TRIGGER DIFFUSER & disclaimer: This is not a political post. I repeat, this is not a political post.
Sometimes these laws and regulations go against our core beliefs. When this occurs, how can we reconcile being part of society while being true to ourselves? How can we find the wherewithal (and sometimes, grace) to support that which we find unsupportable?
One way is to support what is behind a particular institution. Perhaps you don’t see the need for the latest type of math instruction, but you still can support the concept of education. Maybe you're not a fan of organized religion, but you see the value in having a spiritual practice. And when it comes to elected officials, there is the age-old advice to “support the office" even if you don't support the person who holds it.
This is not to say one should not stand up against policies they consider to be tyrannical. That’s not the point of this post. Our goal today is to find healthy ways to support the organizations and institutions that were created to benefit humanity—things like school, marriage, driving laws, civic government, religion, economics, and so on.
Finding the good in “organizations” can seem impossible. But the sooner we do it, the sooner we’ll experience more goodwill as a people. And if we disagree with an individual, we can work to find common ground—the core principles we both value.
Perhaps the best place to start is with self-governance. A judicious approach to the sharing of our ideas will yield far better results than going on a social media rant. When we start looking for the good, we can and will find it. Even when it comes to things we object to.
Think it’s too much to ask? I live in an area where we have to move our cars twice a week for street sweeping. I’ve received tickets a couple of times for being “on the wrong side.” I could either curse the meter maid (&/or the city) or make the choice to think differently. I’ve decided to look at parking tickets as opportunities for me to support the city I love, to thank it for the roads, the stop signs, the traffic signals, and everything that goes into making me and others safe on the road. (That doesn't mean I don't try vigorously to avoid parking tickets!)
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Your action prompt today is to find a reason to be thankful for a form of governance that usually makes you cranky.
As stated previously, it starts with self-governance. So let’s govern our thoughts and look for ways to be grateful for over-arching organizations and regulations that are meant to benefit the greater good.
Better yet, let’s do this while striving to create reforms that will increasingly make administrative agencies function more humanely and justly. We the people have a right to be grateful and work together toward a better world.