Real Change Can be Painful
We are on the cusp of some pretty major change in the world – and it hurts.
The world pre-pandemic was flawed. COVID-19 has exposed just how far the inequality created by the wealthy and privileged has overtaken most of our society.
Then, just to emphasize that, another black man has been killed by unnecessary police brutality. Now, it’s clear that the protests have been usurped by white supremacists and anarchists to sew chaos and precipitate some sort of domestic war.
Why? Because their way is dying. The minorities are becoming the majority. While, as far as I know, most people haven’t a problem with that – a small few find it so distressing that resorting to creating a false narrative of “us” versus “them” is the only way that they can see to maintain the “status quo.”
However, that “status quo” is false and never was. The USA was NEVER an all-white nation, even in the days of slavery. This is, apart from the Native Americans, a nation of immigrants from every race, creed, religion, and color you can imagine.
The present unrest is distressing, but it is largely being driven by how peaceful protest is received. Colin Kaepernick took a knee to protest injustice and violence against blacks – and the NFL responded by creating a policy against that. Hell, the man took that type of protest on at the behest of active servicemen, as I recall.
Peaceful marches are met with tear gas, clubs, rubber bullets, and violence. Why? Power and dominance. Unarmed black protestors and their allies are dispersed violently. Heavily armed white protestors get to disrupt everything with no consequences.
Is the system broken? Yes. And those in power at the highest echelons of American politics are too selfish to do the right thing.
This is change at its most painful. They stand on the wrong side of history.
The upheaval of the masses should come as no surprise
The pandemic revealed how far inequality has spread. Far too many people have no choice but to live paycheck to paycheck, can hardly afford health insurance, have no savings – and yet are expected to just accept that this is how it is.
The majority of people have no protections, and the government is not providing them anywhere to turn.
There are options to make this all better – but instead, the greedy leadership practices the tried and true lie of trickle-down economics. Let’s keep cutting the taxes on the wealthy because they’ll pass that money down to everyone else.
They’ve told us this idea for almost 40 years. But the money is not trickling down. Instead, it’s being hoarded, offshored, and kept to a small group who cares only for themselves. Look at the wealth gap, and how little the top pays in taxes compared to just 60 years ago. You can clearly see the bullshit that is the trickle-down theory exposed in all its vanity and lies.
Universal Basic Income – now, more than ever – would save the economy and the American people. Guarantee the ability to cover rent and necessities and everything over that goes back into the economy as people buy stuff. Trickle-up has always worked in the past – just look at the end result of FDR’s New Deal.
UBI would change the entire narrative.
Where would the money come from? Same place it always does – the non-existent ethers.
All money is fiat money, people. In other words, it’s currency that you believe has value – because without your belief in it there is no value to it.
Notice how there is always money to be found to make war – but no money to educate or treat the sick. What’s that all about?
Change is happening right now
Even with outsiders trying to usurp protests and create violence to their own ends, the message is clear. The way things have been cannot continue and need to be changed. The people are speaking – and they will not be silenced.
Cities are being burned – and that sucks. People are getting hurt and that is painful. But this is why real change can be painful. Because sometimes you can’t just sit back and wait for it – you need to create it.
Because of COVID-19, I can’t attend protests right now. But I probably would if not for the risk factor to my loved ones. I feel like these words are not sufficient to express how I support this movement. But I agree that Black Lives Matter, that the systemic racism needs to be addressed and not ignored, and that the current administration has GOT to go.
Violent or not, this change is painful. Part of that is because, in a fear-based society, we have been fed such a steady and unhealthy diet (literally and figuratively). Too much artificial crap, narratives of lack and scarcity that are utter bullshit. The whole notion of “us” versus “them” when, in truth, we are all people with hopes, dreams, and desires – no matter the color of your skin, the religion you practice, the gender you ascribe to, and so on.
For a small few, this change represents an incredible loss. No amount of logic nor reason will convince them that they are truly losing nothing at all. In truth, the loss they fear so much has nothing to do with them – just those who have convinced them that they will suffer.
Positivity feels disingenuous
How in the hell can anyone have any sort of positivity when people are being hurt and cities are burning? Because without it, the end result of any change will likely be negative.
You cannot deny the terrible, painful things happening right now. Nor should you. They can’t be replaced by a positive, Pollyanna attitude because that’s just as blind and unreasonable as the fear driving this change.
But the positivity you can look to is a better end result. Not a bullshit, fairytale happy ending – but change for the better coming out of all this. Toppling the entrenched, arrogant, selfish politicians and business owners. Altering the narrative to address and change the systemic racism. Elevating new leaders to represent the people rather than the wealthy few and special interests.
Without that sort of positivity – then why bother to demand change at all? Nobody wants this to get worse.
This change is painful, and most of us can do little for it. But we can work together towards a positive outcome. You and I can support those most aggrieved, being hurt, and do our part to stand with them to overcome this pain.
I see you. And I hear you. Most of all, I stand with you. We can overcome the pain of this change and find and/or create something incredible on the other side.
Finding and/or creating positivity isn’t hard – but it does require action
Knowing that real change can be painful, you can work through it by seeing a positive outcome on the other side of the pain. When you are mindful of your thoughts, feelings, and the intent of your actions, you can choose to be proactive, to work with, and through the pain to direct, impact, and alter change and how it affects you. That ultimately empowers you.
When you feel empowered, your mindfulness increases, you become more aware overall, and that can spread to people around you. It can create a feedback loop of awareness and positivity.
As such, you can build more positive feelings and discover more reasons to feel positivity and gratitude. That can be the impetus to improve numerous aspects of your life for the better, help overcome the overwhelming negativity of the current situation, and generate yet more positivity and gratitude.
That can then spread to change the world for the better.
An attitude of gratitude is an attitude of immense positivity that can generate even more good energies – and that, like you, is always worthwhile.
This is the three-hundred and thirtieth entry of my Positivity series. It is my hope these weekly messages might help spread positive energies for everyone. Feel free to share, re-blog, and spread the positivity.
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