The Shakti Shaman: November 2016

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." M.K. Gandhi

Yesterday I found myself feeling this surge of energy that often felt like waves of anger cycling through me. I was experiencing annoyance and frustration with my brother and sister human beings. Not because of who we, as a collective body, elected as president of the United States, but because of the predominant reaction to that outcome.

When you've ridden around the sun enough times you see recurring themes in humanity. One that I've witnessed enough that it doesn't fool me anymore is the notion that the person we elect into the office of president is going to make our problems go away, solve everything for us, or completely destroy us. Pardon my french but that is the biggest bunch of bullshit ever. Those who have been here for a few decades or more, I ask you to look back and tell me when that has actually happened.

And why do we as a nation continue in the insane practice of doing the same thing and expecting different results?

Would I have chosen Donald Trump as our President? NO. Would I have chosen Hillary Clinton as our President? No. In fact, there is no one in my time on this planet that I would have chosen as the President of the country I live in. However, I recognize that I am one of a whole. I recognize and believe in the power of individuals, not a political party, perspective, or single politician.

No one, no matter how great could single handedly solve humanities problems. The problems have been created by a collective body and they must be solved by a collective body. That collective body is made up of individuals like you and me.

Whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump is President has little power to effect the way you treat the person who washes your car, cleans your house, clears your dirty dishes after you dine out. It has little power to get you to branch out and go to a different church, read a scripture you've never read and maybe have harshly judged based solely on opinions of others, drive to a poor urban neighborhood and go for a walk - get a feel for the people and maybe even talk to them - wow!

Who you were the day before Donald Trump was elected is who you were the day after and after and after. Nothing has changed except your perspective.

And when I hear my sisters, women, powerful women saying they are depressed and staying in bed all day I want to jump out of my skin. What the fuck?!!! You have babies for god sake. Don't belittle yourselves. Can you imagine if the women responsible for the suffrage movement in the early 1900's and the liberation movement in the 1960's had hidden under the covers?!

Where would we be?

And if you thought our work was done, you were wrong. The patriarchy is and has been alive and well. Perhaps we've had it too good and too easy to recognize that in the last few decades. We've had just enough freedom and equality to get comfortable. Comfort is dangerous when it causes complacency.

Had Hillary been elected we'd all be gloating self-congratulatory praise on how evolved and progressive we are so we could fall back asleep to the work we have yet to do to evolve our species.

The election of Donald Trump is a huge wake-up call in more ways than one. I LOVE wake-up calls because in my life I've found that they are what has shook me enough to spur progress from my complacent, little, small-minded ego constructs.

Fundamentalism breeds the destructive weakening forces of division and hate. Whether it's a fundamentalist approach to a religious, political, healing, or any other system is irrelevant. Fundamentalism is a mental energy based in fear. If you have any discernment don't go there.

The word America means Freedom. Mainly freedom to be and do what you came into this life to be and do. What brought you here at this moment in human history? Did you come to be a distraught observer of our recent election? Or did you come to be a first responder?

Ladies I'm talking to you. It's time to put your big girl panties on. We stand on the shoulders of some amazing women who sacrificed and suffered to give us the hard-won rights we enjoy today. All the fingers you're pointing at DT, point back at yourself and wake up.

Do you as an individual woman embody your own sexuality in a powerful way? Or do you allow your fear of men to subtly control it causing you to dull yourself down or flaunt yourself for male approval? Better yet are you still trapped in the toxic mindset of silent but fierce competition with your sisters on this planet? When was the last time you walked up to a woman, especially one that your ego says is prettier than you, and gave her a genuine compliment?

When was the last time you felt genuine appreciation rather than jealousy for one of your sisters shining her light? Did you encourage her? Or did you give her nonverbal signals that it wasn't ok...she should tone it down to make you feel better?

These are the daily things we all have to grapple with. No president can do that work for us. Our moment by moment attitudes of how we treat each other trickle up to things like abortion rights, imigration reform, health care, and who we elect as president.

These are things I confront everyday. Look around you in the grocery store, the nail salon, the post office, the park, your workplace and see the face of America in everyone you look at regardless of their gender or skin color.

We can't sit on our own prejudice, however subtle, and think our government will reflect anything different. Reform is an inside job. Reform yourself. Find your mission, not just a job, and be part of the solution in humanity's great evolution.

And please, please stop hating Donald Trump. First of all hate is poisoning YOU and secondly dividing and therefore weakening us as a collective body.

Part of the overall transformation of our species is in learning to love those we don't like. When we can do that individually and collectively we will find heaven on earth.

And lastly go on a fast from mainstream media for at least 30 days and formulate your own perspective rather than letting mass media dictate it to you.

I'll leave you with these words of Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor who lost his wife and parents in the concentration camp where he was also imprisoned. After liberation, he spent the rest of his life writing and lecturing on the insights he gained from his experiences. His most well-known work is Man's Search for Meaning.