Choose Love

How do we navigate such division and opposing realities?

Anne Mason and Thea Mason

TRANSCRIPT:

Anne (00:00):

Okay. Hi Thea.

Thea (00:03):

Hi, Anne.

Anne (00:07):

Today we want to talk about an approach to the problem that many people are facing right now.

Anne (00:24):

There’s a struggle that we’re all in. And part of that has to do with the fact that it seems more than ever before––in my lifetime––apparent that there are two distinct realities that people seem to be existing in, two distinct consciousnesses, really. And of course we all vary in our beliefs, in our perceptions, in our philosophies, in our values and more, and we’ve always known that. But I think it’s never been so stark for us, at least of our generation and younger generations, that there is a group of people who truly, earnestly are in terrible fear of a virus and are willing to allow any mandate, it seems, to be issued and to follow and comply with that mandate, no matter how destructive it is, no matter how inhuman it is. And by inhuman, I think objectively, I can say it is inhuman to not hug. It’s inhuman to stifle our breath. No matter how extreme that is, for one reason or another–– and these are good people, these are people I love––they are so desperately afraid that they, will––and I don’t know, maybe in perpetuity––remain isolated and cut off from their fellow human beings in order to hide or think they’re avoiding this virus.

Anne (02:19):

They also seem to be content to allow at least other folks’ businesses to be demolished, their livelihoods to be demolished, and perhaps their own. I don’t know, I haven’t met anyone yet whose business has not been allowed to be run or whose job has been cut, who are in full support of these lockdowns. You know, so there’s that. Then there’s this other side that I belong to, that you belong to who are not afraid of any virus in isolation, who certainly, you know––I find this, madness. I find this insane that we are allowing such destruction of our lives out of fear of a virus. Viruses have existed since we’ve existed, probably before, and are always around and we get sick and we get better. And it is impossible to control a virus in this manner. The only thing we can do is control ourselves, our own health, what we put into our bodies, boosting our immune system, taking our own measures, perhaps avoid someone who is sick. Or not.

Anne (04:00):

So, we’re getting close to a year of this and we’re all cracking in different ways. And I guess I speak to the folks who are frightened of this virus as well, because these folks don’t understand us and we don’t understand them. And it’s been near a year of trying to convince the other side of their misperceptions. And I think we have come to the realization that there’s at this point, at least I think, I think the two camps are firmly entrenched. I do not think a lot of folks who are desperately afraid of this virus are going to shift their perceptions or believe that all of these measures have been in vain. And I don’t think anyone in my camp who has not been afraid of this is going to suddenly be terrified of it and believe that these lockdowns and destruction of lives––suicides––and human life are valid. So where do we go from here?

Thea (05:26):

So can I chime in just a little bit, I think, um, in terms of the picture that you’ve painted, what we can recognize is, I would say on both sides, there are these spaces of experiencing fear. Fear at what’s happening, fear at what’s being done, fear of a virus or, you know, one way or another. And I think what we’re coming to is that it’s really no matter, because each of us are finding ourselves where we’re finding ourselves and what we’re interested in is how to create spaces of peace. And so when there are two streams, so deeply grooved into their own spaces, we may not quite find ways of merging streams, but there may be at least a shared space of what makes that triangle. I guess I’m coming to the form of it.

Thea (06:42):

So we were talking earlier about the different elements of evil and how evil has worked in regards to humanity’s journey through all of the time that we can recollect. And that there are different ways in which that has come to be. And that one of the main things that has happened and tried to happen several times over history is this solidifying or cutting off the human being from that which unites all––which is spirit. I was reading in this very interesting book I’ve been reading that during the time of Constantinople, it had been decreed that man was simply body and soul. And so they had eliminated officially, in some regard, spirit. But luckily that was not held for too long and different thinkers and feelers in communicating with humanity realigned us to spirit. And so in our conversation, it was a little bit––coming to this division of this camp, or this camp is––is a bit that depiction of body/soul. Forgetting that there is that which unites us all. And so I think that’s kind of what our conversation was gearing towards today. While we may not see eye to eye, we can in some way unite in something greater than ourselves. And stop feeding those elements that fear feeds because that’s not getting us anywhere. If we’re here on earth to develop our own humanity, compassion, love, and therefore through that development develop the earth itself towards this transcendence through love.

Anne (09:29):

And let me clarify for myself and for everyone else, so what we were talking about without getting too metaphysical is this idea of some attempt back then to diminish or almost eliminate our awareness of the Trinity and move us into a dualistic consciousness. And you talk about different thinkers having been responsible for helping us reawaken to that Trinity in, in different ways of framing our understandings of our existence and consciousness. And you mentioned Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas.

Anne (10:28):

What I’ve been getting very in touch with––and interestingly, I’ve connected to others who seem to be coming at it from different angles, but the same thing––is yes, compassion and love. And for me, getting very in touch with and a greater understanding of the Christ consciousness. And, and I kind of see it as, the Christ consciousness is that spirit of love that runs through us all. And if we are not connected to that, then we do, like you said, we forget that we’re actually all in, can we say swimming in the same ocean, even if we’re swimming, as you had put it, in two very separate currents. There is something that does unite us and something much larger than ourselves and something worth living for. And it reminds me of the inscription that mom had written in that Autobiography of a Yogi that I didn’t find until after her death, for some reason, or I hadn’t seen the inscription or something when she had given me the book. And she said, “Love is the only reality that lasts. It’s the foundation of the atoms of the universe.” And when I am in touch with that, and when I’m in touch with what I feel when I feel the Christ consciousness and the spirit of Christ flowing through me, I am aware so much of this temporal experience. I am aware, I feel this truth, that our struggles and our fears and our challenges are here for us to move through and learn from. And that moves us forward when we can learn from our challenges and overcome our obstacles. But it feels to me that the fear is really of a temporal nature. And we really are in control of it if we choose to be, but that what we’re also here to do is to create love, joy, and that that is eternal.

Thea (13:48):

So with that, a couple of thoughts just came in terms of this division that we are witnessing in different ways. We can be okay with the different ways in which we all live our lives and we can still allow for, and we must still allow for, I shouldn’t say we must, I’ll say, I think it would be good if we allow for each individual to make their choices. You know, it’s important to have the freedom to choose and where things become so challenging is when there are those that are trying to eliminate choice and freedom of, of any people. And this is through time. And when that happens, when that overreach is happening, that’s when resistance is created. And so how do we live through that moment, but to become bigger than ourselves and to tap into love and that which is greater than the one part or the other part? I don’t have any conclusion there, but I think there’s something in that, that we can make our connections with others and still be separate in our individual life, person, body––because somewhere we are united through it all. But we don’t have to give ourselves over to otherness, if that makes sense. I’m not quite full there. And I apologize. It’s not clear.

Anne (16:05):

It’s so tricky. It’s not clear and that’s why we’re talking. I guess one thing I would say is that love and acceptance of the other does not negate the need for us to act purposefully and to manifest what we want to see happen. It doesn’t mean that we don’t work to expand and cast off these limitations of freedom, right?

Thea (16:59):

It’s still necessary to walk our own path. And how else can we exist without allowing for others to have their own existence and flow, and that doesn’t eliminate the need to create the path that we are creating one way or another. So I don’t know.

Anne (17:33):

No, I mean, who knows what’s going to happen, right? I mean, there’s such a division. We don’t know how it’s going to play out on a practical level. Sometimes I think that, I mean, putting it bluntly, whatever your politics are, it’s pretty clear that there’s a division between the way the red States versus the blue States are dealing with this, you know, “this crisis.” And people’s consciousness even about politics is kind of expanding. This dualistic red, blue, so many people who thought they were in the blue are like, “Whoa, I’m aligning way more with people in the red in terms of this aspect of things. But I don’t agree with this aspect of things.” And so a lot is changing and moving for people. People are re-examining so much, but more than anything, people are connecting to those who are sharing their perceptions, and I’m doing it all the time. I’m connecting so much to so many people who I wouldn’t have connected to before, or have these conversations with who are––I mean, it’s wonderful––and who see what I’m seeing. And I think the key is to keep gravitating to those folks in whatever way you can, whether it’s online, whether it’s in-person. And we’ll see what comes of that. If people are going to be forming their own communities, if people are going to be gravitating to certain States who share one reality and the others in the other States. But to not feed the beast that we were talking about.

Thea (19:37):

Yeah. To not feed that dish of fear to anything. And I think another part that we can maybe kind of close with is, how I hold myself to meet another informs very much the meeting itself. So even if, and these are challenges, even if I know that there is a different reality being held, can I hold a space within myself in that meeting for the possibility and the hope that that a light can emerge through these meetings? Not that there’s changing anybody, because none of us respond well to someone trying to change us from the outside. But if we can, if I can hold a space of love, and openness and acceptance, then something new might be born out of that. You know, maybe we get a purple going on with our red and blue.

Anne (20:58):

That’s the key––is that we really must allow a space for possibility of a third path, a third way. Than one or the other, right now.

Thea (21:18):

Because we could stay––and as we’ve seen through history, when the one or the other is, if heels are dug in, then that simply continues on and on. When I’m able to open my eyes and my senses to the wonder of nature that is there around us all the time, it starts to illuminate the spaces that are more muddy as well.

Anne (21:54):

Yeah. And also open and see the glory of each human beings’ capacity for love and friendship, even if they’re holed up in their house for the last nine months, even thinking that I am misguided and selfish or whatever it is. If we can focus on that spark of light and love in folks, then…

Thea (22:30):

Then that’s what grows.

Anne (22:33):

Yeah. Right. So, I know it’s been said in many methodologies and practices not to focus on what it is we don’t want, but to focus on what we do want. So let’s not focus on the fear or really even the insanity that we perceive, but on, and let’s not focus on what divides us, but let’s focus on what unites us each of us. And if we can focus on that, I think that will flesh out another stream that we can’t conceive of right now. And it will certainly also help each one of us to find a peace. And then what I’ll also say as advice––you know I’ve been doing some practice, Louise Hay work, working on a lot of this, acceptance and forgiveness.

Anne (23:43):

And I can’t remember exactly how she puts it in the book, but she describes forgiveness, not as, of course, any kind of condoning someone else’s behavior, or what has happened, what’s transpired between you in the past or transgressions or anything. But forgiveness is letting go. And so I’ve been doing that a lot, almost daily, with so many folks in my life. I don’t really hang on to grudges or anything like that, but as I started this process, I started just thinking of so many people in my life now, and in the past, that I’m I’m just practicing this forgiveness. So that my advice is to forgive everyone that you come into contact with for everything, let go of anything that impedes the flow and accept them, forgive them.

Anne (24:55):

And then finally, I’d like to suggest––again, this is something that’s been said forever––but I remember in one of the Carlos Casteneda books, Don Juan his teacher, Don Juan the shaman is teaching him to essentially wear death right there on your shoulder, so that you are always aware at every moment that you will die. And when we are close to death, when we are connected to that reality, always, it helps us to live this moment fully. So consider it, cause you might die tomorrow. You might die in an hour. If that’s the reality, how do you want to live your life? What do you want to focus on? I want to focus on the love. I want to focus on the love that connects me to my children, to my husband, to all of my loved ones. I want to focus on that. I want to experience that joy and that love, that peace. I want to make things and create things. I want to learn. You want to make, create, cook. Do that. Right?

Thea (26:36):

Yeah. And I would like to add just to close with that picture of forgiveness, acceptance, the more I do that with myself, the more it comes for me with others. The more I see my spaces of balance or tendency, the more I’m able to release it. And, so it’s that inside, outside mirror work I think is pretty profound. And there was something else, but I don’t remember what it was.

Anne (27:11):

Well, it’s a flow, it’s a flow.

Thea (27:14):

The picture I had, if one is wearing death on the shoulder, that allows us to live our life more fully, it’s like living into the edges fully. It’s the picture of raying out into all directions and not leaving shadow spaces. So, you know, those reminders are very helpful. And fear is the opposite, right? Fear is that which contracts us into a smaller, less raying gesture.

Anne (27:53):

So when we were talking yesterday, you referenced, you said it was reminding you of a convocation speech that Jim Carrey had given where he basically just said, “it comes down to a choice between fear and love.” And that’s it, it’s a choice between fear and love. So let’s choose love.

Thea (28:12):

Choose love and ray out. Ray out. Thank you.

Anne (28:21):

Thank you. Okay. ‘Til next time. Love you.

Thea (28:23):

Love you.

Anne (28:24):

Love you all.

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