UNIVERSE WITHIN by Gwen Randall-Young

When a part of the body becomes stiff due to muscle strain or arthritis, for example, there is a loss of movement and flexibility. It occurred to me that the same could be said of our attitudes and perceptions.
When we believe there is an absolute right and wrong, our minds become rigid and fixed. We are not open to other viewpoints and we absorb information from the environment selectively – information that is in alignment with our beliefs.
The problem with all of this is that there is no absolute right and wrong. There are only points of view. It seems that when a point of view is paraded as a fact, it can then be used to justify all sorts of actions and behaviours.
Watching televised interviews of people on two sides of a conflict, we see that each side sees and believes only their own perspective. The inability to recognize that there is no reality – only interpretations of the individual or group – results in if not total blindness, then serious blind spots.
I am reminded of scenes where a pop machine or automatic teller doesn’t work and a frustrated consumer hits or kicks the machine. We view this as a primitive non-solution. How different is it when one gets angry at an opposing viewpoint, reacting with criticism, judgment and negation?
Whether we look at this issue from the perspective of personal relationships, community, country, or the global village, solutions can never be found through amplifying the polarities. On the contrary, it is conflict, dissonance and unrest that become amplified.
Like the neck stiffened with arthritis, we cannot turn our head away from our own viewpoint enough to see what might be displayed on another’s perceptual screen.
When it comes to differences, the default program in human thinking seems to be defined by a focus on what the other side – individual, group, or nation – is doing, or has done, that is wrong. From there, it is a short step to good guy/bad guy thinking.
Before we know it we have created an enemy. Of course, from that moment on, everything the enemy does is wrong, or at least suspect. The fire of hostility has been created and both sides continue to throw logs onto it.
As we have seen, this can continue generation after generation in, and between, families, nations or religious groups. The young are taught who are good and who are bad and the hostility continues. It is interesting, however, that even within polarized groups there are people on both sides who are not interested in conflict and simply want to live in peace.
What can we do? The first thing we can do is recognize that we do not have to take sides. There are enough people out there adding to the energy of polarity. We need to add our energy to those who are striving for civility, solutions, balance and broader perspectives.
We can then use our intelligence to generate win-win solutions. We can do this on a small scale within our families and we can do it on a global scale. I do believe that small-scale polarities in the home or office energetically contribute to global polarity.
Our world seems increasingly polluted with the negative energy of war, conflict and fear. We can use our own consciousness as an energy purifier. With global technology, we can positively influence others all over the world. We must first be that which we seek to see in our world.
If we want fairness, balance and understanding, we need to extend them to others first. In order to do that, we need to release our hold on the idea of anyone being right and focus instead on what it is we would like to create. We need to understand both sides before we can build a bridge to connect them.

Gwen Randall-Young is an author and psychotherapist in private practice. For articles and information about her books and CDs, visit (www.gwen.ca).