Against

The struggle against.

Against people who drive us nuts, against our own inertia and apathy, against thoughts that make us sick to the stomach…against life’s challenges, and against doing what we know is right too; even against our own appetites that we know are not healthy. But, so many more againsts (new word) and targets of againstness (another new word) seem to be growing in society, as well. These smaller and smaller groups we seem to be splitting ourselves into are not healthy.
Some struggles against are honourable, like against injustice; real injustice. Against the lower aspects of our selves too. But mostly we are becoming ‘too against’, and more and more negatively focused. We are tending to fight more things, most especially people who’s ideology or difference we fear, or have distaste for. Yet strangely too, we struggle against our own inertia. We seem to struggle to be bothered to move in positive action, and yet talk so much negativity that it drives us nuts. Usually in closed off, or angry, conversations that only breed fear; as well as monsters that don’t exist.
The struggle against ‘people’ is the most telling one of our age. If we cannot be with, and work with, others who are different to us, and even those with a similar life view for that matter, then we are against our own future. Because we only go together places; as couples, as families, as communities, as nations, and as humanity. Our life is in each other. While we have to value and tend to ourselves, we have to value and tend to others just as much, or if I understand anything from my life, more so for others.

Meaning doesn’t lie in against.

Meaning lies in being of positive service to the whole. Fulfilling our potentials also lies, meaningfully, in a will to be of value to others, and I believe that in doing so we find ourselves more. Self gratification, position, sloth, etc, are short run, and become quickly empty. They cannot hold the real juice of life. Connection and purpose, meaningful ones, provide the juice of satisfaction in life, and making an effort, real effort, to be united with someone that you fear or do not like, holds huge meaning.
Individual happiness, and its quest, is shallow to me. To be happy is all fine, but as a goal in itself, not much. Just like being right is a shallow quest. To explore the truth together is powerfully meaningful, yet less and less seem to want to do this. Mainly because of intolerance to other ideas, and apathy. Some, maybe the majority, reasonably give up because of the growing polarity, as people are so politically, or ideologically, incensed and ingrained.
We are all just here on planet Earth, learning. We need to remember that. We need enough tolerance and humility to seek the truth of things together. We need our passion to be unity, and the open minded exploration of things together. We need our aim to be a higher future for us all. Even the many who have reasonably left the conversation of their family, group or country, due to it seeming pointless, need to take part. To me, we are all responsible for our part.

How shall our part, be part of the solution, not the problem?

The first step, to me, is to be a part of things, and to seek unity and answers with others. To be a part of your family, groups, community and country. To not seek to find problems, and tear things down, but to seek to find answers, in honest real conversation; family and community. To act on things with others, and build the future. We have become, at least in this country, too separate. Exclusion and pride has built a growing toxicity.
There is no future in rampant individualism, in anger, or just passion for the justification for our own opinion. It just can’t be there, and I believe we know it. Many seem locked into a battle of wills, and it is growing, and becoming destructive. When things are destructive, they simply cannot be constructive. ‘Against’ is popping up everywhere in the sociopolitical landscape. It will not serve us, and cannot prevail. That I know, without a doubt.
So, I believe, we need to be passionate about working with and for each other. To build new good things, instead of shouting each other down. There is more positive energy in building good things that change life for the better, rather than endless angry words, especially as these words are only rising. If they continue to rise higher, the fire rises higher, and the heat and pain rise higher, until destruction ensues; helping no one. There is no good end to against, and there awesome power and deep heartfelt meaning in doing together.  

There is no good end to against

To be honest, that’s what I have experienced, as no matter the power of our truths, they become lame if they become destructive to the fabric of society, and divisive to the heart of humanity; in family, our community, or nation. We need to get in the struggle for each other, be passionate, and add our loves to the whole. We need to struggle together. We need only be against our own arrogance, ignorance, intolerance and apathy; me included.
Be well
James D
“The supreme need of humanity is cooperation and reciprocity. The stronger the ties of fellowship and solidarity amongst men, the greater will be the power of constructiveness and accomplishment in all the planes of human activity.”
Abdu’l Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace