Valet service, and in a few years owned the parking garage. That's the American Dream in action. That's a great example of what built the U.S. into a great country. Motivated people working hard and creating opportunities for themselves and following through. Of course my friend sold the business to an American corporation and moved home to Mexico where he's continued to prosper and serve his people by intentionally creating opportunities for young people to learn and grow.
As is the case with addicted people, the American Dream has become poisoned with self righteous, victim minded, demanding what we want because we deserve it for nothing, attitudes and actions. People too lazy to create a life for themselves put more energy into building walls to keep Mexicans out than they do taking responsibility for their problems.
When I was addicted, my addiction was not anybody else's fault. Of course I could blame others all the time and did, and there was never any truth to my blaming. It was me doing it to me all the time. It took a huge step forward in my life for me to let go of needing someone else to blame for my life sucking.
We, the U.S. are the most wasteful, consumer driven, self absorbed, lonely, afraid, first world country on Earth. So what are WE missing here? Jesus flying down out of Heaven couldn't save us from ourselves, besides he's probably a Mexican and the new saviour of American Fear, the great wall, would surely keep him out. We are addicted as a culture and we need to get humble, and that's coming like it or not, and we need to learn to just stop and be still and take responsibility for how and what we're doing as individuals one day at a time.
Anyone that's recovered knows what I'm talking about. Our culture is no different than us as individuals when it comes to looking in the mirror and bringing our attention back to the one creating the problem, me, us. This Country can't change from the top down, the ones at the top have the most to lose from humility and cultural awakening. Jesus ran into that, they crucified him, power is no different today than it was then.
This country and world will change when each of us as individuals stops projecting all our fear as blame and starts looking in the mirror for questions and answers. It's us doing it to us, me to me, you to you. The humanity is insane, addicted, afraid and desperate. Sounds like an intake story from a treatment center. I remember the first step of the Twelve steps ...Admitted I was powerless and MY LIFE HAD BECOME UNMANAGEABLE.
Welcome to America and the world 2008. The bad news is we are the problem and the good news is we are the problem. If I am my problem then I can change me and undo my addiction to being my problem. The game is up. Are you willing to question everything you think you know for the sake of transforming this world from what it is to what it might be, free from all this fear and desperation? You are the only one that can do your part and that's the truth.
Vaya con Dios.....Lee
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