Know What You Believe

The phrase sounded like a simple enough mantra. It didn't feel simple though, it felt like I didn't know what it was I exactly believed.  I heard it as an indictment.  Not knowing what I believed felt empty and felt like that other mantra of Malcolm X's - “If you don't know what you stand for, you'll fall for anything.” Why was it that I could clearly identify that which I did NOT believe, but I couldn't state what it was that I did believe? More specifically, why didn't I know what I believed?

I've spent the last few years trying to get to the bottom of this block. In retrospect, I realize that I feared feeling shamed for my beliefs. I had his fear of being told what I believe is not good enough, not something, not anything. By taking a firm position, there was no backing out of that stance.  I do tend to hang back and assess all sides of an argument or issue before being willing to state my opinion on the matter.

But I think I had a break through today.  The truth is, I do know. I believe that there is no less than. No person, culture, society is less than any other person, culture, or society.  

There is no less than. Therefore, this includes the earth, all living beings, natural resources, and our atmosphere.  I believe in symbiotic relationships.

I recognize that it is my human arrogance that puts humans on the same plane as the earth in terms of there being no less than.  Humans need the earth and its resources, but its hard to imagine in what real way the earth needs humans. The fault in humanity's logic thus far has been attempting to control all of earth. There is no way to control ALL of it though. We can't control it all, that's not how it works.

There are several millenia of structural, spiritual, psychological, and emotional forces woven together in thick fabrics of fear, war, violence, and oppression.   These forces all, in their own ways, buffer humanity from an embodied experience of living on this planet.  I believe that wars are being fought, resources are being stolen, and people are being displaced to prove that there are 'greater thans.' This side versus that side, us versus them, we/they - to control the people, land, and resources. But why? To always control, to always rule, to always have. Always controlling, ruling and having requires the equally opposite to be true, that there will always be the controlled, the ruled and have-nots. I believe we are all worth more than this false dichotomy.

We have the opportunity to figure out how to live in a mutually beneficial stasis with this planet. I believe that we can recognize this need for balance and develop systems to nurture symbiotic relationships on earth and beyond.