And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. -- Anais Nin
In the streets of Cairo today, the collective human drama and the personal human story of the Anais Nin quote are being played out in front of the world.
The uprising in Egypt is a result of decades of repression of people's basic human rights and freedoms living under the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak's show has had a long run on Broadway, but it looks like the final curtain is about to fall. No one knows for sure what will happen, but we all have a front row seat in this drama.
Dictatorships in general, and Mubarak's in particular, survive because fear tactics; violence and inhumane actions are very effective methods to render people incapable of taking action on their own behalf. Instilling fear in people's minds keeps them off-balance, uncertain, in a psychically, emotionally and physically contracted, and thus, infantile state, easily controlled.
Perpetual Threat Level Orange.
But even the longest running Broadway shows eventually come to an end, and after 30 years of living as indentured servants, the people of Egypt are having an "Anais Nin Moment." Life, as it is, has become not worth living, and the risk of losing everything has become an acceptable one to take.
In their collective moment of awakening, the Egyptian people have emerged from their tightly closed buds -- blossoming into the streets, proclaiming their right to freedom and risking their lives by doing so. According to Human Rights Watch, approximately 300 of them have already paid the ultimate price, and the journey to peace and freedom has only begun.
The road ahead is a long one, fraught with enormous challenges for the Egyptian people. The revolution may be put down, but people's hearts and minds cannot be. Transformation is afoot.
But it's not just the Egyptians who are undergoing this time of chaos. We're all living in the collective chaotic field. What happens in one part of the field impacts the entire field. Our lives will also be changed by what's going on in Egypt. We don't even know yet what that means, for we cannot yet see its full impact -- except, perhaps, at the gas pump. You can be sure that the ripples from this event are already making their way to a life near yours, but don't be afraid -- be encouraged.
Looking at these events through an enlightened awareness opens the possibility of seeing them as an opportunity -- one to be supported and embraced, not one to be repressed and put down. Even though the road to liberation may be rocky, anything worth having is worth "fighting" for. But what's really at stake?
What's Worth Fighting for in Your Life?
Any war you might be waging is never about what's going on "out there." So often, we point to things outside ourselves as the source of our problems; therefore, we think the solutions also lie "out there." You might think your problems would be solved if only "they" were different or if "they" aligned with your way of thinking. But the outward manifestation is only a reflection of an inner conflict. We must look inside to discover the source of the conflict and, thus, the road to peace.
What's worth fighting for in my own life is the imperative to be true to myself -- to honor my personal mandate to stay awake and be present to my own unfolding. What's worth fighting for is my commitment to be continuously open and be at conscious choice in my life, 100 percent of the time.
What's worth fighting for in my life is the mandate that I live an authentic life and remain true to my soul's journey. What's worth fighting for is that I honor the voice of my soul -- that I trust in its wisdom and guidance.
But what am I, are we, really fighting? What war is really being waged? It's the war we wage within ourselves against the voice of our own inner dictator -- that voice of the ego that keeps our personal threat level continuously at orange. It's the voice that attempts to convince us we're not worthy, not capable, not deserving to have the life we desire, do the things we want to do or be the person we came to be.
Under the threat of our inner dictator, in a perpetual state of fear, we fall asleep and forget who we are or why we're here. When we're asleep, we fall deaf to the call of our Beloved Self. Asleep, we settle for living under a perpetual threat level orange and become accustomed to being afraid. The fear state becomes our new normal. Sound familiar? Isn't that what's been taking place in a neighborhood, in a country near you? Near me?
But all who sleep eventually will awaken. An inner uprising will occur; life will force upon us the imperative to awaken. In our awakened state, we come into an aware presence of ourselves as who we truly are: sacred, sovereign, holy beings -- worthy of the glory of our noble souls.
The Egyptian uprisings invite us all to stage a personal revolution, overthrow the inner dictator, proclaim our personal freedom and celebrate our liberation. Are you ready to begin waging peace with yourself?
We have moved into a time of eruptions. It is not about what is right or wrong; it's about correcting balance. Don't get caught up in them with fear, ego or intent. To empower the greatest Good, send out Healing, Love and Peace. We are now completely immersed in Divine time. The truth is howling and the dimension of alchemy has arrived. We have never been powerless, and now we are coming to know it.
-- Lori Barbaria, "Abracadabra: Create As You Speak"
One of the most riveting aspects of the uprising in Egypt is the peaceful intention of the protestors. Whether we know it or not, we're all involved in this drama. We have the power to wage war on each other. We have the power to wage peace. We have those same powers to use against ourselves, or for ourselves.
What Are You Waging: War or Peace?
In the coming weeks, we'll be exploring this topic in greater depth. I welcome your thoughts, comments, links, etc. Please join our community discussion in the comment section below.
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In the words of our beloved, loyal reader SShaw 490, "I peace you."