Feeling Peace in the Midst of Mayhem

Saying No to Drama and Drain of Constant Connection

The world has become a very hostile place to live these days.. In Brazil a doctor was denied her right to go to the bank because of a metal implant in her arm, it set off alarms, videos were posted. People in major US cities are flying off the handle every chance they get, behaving like the very people they tend to make fun of in other nations on other days. In the east people are suspicious of westerners. Westerners are suspicious of people in the central Americas. Southern Americans (south of the equator Americans) are afraid in their own communities as poverty has created difficult living conditions. No wonder anti-anxiety medications are being dispensed at an all time high..

People use Facebook and Twitter as a political and religious platform outlet, rather than a way too just keep up with each other..in fact sometimes it creates less social interactions and more isolation then intended. There are tons of blanket statement prejudiced pictures with rotten sayings posted daily and people click "like" with out a second thought to what that "cool funny thing" is doing to a human being someplace else.It is indeed a social media mayhem at times.  Of course this kind of media spills over into our homes. Kids believe everything they read on social media.. and well Millennials put everything out on social media they should not.

I have found that at times I can use social media for positive things. Sharing hope, asking for prayers for others.. offering to pray for others. This is my way of working around the negative stuff.. but in truth to find true peace in my heart, I found the only way to find peace was to unplug. I gave up television years ago, I stopped using Linkedin, Twitter, and Pintrest.  I use facebook to stay connected, because it does let me choose what kinds of drama I accept at my front door so to speak. It lets me stay connected with my family and church family around the globe.

(Small Side Rant)
I have never been a fan of drama. I don't let people goad me into losing my temper or into their pity parties when they are just trying to get attention. Over time and lots of reading, I can tell when people are just trying to spark certain emotions. I try not to feed those beasts, because we need to deal with things in the real world, and not in cyber space. I am not saying that people should not say they are having a bad day. I am not saying that people should not express opinions, because they should. What I am saying is that people really need to grow up and stop being so self centered with their posts and reactions to others posts. I really hate it when people post something they know will offend others, then say " I will delete you if you respond negatively".. to me that sounds like a small child throwing a tantrum rather than an adult posting an opinion.. which BTW opinions are subject to debate.

(Back to my point)
Healthy adult relationships are built on give and take between people that are having an argument. They can agree to disagree without having to have one person trump the other. I find I have more peace in my life when I quit trying to prove my side of things to others. I feel that if I am right, then my point will often prove itself, others just have to learn the hard way. Sometimes I am the one who has to learn the hard way.

My former school mate posted a rather wonderful rant about people needing to grow up, especially in political expression. We have the right to show support for our candidates, but not to beat down others for whom they support. We have the right to vote for people who might not do everything right, but still have major views in common with us. We have the right to take sides on issues, but not to cut down a persons being, just because we don't like their political views. A persons worth is not aligned with political stance or beliefs in religion. My faith community holds the belief that all have a worth that no kind of worldly estimation can be placed upon us. It is easier to find peace when we accept that we need to practice holy indifference. This means that I might not like things about someone, but I can still love them as the total package, we are indifferent in our love for them, even if we do not like everything about them.

I know lots of good and loving people who vote differently than I, have different views on immigration and taxes.. but at the end of the day that does not take away from the love that God has given us. I know that people in that day and age a drowning in pain and suffering, much of what is said, they say because they feel that no one is listening to them. The truth is though because it is a social media driven life we live, what is being said is impacting the entire planet into a place of distrust and frenzy, because everyone is listening and watching.

So how do we get to this place of peace? This place where life is less frenzied and more livable? In invite you to actively seek it, rather than wait for it to show up..I invite you to disconnect as you are truly able. Take just one night a week to say good bye to checking your phone every five seconds. Do this especially if you hate your job. Refuse to feed whining and nagging post popularity that help no one. Take time to roll down your windows and sing at the tops of your lungs rather than try to read email on your ipad on the way home from work. I invite you to turn off the tube and get out old family photos, tell your kids about the things you did before television.. isn't it amazing that all of the retro stuff is what is in .. 3-d rubix ubes,, etch-a-sketch, and yo-yo's have made a come back. why?? because people still need things to do that are offline. There are still a lot of things that people can do, if they truly want to find peace in their lives.It can be found if it is wanted more than the crazy overload of "digital social life"  Peace in the Midst of Mayhem is not impossible, it just has to be intentionally accounted for..