Social triggers seem to abound in the world we live in. One person says this, one government does this, and we are all up in arms. We feel enraged, we feel saddened, we feel divided, we feel…triggered. And as we live through this moment in history it can be easy to forget that we play a part in how this time in history will unfold.
There is a difference between History, and “HIS”-story. And the difference lies within all of us.
Change is inevitable
As we head into this swiftly approaching New Year, all kinds of reflection comes up for me. And in that reflection, I am reminded of the inevitability of change.
Change is inevitable – and if you’re not adapting, you’re going to be left behind. We’ve seen this in humanity since the dawn of time – thousands of years ago, if you were living in a jungle somewhere, you’d have to learn to adapt to your environment or you’d be killed.
And even today, we see the same: if you are a business owner that refuses to adapt to the changing times and demands of the market – then you will be left behind.
So as we see this, we can recognize that any moment we experience in our society is merely a time in history. We have come to this point in history because of how things have changed and adapted until this point. And just as change has brought us here, so too will change take us from this time.
At the end of the day, history is merely “his” story – and right now there are many stories going on surrounding what is right and wrong about COVID, the vaccine, governmental responses, and the people’s responses. Among all these stories, change will come, and this time of history will pass to a new beginning. We will all look back at this time and say, that was history. This is what happened – and this is what changed.
But the question is – how will this change happen, and who is responsible for it?
Trigger or be triggered: the choice is yours
People often forget that what we think of as history, and what we think of as our current reality – these are all part of our own creation. We are all taking place in this creation that Earth is. And with that, no outcome is set in stone.
Certain people have preferred outcomes, but in the end, they are just that: preferred.
Ultimately, we get to decide that outcome. We each make choices in our lives that are informed by our world view. They are informed by what we believe to be true, by what our heart is telling us. And if we stay aligned with this (more on this later) – and if others stay aligned with what they believe to be true – then we can be sure that the outcome that becomes history is the outcome that is right for all of us.
Whatever “outcome” is most shared and spoken – this will be the most probable outcome because we have consciously or unconsciously allowed it to happen.
And again, this is just because of the amount of attention given to it. For that reason, we cannot blame the people or the governments that trigger the emotional responses we feel towards the change.
But what we can do is deal with how we experience these triggers, through our own healing practices. We can choose to be triggered, or to trigger change.
There is a difference between history and “HIS” story. And the difference lies within all of us.
Heal, or continue to be driven by social triggers
Many of us live our lives in a constant state of reaction. We become triggered by the pain and trauma we feel from our past (and past lifetimes), and also by the social triggers we face on a daily basis. And when we live in that state of reaction day-in-and-day-out, we settle into a kind of “escape” mindset.
The only way we cannot heal is if we escape the reality that is going on inside – no matter who, what, how, when, why you feel triggered into the cycle of patterns and pain.
So your core task is to always face whatever is whatever you are feeling. Face it. Dance to it. Breathe through it. Allow it to open. Allow it to be. If you are meditating. Meditate with it. If you are doing breathwork, breathe into it. If you are dancing, dance with it. Go dance away from it. Dance with it. It is always done by facing it rather than escaping it. That means that, in essence, that is how I will conclude this podcast. The only thing you have to do in essence through life is to face what comes up for you when you feel pain.
The more you heal and start to find a higher state of being – a state of love, of light gratitude, of harmony. – the more that we will find a kind of collective peace. The more that we can change the course of history, the more probable a new outcome will be possible.
It is my belief that we are in a time where more and more people are healing themselves. They are finding that ability to become quiet, to look at their darkness like I’ve been talking about in the beginning, the traumas, the pain, the struggles. We are finding that ability to look at that stuff inside because when we allow it, when we see it as it is not judging it, simply self-loving observation.
We can heal from our social triggers
If you are experiencing grief, if you are experiencing sadness, anger, frustration, whatever – it doesn’t matter who or what the trigger is. It doesn’t matter what happens in the outer world. It doesn’t matter that someone triggered that feeling inside of you by doing or saying something. It is not their fault. It is not the government’s fault. The government might be triggering certain fear in you, but it is not their fault.
The only thing that’s important is what are you experiencing inside? And that is your work, that is your responsibility. That is no one’s responsibility. You see that from a place of self loving observation. You breathe to it, you dance with it, you ice-bath with it, you sweat-lodge with it. I don’t care how you want to do it – you connect with it. You allow it, and that’s how it will disappear.
That is the internal work that we are here to do in life – heal yourself. That is what we’re doing here on this Earth collectively – as a humanity. And this is how we all have the power to change the course of history – to change the story. You can choose to participate in it – and you can choose not to participate in it, because you have complete freedom of choice – but I hope that you will be choosing what’s right for you.
I get more in-depth on this topic in episode 018 of my podcast, The Spiritual Game of Business. Check it out now – available on Spotify and Apple Podcast.