When habituation reaches the point where even the possibility that it is happening has drifted beyond our ability to discern; when we look at our world, our lives and our ability to have those lives unfold… inside that world… as nothing other than ‘reality’, we have moved beyond habituation and into collective cultural coma. Our bodies are here; we are high-functioning in our capacity to do the work of the culture and yet, we are simply not present.
We go through the motions; we acquire the trappings; and we hone the necessary practices that allow us to slip, unseen, through our days. Others may see our bodies arrive at the table to perform but can anyone really see the truth of who we are? Can you and I really see the truth of another?
None of this would matter were it not for one small problem: our willingness and ability to simply ghost our way through our lives is, in fact, reaffirming and holding that very life, in place! We are so powerful that without our capacity to toe the line and capitulate to the cultural expectation, that culture would naturally morph into something more reflective of that which sources it: the individual, living, organic beings that are at its core and without whom it cannot exist!
The following closing thoughts can be found at the end of:
Episode 44 of ‘Reclaiming Your Self: Women Unedited and Engaged!’ on the topic of ‘Penetrating Cultural Coma’.
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- Begin to pay attention to when you’re feeling that state of ‘frenzy’ or ‘agitation’ in your body. This is your body’s way of calling to you and encouraging you to STOP…. take a breath… and open your eyes! In the sleep-walk of a ‘responsible’ life, we often begin our day by pushing the ‘START’ button and notice very little, from there. That state of agitation or frenzy is an intelligent response in your body, designed to bring your awareness to the present moment, that you might choose differently. When you notice, stop…and breathe. You create the Space within which a mindful choice becomes a possibility. Without that stop, habit prevails!
- Pay attention to how frequently and how easily we actually notice those inner cues and ignore them! We tell ourselves that we can’t… that we shouldn’t… and we press ourselves into the service of denying our own bodies and tolerating the intolerable moments that far too often make up our days. This time, allow yourself to know that simple truth; to claim it… breathe into it and let it flow through the tissue and let go. There is nothing to fix – nothing to take control of and wrestle to the ground! There is just that single moment of owning it all! That, in itself, can change your life.
- And finally, give yourSelf the gift of your own truth. In all the collectives where you spend your time, let yourself hold both realities in your awareness, at the same time : the reality that is defined for you by others, ‘out there’; and the reality that is defined for you, by YOU, ‘in here’. You need not choose between them – you need only take ownership of them both. As you hold them both in awareness at the same time…. like holding up both hands at the same time, rather than one hand and then the other… you begin to notice that you are the immensity of the Space in which they can move. Without your ability to do this, each takes its turn in owning your thoughts and, ultimately, your life… and nothing changes. As much as you may have been told otherwise, you can take it; you are up for it… and your life is yours to design.
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