One of the things I often talk about is why I bother. In discussions about life it’s easy to tell myself I don’t care. Yet I know I do.
I’m sure I signed up to come here for the chocolate. Perhaps the alcohol too. Even some of the people who have been in my life. But I’m certain I didn’t sign up for struggles or challenges. At least I tell myself I didn’t. I have to admit that at times I’ve certainly adopted a ‘why bother’ approach to my life. Especially when I’ve felt that no one is listening. Or helping. And nothing is changing. The interesting thing about that attitude is that it gives me permission to moan about my life without actually requiring me to do anything about it. That’s convenient. I can blame the outer world for being crap without ever having to think about my inner world.
Of course that’s not necessarily a helpful way to live my life. Not bothering can keep me very stuck. And miserable. Because I do care. Deep inside I want life to be happy and full of interest. I thought about this today when I was doing healings. It came to mind because the people I was working with quite clearly wanted their lives to change. They didn’t want to be stuck any more. Whatever barriers were there they wanted to remove them so that they could bother about their lives again. I noticed that all of them were ready to do inner work to make that happen. And it reminded me that when I get involved in changing myself my outer world changes too.
That point came up again later. I watched people on TV say they would not bother to register to vote. Their reason? Nothing changes.
I felt once again that this is a short sighted way of dealing with our world. A vote is my voice. It’s my chance to say I care enough about my outer world that I will make sure I express myself. I’m saying I do want to bother. Even if the result is that nothing appears to change on the surface. Underneath I am telling myself that I matter. I’m even giving myself encouragement to make my voice heard again and again. In the end maybe I’ll even feel bothered enough to stand for elections. Or work to bring about a different voting system. I know my good friend Cathy has been bothered enough to take that step. She recognised that our voices are valuable. They need to be expressed.
It also reminded me that I’ve been through plenty of human lives. No doubt I’ll be bounced back in again after this one. Why bother, you may ask. What is the point of life after life if nothing changes? That’s where I feel it’s really important to care. If I keep changing for the better life after life one time I might not have to come back. Ever. My work will be over. In the end I realise that the changes might happen very slowly. I watched An Inspector Calls, a play by J B Priestly, tonight with my daughter. It’s set in 1912. Yet so many of the issues raised in the play are still with us in 2017. Women have a vote, if they choose to use it, but not a voice. Certainly not equal pay or opportunity or respect.
That’s a good reason to bother. Creating an equal society happens when all of us bother. When we care enough to use the ways we have to say it like it is. And to press for change if nothing changes. Please care enough to be the change.
Day 545 of my blogging challenge