Things Are Getting Better! by Marie T. Russell (InnerSelf Magazine publisher)

Things Are Getting Better

by Marie T. Russell

Lately, some people have been saying: "Things are getting worse!" When you realize that what we focus on expands, and the world's situation is being perceived as negative, I guess you could say that it does appear to be getting worse. Recently -- as I watched a movie entitled " Heaven and Hell" which took place after the Civil War -- this negative, violent focus became even clearer for me.

The movie dealt with Indians, soldiers, ex-slaves, and plantation owners. It portrayed an utter disregard for the humanity of slaves and ex-slaves — lynching them simply for the color of their skin. I also saw how the Indians had "gang wars" back in those days. How else do you describe the wars between various tribes, and the thrill of stealing horses from a neighboring tribe?

And as for abuse, how do you rate scalping a man who is still alive, or raping an innocent victim? Now, you may say that was cultural... however, what about the 'white' men who did the same? And what about duels between 'gentlemen'? Is it so different from today? We have people killing others because of their race, or religion. Some are mimicking shoot-outs from the wild west days and shooting others simply for cutting them off in traffic — or some other minor 'offense'!

As I reflected on today's violence and compared it to the past, I asked myself, " what has changed?" Well, with modernization, there are more powerful guns and ammo to shoot with. However, aren't the attitudes the same? We need to wake up and see that we are 'creating' this movie and that it is up to us, as a collective whole, to stop it.

So what is contributing to "things getting worse"? I would venture to say that we need to look at today's media and telecommunication technology. In 'the olden days', if something happened in California, someone in New York would not hear about it, or if they did, it was months later.

Today, we hear about anything and everything — especially the goriest and weirdest! After all, that's what sells newspapers, keeps people glued to their TV set, or in line at the box office... The movie industry is now giving violators 'stardom' status by producing movies about their crime.

Yet the media is only giving us what we tell them we want. When we buy tickets for violent and frightening films, and buy daily newspapers with shocking headlines, we are voting for more of these events. We are supporting this trend when we watch these movies and read these stories.

On the whole, then, have things gotten worse? No! Children are learning conflict resolution in schools; people are aware of the injustice of discrimination whether it be for race, religion, sex, or age; there are numerous support groups springing up all over the country; many 'new age' and spiritual groups are forming, etc. The world is getting better!

How can you help? Focus on your personal responsibility. Become a better person and teach children, through example, the importance of such values as: honesty, integrity, love for yourself and your fellow humans, patience, compassion, forgiveness, sincerity, moderation, and tranquility. As you integrate these values into your daily life and truly live them, you will discover that others will reflect those values and attitudes back to you.

If you want to make the world a better place, you need to start with making yourself a better person (without judging yourself or your past)... Keep your focus, your attention, and your energy where you want it to bear fruit. Remember what you focus on expands, so focus on what you want, not on what you don't.

Latest Comments

Connecting Emotional
In my intentional community I am bringing this research to the members and we are experimenting with dyads applying the skills revealed in t

How to Heal a Broken Heart
I just wanted to say thank you for writing this article and sharing your wisdom. I tried this years ago when I was in a lot of pain and didn

Esotericism What Is It
To whom it may concern; Good day;I have a great deal of interest in this topic; all my life I felt like I did not live my real life. Almost

Are We Having Fun Yet
Hi Marie, enjoyed reading your article. I think many people are coming to the conclusion that they have been lied to and manipulated by the

Meditation Through Dance
Beautiful article on sacred dance thankyou! Dance is such a powerful way to connect to the divine energy of Life. I enjoyed reading about