Yes it is important to inspire the next generation, but let's not forget to inspire the now generation too.
Onyi Anyado
An Evolutionary Process?
My daughter is so wise. Her suffering, somehow, makes her wiser. She said to me, when I asked why so many within her age group were suffering, "Its just evolution Mom. Change is painful and the world has gotta change." How's that for an answer.
The generation we gave birth to is a wise one!
These kids are waking up. They are waking up from generations of conditioning that has been drilled into their heads and absorbed by their cells. They are now at a crossroads of unlearning that which they were taught. It is a scary and confusing place to be. They got to this point, I suppose, by watching us.
What They Learned By Watching Us
They watched us, the generation that physically birthed them, doing what we were taught to do from the generations that birthed us. They watched us do many great and wonderful things. They also, unfortunately, watched us worship the almighty dollar, define and strive for an idea of "success and happiness" which meant conquering the external world and anyone or anything that got in our way.
They watched us place "a good work ethic" at the top of the favorable characteristics to have list as we rewarded them for having one, punished them for not. They watched us work our 12 hour workdays for the pursuit of a "better tomorrow."
They watched us put off this elusive happiness for something that might happen in the future, while we stomped blindly and destructively over each precious moment we had to get there.
They watched us, as we accepted and taught, that it was normal to be anxious, depressed, unhappy, exhausted, worried, fearful and stressed to the core. That we should just "suck it up" and grin and bear it...the more we could "endure" of this, the better and stronger we would be in the long run.
They watched us laugh and sweep away any idea that there may be more than what can be seen and felt with the five senses. They watched us use science and a "rational" mind to create faithlessness, in anything but materialism and random uncertainty as we lived with "skeptical doubt" in the goodness of Life.
They watched us prioritizing safety over exploration and expansion . We wonder why they seek the comfort zone so often and we know in our deepest core that is because we have so beautifully built comfort zones around them.
They watched us chanting our silly mantras, "Keep moving!" "The busier the better." ""Just do it" as we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, going nowhere in particular. They watched us prioritise productivity over well being as we denied, dismissed, pushed away, drank or ate away, or numbed from any emotions that were painful, encouraging them to do the same.
They watched us destroy this planet to appease our materialistic needs and they see so clearly the damage we have done.
And they see that through all of this "effort" ...how "unhappy" most of us still are despite all our hard work , despite how much we may own or be able to buy for them. They see that the people they turn to for mentorship and guidance still do not know how to live or to just be. They see that the way we are doing things now is not going to work much longer. They see that the human race, as well s the planet, is in trouble.
The Burden of Change
No wonder why there seems to be such a collective sense of hopelessness and fear amongst the 20 something population. The deep resounding vibration of, "The world has gotta change," has been dumped on their shoulders to carry. And as we continue to do what we have been doing, they can no longer follow; they can no longer trust that ego force that keeps us moving in this direction. They see that our ways are not only unhealthy but also destructive. Yet, most of us have our heads stuck so far into habitual patterns, we do not see it...therefore we are not only unable to help relieve the loads they carry but we add to them.
We all have to Wake Up!
If we want to help our youth. We all have to wake up . We have to take a good look at how we are living, how we are pursuing this idea of happiness, how we are denying what is. We have to examine our mental formations, have a good look at the mind and choose to learn to use it skillfully rather than just being pulled along by a collective mind, as we are now. We have to recognize, accept and transform our own suffering so we can help them transform theirs. We have to prioritize instead of stigmatize the need for better mental health for all of us.
Life is an inside game. Mind healing has to be a priority. Our problems begin in the mind and can only be solved in the mind. We need to learn and teach that. Let's teach our kids how to find peace, joy, Love through their recognizing, allowing, embracing and looking deeply into suffering.
Let's discover that for ourselves first. If we cannot wake up, how are we going to help them wake up? We need to wake up for them!
All is well.
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