The fix for Israel and Palestine
I've been thinking about this for a while.
Focus on your own shit.
That’s it, that’s the fix.
That’s the fix for Israel, Palestine, the United States, China, the economy, and AI-induced panic. It’s the fix for every unsolvable problem you spiral about at night while ignoring the dishes in your sink.
Listen carefully, because I cannot find better words than Michael A. Singer:
“The highest life you can live is when every single moment that passes before you is better off because it did. Serve the present moment with all your heart and soul. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone did that. Start by raising1 what appears before you. If you can't even serve what's put in front of you, how are you going to change the world? If you're getting so upset about conditions in the world that you're edgy with everyone around you, you're not helping anyone. If you can't create harmony in your own household, what right do you have to complain that countries are shooting missiles at each other? You have to live a life that if everyone lived it, there would be peace. If you can't do that, you're part of the problem, not the solution.”
If this idea fills you with rage or revulsion, I’m curious: what in your own life might feel so broken that it's easier to obsess over problems you can’t fix than face the ones you actually can?
Because the truth is, Michael’s pointing to something deeply aligned with systems theory, which is the idea that the same emotional dysfunction that shows up in one person’s life scales upward into families, communities, and nations.2
And yes, this is a privileged position.
But I am privileged. Which means it’s the only position I can honestly speak from. And I will not be ashamed of it. I will be filled with respect and gratitude for it. And I will continue to leverage it to improve my life and the lives of anyone who passes before me—never allowing the sense that I can’t fix everything prevent me from fixing some things.
And neither should you.
This word confused me for a moment, but he’s saying “start by improving what appears before you.”
Save the cheerleader, save the world.