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At some point in life -- often for a very long time -- there is such a loneliness that goes with being "one of us." Those who are "one of us" know what I mean. We seem to be born different than so many other citizens of the world.
Things that matter to us -- like love (not just sex), compassion, tolerance, empathy, tenderness and an unmistakable respect and reverence for life can be like speaking a foreign language when we try to explain ourselves to others.
And to be honest, the things that matter to those who are not "one of us" -- the obsessive accumulation of wealth, enviable status and power, the constant gamesmanship in social connections, the cackling delight at being able to take advantage of someone or get away with something ... the unrelenting perspective of competition and conquest instead of cooperation ... well, we don't get why those are so important to them, but we can clearly see that they are.
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As I said, it can be lonely -- because part of the way that we're "born different" is that we feel a deep need -- even a responsibility -- to live by our own lights, support our own values and where possible, advance our vision of a much different world.
In that world, the power of personal responsibility, conscience and ethics takes precedence over the puny legalese of man-made laws any day of the week. (That's why you find us on the front lines of the social causes we believe in, even when we get denigrated and ridiculed for our passion.)
We don't need the formality of black-letter law to tell us how to behave, how to treat others, how to respect other lives, how to relate to the planet. And we don't need a church to tell us what to believe, how to feel energy, how to hear our feelings and intuition, how to know things carried on messages without words. It's ingrained in us from the start.
I'm sometimes asked, "Where did you learn all this?" And I answer, "I came with it." It's one of the most powerful arguments for reincarnation I know. (Apart from the personal memories.) Yes, I had to learn this somewhere -- but it wasn't in this life. I brought it forward with me. It defines who I am.
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We can spend years -- decades -- searching for our real family, our people -- souls that share our sense of vision and purpose. Sadly, they're rarely related to us by what the world calls "bloodlines" -- but nevertheless, they are our spiritual kin. They understand the perspective on life I just shared, because it's their reality, too. When "one of us" meets another -- we know it, conveyed on those messages without words I mentioned.
There's nothing to explain, nothing to defend against -- but plenty of strength and wisdom to share. And for a while, the loneliness abates ... replaced by an infinite peace.
To be honest, I didn't know about TribeSteemUp until about six weeks ago, but the more I investigated, the more I read the blogs of its members, the more I realized, these are my people. Those eight pillars of wisdom convey precious ideas. I know where these people are coming from. We share a vision. We know that mind shapes reality -- and that in the end, we all realize -- right down to our bones -- that peace, love and kindness are what matter.
They write on subjects that interest me. We speak the same language -- no translation needed. We share a reverence for the natural world. We want to take charge of our own nutrition, healing and well-being. We see a reality beyond that conveyed by the physical senses. Tomorrow matters to us.
We don't need to be pumped full of chemicals for Big-Agra or Big-Pharma's profit. We don't need to be put down with platitudes about how political systems can't change and that the current world is "just life" -- so accept it.
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As someone who is "one of us" -- and was from the beginning -- I have learned a few things -- among them, what I'm about to say.
We are not crazy and we are not just "too sensitive." We don't need to "toughen up and get over it." We don't need to accept the status quo as unchangeable. If we think we know -- and have seen -- a better way to live ... a better way for the world to evolve, we need to make those thoughts part of the conversation. A lot.
That can change the world. We can change the world. By putting our voices together, by putting our truth out, patiently, persistently, and with purpose -- we can.
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If there is one basic truth about Life it is this: Life cannot act against itself and survive. Those values we cherish -- peace, love, compassion, tolerance, empathy, cooperation ... if Life itself endures, those are the attitudes that will support it ... and thrive.
We don't have to indoctrinate others or force anyone to believe this. As living examples of what we know to be true, we can simply show them a better way to exist -- and they can decide. Life goes where love is. It's really that simple.
Eventually we can all be "one of us." It just takes enough light. That permanently changes the world.
To me, to be part of TribeSteemUp is to stand in that truth. We are not alone. We have each other, and that ... is precious.
My invitation into the group was the most moving affirmation I've received in decades.
I wish for all of you a wonderful life.
Although sometimes the background pictures in our visual essays support the topic and text, they don't always. Sometimes the connection is clear. Sometimes it's symbolic and subtle. Sometimes, there's no connection at all.
The scenes depict landscapes and natural features, buildings and wildlife. They were chosen because they show something lovely or interesting ... or simply because the photo appealed to me.
Our spectacular and remarkable planet is changing at astonishing speed. Rarely are these changes for the better. Few people seem to know ... or care ... or have the will and power to do anything about this. It may not be long before the world humans have known and lived in for centuries is forever lost. We certainly won't be able to make repairs as fast as we destroyed it.
So a few years ago I began collecting pictures of the way things were ... and still are for now, a record of the beauty we have while it is still ours to love and honor.
The photos here are part of that collection, with sincere thanks to the artists who saw these moments ... and with their cameras ... preserved them. All of us at Enchanted Spirit are profoundly grateful to them for their generosity and skill ... and for the added grace, depth and dimension their art brings to ours.
Original images used under this Creative Commons license or this Creative Commons license and modified by added text.
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I did not stumble upon TribeSteemUp so far but a big part of the ideas conveyed in this post seemed familiar. I wasn't born this way, but after watching the The Zeitgeist Addendum movie, I saw Life in a new light. I do share your opinion that we can change the world. More and more people seem to be stepping outside of their 9 to 5 pm bubble and question more things and ideologies that they are fed since birth.
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That movie -- that series of movies, actually, had a distinct effect on me, too. I work with life differently now myself -- and have stopped feeling I have to justify, even apologize, for the way I want to work and the future I want to help build.
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this is beautiful @enchantedspirit thank you for sharing this wisdom with us and sharing what the Tribe means to you xxx
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