Sunday, May 12, 2013

The Language of Slavery

In these days of endless waiting, it occurs to me that even a bank account filled beyond comprehension will not alter the mindset of slavery.  A lifetime of ownership has left deeply rooted beliefs and habits of speech.  Some of these will be easy to let go of, while others are almost invisible.

A slave is one who is owned.  Their rights and permissible actions are determined outside of themselves; in fact, they ignore inner knowing in favor of outside validation for truth.  They do this out of fear.  Regardless of their feelings in any moment, they are obedient to their owners.

In order for this experiment of control and manipulation to end, we have to stop acting, thinking and speaking as slaves.  There are words we use every day that give evidence to our state of mind:

Worship, subservient, allow, bow down, authority, top-down, class (ruling, upper, middle, lower), caste system, owner, ruler, king, hierarchy, monarchy, belong, rule, dictator, deserve, grant, pray, wealth, permission, job, owe, debt, disobey, illegal, order, must appear, jail, obey, freedom, ticket, enforce, allow, forbid, deny, educate, permit, paycheck, borrow, tax, punish, need, afraid, lose, weekend, work week, income, employment, unemployment, bum, homeless, blue collar, white collar, wage, salary, earn, own.

There are others, this is not an exhaustive list.  We are in a gradual process of emancipation and they will occur to us as we proceed.  We’ll discover them as we feel our way to sovereignty.  These are words that imply someone or something enjoys a level of control over another, over us.  Freedom cannot be granted; free is what you are.

For these changes are unprecedented and cannot be taught.  It is with full consciousness that we’ll notice the twangs of ownership rear up in conversation.  It could be with a friend, a bank, a boss, a spouse, a lover or a child. The habits of servitude and guilt around breaking the “rules” will not disappear on their own.  We will forcibly end both, with persistence and compassion.

Love is not acting in a way that makes someone happy – love is.  How we act has no bearing on its existence.  When love is recognized, clarity of purpose emerges.

It is time to evict the words that hold our thoughts bondage to slave systems and ways of being.  Pay attention to habits of ownership.  Refuse debt of any kind.  There is physical as well as mental and emotional debt.  You stand free and unencumbered.  Act as if you are.

There is no one to wait for, obey, pay, owe or depend on.  It’s all you.  Level the playing field, everyone is equal.  We have been envisioning freedom and cheering each other on as bonds are broken and success in “bucking the corruption” is realized.  We are anxious for some cold, hard, spendable cash. After decades of slavery, this makes sense.  But then what?

Say you wake up Monday with access to billions and everyone knows it.  What happens Tuesday?  This is our next effort.  We’ll get there together.

What are you waiting for?  You are the One.




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