Of Tragedy and Healing

There is nothing that strikes more deeply into the heart of our humanity than tragedy.

Only recently a lone gunman killed 49 and wounded 53 more in a gay club in Orlando.

It was the biggest mass shooting in US history. Weeks later we continue to focus on tragedy – confrontations between police and blacks in Baton Rouge, Dallas, Houston and Minneapolis and an uprising reminiscent  of the civil rights marches.

Challenging times are upon us, and while we are reluctant to acknowledge it,  it is all in divine order. This is how we create yet another shift in our collective growth.

The love of power has brought out the dark side of us. For several thousands of years now, we have walked the path of division and of greed. We create a reality that is ugly and painful. Today, in this country, the money trail leads to an all powerful gun lobby, an obscene war machine, a murderous healthcare system, toxic energy beasts and an ego driven government that plays to big money interests and ignores the people it is meant to serve.

But this is how revolutions are made…

While we mourn the Pulse victims and blame Muslims for our misfortune, the real culprits are on the loose. When the US  invaded Iraq, we chose to stand by as revenge for 9/11 dictated our destiny. Because of this war, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children have lost their homes, their loved ones, their lives. It sparked conflict throughout the Middle East and created a massive refugee crisis that is breaking apart countries and people.

The hate and division that have resulted from our destruction are eating away at the very foundations of our species. Inequality in a system that has been for ages rigged to serve the Ego now generates anger and racial violence.  Powerful emotions abound.

However, these same riveting emotions are also behind people of all creeds, races and gender uniting in massive peaceful protests for change…

It is so much easier to blame others for our misfortunes. And yet,  we are our own biggest enemies. We are the war mongers when we share hateful messages on our social media. We are the shooters when we fail to speak up or act to diffuse violence. We are the greedy corporations when we choose to buy products that harm  other creatures and destroy our planet. We are the prisoners of a poisoned mindset. We are the creators of our own reality.

But reality doesn’t have to look like this….

The path is clear. We need tragedies, heartbreak and loss to shake our very foundations, to unite us,  to change our collective thinking, to move us in a different direction, to heal us.

When we complete the shift from the love of power to the power of love, no one will need to suffer. There will be no more tragedies. There will be no more wars, no more shootings, no more holocausts. Earth and its creatures will live in cooperation and harmony. Science and technology will serve to elevate humanity. Then, and only then, will we be the true masters of our destiny.

For now we can begin by practicing allowing all that is, in Getting Unstuck  – a free 21-day meditation series by Deepak Chopra that begins tomorrow. Enjoy!