The pandemic, politics, and massive polarization are the Three Powerful P’s of 2020. If you’re a student of mindfulness and expanding conscious awareness, you may be aware of your own inner an image of two fists coming at each other, one blue representing ice and the other red representing fire to illustration the result of polarizationemotional pull to an equally polarizing perspective. It’s easy to see when you’re in the presence of viewpoints that are at odds with your own. In this case, you might have some success at controlling it or at least, managing how you express it.
But how about those times when you “lose it” and go a bit ballistic yourself? Human beings usually have a lot of trouble managing their own polarization, including monitoring their external and internal expressions of negativity. But in today’s world, the urge to embrace polarization seems to be running rampant. In fact, it’s never been easier to slide into ignoring your own polarized position and simply keep your focus on the “other” whose viewpoint is definitely not your own. Has this been your unconscious response to this massive polarization?

Check Out How You’re Doing With Your Own Polarization

Pandemiccartoon iimage of the globe with a mask on to illustrate global pandemic

  1. What happens for you when you’re in the presence of people who don’t follow what you assume to be intelligent guidelines for living in a pandemic? 
  • Get emotionally upset?
  • Stay emotionally balanced and calm?
  • Fall into confusion and disbelief about how they could hold that viewpoint and why?
  • Accept their viewpoint as different from yours but equally valid and incomplete, even though you completely disagree?

Political Divide

2 cartoon yellow figures separated by a red divide that stretches out on both ends - no end in sight1. What do you think and feel and say about the folks on the other side of the political spectrum? 

  • Get emotionally upset?
  • Stay emotionally balanced and calm?
  • Fall into confusion and disbelief that they could have that viewpoint?
  • Accept their viewpoint as different from yours but equally valid and incomplete, even though you completely disagree?

Economic Disparitiesscales of justice tipped in one direction as heavier than the other

  1. What do you think and feel and say about people who don’t subscribe to your viewpoint on economic equality?
  • Get emotionally upset?
  • Stay emotionally balanced and calm?
  • Fall into confusion and disbelief about they could have that viewpoint?
  • Accept their viewpoint as different from yours but equally valid and incomplete, even though you completely disagree?

Racial Inequality

1. What about those who’s viewpoint differs on racial inequality?cartoon image of orange scales of justice tipped more in one direction or on one side

  • Get emotionally upset?
  • Stay emotionally balanced and calm?
  • Fall into confusion and disbelief about how they could possibly have that viewpoint?
  • Accept their viewpoint as different from yours but no less valid or incomplete, even though you completely disagree?

 

Economics, race, politics, and health are no longer notions that bring us together. Instead, they are clearly growing a divide between us due to the presence of a massive polarization that seems bigger and more obvious each day. I’m sad to say that unless you can manage your own perceptions, thoughts, and emotions, you will be adding to this division.

Why? The way you perceive the world is how you give it meaning. And that meaning is then the world in which you cartoon image of an eye with the eyeball at the center being an image of the world or globe reflecting a polarized viewpointare destined to live.

What Can You Do About The Divide?

So what to do? Did you discover that you are actually reacting but believing you’re responding? Are you tied to the notion that reactivity, anger, and volatility are what make change happen? Is being disturbed by what’s unfolding the only motivation or avenue to taking meaningful action? Do you believe it’s possible to take action when you’re coming from a space of calm, centered, presence?

In a calm space, you can probably agree with the notion that we are all part of nature. And you might accept the idea that nature demands balance – no matter what. If those notions are true, then in the presence of a viewpoint that is the polar opposite of your own, you will, unfortunately, not stay in the middle, centered, present, and mindful of your churning emotions.  Instead, you will feel a rush of massive polarization. Is that a surprise? Here’s the deal. Nature won’t let you remain in the middle.

cartoon image of zebra, tiger, and giraffe having exchanged skins - giraffe has the markings of the zebra, the zebra has the markings of the tiger, and the tiger has the markings of the giraffe and they all think their view is the right view and in fact, they are all wrongNo. You will naturally, spontaneously, and automatically find yourself positioned in a polarized perspective as well. That means your viewpoint will naturally rush out to the edges of its own extreme. It won’t be a little objection. It will take the felt form of a massive polarization inside your body. And that means you’re then into the area of “My view is right and yours is wrong”. What’s important to know is that this event plays out through the power of your unconscious mind, outside your conscious awareness.

Without conscious, in-the-moment awareness of this, you are at the mercy of this unconscious reactivity. And the power of this reactivity will force you to throw caution to the wind. And in the blink of an eye, you’ll find yourself throwing more wood on the polarization fire.

Take Action Today

Would you like to gain a bit more clarity about what you can do to better understand your own polarization? Would like to know what you can do to take charge of your own polarized responses? Neutralize them and redirect their power? If so, please watch my FREE 4-Video Mini-Course on Centered 24-7– Leading From The Eye Of The Storm.

You cannot make the world a better place, or you the kind of person you wish to be when taking action, without understanding exactly what’s going on in your own unconscious process. This mini-course helps you become more conscious of what your unconscious mind is doing in response to the three powerful P’s challenging our world today – pandemic, politics, and polarization. I’ve shared the things that changed the course of my life dramatically. Perhaps it Presentation slide for Centered 24-7 / Leading From The Eye Of The Storm free mini-course available at www.RaginiMichaels.com focusing on how to live with polar oppositeswill do the same for yours.

CLICK HERE to watch my FREE MINI-COURSE if you haven’t seen it already.

As challenging, frightening, and frustrating as our current world seems, it is also the perfect set of circumstances to catapult your conscious awareness, mindfulness, and presence to a new level of clarity & impact. And offering this complimentary mini-course on Centered 24-7 is my way of offering to help.

Much love to you,
Ragini

 

** First published on LinkedIn September 13, 2020

***All images are courtesy of www.Pixabay.com