Compassion for Candidates

Here we go.

I want to publicly say that this piece of writing is not in any way an endorsement for Donald Trump or any candidate. 

Most of what you are seeing on your illustrious feed is Anti-Trump. I can see that. I can see that a lot of you are visually and digitally upset with what is going on during this election cycle. 

It's all quite interesting that you are simply letting all this negative ad work to take over your consciousness and your life. In a way it makes me feel sad. In another way, it has opened a door to the effect media and politics have on us as a species. 

Most of you are fearful. You do not want to see a Trump in the White House. I completely understand. Most of you have been programmed from external factors including mainstream media and the internet. Swirling statistical anomalies and extremely biased new sources are filling up our minds and ultimately screwing with our emotions 

Why? 

We call Trump and Hillary names. 

This is a defense mechanism. It is a reflection of our consciousness. It fuels our ego and makes us feel better than "them". It strikes our amygdalas and validates our own cognitive biases. We can only know so much and we can only hold so much information at a given time. Why do we choose to identify so much with the collective neurosis? 

Well, You and I are neurotic creatures.

We are comfortable and allow ourselves the luxury to create drama in our lives because we are insecure and possibly bored with our general situation. We quickly try to escape our insecurities by distracting ourselves with turmoil in the world. 

Doesn't drama in our life make it more exciting?! 

We are running primal software in our modern society and bodies. This unconscious drive to be so enthralled with politics comes from the deep desire for security. It is built into our biology. We are making our minds us based on fear, discomfort and worrisome nature of our survival. It is important to understand all these psychological and biological factors so we can become aware of our own consciousness and how it affects our decisions and perspectives. 

The politics are winning. They are doing a great job of dividing and conquering us. We can easily write someone off because they don't share the same political views. It empowers our illusory identity and sense of self and makes us think we know better than others. That is simply unconsciousness taking hold of us. How odd is it that we can just degrade someone's humanity and uniqueness just because their views don't align with ours. Does it help us grow as an individual?

Does it aid in dividing us more from our fellow man? 

Or does it aid in erasing that arbitrary and invisible line between us? 

It's almost reminiscent to a parasitic relationship. We want to hold on to what we think is right so bad that we are willing to become ugly, emotional and cold-hearted with certain individuals. We even go so far to paint with a collectivist brush. 

"Oh you support that candidate? 

You must be just like the others."

We are so distracted that we fail to see how each of us has a wide spectrum of humanity within us. Some of us may not be so bombastic, verbose or terse, but we can think back to times where we have acted out of character. We have the amazing potential to just be with what we are feeling without acting with aggression, emotion and unchecked pride. 

Why do let politicians have such a negative affect on our lives? 

It's all in your reaction. 

It's all in how you are listening to your own under workings.

It's all about acceptance.

Accepting what you are feeling and accepting what the politician is saying without having to agree of disagree with it. 

Are you just trying to validate your own bias? 

Are you only surrounding yourself with people that agree with you creating an echo chamber of ideological stagnation?

We can transform this irritated unconsciousness to a vulnerable and compassionate presence. We can listen more than trying to wait to respond. 

"But, how can I simply accept or feel compassion for a candidate I feel so much negative energy towards?" 

Why would you be asking "how"? 

What is the motivation for that?

Essentially you are asking how to achieve a state that you don't have now. That is not understanding. You're resisting too much. You can still feel ill will with the actions you find deplorable of another person. Especially a person you don't know personally. So, how will you? How about you ask why you are asking that question in the first place? Are you so closed off and attached to your personal identity that you can't let yourself be uncomfortable with the actions other people? 

Still want to be angry?
Cool, be angry.
Let that anger be your teacher.
Feel that anger and how it affects you.
Feel how you are depriving yourself from your own presence and potential.
Feel how destructive it is towards your health.
Use it. Don't identify with it. Let it pass through like a river.
It's temporary.
You're still here.

There is no systematic process for you to try to feel more compassionate with a person you don't agree with. 

Accept that you are not allowing yourself to see the humanity in another person. Feel that. Feel what it does to your body. 

Does it create more stress for you? 

Does it mess with your emotions and general well being? 

If so, that is great. You are being honest and vulnerable with yourself. Don't ask why just yet. Asking why to these passing emotions is the ego trying to trick you into a solution. It is intellectualizing your emotions and not allowing yourself to "feel" your emotions. 

If Donald Trump makes you angry, feel that anger. Don't use your imagination to try to degrade him. Don't try to act out. Let it be. Feel it out. Then ask, why.

You may not get an answer right away. You may not get an answer. If you are striving so hard to get an answer, you are missing the point. It will only make things worse. It will only allow you to repeat the same unconscious behavior that you have been doing for most of your life. 

You can breathe in and laugh. 

Laugh at the absurdity at it all. Laugh at the sublime theater that is "of the mind". Smile through the hypocrisy of the mind and the affect it has on all your choices and behaviors. 

Don't take it personally. 

The quick reaction to label, blame and judge is a reflection of YOUR own unconsciousness. A reflection of your lack of self awareness. Don't you even think about blaming that "lack of self awareness" to justify your own means or write yourself off. It's important to come back to the present and see where you are acting out of unconsciousness. The realization that you are not being self aware is the first step in being self aware.

Why feel compassion?

It's not about "trying" to be compassionate. That implies effort and resistance. Compassion is the by product of being present and the accepting of what is. It does not strive for an end result. There is no agenda. 

Compassion is for all human beings. Compassion is non-judgment. Compassion is the reflection we have for the compassion for ourselves. 

It begins with you. Simple enough. 

It begins with you stepping back and seeing the circus that is in front of you. 

It begins with acceptance and lessening the grip of your comfort zones. 

In this turbulent time, we tend to forget about the important people around. Our community. Our families. Our neighbors. Why invest so much negative energy towards someone that you do not agree with? Why invest so much effort in trying to defend your views and principles? Why not accept what you have and be grateful for it? 

Why do we Obey that arbitrary and ideological political line that only does good in feeding our biases or dividing us from the humanity of one another? 

You can be grateful for Trump.

You can be grateful that can allow you to look inward and see what you are. You can see how it is affecting your relationships, mood and general disposition. You can accept that he will keep behaving the same and that you cannot change that. No matter how hard you try. 

You can be grateful for the amazing opportunity to take responsibility for your own reaction. Be responsible for your own growth. Be responsible by acting consciously within your own home. Your own community. Most importantly, the under is a reflection of the outer. It starts with the quality of your consciousness.

It's not about trying to "change your mind" either. It is about accepting yourself unconditionally. Accepting others behaviors and general well being unconditionally. Accepting that part of you feels negativity with the "idea" of another person. You created that idea. Sure it was influenced by many external factors, but your mind has created the image of that "bad" person in your head. It is your choice to look at it. Not change it. 

Just look at it. 

Try not to separate yourself from it. That implies resistance. What you resist, persists. You can try to take it apart, but that too is a degree of separation of yourself. You can try to analyze the behavior on an intellectual and scientific level. What good will that do you? How does that serve you? How does that add value to your life? 

This isn't just about Trump. It includes all relevant presidential candidates. It includes the whole spectrum of people that support these candidates. It involves the whole scope of humanity. Most importantly, it involves you. 

How will you react?

How are you reacting ?

Why are you reacting that way? 

What value does it give to you? 

Does it facilitate in the growth of your own consciousness? 

Are you there? 

Are you here now? 

Are you grateful? 

You are living. 

Let it breathe. 

Let it go. 

Take it within and smile through the chaos. 

DG