I went for a long, beautiful hike this weekend. It was about 12 miles in the pure, pristine beauty of nature. The peace was a stark contrast to the news of hate crimes, shootings, and war. I felt like I was in a different reality. Vibrationally speaking, I was.
Far off the trail, I was talking to another hiker who had joined me, when we heard vicious yelling in the brush – angry, hateful yelling. It sounded like someone was so rageful that they were ready to kill whoever they were talking to. We slowed down and walked cautiously in the stream through tall grasses. Soon we saw a woman sitting on a rock in the middle of the creek. She was clearly in a drug trance, angrily raging at her illusory demons. As we approached I sensed it would be best not to startle her so I gently said, “Hi.”
“SHUT UP!” she raged at me with a force that meant business. Quietly, peacefully I put my head down in a submissive state and started emanating light. The other person hiking with me knew to do the same. We both tried to transmit only peace and compassion. I focused on the light in the angry woman that, at the moment, was buried and held hostage by her pain. I kept telepathing her, “I see the light in you”. As we passed, without thinking, I looked in her eyes with huge love and compassion, folded my hands in a “Namaste” pose (meaning “The Divine in me sees the Divine in you”), gave a very slight bow, and passed quietly. I had not premediated any of this. It arose naturally, and without any thought.
As I gazed through her pain with love, compassion, and deep respect for the soul, she quieted completely. For just an instant, the windows to her soul opened. I saw a tear in her eyes. I saw her pain and felt her plea to be seen and loved. I felt angels with me, looking through my eyes at the purity of her soul in spite of all appearances, thoughts, and actions. My companion and I walked on without incident. A few minutes later, the person returned to her angry trance and resumed yelling. If only for a few seconds, however, in my personal reality, I existed in a state of divine love and she existed in peace. That moment of witnessing her soul, and her human pain, touched my heart deeply. I continue to pray that she, and all hurting souls, come to know God’s love.
I think we’ve all witnessed people in our lives or in public, that challenged us severely and called to us, like Darth Vader calling to Luke in Star Wars, to join “the dark side of the force.” Some do so intentionally by provoking us and being intentionally cruel. Some do it out of their own sad, painful projections or reactions to life. They’re all hurting. I choose not to join them in their pain. I want to stay in my love. I can’t control the behavior of others nor their unwillingness to walk in a higher light, but I can strive to stand in a love so strong the darkness can’t touch it.
Am I there all the time? No. Am I there more and more? Yes. It takes practice, perseverance, and a commitment to one’s own personal happiness. Are we allowed to feel loving, while others continue to hate? “Yes please,” the angels say. Many times in my life I’ve seen that love of heaven dissipate pain and crazy behaviors.
We’re human. We can only do our best. We are encouraged to start with love and kindness for ourselves and then spiral our love outward for all souls. We may never be perfect at this but with every choice to turn towards love and better feelings, we move into a higher, happier, reality.
Ultimately that commitment to love when others can’t or don’t is what calms storms, heals hearts, and eventually stops wars.
Here are a few tips to help you find love again when you witness hateful or hurtful behaviors
1. Love yourself first
You are human and there is likely to be a conditioned, or physical reaction when you witness hateful or hurtful behavior. Fight/flight is wired into our biology. Most of us were not taught to have compassion for those immersed in darkness. None of us like it.
It is, therefore, essential to love yourself first if you are going to find compassion for another. Tell yourself something soothing and true, such as, “You don’t have to like this! Who would?” “Of course you’re upset! You want a kinder world.” “This is horrible, but let’s see what we can do to help in our own sphere of influence.”
Treat yourself with lovingkindness first, no matter what your initial reaction. Even if you fall into a knee-jerk reaction of hate or vengeance, soothe yourself a little at a time, so you can climb out of those painful vibrations.
2. Find a better feeling thought or burn off the upset reaction
When you witness hate crimes, hateful ex’s, or snarky co-workers, it does not feel good to stay stuck in your initial reaction if it is anything other than compassion or indifference to such behaviors… and you deserve to feel good no matter what anyone else is choosing.
Perhaps you have to turn your attention away from bad behaviors and focus on all the good in your life and the good people doing good things in the world.
Perhaps you can pray.
Perhaps you can show compassion to those who have been hurt, and if inspired do something to help.
Perhaps you will be guided to be part of a deeper solution to the archetypal problem.
Perhaps you can’t shake the bad feelings mentally. In that case, you can physically burn off the upset. I used to do this all the time in my younger years. When I wasn’t able to shake a bad feeling reaction I’d get going with vehement vacuuming, wild weed-whacking in the yard, or extreme exercise. At times I had a very clean house, tidy yard, and trim body!! My mom used to bake bread and slam it on the counter while kneading it when something upset her. Sometimes we can’t talk ourselves into a better feeling so we have to just burn off our upset in a healthy way. I’ve known clients who took kick-boxing, got punching bags, or made it a habit to walk vigorously when upset. Anything to help shift your vibration to a more loving one, in a healthy way, will work!
And don’t forget to pray for help in finding a better feeling. Allow the answer to surface organically, what reaction would feel better. As the angels have been saying a lot lately, when you feel good, you feel God.
3. Be an ambassador for love
We can’t control the actions of others but we can propagate love instead of hate, not by teaching or preaching, but by being loving in the smallest of ways. I’ve often had someone just smile at me, at exactly the right time and it shifted my whole day. I’ve done the same for others.
If someone drops something and you pick it up, their faith in human goodness might just be restored. If you wave someone in front of you in traffic and give them a big smile, they are likely to do the same for someone else.
While hatred wants to propagate itself, we can be super-spreaders of love and kindness.
I may have only calmed a hateful, hurting soul for a few seconds, but I planted a seed. “You are good. You are light. You are birthed from the heart of God. Remember…”
It wasn’t my calling to counsel, save, or fix this individual. There was no need to martyr myself or put myself in danger by engaging. It was only my calling, for a brief moment, to see through the eyes of the soul, with love. It was a simple thing really… but maybe, just maybe, that seed will eventually grow and help to dispel the pain.
We can’t solve the systemic hatred all at once, but we can plant seeds of lovingkindness and thus become part of a wave of humanity calling for, and committed to creating a greater and more loving reality.
Leave A Comment