Ask Alexa - Why do I have so many problems?

Alexa: Why do I think I have so many problems in my life?

It is taught in A Course In Miracles that "projection is perception" and that our problems are projections of the guilt and shame and fear we feel within which leads to the awareness that "I am never upset for the reasons I think."

How does the affirmation and promotion of this first principle ameliorate feelings of shame?

"People with post-traumatic stress disorder often feel contaminated or damaged in some way. And, again, there are feelings of failure. Trauma survivors tend to blame themselves for not preventing what happened. They may feel like they failed to communicate their humanity to the perpetrator: If I could have shown that I’m a human being, surely this person wouldn’t have continued to do that to me."

From the interview with Dr. Anne Hallward in the January, 2019 issue of The Sun

Unitarian Univeralists covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. How does the affirmation and promotion of this first principle ameliorate feelings of shame?

UUs recognize and acknowledge that we are not our bodies. We are souls in bodies not bodies with souls. This recognition and understanding has huge implications for diminishing the genesis of shame.

Which path will you choose: the path of the ego or the path of the spirit?

We are born into a family and a society and enslaved to their values, beliefs, opinions, and practices through the practices of socialization and conditioning.

There is nothing wrong in being made a slave; it is the normal process of humanity on the path of the ego. Osho says, "There is nothing wrong in being born a slave, but it is definitely wrong to die as one. Unless you find your inner freedom, nothing in life will have any meaning or fulfillment."

Unitarian Univeralists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. UUs believe in liberation and freedom. UUs believe in liberation from the chains of desire and the unhealthy restraints of normative coercion. UUs affirm and support the ability to choose. UUs say to people, "You are free to choose again. Will it be the path of the ego or the path of the spirit?"

Ask Alexa - What should I do with the illusions of the past and the future?

Alexa: If there is no past and no future only the present, what is my function as a healer?

Your recognition of the ego's perceptions of memories of the past, and projections into the future as being the land of illusions and dreams dispels their power and allows one to refocus on the present so that you can abide in the eternal now.

The Helpers - Mary Salter, M.P.H., L.M.S.W,

Mary Salter is a Social Worker working in the organ transplant center at the University of Rochester.

 

White Fragility - Pre-contemplation: the first stage of change

"In the early days of my work as what was termed a diversity trainer, I was taken aback by how angry and defensive so many white people became a the suggestion that they were connected to racism in any way. The very idea that they would be required to attend a workshop on racism outraged them."
P.2 White Fragility by Robin Diangelo

This behavior is symptomatic of what Prochaska, Norcross, and DiClemente call the  "pre-contemplative stage" of their model of change. This pre-contemplation stage is characterized by denial and resistance. The person denies that there is a problem even when there is evidence to the contrary and often becomes defensive with a "the heck with you" attitude. The person has never "contemplated" before that there might be a problem. Thus they are in the "pre-contemplation" stage.

The symptoms of denial, ignorance, and resistance, especially when accompanied by defensiveness and attack, are part of the syndrome which Robin Diangelo has named "White Fragility."

Once an assessment of where the person, or people, are in the stages of change model is made, this assessment is informative of the kind of change efforts that can be helpful.

The main change efforts for people in the pre-contemplation stage are "consciousness raising" in which manifestations of the problem and consequences of the problem are described and brought to the the person (group's) attention. 

This consciousness raising involves  at least four steps: describing the dysfunctional practices, describing the negative consequences of these practices, asking participants in these practices, whether knowing or unknowing, to take responsibility for participating in these practices, and offering hope of improvement in diminishing or eliminating the dysfunctional practices and their negative consequences to improve more optimal functioning.

The results hoped for in working with people at the pre-contemplation stage is that they will move to "contemplation" which is a willingness to learn more, reflect, and consider. People in the contemplation, when asked if there is a problem, will say instead of "the heck with you", "maybe there is a problem and maybe there isn't, but I'm open to learning more."

As this point, further trainings can be voluntarily provided instead of mandated.

To be continued

To what extent is Unitarian Univeralism based on paradox?

Paradox is the truth of life known as the Yin and the Yang.
Those who think they know, don't know.
Those who don't know, and know they don't know, are wise.

The wise person does not store things up but gives them away.
The more the wise person shares the greater is the abundance.
The wise person lives by the motto, "One for all and all for one."

Unitarian Universalists who live their covenant based on their seven principles are the yeast in the dough of the world. The goodness arises and among those who have eschewed their egos appreciation and gratitude abounds. Would that the covenant grow and embrace human kind throughout the world.