Ignoring The Critics, TO BE and a Picture Update

 "Every human soul craves "the good, the true, and the beautiful" absolutely and without limit. And it is precisely about these three fundamental values that the gap is the widest. Ordinary people still believe in a real morality, a real difference between good and evil; and in objective truth and the possibility of knowing it; and the superiority of beauty over ugliness. But our educators or "experts" feel toward these three traditional values, the way people think medieval inquisitors felt towards witches. Our artists deliberately prefer ugliness to beauty, our moralists fear goodness more than evil, and our philosophers embrace various forms of post modernism that reduce truth to ideology or power." -Peter Kreeft

The current "experts" in society are being listened to far more than they should. Instead of just BEING, many people are caught up in posting, demanding, disputing, obeying, subjecting and objectifying and 'doing' as a means of 'validating'...Instead of "doing" as a means of "being" which is completely different.

To BE is to encompass your I AM. To Be is to encompass each moment that one is inside of. It is to savour the chore, the leisure, the show, the music, the book, the writing, the creating or creation, or the conversation. To BE is to authentically create life's moments in full honesty. Without falling into the trap of dissection, deconstruction, reduction or power plays.

"So it is no surprise that in a culture in which philosophers scorn wisdom, moralists scorn morality, preachers are the world's greatest hypocrites, sociologists are the only people in the world who do not know what a good society is, psychologists have the most mixed up psyches, professional artists are the only ones in the world who actually have beauty...it is no surprise that in this culture the literary critics are the last people to know a good book when they see one."- Peter Kreeft

How often do you listen to the critics in your circles and pick books, films or music according to their influence instead of your soul's? It is one thing to listen to the counsel of a treasured, trusted friend recommendation, but it is completely another to judge based on what SHOULD be. I found this was especially poignant on social media. I loved some of the connections I made there, but I can say, without a doubt, that my life has opened up in terms of time, authenticity and BEING since I have been off. 

I have stepped off of all news, reading the latest protocols or stats on Covid, or any other world news.

Occasionally, through natural conversations, I have heard whispers of hot topics, but in those circumstances it is less stressful and more of a discussion involving multiple perspectives and free will. I am not the type of person who believes a new leader or new year will bring only good...or to put my hope in such things out of my control. While I can hope that leaders become aspects of the beauty of the human spirit, I do not put my only hope in that. Instead I hope in the mystical realm where hope is born. I hope in the daily deeds. I hope for the future by BEING in the present. It isn't always easy but it does bring much more peace. 

"So, what should we do about it? Just ignore them. That will do more to save civilization than anything else you can possibly do ( except becoming a saint.) It will also make them very angry, for like teenagers, the critics' greatest joy is to be shocking, and their greatest fear is to be ignored."- Peter Kreeft 

                      

When you ignore the critics (and currently that includes all news feeds and current trends of "awareness") you enter into your own soul. While it is necessary to have other human beings in our process, those BEINGS should have some form of honest connection. In other words, they should be people who know of us enough to challenge, inspire, encourage, and give tailored information based on a mutual relationship.

Most people do not get my obsession with good witches or witchiness. Yet, it is a part of my soul so witchiness is in our home. Oddly enough, the people who enter our home, even of traditional christian values, still more often than not, come back. The vibes of the home and ourselves overrule their uncomfortability with any obvious symbols in our home. I believe Timothy 4:4 “ For everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” I believe God redeems and I only strive to look to the good . The people who are scared of that fact, perhaps need to be somewhere else anyway and that’s ok as we all need to protect what is true and noble for ourselves… 

There are individuals who need the general collective to tell them how to think or BE. That is sometimes a needed phase of life. However, if most of society is caught in that trap, we then lose our sense of beauty and our compass for true morality. I have been asked how we make our decisions in the current landscape of protocols, chaos and such. The answer is different in each situation. We try to morally balance what is asked of us in certain situations with the truth of our souls. We try to pair the health of the body with the health of the soul and mind (one should NOT have priority over the other, even in a health crisis. We MUST remember social, spiritual and mental health. While sometimes physical health must take priority, there are also cases where it is the reverse.) Thus again, each circumstance calls for a different respect of the rules of life. Some rules will be broken, while at other times made to honour- and often it is the SAME rule that is both honoured and broken depending on the circumstance.

To those that respond with, "Well isn't that a little dubious? To make the rules at will or according to your purpose?" My answer is both yes and no. IF you are a person who is in tune with WHERE you are planted and if you pay attention to the people directly of influence in your life...IF you listen to these people, if you seek out goodness over the bad of the world, and sit in the solitude of your own soul while also searching for a greater I AM beyond yourself yet also being in your own, smaller, I AM, then I have no doubt that much of your morality will be sound. You may make mistakes but that is what BEING human is. You may pay the consequences of breaking standardized rules but you may also reap the rewards. Seek out the good, pick company that fills, delights and challenges you ( and YES this is possible in these current times. There are many ways to BE in community.) 

Currently, most people's greatest fear IS to be ignored. Just look to social media, news feeds, or the latest political topics for proof. Everyone wants to KNOW. They crave being "in the know" and up on the latest ways to "make an impact." They worry if they don't read the news, they will be viewed as ignorant or un- educated. But are those two aspects of BEING human parts that give the most satisfaction? If one is living in nature and happily in their day to day is that type of ignorance such a bad attribute? They believe if they post enough pictures they will be remembered or thought of fondly. While pictures are beautiful mirrors of BEING and great for memory triggers of those whom were in the moment, we do not remember others pictures as we do our own. Are we living in fear, thinking we are living empowered?

Fellowship is just as important as the singular. The soul is a sole journeyer but it can also be entwined with another. We need both. It is crucial to health and BEING that we honour both in some safe way. The more we completely isolate or allow ourselves to be swayed by the critics, the less of life we will have. IGNORE the news. Ignore the critics. Ignore the rules that do not apply to your surroundings. If you find yourself in a place where the case count is so low locally and everyone you know is healthy, washing hands and BEING- Are you going to continue to be in your own home alone completely? Face time or digital has it's place but it is NOT the same as getting on a floor to play with a child or seeing the expression of a loved one. As my husband would state, "Saying that 'in person physical conversation' is the same as talking over technology, is akin to saying that making love is the same as self pleasure." There are times and places for most things, but if we have only ONE of something, what is lost? Where is the line? Days become weeks, weeks become months, months become years and patterns of behaviour can be set forever. We should never fear other people to the point of cruelty because a mask can hide. We should not fear germs alone as to be human IS to get sick at times. We must not confuse rigidity or rule following with pure morality. Nor must we forget that there are rules to adhere to or at least guidelines to respect.

 

Our leaders worry that if we ignore all of their advice that their power will diminish. We share because it is in human nature to share. We crave belonging. Without it, we slowly fade into shells of ourselves. We also crave being individual. Without that diversity, we become shadows of everyone else. BOTH are needed. Life is a tightrope of the tension.

How do we fill our time? Because each day is another precious moment of life we will never recover again. How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. The people I have the honour of conversing with lately, are not solely stressed by current events, the weather, the news or the political temperature of life. A version of these things will always be with us in many ways. There is nothing new under the sun yet there ARE new ways of viewing them or BEING with them because each new person is an I AM. I AM is ineffable. Each soul is diverse and new in itself, even if the concept of the soul or how souls tend to present, are not new. In this, we are both new and as ancient as each day.

Find the true and beautiful. Read the books that you love despite the critics opinion. Consume the shows that uplift or give your family laughter. Choose the people who are safe to be around, keep your secrets and challenge you to grow. Find souls that believe in the interconnected individuality we all encompass. Do not choose to live life out of fear but try to also incorporate respect. Take the D and C supplements, use the S.A.D lights, wash your hands, paint a room a colour that FEEDS you even if it is not currently in or considered "too dark" or "too light" by others. It is YOUR ANAM CARA. Your soul friend. It is YOUR place to seek solace. BE a soul friend in every sense of the word to yourself and to those around you. Do not live for others but BE there for others.

As Mr. Shakespeare once summed up;

"To BE or NOT to BE- That IS the question."

Song Choice: Scarecrow- Alex and Sierra Who are They- Tim McGraw