December 24, 2024 • 21 mins
Have you ever wondered how political differences became more important than family ties and cherished relationships? Explore this perplexing issue with me, Jeffrey Brunk, as I navigate the strange world of political divisions that are tearing families apart. By sharing personal experiences of loss, I highlight the absurdity of allowing political beliefs to overshadow the bonds we have with our loved ones. We examine the dangers of blindly following political figures and the resulting negativity, urging you to reflect on your own feelings and to foster unity over division.
Let's challenge the misconceptions around what makes a "Christian country" and the fear-based narratives that seek to divide us. As the holidays approach, I call on you to embrace love and acceptance, regardless of differing viewpoints within your family. We'll also reflect on America's shared immigrant roots and how these can serve as a foundation for open-minded discussions instead of divisive debates. Let us cherish every moment, appreciate our connections, and avoid future regrets by prioritizing the people who matter most. As the year draws to a close, I extend warm wishes for a joyful and safe New Year, hoping you'll join me on this journey toward unity and understanding.
Learn more, schedule a Q&A by phone or video, or book a shamanic session at www.everydayshaman.net
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jeffrey Brunk (00:00):
So hello everyone and welcome back to another
episode of the Everyday Shaman.
I am Jeffrey Bronk, your host,and I'm glad to have you here.
It's been a while since I'vebeen here.
A lot has gone on since thelast podcast and the world seems
to be going to hell in ahandbasket, doesn't it for a lot
of people?
I know I have seen it quite abit.
(00:23):
The craziness and I'm not justtalking about the election and
the outcome of the election, andthis is not a political podcast
episode in any sense of theword Well, and I guess in a
sense it is in a way, butthere's a lot to be taken away
from what has happened in thelast few months or the last
(00:44):
month and a half since theelection.
There were surprises, but therewere surprises in a lot of ways
, especially amongst, call it,whether it be red, blue, right,
(01:08):
left, democrat, republican, blah, blah, blah, whatever it is,
but it's within families andit's drawn out things within
people that really just chat mybutt because it's stupid.
It really is stupid to see thedivisiveness within families
because someone has voted forthis person versus this person.
(01:28):
Whether they have a good reasonor not, which is another issue
we'll get to is basicallyirrelevant that I know and I'm
reading about it in otherfamilies people that decided,
hey, I'm not going to inviteso-and-so to Thanksgiving or I'm
(01:48):
not even going to have a familyThanksgiving because my nephew
or my son or my niece ordaughter-in-law, whoever it
might be, voted for one personor another.
So there's anger there and it'sstupid.
And I'm going to tell you why Isay that, because I know I'm
not the only one in thisposition.
But to come from a place ofhaving lost pretty well, in my
(02:13):
case, pretty much all of myfamily Thank God I still have my
sister left and havingestranged children and having
nothing left, and then seeingwhat previously were cohesive,
close, tightly knit familiesjust ripped apart because of
something as ridiculous as afreaking election, just is crazy
(02:35):
.
But what that does is itexposes something that's even
deeper.
And I'm not talkingspecifically about fear, which
is part of it, but when you lookat either side, in any
situation there is somethingthat draws someone, and I'm
going to use the election as anexample because it's a
polarizing thing, and it's goingto be a polarizing thing for
(02:56):
quite a while.
But in the case of the election, one person was spouting one
thing that they were going to do.
One another they're going to do.
Basically, all politicians aresalesmen, just a step above used
car salesmen and I apologize toyou, car salesmen, but really
you know they'll say anything toget elected.
They'll say anything to getwhat they want to be, where they
(03:17):
want to be, and people willfollow.
They will just freaking blindlyfollow, follow.
They will just freaking blindlyfollow.
And in the case of whathappened in November, they'll
follow based on one particularpoint, and the points of this
past election were immigrationor the economy, the typical
things.
(03:38):
Yet neither side spoke anythingabout what plans there were.
So individuals follow because,oh okay, the stock market's
going to do well, I'm going tomake money.
It's an ego choice.
Or we're getting rid ofimmigrants there's fear, fear
mongering or we're going to doeverything for you, we're going
(03:59):
to fix all the problems.
It's never happened, it neverwill, but people believe and
they go with it.
And so it was so polarized thispast November that seeing it
within my own extended familywas enraging, and I had to catch
myself several times and I callit going dark from going dark,
(04:22):
knowing that to do so is reallyto inflict harm upon myself,
because, when you get down to it, we are all connected, whether
it's to someone in the WhiteHouse or someone down the street
or someone in the family.
You need to accept people forwho they are.
Everyone needs to accept othersfor who they are, despite their
(04:44):
flaws, no matter how big.
That doesn't mean you have tolike them, it doesn't mean you
have to like what they do, butyou accept them because, being
connected, there's the rippleeffect what you put out there in
negativity or in positivitycomes back to you and to see the
negativity that has been spewedby people that I thought I knew
(05:08):
and people that I've read about, who thought they knew the
people for years family members,friends, co-workers and
suddenly, because of somethingas inane as a freaking election,
they separate themselves and Ihave had a very difficult time
wrapping my head around it.
(05:28):
But what it comes down to is notwho is in the White House or
who is in the Senate or who isin Congress or who runs a
freaking corporation.
It comes down to an individualbelief, which is not a truth
necessarily.
A belief is like a wish it'swhat you make it and it's, I
(05:49):
guess, a notch up from anopinion.
So we live in a time whereeveryone's opinion is right and
if you dare step on that opinionwith a truth or a fact, then
you're looked at as the bad guy,the outsider, and the hatred
comes out.
It's a snowball effect andthat's what we're seeing, and
(06:11):
that's what we have been seeingfor quite a while, and it's
getting worse and it's going toonly get worse until we
collectively no, until weindividually and then
collectively recognize withinourselves okay, why am I so
angry?
Is it worth it to be angry atsomeone I love, someone that is
(06:35):
a family member my kids, myspouse, my in-laws, whatever.
Is it worth it because ofsomething so ridiculous?
Whatever Is it worth it becauseof something so ridiculous?
And I'm not saying a leader,loosely worded, is a ridiculous
(06:56):
thing.
I'm saying that something ascrazy as putting all your eggs
in the basket of someone andhoping and believing they're
going to fix all your problemsis ridiculous.
And I'm saying ridiculous a lotbecause I'm keeping this family
friendly.
I could really go off on thisif I chose to and changed my
whole criteria on my podcast,but it's lunacy.
It really is To believe thateverything that someone says is
(07:21):
true, everything that someonesays is true, or knowing that
it's not true and not liking theperson that is running for
president or running forgovernor is not a good person or
is obviously one who willfabricate or elaborate on things
that they will do.
And I'm talking both sides.
(07:42):
This is not a partisan thing,you know.
I was out the other day andfunny thing we were doing we
were in Richmond, virginia, andwe were driving through a
neighborhood and we were tryingto guess because it's laden with
churches.
It's almost as bad as Charlotte, north Carolina.
Every other corner there's achurch.
So we were going okay, what isthis coming up?
(08:03):
Is it Methodist, is it Baptist,is it Protestant, is it
Catholic?
It was kind of a little gamebased upon the architecture of
the building, before we even sawthe signs, and one had a fairly
substantial cemetery and onehad a fairly substantial
cemetery and my thought was youknow the people in that cemetery
?
They're not Episcopalian,they're not any denomination,
(08:26):
not anymore.
They are no longer living, atleast not on this planet, but
they're all the same.
They're you, they're me,they're our neighbors and
they're laying there six feetunder, without being red or blue
or Baptist, or Methodist orCatholic or whatever it may be.
They are all the same and itreally put things into
(08:51):
perspective for me, and I hopemaybe my little simile will put
things in perspective for othersthat are listening to this and
cause people to take a look atthemselves and choose their
battles, choose how to expendtheir energy you know what they
get angry about or to evenrecognize that they're angry and
(09:11):
stop it before it happens andrealize well, it's not worth it,
it's not good for the otherpeople, it's not good for anyone
around, it's not good foryourself.
So why do it?
Something as small as droppingsomething and then screaming
about it?
God, I'm so angry because Idropped a hammer or I dropped my
(09:32):
chains or whatever.
Why?
Why do it?
It's really no different thanthe anger that is felt towards
others because they voted forsomeone in a red or blue,
whichever it is.
Republican Democrat, I get thecolors freaking mixed up because
I don't care and I don't meanthat in an off-putting.
I don't care about the countryway, although in a lot of ways
(09:55):
this country is a UnitedCorporation of America, not the
United States of America.
We're going backwards.
The Roman Empire lasted 2,000years before it fell.
We've been around a little over200.
I don't know if we'll make itto three, because the foxes are
loose in the hen house and theinmates are running the asylum
(10:15):
in this country and we standback and we are the ones that
are letting it happen, becausewe're putting the people in the
asylum and we're putting thefoxes in the hen house but we
get mad at others.
You know, it's just as bad onthe other side for people who
are so passionate about and I'mgoing to use something such as
(10:36):
women's rights, which is very,very important that they are
there Women, they have therights to their own bodies and
their own careers and their ownlives.
But when people get sopassionate that they spew the
putrid things towards the onesthat are attacking them, it is
no less of an attack than whatthey see as being placed upon
(11:00):
them.
Does that make sense?
It's the pot calling the kettleblack.
Hate is hate, anger is anger,negativity they're all low
vibrations, low frequencies, andwe have a choice.
We always have a choice if wediscern what we're feeling, if
we understand in the momentbecause that's what we have is
(11:21):
the moment If we understand whatwe're feeling and go into
ourselves and say why, why am Ifeeling this way?
Is it worth it?
Sometimes it is to a certainextent, but for something to rip
families apart, to riprelationships apart, to separate
parents from children, toseparate lifelong friends, to
(11:43):
separate relationships betweenmen and husbands and wives, and
really can anyone make sense ofit?
Can anyone wrap their headsaround it and tell me that it's
worth it?
If you can, I would love tohear the argument that, oh yeah,
it is worth it, when it comesto a presidential election, to
(12:06):
stand your ground becauseso-and-so says this and says
they'll do that and we'll getrid of people.
And you know, when it comes toreligion, aspects of it, making
this a Christian country, whichit never has it was founded not
on Christian principles.
Read your history books, people.
You know it was founded forfreedom, not freedom from
(12:30):
religion, freedom of religion,and wasn't founded on Christian
principles.
But we look at the ones runningnow.
A lot of things that are saidare based upon oh, we're going
to make this a Christian country, the way it should be, the way
it was founded, which is a lie.
But they seem to have rippedout the whole second half of the
book that they espoused to befollowing and only follow the
(12:54):
first half of the book and thelast chapter of the New
Testament Fear, fear, fear,instill fear, instill control.
And that is what's happened inthis country, and we're allowing
it because we're doing it toourselves and then spreading it
further and further and furtherto those around us.
It's become such a chasmbetween people, it's just
(13:18):
mind-boggling.
So this is sort of a rant.
It needs to be said.
Maybe it's just for me, I don'tknow.
I hope that people will.
No, I'm not going to say hope,because hope is a wish.
You know, my intention is alwaysfor the other person.
When I work for them, I drop myown ego, no matter what's going
(13:39):
on.
I can do it for others.
It's hard to do it for myself.
So I understand the difficultythat individuals have with
stopping to look inward.
But it is so necessary to turnoff the freaking TV, to get
outside and ground yourself, tolisten to yourself, to catch
yourself.
(14:00):
Before you go off at someonebecause of a certain belief that
they have, even if it's themspouting a conspiracy theory,
you don't have to just go offand say that is the dumbest
thing.
Why do you do this?
And it's really tempting to dothat, trust me, it's really
tempting to do that because somethings are so ludicrous that
(14:22):
people will just grasp atbecause they're searching for
something or searching forsomeone that will help them get
through whatever they're goingthrough, or to quell their fears
, to give them a sense of peacethat everything's going to be
okay, when all of that is withinthemselves, if they just listen
for it and not rely on someoneor something to provide that for
(14:49):
them or tell them they're goingto provide that for them.
Because people, as harsh as itsounds, are so wrapped up in
themselves and I'm not sayingeveryone, but everyone has ego
and they get so wrapped up inthemselves that it's sometimes
hard to see the humanity inothers when they're so
passionate about something suchas this past November's election
(15:12):
.
Or hell, football, nfl I hatethe Bears, I love the Panthers,
whatever, and I'm picking twoteams out of the fricking bag,
so don't hate me for that, butit's the same type thing Fights,
verbally or physically, andthings can escalate and become
worse and I'll be honest withyou, things are going to become
(15:34):
worse.
I'm not telling that to instillfear.
I'm saying that to actuallyprovide peace, because when you
know something as a truth, youaccept it and it takes the fear
away, but when that fear isstill there and you're still
searching, you do crazy thingsand you believe crazy things.
(15:56):
It's not the same as knowing,because knowing is not the same
as believing or hoping orwishing.
Those are man-made constructsor societal constructs, or
religious constructs or evengovernmental constructs.
Knowing is a basic, human,spiritual, divine aspect of
(16:19):
ourselves and we have thoseanswers if we listen.
So, as we head into theChristmas season, which is here
as I'm recording this in just afew days, don't go in looking
for fights, don't put off yourplans, don't avoid family just
because of something as inane asoh, I voted for so-and-so and
(16:41):
you voted for the other personBecause, as harsh as it sounds,
it's just freaking stupid.
It really is.
There will come a day whenyou'll regret that, when you'll
regret things that were saidover something so ridiculous,
something so petty compared to agreater picture of what is
there now.
In that moment, you have aspouse or a significant other or
(17:05):
a family or children and loveor acceptance.
Why throw that away over?
The economy is going to begreat if I put this person in
office.
That's one example.
You know that's not going tolast, and help me with this one
too.
We are a country of immigrants.
We're all freaking immigrants,and I would love to get a take
(17:28):
on this from a Native American.
You don't see an uprising andthem fighting each other.
We took a country.
We're all immigrants, right?
Don't say no, because if yousay no, you really need to read
a freaking history book that iswritten in truth, not something
that's seen on TV.
It's not a John Wayne typescenario here.
(17:50):
We stole, as Europeans, a wholefreaking country and took it
for ourselves and then nearlywiped out a lot of the natural
resources and habitat A lot oftimes just for fun.
So love the people you're with.
(18:10):
Think for yourself and look atwhat you have, not what you're
promised by someone who reallydoesn't care about you or know
about you.
Look at what you have and thenlook at what you have inside and
listen to that.
Spirited discussions are great.
You learn from those, butdiscussions to cause division
(18:31):
based upon a crazy belief or acrazy following and not
listening is insanity.
Anyhow, I guess I have probablyalienated quite a few people,
and if I have, so be it.
Think for yourselves.
Listen to your heart, not yourhead.
The moment is all you got andthe people in it in that moment
(18:51):
are what you've got.
Make the most of it.
Make the most of therelationships you have, and the
people in it in that moment arewhat you've got.
Make the most of it.
Make the most of therelationships you have.
Don't throw them away.
You will regret it, trust me.
Strap in for the ride.
So, anyway, I'm going to wrapup this podcast and thank you
for joining me.
Thank you for staying with meand being patient, as I kind of
(19:13):
went off a little bit there, butit needed to be said and I want
to wish everyone a MerryChristmas, happy holidays,
christmas, kwanzaa, shalom,everything that's out there,
tree hugging, pagan, we're allthe same.
Enjoy the time together andwish everyone a happy, safe new
year.
Hopefully it's a good one, andI hope to have you back with me
(19:37):
soon.
Thanks for joining me.
Take care of yourselves, peace.
So hello everyone and welcome back to another
episode of the Everyday Shaman.
I am Jeffrey Bronk, your host,and I'm glad to have you here.
It's been a while since I'vebeen here.
A lot has gone on since thelast podcast and the world seems
to be going to hell in ahandbasket, doesn't it for a lot
of people?
I know I have seen it quite abit.
(00:23):
The craziness and I'm not justtalking about the election and
the outcome of the election, andthis is not a political podcast
episode in any sense of theword Well, and I guess in a
sense it is in a way, butthere's a lot to be taken away
from what has happened in thelast few months or the last
(00:44):
month and a half since theelection.
There were surprises, but therewere surprises in a lot of ways
, especially amongst, call it,whether it be red, blue, right,
(01:08):
left, democrat, republican, blah, blah, blah, whatever it is,
but it's within families andit's drawn out things within
people that really just chat mybutt because it's stupid.
It really is stupid to see thedivisiveness within families
because someone has voted forthis person versus this person.
(01:28):
Whether they have a good reasonor not, which is another issue
we'll get to is basicallyirrelevant that I know and I'm
reading about it in otherfamilies people that decided,
hey, I'm not going to inviteso-and-so to Thanksgiving or I'm
(01:48):
not even going to have a familyThanksgiving because my nephew
or my son or my niece ordaughter-in-law, whoever it
might be, voted for one personor another.
So there's anger there and it'sstupid.
And I'm going to tell you why Isay that, because I know I'm
not the only one in thisposition.
But to come from a place ofhaving lost pretty well, in my
(02:13):
case, pretty much all of myfamily Thank God I still have my
sister left and havingestranged children and having
nothing left, and then seeingwhat previously were cohesive,
close, tightly knit familiesjust ripped apart because of
something as ridiculous as afreaking election, just is crazy
(02:35):
.
But what that does is itexposes something that's even
deeper.
And I'm not talkingspecifically about fear, which
is part of it, but when you lookat either side, in any
situation there is somethingthat draws someone, and I'm
going to use the election as anexample because it's a
polarizing thing, and it's goingto be a polarizing thing for
(02:56):
quite a while.
But in the case of the election, one person was spouting one
thing that they were going to do.
One another they're going to do.
Basically, all politicians aresalesmen, just a step above used
car salesmen and I apologize toyou, car salesmen, but really
you know they'll say anything toget elected.
They'll say anything to getwhat they want to be, where they
(03:17):
want to be, and people willfollow.
They will just freaking blindlyfollow, follow.
They will just freaking blindlyfollow.
And in the case of whathappened in November, they'll
follow based on one particularpoint, and the points of this
past election were immigrationor the economy, the typical
things.
(03:38):
Yet neither side spoke anythingabout what plans there were.
So individuals follow because,oh okay, the stock market's
going to do well, I'm going tomake money.
It's an ego choice.
Or we're getting rid ofimmigrants there's fear, fear
mongering or we're going to doeverything for you, we're going
(03:59):
to fix all the problems.
It's never happened, it neverwill, but people believe and
they go with it.
And so it was so polarized thispast November that seeing it
within my own extended familywas enraging, and I had to catch
myself several times and I callit going dark from going dark,
(04:22):
knowing that to do so is reallyto inflict harm upon myself,
because, when you get down to it, we are all connected, whether
it's to someone in the WhiteHouse or someone down the street
or someone in the family.
You need to accept people forwho they are.
Everyone needs to accept othersfor who they are, despite their
(04:44):
flaws, no matter how big.
That doesn't mean you have tolike them, it doesn't mean you
have to like what they do, butyou accept them because, being
connected, there's the rippleeffect what you put out there in
negativity or in positivitycomes back to you and to see the
negativity that has been spewedby people that I thought I knew
(05:08):
and people that I've read about, who thought they knew the
people for years family members,friends, co-workers and
suddenly, because of somethingas inane as a freaking election,
they separate themselves and Ihave had a very difficult time
wrapping my head around it.
(05:28):
But what it comes down to is notwho is in the White House or
who is in the Senate or who isin Congress or who runs a
freaking corporation.
It comes down to an individualbelief, which is not a truth
necessarily.
A belief is like a wish it'swhat you make it and it's, I
(05:49):
guess, a notch up from anopinion.
So we live in a time whereeveryone's opinion is right and
if you dare step on that opinionwith a truth or a fact, then
you're looked at as the bad guy,the outsider, and the hatred
comes out.
It's a snowball effect andthat's what we're seeing, and
(06:11):
that's what we have been seeingfor quite a while, and it's
getting worse and it's going toonly get worse until we
collectively no, until weindividually and then
collectively recognize withinourselves okay, why am I so
angry?
Is it worth it to be angry atsomeone I love, someone that is
(06:35):
a family member my kids, myspouse, my in-laws, whatever.
Is it worth it because ofsomething so ridiculous?
Whatever Is it worth it becauseof something so ridiculous?
And I'm not saying a leader,loosely worded, is a ridiculous
(06:56):
thing.
I'm saying that something ascrazy as putting all your eggs
in the basket of someone andhoping and believing they're
going to fix all your problemsis ridiculous.
And I'm saying ridiculous a lotbecause I'm keeping this family
friendly.
I could really go off on thisif I chose to and changed my
whole criteria on my podcast,but it's lunacy.
It really is To believe thateverything that someone says is
(07:21):
true, everything that someonesays is true, or knowing that
it's not true and not liking theperson that is running for
president or running forgovernor is not a good person or
is obviously one who willfabricate or elaborate on things
that they will do.
And I'm talking both sides.
(07:42):
This is not a partisan thing,you know.
I was out the other day andfunny thing we were doing we
were in Richmond, virginia, andwe were driving through a
neighborhood and we were tryingto guess because it's laden with
churches.
It's almost as bad as Charlotte, north Carolina.
Every other corner there's achurch.
So we were going okay, what isthis coming up?
(08:03):
Is it Methodist, is it Baptist,is it Protestant, is it
Catholic?
It was kind of a little gamebased upon the architecture of
the building, before we even sawthe signs, and one had a fairly
substantial cemetery and onehad a fairly substantial
cemetery and my thought was youknow the people in that cemetery
?
They're not Episcopalian,they're not any denomination,
(08:26):
not anymore.
They are no longer living, atleast not on this planet, but
they're all the same.
They're you, they're me,they're our neighbors and
they're laying there six feetunder, without being red or blue
or Baptist, or Methodist orCatholic or whatever it may be.
They are all the same and itreally put things into
(08:51):
perspective for me, and I hopemaybe my little simile will put
things in perspective for othersthat are listening to this and
cause people to take a look atthemselves and choose their
battles, choose how to expendtheir energy you know what they
get angry about or to evenrecognize that they're angry and
(09:11):
stop it before it happens andrealize well, it's not worth it,
it's not good for the otherpeople, it's not good for anyone
around, it's not good foryourself.
So why do it?
Something as small as droppingsomething and then screaming
about it?
God, I'm so angry because Idropped a hammer or I dropped my
(09:32):
chains or whatever.
Why?
Why do it?
It's really no different thanthe anger that is felt towards
others because they voted forsomeone in a red or blue,
whichever it is.
Republican Democrat, I get thecolors freaking mixed up because
I don't care and I don't meanthat in an off-putting.
I don't care about the countryway, although in a lot of ways
(09:55):
this country is a UnitedCorporation of America, not the
United States of America.
We're going backwards.
The Roman Empire lasted 2,000years before it fell.
We've been around a little over200.
I don't know if we'll make itto three, because the foxes are
loose in the hen house and theinmates are running the asylum
(10:15):
in this country and we standback and we are the ones that
are letting it happen, becausewe're putting the people in the
asylum and we're putting thefoxes in the hen house but we
get mad at others.
You know, it's just as bad onthe other side for people who
are so passionate about and I'mgoing to use something such as
(10:36):
women's rights, which is very,very important that they are
there Women, they have therights to their own bodies and
their own careers and their ownlives.
But when people get sopassionate that they spew the
putrid things towards the onesthat are attacking them, it is
no less of an attack than whatthey see as being placed upon
(11:00):
them.
Does that make sense?
It's the pot calling the kettleblack.
Hate is hate, anger is anger,negativity they're all low
vibrations, low frequencies, andwe have a choice.
We always have a choice if wediscern what we're feeling, if
we understand in the momentbecause that's what we have is
(11:21):
the moment If we understand whatwe're feeling and go into
ourselves and say why, why am Ifeeling this way?
Is it worth it?
Sometimes it is to a certainextent, but for something to rip
families apart, to riprelationships apart, to separate
parents from children, toseparate lifelong friends, to
(11:43):
separate relationships betweenmen and husbands and wives, and
really can anyone make sense ofit?
Can anyone wrap their headsaround it and tell me that it's
worth it?
If you can, I would love tohear the argument that, oh yeah,
it is worth it, when it comesto a presidential election, to
(12:06):
stand your ground becauseso-and-so says this and says
they'll do that and we'll getrid of people.
And you know, when it comes toreligion, aspects of it, making
this a Christian country, whichit never has it was founded not
on Christian principles.
Read your history books, people.
You know it was founded forfreedom, not freedom from
(12:30):
religion, freedom of religion,and wasn't founded on Christian
principles.
But we look at the ones runningnow.
A lot of things that are saidare based upon oh, we're going
to make this a Christian country, the way it should be, the way
it was founded, which is a lie.
But they seem to have rippedout the whole second half of the
book that they espoused to befollowing and only follow the
(12:54):
first half of the book and thelast chapter of the New
Testament Fear, fear, fear,instill fear, instill control.
And that is what's happened inthis country, and we're allowing
it because we're doing it toourselves and then spreading it
further and further and furtherto those around us.
It's become such a chasmbetween people, it's just
(13:18):
mind-boggling.
So this is sort of a rant.
It needs to be said.
Maybe it's just for me, I don'tknow.
I hope that people will.
No, I'm not going to say hope,because hope is a wish.
You know, my intention is alwaysfor the other person.
When I work for them, I drop myown ego, no matter what's going
(13:39):
on.
I can do it for others.
It's hard to do it for myself.
So I understand the difficultythat individuals have with
stopping to look inward.
But it is so necessary to turnoff the freaking TV, to get
outside and ground yourself, tolisten to yourself, to catch
yourself.
(14:00):
Before you go off at someonebecause of a certain belief that
they have, even if it's themspouting a conspiracy theory,
you don't have to just go offand say that is the dumbest
thing.
Why do you do this?
And it's really tempting to dothat, trust me, it's really
tempting to do that because somethings are so ludicrous that
(14:22):
people will just grasp atbecause they're searching for
something or searching forsomeone that will help them get
through whatever they're goingthrough, or to quell their fears
, to give them a sense of peacethat everything's going to be
okay, when all of that is withinthemselves, if they just listen
for it and not rely on someoneor something to provide that for
(14:49):
them or tell them they're goingto provide that for them.
Because people, as harsh as itsounds, are so wrapped up in
themselves and I'm not sayingeveryone, but everyone has ego
and they get so wrapped up inthemselves that it's sometimes
hard to see the humanity inothers when they're so
passionate about something suchas this past November's election
(15:12):
.
Or hell, football, nfl I hatethe Bears, I love the Panthers,
whatever, and I'm picking twoteams out of the fricking bag,
so don't hate me for that, butit's the same type thing Fights,
verbally or physically, andthings can escalate and become
worse and I'll be honest withyou, things are going to become
(15:34):
worse.
I'm not telling that to instillfear.
I'm saying that to actuallyprovide peace, because when you
know something as a truth, youaccept it and it takes the fear
away, but when that fear isstill there and you're still
searching, you do crazy thingsand you believe crazy things.
(15:56):
It's not the same as knowing,because knowing is not the same
as believing or hoping orwishing.
Those are man-made constructsor societal constructs, or
religious constructs or evengovernmental constructs.
Knowing is a basic, human,spiritual, divine aspect of
(16:19):
ourselves and we have thoseanswers if we listen.
So, as we head into theChristmas season, which is here
as I'm recording this in just afew days, don't go in looking
for fights, don't put off yourplans, don't avoid family just
because of something as inane asoh, I voted for so-and-so and
(16:41):
you voted for the other personBecause, as harsh as it sounds,
it's just freaking stupid.
It really is.
There will come a day whenyou'll regret that, when you'll
regret things that were saidover something so ridiculous,
something so petty compared to agreater picture of what is
there now.
In that moment, you have aspouse or a significant other or
(17:05):
a family or children and loveor acceptance.
Why throw that away over?
The economy is going to begreat if I put this person in
office.
That's one example.
You know that's not going tolast, and help me with this one
too.
We are a country of immigrants.
We're all freaking immigrants,and I would love to get a take
(17:28):
on this from a Native American.
You don't see an uprising andthem fighting each other.
We took a country.
We're all immigrants, right?
Don't say no, because if yousay no, you really need to read
a freaking history book that iswritten in truth, not something
that's seen on TV.
It's not a John Wayne typescenario here.
(17:50):
We stole, as Europeans, a wholefreaking country and took it
for ourselves and then nearlywiped out a lot of the natural
resources and habitat A lot oftimes just for fun.
So love the people you're with.
(18:10):
Think for yourself and look atwhat you have, not what you're
promised by someone who reallydoesn't care about you or know
about you.
Look at what you have and thenlook at what you have inside and
listen to that.
Spirited discussions are great.
You learn from those, butdiscussions to cause division
(18:31):
based upon a crazy belief or acrazy following and not
listening is insanity.
Anyhow, I guess I have probablyalienated quite a few people,
and if I have, so be it.
Think for yourselves.
Listen to your heart, not yourhead.
The moment is all you got andthe people in it in that moment
(18:51):
are what you've got.
Make the most of it.
Make the most of therelationships you have, and the
people in it in that moment arewhat you've got.
Make the most of it.
Make the most of therelationships you have.
Don't throw them away.
You will regret it, trust me.
Strap in for the ride.
So, anyway, I'm going to wrapup this podcast and thank you
for joining me.
Thank you for staying with meand being patient, as I kind of
(19:13):
went off a little bit there, butit needed to be said and I want
to wish everyone a MerryChristmas, happy holidays,
christmas, kwanzaa, shalom,everything that's out there,
tree hugging, pagan, we're allthe same.
Enjoy the time together andwish everyone a happy, safe new
year.
Hopefully it's a good one, andI hope to have you back with me
(19:37):
soon.
Thanks for joining me.
Take care of yourselves, peace.
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