A Call to Reflect & Act: A Response to the Shooting in Pittsburgh PA

We all easily blame, consider the problems and potential solutions amidst chaos and tragedy. This is a normal human reaction. We grieve and gather together to support each other as communities do. We also sometimes further divide and entrench the problems. Sometimes, we choose to personally reflect on the ways we are impacted and what we can do.

At this time, I am writing this article to encourage you to reflect personally in your own life, as I am doing the same in response to various social media posts and the ways I was personally impacted by the shooting in my neighborhood.

It is always useful to consider how, as individuals, we contribute to the collective family/community/world problems, as we are all part of the collective and we feed the collective consciousness and energy. In what ways is our own internal anger, blame, pain, and violence towards ourselves or others feeding the collective negativity? My internal experience and what I am thinking and feeling towards my brother, my sister or towards my community or the world problems and whether those thoughts and feelings actually promote peace, unity or healing, are all essential responsibilities for me as a human...even before I look at my outward actions. Taking it a step further, to be vigilant in all the ways my internal negativity gets projected out to my home, my community and the world as a fuel for negativity - it does not just simply stay within my own person. This all occurs before I even take outward action from these feelings, and of course, if my outward action or inaction is driven by this negativity, we will see negative results.

When I do not do my work to acknowledge the power of my mind or my subconscious to promote negativity, I am failing my responsibilities as a human. This is energy that impacts the world, our future, and even perpetuates the stories of trauma from our past if we choose to place our focus there. So, it is essential to consider, what is the quality of our thoughts, our feelings, our motives and our actions? What is driving us?

I need to consider this as much as you and develop this deeper intimacy in my day to day with myself so I can become responsive and attentive to these things. There is also the power of our Conscious mind, where we have awareness and consciously, intentionally take action.

The importance is in having our inner and outer experiences match up with our highest purpose, with energies that promote healing and promote practical solutions to problems and create peace and unity. We simply CANNOT accomplish this if we are not vigilant in daily practice of self-reflection, looking at all our shadowy and negative aspects or our personalities, and taking Active personal responsibility. This is what it means to be Mature, to be actively responsible, which is inherently our ability to respond and tend to the things that are hidden and the things that matter.

This is what we are all called for this is an excellent opportunity to take personal inventory of where we allow our immature ego, failed responsibilities, divisiveness, or ignorance to issues often unconsciously drive our actions and where we also allow ourselves to be consciously driven by negativity or immaturity.

Being Mature, begs the question, what can I do here?

What is the quality Right Now of my thoughts, feelings and actions In Response to this shooting?

What am I currently projecting to others and where am I failing to take care of my own baggage as a responsible party in the collective?

At any given moment, we might not have another chance to do things different. The time is now to consider how you want to live your life and what you want to drive your actions.

This shooting happened blocks away from where I typically spend my weekends, but I happened to be at another location this morning. I sobbed in gratitude for another day of life and for those whose lives were lost. I devoted my morning in prayer.

I am faced with another day to consider what I would like in the quality of my thoughts, my actions, and the inner and outer experiences that I desire to have in my day to day life and to live in active discipline and integrity with these things. The choice is mine, as the choice is yours.

I know, in my personal journey of healing and practices of spirituality, that this discipline and integrity that I long for to be in service of my greatest purpose requires daily honesty, self-awareness and vigilance. It never just happens by thoughts or feelings or desires. It is work. It is hard. It brings me to the ground some days. And I would and will continue to strive for it because its whats called of me, its what's necessary, and its what I CAN DO.

My plea, is that you will too and that you will reach for the support that enables you to do so with persistence and with results, whether that is meditation, spirituality, coaches, therapists, journaling, connecting with Nature or Spirit/God, or any other various means that help you keep yourself in check.

Ultimately this is how we are going to change the world. This is how we will and can respond. This is how we will do it together and change the collective and bring in brightness and healing.

We can do it together.