How to Heal Divisiveness

It is now almost a week after the election in the US, and many people are still caught in divisiveness. This kind of mind thinks that ‘my’ viewpoint is right and yours is wrong. When we are aligned with this kind of mind, we oftentimes call other people names, talk about them behind their backs, make fun of them, riot and destroy property, and we may even shoot somebody because they don’t see things the ‘right way’.

How can we heal this divisiveness, which is not only in the US but is spreading like a virus all over the world? We heal it through kindness, and its power lies at the heart of every religion. Through kindness, you can become part of the healing possible at this time. To live a life of kindness, it helps to understand that we are all in this together, because we are accustomed to seeing everything outside of us as other—separate and disconnected from us.

One of the most skillful ways to cut through the illusion of ‘other’ is to act as if everything were a part of us—for it truly is. Science has shown that life is an interconnected web, dependent on everything else for its survival. You need the rain, the bees, the sun, and the people who harvest your food in order to survive. (And the people who drive your food to market, the people who make the roads, the people who make the trucks, the people who drill the oil, the people who stock the grocery stores, and on and on.)

If you take just a few moments, you will also see that we have so much more in common than differences. Your skin color, your religious beliefs, your political inclinations, your sexual preference, and possibly even your whole view of life may be different than mine, but we share the same air, water, and planet. At the root of our existence, we also carry the same fears and desires, the same confusions and hopes, whether we live in a tribal village in Africa or a high-rise in Manhattan.

As you move through your day, I invite you to see the people around you beyond their current political or social opinions, as fellow travelers on this adventure we all call life. In my experience, even the most heinous people need the healing balm of kindness. How else will they unhook from living in a way that hurts themselves and others, to reconnect with life? You don’thave to spend time with them or let them invade your world. Every time you meet someone, or even think about them, with the power of kindness, you become part of the healing our planet is ready for.

Each of us has parts inside that cause us to do unskillful things. Reacting and judging will never heal our world, and we can see that so clearly in the Middle East. We are ready for a new way of healing – a way that weaves everything back into the spaciousness of the human heart.

If this resonated with you, I invite you to join us for the next Free Night, on November 17th, called: Living in the Now. Here’s a sneak peek: We’ve all heard about living in the now, but if you are like most people, you have found that challenging. Join Mary in exploring a workable path back to the only moment where life is really happening…NOW! Registration is now open! Click HERE to learn more and register!

And as always, I invite you to listen to my podcast on Dreamvisions 7 Radio: The Extraordinary Ordinary. It will air on Thursday, November 12th and 19th at 5am and 5pm HERE. After the 19th, it will be available on demand, along with every other podcast I’ve ever done HERE. Please feel free to explore my catalog and listen to topics that call to you.