I shared last week that I met with Nick Pereira on facebook live, where we had a conversation about connection and authenticity. It was a direct and honest thirty something minutes of looking at and owning how we do this thing called relating. Although I was a little uncomfortable and self conscious, it’s worth checking out and I had fun.
Our lives are based on the fact that we have interface with other beings. Everything that’s beautiful and magnificent about us has to do with our connections to others… and everything that’s ugly, negative, and dysfunctional has to do with that as well. I’d be glad for you to tell me I’m wrong and I’d love to hear about that. I’ve been wrong before… maybe once or twice.
The nuances and complexities of human interaction have endless opportunities for learning and exploration. I believe that we have two questions that we’re looking to have answered at all times and throughout our entire life; am I loved and do I belong? Both of those questions have to do with an exchange that occurs between ourselves and others. All that weird stuff you do comes down to that. Image… yep. Money… yep. Actions. Choices. Everything.
I said last week that I was going to be conducting a social experiment with donating money to people in the city (community) where I live.
My intention was to collect some data around my (negative) preconceived ideas and beliefs about giving money away and the transaction that would occur was bad or wrong. That was my belief and it caused me to avoid looking at it. I think all of our beliefs in every quadrant and every facet of our mind should be investigated, examined, and updated. I actually wanted to prove myself wrong. It wasn’t difficult.
Disclaimer!!! I’m going to be transparent and share a couple of my thoughts that had occupied my brain prior to the experiment. I know I possess arrogance, that I’m judgmental, and bunch of other unhealthy human characteristics. I strive to better myself every day and at the same time accept myself as being the product of my imprinting that I’m still unwinding. It’s constant work.
“Homeless people are everywhere.”
“They’re on every corner all throughout the city.”
“They’re cognitively compromised.”
“Addicts of some sort.”
“Lazy.”
“Etc etc…”
All of these were total bullshit!
This was what I learned;
“They’re not everywhere and when I actually sought out to have interaction with the individuals I found it challenging to know where to find them.”
“They were eloquent, appreciative, and dignified in every instance I had last weekend.”
“A couple of them were funny and very engaging.”
I learned a lot about myself and the distorted conceptualizations I still harbor about what’s happening around me- the things that need updating in my operating system.
I’m not telling you about this to have you witness the bullshit I still harbor but to demonstrate the necessity for revision and evolution of the constructs that we live in to achieve deeper connection and meaning. What needs to be updated in your reality?
I’ll share more next week.