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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. |
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