I see disaster everywhere; I also […] see generosity and resistance everywhere.
Rebecca Solnit
Sometimes, I confess, I see disaster everywhere. I get discouraged and depressed by what I perceive as destructive ideologies and events around me. I also get tired, bone tired. It takes a lot of energy to keep showing up to reality day after day. Maybe you can relate. We might not even agree on every issue, but you’re tired too. You, like me, have grown weary of fighting and long for peace.
So, I resist Facebook or the news that floods my Gmail inbox. I try to “take a break,” but it doesn’t last long. Pretty soon, there is another headline that simply can not be ignored. It feels like there is so much in this world that hurts my heart or ignites my anger.
Yet, if I believe Rebecca Solnit, then generosity and resistance are also everywhere. How did I become so focused on only seeing disaster? Could my continual resistance to all that I see as wrong be distracting me from all that is right? Has resistance become a double edged sword able to both defend and wound my resilience? Or have I isolated myself in this fight, failing to see the generosity and resistance of others around me?
Acknowledging all that is good surrounding us is not the same as putting on rose colored glasses to obscure the realities that need our committed resistance. It is a vision that allows us to see both what we desire to change and what we cherish. Look around your world today. How can you keep resistance in its place and open yourself to what is life-giving? How can you remind yourself just why you resist?
~Lisa Kiel
What a great way to start my week! Thank you for sharing.
Given the duality of those 2 attitudes, resistance /resilience, I think you came to a meaningful awareness. At times, these attitudes will supporting you through a crisis. At other times they work in unison tapping the synergy you have infused in each. I think there is balance between the 2, our psych manages the involuntary aspects, but when the issue becomes problematic , our brains begin to analyze the impact that the conflict has on our personal behavior and/or point of view. That is when we begin to “feed” one or the other. Resistance is necessary to protect our values and stand firm on your convictions, but resilience offers potential growth, and a way to see the terrain ahead.
I enjoyed your essay , Lisa. your essays always make me think!