Tug of war, it’s a classic tale as old as time itself. Long before the Old Testament was conceived of; the code of Hammurabi was inscribed in stone and included the concept of retribution “an eye for an eye.”
It is this perpetuated idea that all wrongs must be answered by a wrong that has led to bloodshed, mayhem and catastrophic loss of life throughout human history.
The truth is; it is just another story. It is a narrative created in a man’s mind which seemed right to him. Unfortunately, when this retribution narrative became interwoven in an entire belief system and passed down through generations – the world saw unending feuds between tribes, countries, gangs and religious groups. Ultimately, we kill each other over a story.
Is there any end to this game of tug of war? Are we Homo sapiens doomed to forever draw a line in the sand between “us and them”?
I think these are some of the questions we need to begin to answer if we are ever going to evolve beyond inherited hate of those we are told . . . hate us.
It would be so inspiring for a world leader to begin to say “the hate stops here.” Imagine if NATO leaders met with the purpose of creating new narratives based on a future of cooperation, communication and peaceful co-existence.
Strong partnerships, thriving marriage relationships are all based on the ability to evolve beyond the wounds of yesterday. Someone must be willing to end the emotional and psychological tug of war. On the contrary, those who insist on tit for tat, who revisit every past wrong and indulge in petty counterpunching . . . rarely, rise above their internal conflicted narrative.
Every day I am challenging myself to resist participating in negativity, to not be a part of the hateful discourse which is bombarding our social media, to find a way to connect with kindness and an open heart and mind.
In this current “tug of war” climate, it would be helpful if we all could do a quick self-check before we share a meme, a post or anything which fuels the flame of divisiveness and hatred for others. Firstly, is it factual and true? Secondly, what is my inner motivation for sharing? What am I hoping for? Will sharing this information make the world a better, more peaceful place?
Just one small way, I believe we can let go of the rope and be a part of the solution.
This article was written by a guest blogger. The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not reflect the opinions of Bob Lacey, Sheri Lynch or the Bob & Sheri show.
The Zen Den
Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
