The Revolution Within
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Heart-centered revolutionaries are the prophets, the poets, the philosophers of their time. Do you know the level of faith in their missions they had to muster to continue fighting in the face of so much resistance to progress? It’s the stuff of miracles.
Activism requires a certain amount of delusion, a certain knack for the technique of visualization which brings about manifestation. You need to see the world as it should be, and keep the laser focus on that intention, even when things around you only seem to be getting worse.
Nihilism holds no place in the mind of a heart-centered activism. It’s too hard a fight if you don’t believe in it. But it is difficult not to fall down that hole when you’ve seen progress made and destroyed in less than a generation.
The thing is, self-reflection is one of those rare things that you can’t have too much of. It never hurts to look in the soul mirror. Learning is the same. Every step towards self-awareness is a step towards a better life for yourself, and a better experience of you for every one you encounter (no matter how brief the experience). But the ego is a trickster and it’s easy to get caught up.
We often—when operating from a Downstairs Brain mentality—externalize things that should be internalized. For example, jealousy. When you feel jealous, the healthy thing to do is self-reflect. Why do I feel jealous? What triggers this feeling in me? When was the first time I felt this way? How can I self-sooth? Do I need to ask for reassurance? When we’re in downstairs brain, however, jealousy can be externalized by blaming someone else for making you feel that way or laying down the law and trying to control the other person, or resorting to petty attempts to undermine the other person’s self-esteem, or running for the hills without having a conversation at all!
In activism (especially internet activism) this same thing happens with radicalization. We have created a culture of purity politics, where everyone is striving for a kind of perfection that is impossible, and holding others to that same standard. In order to prove how good we are, we virtue signal and go on the attack to call out others to make sure that no one ever looks too deeply at us, lest they find us flawed and still in the process of unlearning.
So much of the real work happens internally, in a lifelong dialogue with ourselves. Outside resources can give you information and a window into experiences and struggles that are different than your own, but only you can integrate the information. Only you can tame your ego enough to open your mind to the ever-expanding awareness of the nature of the white supremacist capitalist cishetero patriarchy program and how it has informed your internal biases since the moment you could think.
That’s the real flaw in purity politics. Everyone is programmed to uphold the hierarchy of the society we’ve created. This operating system isn’t something you can overcome just by putting Black Lives Matter in your bio and never thinking about it again. It is a constant practice. It is a moment-to-moment choice. Just like the journey to self-betterment. There is no finish line, there is only better than before.
You see examples of people who stop doing the work at a certain point (usually when it comes time to recognize how they might be playing the role of oppressor) everywhere. It isn’t easy. Self-reflection is often painful and induces a healthy amount of cringe, but it’s worth it. Think of it as an offering to the altar of your own growth. A small price to pay.
When you decide to embark on the journey of the revolution within, you will find that in unpacking the white supremacist capitalist cishetero patriarchy lies your own liberation. This process is a naturally healing one. Uncovering the ways you’ve been programmed to hate yourself puts everything into perspective. The more you understand yourself, the more you are able to understand others—this leads to deeper and more authentic relationships. It empowers you to move through the world more confident when walking in your integrity. This makes you magnetic. You start attracting people on similar wavelengths. Your life starts shifting.
Every single one of us is a drop in the ocean. We are all significant. What if we lived responsibly, walking in the knowing that we had the power to change the world?
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