Compassionate Truths.
So, the past year of 2018 has been one of the most challenging years of my life. I managed to get through a divorce, I left the comfort of academia, and I questioned my own reality through meditative practices. (I’ll share those details at a later date).
All of this happened while I observed a very intense news feed/cycle and an interesting state of political affairs, which has pushed the boundaries of human civility.
While I don’t know what the actual statistics are behind the political or public opinions, I am keenly aware of my feelings or experiences, which has been peppered by my own content consumption.
My overall observable and emotional theme has been that people are stressed and lost in their lives. This is even more exacerbated by social media, content feeds, and coffee shop conversations.
People are ever more challenged with trying to balance their authentic well-being with their social welfare. This most often has come into contrast with so many other linear and non-linear groups, which has caused many to question their perception of reality.
Consequently, we find ourselves teetering between unapologetically speaking our perceived truths and sacrificially supporting differing ideologies. It seems as if our society has been sharing in some sort of massive bi-polar disorder. I feel it so, and if you’re reading this, I’m sure you have too.
We’ve all heard the following phrases uttered:
"I didn’t want to hurt their feelings?"
"I don’t want to rock the boat."
"I’ll show them."
"I don’t care what they say."
These are all word which communicates our unique perception of the “reality.” However, in my opinion, the motives behind those words lie within our fear of losing our own identity or struggling to just to exist in our perception of reality willfully.
Now, while there is a lot of semantics behind our communications and a multitude of limitations in language, one form of communication still holds true, experience. Our experiences are so unique that the only way we can make sense of it is to confirm with others who either can confirm or challenge those experiences.
This dichotomy is even more challenging when we continue to teeter between both our observations and those who share those experiences with reality.
So, what is one to do? Who is right? Who is wrong?
Is your version of reality correct? Or is it mine?
If it is mine, and it contradicts everyone else’s, am I at risk of living in an alternate reality? Does that mean I’m alone?
If it is yours, and it contradicts everyone else’s, including mine, does that risk missing beneficial details of reality?
These challenging questions are actual life and death inquiries that we all struggle within the scope of our life journey. One path can lead to schizophrenia and living on the streets, and the other can lead to missing out on breakthrough lifesaving discoveries, like penicillin. Who would’ve guessed that moldy bread would save lives?
These varied viewpoints have been a significant challenge for my own self-reflection. So, this is why I am writing this piece in the hope that this will match the theme of balancing “logical” observations with “spiritual” intuition.
I have been in the science field for most of my life. Scientific knowledge has helped me understand my place in the world. The basis of science is unbiased. It just observes the world around me. Whether I’m a tyrannical person or a righteous person, it doesn’t judge me. It merely states why I might be the way I am.
However, the scientific findings are just data points on a graph, but it doesn't say how I should exist in the world. This is where I’ve looked to others, with similar experiences, for potential solutions. Unfortunately, this can often lead to confirmation bias, and even to following the herd, sometimes off a cliff. [I voted for the losing team.]
The past year, I have managed to find ways to strike a balance between speaking my truth and accepting alternative beliefs. Independent from outside perspectives, I can make factual observations without compromising my reality. I can also, carefully consider and learn from other viewpoints without judgment.
This is where compassionate truths come into play. Mindfulness, meditative practices, and overall supportive company help me to open up to other points of views without compromising my inner-self or identity.
Self-care through consistent exercise, diets, growth-minded challenges, and overall perspective-taking have given me the confidence to take more risks. These practices have also helped me to lessen the suffering of anxieties, depression, and an overall increase in my physical well-being.
This mindful process, in turn, has helped me to move toward more financial independence. Also, it's given me the courage to find and nurture healthier relationships through a compassionate lens.
Experiencing multiple “truths” about the world around me is exceptionally challenging. I accept that, but it starts with being more compassionate to me. In return, I can be more sympathetic to others, and still, exist comfortably in my reality.
