Despair and Hope

Sometimes, I feel incredibly sad about the world and how we treat its creatures (animals and humans alike). I often wonder what future generations will have to say about the way we lived and what exactly will be our greatest atrocities. We have all looked back at moments in history and wondered 'how the f#@k did people allow those things to happen!?!?!’ Well, besides the environmental abuse and destruction (and by the way, Mother Nature will go on in spite of us) I believe that two things we’re doing majorly wrong today – right here and right now – are the way we treat animals and all the chemicals that are put into our food (and by the way, that we seem to be ok with eating)?! But what is most upsetting of all is the way we treat animals, because treating any being inhumanely or unethically is so very wrong.

On Instagram, I follow an account called Animal Hope and Wellness. It’s not uncommon for them to post something that’s really, really, hard to see. Yesterday I was scrolling along my IG feed, laughing at the funny meme’s and enjoying some of the cute photos of people’s beautiful children, and then all of a sudden, BOOM, a photo that is impossible to “unsee” pops up and I lose it. I start crying because it just seems so unbelievable to me that some people are doing things that are so horrible and so wrong to animals. And it gets me thinking about other stuff – bad stuff that happens that we don’t even know about; so dark and so upsetting that it’s a wonder those that have been through some of it can actually survive. 

Last night, I temporarily unfollowed this particular feed because sometimes you just don’t feel strong enough to handle it. It’s for this same reason that I don’t watch the news, and that I have temporarily disconnected from Facebook, actually. I just got so sick and tired of seeing people slandering others because they have a different viewpoint, and just being so disrespectful, that I needed a break. (I realize that I too – right now – am expressing my own viewpoint about animals, but to me, this is a black and white issue. Abuse of animals is black – like murder. It’s wrong and I don’t think you can have a ‘healthy debate’ about it).

Anyway, after I removed this one organization from my IG feed, I kind of felt bad. I questioned myself; this is something that is really going on the world. Just because I don’t feel ‘strong enough’ to handle it; is simply wanting to stop seeing it the wrong response? I don’t have the answer friends, that’s just a thought I had go through my mind. Generally speaking, I think that ‘not wanting to see it’ IS actually a problem, because it’s this exact disconnect that enables us to walk into the grocery store and buy our clean, nicely packaged meat from the grocery store without blinking an eye. However, regarding my IG account, I do know that I need take a break as I believe that one needs to trust in their own wisdom of knowing when they need to step back – even if it’s just temporarily.

I feel a bit like I need to be handled with “kid gloves” these days…lots going on in the world I guess, and as usual for me, a lot of this is entirely within my mind. In any case, I recognize this and that’s an important aspect to one’s overall health - realizing when you need a bit of a 'mental time out'. In the past, I have always searched for answers outside of myself – always looked externally for the right way to do things, how I should think, how I should behave. But more and more (and hopefully MUCH more in the future) I am learning to trust not only that I can come up with answers, but that the answers I come up with, are right (for me). Here’s an example:

I mentioned a number of posts ago, that I had downloaded an app to start meditating. For some, that works fantastically, but I had been resisting it for some reason. Then, the other day while I was watching this amazing guy on YouTube (Kyle Cease - which you ABSOLTUELY MUST CHECK OUT), he was talking about how being mindful and meditating cannot be done in a RIGHT or WRONG way – it’s what works for YOU. And it was like aha!! So, for the last week I have been just sitting in stillness for at least 20 minutes each morning – not worrying about IF my mind wanders, and if I am ‘doing it right’. I simply have created a space where it’s quiet, and where (hopefully) as I keep doing this, that I will be able to receive the guidance I need when I need it BECAUSE I am creating this space for myself, AND doing (as Kyle talks about) INTERNAL research and not the external research that I have for so long been doing. I encourage you all to watch this great video (and many of the others that Kyle has). When you do, let me know what you thought. His past work was as a comedian, so while the information is fantastic, he delivers it in such a fun, lighthearted way.

Thanks for listening today – I just felt that I needed to get this off my chest. Sometimes when you feel in despair about what’s going on in the world, you tend to focus on more negative’s, and yet I do realize that there are SO MANY MORE good people in this world, doing GOOD things. We all may have different ideas about how to do it, so it’s ever so important to be open to listening to others’ points of view. You may not always agree 100% with them, but for the love of God, at least be respectful and hold the space.

If you'd like to help animals too, I'd encourage you to always be aware of where you buy your meat, (eat less meat in general), sign some of the petitions on Change.Org, or maybe even help out a local animal shelter? I'm sure there are a million other ways, and I would love to hear more about your ideas if you had some too. Also, if you’re brave enough to check out Animal Hope and Wellness and the important work they are doing, please do so. 

In my next post, I will get into the other serious issue I mentioned today, which is about all the toxins and chemicals we consume. That’s another whole ‘can of worms’ and that’s all I have in me for today.

Now go watch Kyle.