Trumping Politics

Bob Dylan told us that you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

And yet the political commentators got it wrong, the polls got it wrong, the bookies got it wrong, the media got it wrong and everyone who made it a point to mock his chances were left in a cloud of wrongness not seen since... well, since Brexit.

This isn't an 'I told you so' post. It isn't a political analysis of what happened either.

I'll leave that to those who, up until this morning, were never all that eager to demonstrate their 'expertise' on the subject. I'll leave it to the many who have taken to the airwaves and the worldwide web to put their two cents in while trying to explain just what the hell is going on!

I am here to offer a perspective that not only encompasses our current political climate, but goes way beyond that.

This isn't actually about Trumping Brexit. In fact, this isn't about politics at all. It never really was. It's much bigger than that. And I don't mean the establishment, either. No, this is about each and every one of us, as individuals.

It's far more complicated than what's on offer, and yet simple when understood.

You see, everything that has ever manifested is a projection of how we collectively interact in this world. It is a projection of how we see ourselves - a perception of our own realities. A result of the way we communicate at every level, both within ourselves as well as with each other. The framework from which we make each and every decision.

A lack of awareness of this phenomena is our major blind spot.

And this is what creates the doubts that lead to the insults, the hatred and the resentment. We spend so much energy trying to understand how things work on the outside when we don't really understand ourselves from the inside. We try to connect with those around us, when we are in fact disconnected from within. We crave answers when instead, we could focus on what we are able to control and let go of the things we can't.

For those that claim they are in control, this suggests an acceptance and an appreciation of what is. Well, where is this appreciation, when all I see is resistance? And as a result, we react by projecting outwards. It becomes a blame game. A culture of needing to be right over wanting what's right.

We insist on rationalising our decisions when they are totally driven by our emotions.

And our emotional drives are borne out of self-interest. The energy in motion that moves us to agree or disagree and like or dislike something is what precedes our thoughts. Every. Single. Time.

Why this happens is never clear, yet we use our logical [and most recently evolved] brain to place those feelings into our own reality - what we believe to be true - in order to justify, validate or make excuses for our behaviours. And when this is misplaced [which is more often than not], it makes us incongruent and creates major self-doubt. And these self-doubts prevent us from connecting, both within and without.

See, connection happens through vulnerability; and self-doubt is vulnerability's nemesis.

What happens in politics is a reflection of what is happening in our homes, our schools and our offices. A microcosm of our world as a whole. A world of self-doubt and incongruence. It is as clear an indication as any that we are simply not aligned individually. And if we are not aligned from within, how can we expect to align ourselves with the outside?

But amongst this confusion, there is a paradox of hope.

Confusion is the prequel to discovery, and the result of curiosity. We have a chance to unite through this adversity. It is time for us to use this collective pain to create connection. To re-mind ourselves of who we are and what we want. It is an opportunity to re-member the power of community - a result of true expression and clear communication.

We spend time and energy making assumptions and interpretations instead of asking questions through our natural curiosity - let alone affording the purity of our attention while we listen. Traits that are increasingly [and embarrassingly] scarce in this day and age. We then expect our leaders to demonstrate these very traits.

Here's the thing - we get the leaders we deserve.

There has never been a time where the establishment has had such little influence. And whatever the reasons, it is exactly why those who had no interest in mainstream politics - the silent majority - suddenly stood up and made the world take notice. Not once, but twice. Our collective pain has proved a tipping point, and this point has ironically created an opportunity to progress.

Bob Dylan also knew that pain brings out the best in people. I believe it does, and that it is in our hands. We can either use it to create factions, hurl insults and claim superiority. Or we can use it to overcome our self-doubts, show our vulnerability and reawaken our curiosity.

By focusing our attention from within rather than without, each of us can play a part.

Remember, we're all here now - we may as well enjoy ourselves a little.