In God We Trust?
As 2016 is winding to a close, I have been reflecting on what just happened to us. The intensity and emotions of 2016 are like nothing I have felt before. That could be because I am in politics but I don’t think so. Throughout my non-political circles people are remarking how grateful they will be to ring in the new year. 2016 was a monster roller coaster ride for most folks! My hope for our nation is that we reclaim an American identity we can all agree on. In order to accomplish that momentous task we must return our conversations to our values and listen deeply to each other. Distracting ourselves with policy or issue battles is like fighting over which way the toilet paper goes.
The values conversation in 2016 was about trust. Who do we trust to lead our country? Do we trust our government? Do we trust our neighbors? Do we trust our democracy? The question we should have been asking ourselves was, do we trust ourselves? The process of trusting is sizing a person or a situation up and making one decision. Is this safe or not? This is primal skill every species requires for survival that we do this hundreds of times a day. Humans have a range of options when deciding to trust. There are generally three categories people fall into- trust first but verify, trust is earned not given, or it depends.
Regardless of HOW you make the decision, ultimately any conversation about trust boils down to just one person, me. Do I trust myself to collect accurate information about a person or situation to deem it safe? People use their gut feelings, prior experiences, people’s actions, their own words, other people’s decisions and a whole host of other tools to size someone up. We all collect data of some sort and quantity to make our decision. One of the reasons betrayal is so difficult for people to get over is because it makes us question our own selves! If we trusted someone and they betrayed us that means we failed to come up with the right answer regarding our own safety . What does that mean about our future chances of survival?
As our modern society moves from a place of stability where each generations’ lives are better than the last to one where economic divides, climate change, racism and sexism threaten our daily lives we are losing the ability to accurately predict our safety. This instability and unpredictability in the larger society makes it harder to trust anything. Especially if we have lost sight that the goal is to trust our selves and all else will follow. We must return trust to our country or finding a path forward will continue to elude us.
So my friends, I urge you to return to your self. Return to your senses. Trust what you feel, what you see, what you hear. Ask questions about what you are feeling, seeing and hearing. Be honest with yourself and others and encourage others to do the same. Listen deeply when people talk to you and ask more questions instead of jumping to judgement. Get more information and give yourself time and space before deciding if something is safe. Set aside time to pray, meditate or just sit quietly with no outside stimulation to get in tune with yourself and your experiences. And the world will be a better place.
