The Roles We Play (repost)

It’s funny how humans thrive on drama. No matter what issue arises, we look for things to argue about, which will cause a stir. We can observe this flaw in the political arena, in religion, in life itself.

Of course, when we stand by a certain point - and look for confirmation through facts - we are likely to seek those corroborating facts from sources that share our point of view and look at the issue from the same angle we are. Everyone is going to have different opinions, different facts to quote, and different outlooks directly related to personal experiences and taught values.

It is very amusing to watch talk shows. Producers make a living from human drama, and saturate our media with a circus of flaring emotions and half-baked truths. Soap operas last for decades and hook staggering numbers of people through glittering drama, often exposing human flaws that nobody wants to recognize in themselves, yet are present in most of us.

We thrive on the negative, and several studies have shown that negative messages are more easily implanted in the subconscious than positive ones. That’s what political campaigns and organized religions thrive on to get their point across.

So, why do we thrive on negativity and drama? No matter what our religious affiliation, anyone at all comfortable with spiritual truth halfway believes that we are here for a reason, and we came to earth to learn something.

Our soul is here to learn basic lessons of compassion, forgiveness, unity, and tolerance, and we are all actors on the great stage life. By acting out our roles we understand the nuances behind the human drama, and learn our lessons throughout. Sadly, most of us forget we are the actors and blindly become the part we came to play. We become so engrossed in our role that we blend our identity with the character we impersonate. We all forget who we truly are, until something devastating in our lives knocks down our ego and reminds us of what is truly important.

Regardless of the fact that some believe in reincarnation and some don’t, we all agree that we only have one life at a time to be in, and we need to make the most of our time while we are here.

Focusing on the present, and choosing to overcome the drama we so easily become attached to, can free us from the chains of erroneous earthly perception and give us an edge in understanding who we truly are.

Drama, My Love

“I want to feel passion, I want to feel pain. I want to weep at the sound of your name. Come make me laugh, come make me cry…just make me feel alive” ~ Joey Lauren Adams

Sometimes I don’t think we realize how much we enjoy drama – even those of us who claim to denounce it completely.

As I scanned through a weather site, yesterday, I was surprised at my disappointment when I read that the 2009 Hurricane forecast predicts a quiet tropical season. For those of us who enjoy a good storm, the hurricane season can be quite exciting – those who love sports can probably appreciate the anticipation. As I got to think of it, however, something else popped into my mind: quite often the expectation of something that powerful goes hand in hand with another strong feeling –apprehension. We love and fear at the same time, and the two mix together in an intoxicating cocktail that speeds the heart and inebriates the mind.

We live to experience thrills – a fast car, a heart-stopping ride at the fair, a good thriller on TV, a dangerous storm – because through it all we feel alive.

Love for drama is evident in everything that surrounds us, from the entertainment we choose, to the choices we make in life. Indeed living a life free of drama is possible, but it gets boring pretty fast. Staring at the crystal-clear water of a shallow pool is pleasant for a while, but it doesn’t take long before one craves the dangerous waves produced by a storm at sea.

Very few things create an electrical charge the way drama does. Through our connection with others we activate energetic extremes – positive and negative, both necessary to initiate a shock. We love some deeply and “hate” others with just as much passion; once the two charges meet they create a current that keeps us alive.

Even if many of us will never own up to it, we welcome drama in our lives. We fear it, as it often turns our lives upside down, and then love it, as it allows us to appreciate certain things we wouldn’t notice otherwise.

Drama is the earthly force that keeps us anchored to our human role. As unsettling as it is, it serves a purpose if taken in small doses, for without its powerful influence we would easily skip over many of the lessons our soul needs to learn.

Just like any film, or soap opera worth its salt, we have the power to end it just by switching the channel of our focus. And we never have to worry about losing the remote.

Balancing our Inner bank Account

Mostly everyone is familiar with balancing a bank account. In order for it to remain in the positive we must put in more money than we get out.
If we draw more money than we can replace, the bank account will quickly fall in the red, and we will be hit by over-draft charges which will make it even harder to stand back up on our feet.
On the contrary, if we deposit more money than we need to withdraw for expenses, we will soon be able to have a nice, little nest egg that will give us peace of mind and can cover up unexpected expenses.
Imagine now that the bank account is our life, and the funds are our personal energy.
By enabling other people to affect us with their emotional debt, we allow our own account to become faulty. Our own personal energy will be absorbed into their drama, and will dissipate faster than we can replace it. Our own energy bank account will soon be in the red.
On the other hand, if we can become detached from the fires that others around us start with the purpose of upsetting us – and are able to generate more personal energy by focusing on things that benefit our lives and that of others without becoming part of the drama - our account will be secured and will never run out.
Our energy is like cash; there has to be a balanced flow between what goes out and what comes in. If we choose to invest it in ventures that promise a good return, then it is a smart financial idea. If, instead, we choose to invest our hard-earned energy in shady deals we should not be surprised to be falling into deficit.
We would not just give our debit card and pin number to a stranger, or to a person who, we know, will just draw our money out and waste it without a second thought.
Should we not be just as cautious with out personal energy?

The Roles We Play

It’s funny how humans thrive on drama.
No matter what issue arises, we look for things to argue about, which will cause a stir. We can observe this flaw in the political arena, in religion, in life itself.
Of course, when we stand by a certain point - and look for confirmation through facts - we are likely to seek those corroborating facts from sources that share our point of view and look at the issue from the same angle we are. Everyone is going to have different opinions, different facts to quote, and different outlooks directly related to personal experiences and taught values.
It is very amusing to watch talk shows. Producers make a living from human drama, and saturate our media with a circus of flaring emotions and half-baked truths. Soap operas last for decades and hook staggering numbers of people through glittering drama, often exposing human flaws that nobody wants to recognize in themselves, yet are present in most of us.
We thrive on the negative, and several studies have shown that negative messages are more easily implanted in the subconscious than positive ones. That’s what political campaigns and organized religions thrive on to get their point across.
So, why do we thrive on negativity and drama?
No matter what our religious affiliation, anyone at all comfortable with spiritual truth halfway believes that we are here for a reason, and we came to earth to learn something.
Our soul is here to learn basic lessons of compassion, forgiveness, unity, and tolerance, and we are all actors on the great stage life. By acting out our roles we understand the nuances behind the human drama, and learn our lessons throughout.
Sadly, most of us forget we are the actors and blindly become the part we came to play. We become so engrossed in our role that we blend our identity with the character we impersonate. We all forget who we truly are, until something devastating in our lives knocks down our ego and reminds us of what is truly important.
Regardless of the fact that some believe in reincarnation and some don’t, we all agree that we only have one life at a time to be in, and we need to make the most of our time while we are here.
Focusing on the present, and choosing to overcome the drama we so easily become attached to, can free us from the chains of erroneous earthly perception and give us an edge in understand who we truly are.