Are you being a part of the SOLUTION?

Right now, there is a tremendous amount of tension between people. Do you know what I'm talking about? Our actions, our words are divisive. There's a lot of “us” versus “them” mentality, and I want to know honestly, are you being a part of the solution or are you being a part of that problem?

In our current climate, people are choosing to be incredibly divisive. It's non-mask wearers versus mask wearers. It's Republicans versus Democrats. We're making the choice to see people as separate, as unlike us, as different. We are quick to stereotype, we’re quick to judge, we’re quick to belittle, and honestly, we're quick to hate other people who don't share the same ideas and beliefs that we do.

So, I want to know what's going to happen if we continue to live like this? What will our communities be like if we continue to judge and place hate and be separate from other people? Is this the kind of world that you want to live in? Most of us say, no! I want to live in a world where there's peace and joy and strong community. Where there's hope and love.

So I've been exploring for myself - am I being part of the problem or am I truly being a part of the solution?

My go-to on Netflix is always documentaries and I love a good political documentary. But I can get done watching that and feel like everyone who doesn't agree with my ideas is just crazy. I'm guilty of being the person who fills my social circle with people who share my same beliefs and I am quick to judge others who don't share those same ideas.

But it's normal…we're immersed in a culture where it's all about competition and rising above others and having (and being) the best. We're in a culture where we see others as separate from us. But, we encounter people in our lives every day that we disagree with and we immediately judge or focus on our differences instead of similarities.

So I'm going to really challenge you to examine if you're a part of that problem. I can…be I'll admit it. It's okay to recognize this and release this need to be perfect. We are all perfectly imperfect. But what makes us GREAT is our ability to recognize it and still return to a state of love.

I want to share a great meditation practice that can help you do just that…return to love and compassion for others, as well as yourself. You can use this meditation to create a space where you intentionally see people as you and release the judgment and the separateness of how we see other people.

It's called the loving kindness meditation. If you haven't done it before you'll want to start this practice immediately!

So here are the steps for practicing a loving kindness meditation. And good news…all of this steps to the loving kindness meditation are available on my website. Visit carisafindley.com/lovingkindness to get quick and easy access to all of this information.

1. Find a comfortable spot. I love this meditation because it can be as long or as short as you want. In fact, I've been known to step into a quiet office at work and quickly do this when my boss is annoying the crap out of me. And honestly, I do it when I annoy the crap out of myself, too!
2. Close your eyes take a couple of deep breaths.
3. Picture someone who loves you wholeheartedly and connect to that feeling of love.
4. Then, project that same feeling of love onto yourself and repeat three or four affirmations that speak to you. Usually say, “May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I live abundantly. May I be at peace.” You pick three or four that speak to you. For example, “May I be grateful. May I be joyful and free. May I live compassion for others.” etc. Repeat those affirmations to yourself over and over agais…as many times as you need to in order to fully embrace the power of those affirmations!
5. Next, I want you to picture someone who's close to you that you love (a spouse, a child, a best friend) and repeat those same affirmations sending them that same energy of love and kindness. “May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live abundantly. May you be at peace.” Repeat, leaning into the feeling of love and kindness.
6. When you're ready, move on and picture someone who's a casual acquaintance (co-worker, a friend, a neighbor) and repeat those affirmations to them sending them that energy. “May you be happy.May you be healthy…”
7. Next, picture someone that you're having a conflict with now. Maybe it's someone you saw on social media that you don't even know. Maybe it's a boss. Maybe it's tension with a friend. Repeat those same affirmations, sending them that same love and kindness.
8. Lastly, I want you to picture the entire world and all the people that make up the different cultures and the different belief systems. Repeat those affirmations, sending them that love and kindness. “May you be happy. May you be healthy…” Repeat until you really leaned into that feeling.

I hope that you try this meditation NOW.. like…NOW! The world needs more people, like you, that are willing to try to bring people together instead of creating more separation.

Be a part of the solution to the tension in the world, not a contributor to it.

If you want to know more about how to make meditation a consistent part of your life, check out my video on helping make your meditation practice stick.  

Also, check out my YouTube and be sure to subscribe. I would LOVE it if you shared this with a friend who you also want to be a part of the solution!