A RESPONSE TO TERRORISM: 5 Ways to Bring About Change

Once again the world is infused with a sense of horror and shock by the heinous attacks on innocent Parisians enjoying a Friday night in the City of Lights. And our collective response sensationalized by the media leads us where? The facts leading up to this attack should in no way be received as a surprise, for the endless stream of human barbarism and war has not receded in millennia. Our contemporary world order looks strikingly similar to any number of male dominated civilizations of the past: warring, killing, subjugating and perpetually supporting a human condition of separateness. How many human beings have been murdered throughout the ages in the name of religion?

What is disingenuous and infuriating is the truth that in the Middle East on any given day, attacks like this are commonplace. Yet where is the outcry for those brutally killed? The response by the US government in bombing a hospital where Doctors Without Borders were killed was a bleep on the radar of our corporate media networks. Is it only when terror strikes large western cities that we mobilize a collective response? Do Palestinians bleed less than Israelis? Or do the rights of Syrian refugees matter less than those of Americans? If we listen to the voice of candidates currently running for President in 2016, you would hear a rousing call for more bloodshed, more killing, and more bombing. A compassionate response would be to ask why? But these incessant warring responses capture the hearts of a large swath of Americans. 

What is an alternative response to terrorism? Merriam Webster defines terrorism as, “the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal.” The heart of terrorism is to get under your skin, churning a sense of dis-ease and fear. Any response powered by fear demonstrates low frequency, low vibration and has an internal destructive nature that ripples across the collective unconscious. Let us find a better solution than more killing, more savagery and attending to the lowest human frequency.

Here are 5 ways to address terrorism to bring about change.

1.  QUELL THE FIRES WITHIN!

Each of us is a composite of unique attributes passed along in our DNA combined with a karmic construct, which predetermines a pathway for this lifetime. Additionally, other facets determine our inner and outer framework, including; environmental, behavioral, geographical, religious and familial elements. These prejudices and biases govern our thoughts, intentions and ultimately the manner in which we operate in the world. The firestorms within our inner life lead us to separateness. Human beings tend to coagulate with others of like interest, relegating those outside your belief systems as other, different and/or enemy. To build peace requires quelling the fire within. The truth is that all human beings are connected. We are more alike than dissimilar. Take the time to dig into those strongly held beliefs to imagine another point of view. Open yourself up to bridging the chasm of separateness. When we operate from this perspective, we elevate our human potential, leading us away from fear moving toward love and compassion.

 2.  CHOOSE TO LOVE!

This means stretching beyond your inner circle of family, friends, and neighbors to include others different than you. Loving is a choice. Your inner vibration transforms when you have the courage to love rather than hate. Do not let political, social, religious and cultural differences separate you from others. A Jewish mother loves her children just as much as a Muslim mother. Change the inner dialogue.

 3.  BE PRESENT and REAL!

Fear, as the leading edge of terrorism, takes us out of living where life is lived, in the present tense. Remember that fear is generally associated with future events that in all likelihood will not occur. We tend to build a fortress of what-ifs, creating dissonance and anxiety that allows a false ego to dominate our being. Take back your life by remembering to breathe. Look down at your feet. There is where you are. Be present. Be real.

 4.  SEND LIGHT and LOVE!

Human beings are divine emissaries that have tremendous power. Realize that we hold the divine seed of grace and light. Your thoughts contribute to the undercurrent of the collective. Where are your thoughts? Be aware that thoughts lead to intentions that create choices. The choices you make ultimately determine your reality. Send love and light to Paris and to all the human family.

 5.  BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE!

Action is the cure for despair and fear. Make it your daily practice to engage in the change you want in your life. If you want friendship, be a friend. If love is lost, express yourself in loving ways. You have the power in every moment of your life to be an integral agent of positive change.