"“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”” ~ Albert Einstein"
Oneness, I believe this is a message for mankind at this present moment. It is a lesson we have been repeating since the dawn of time, one we have yet to learn. It is an elusive concept. It is beautifully intricate, and it is, I believe, the secret sauce to living in a world that works for us all.
Oneness can be an intimidating concept if we do not understand the heart of it. Oneness is not sameness. It is not about assimilation and releasing your unique individuality. When grasped, it is the end of self-focused thinking and action. It is the mindset that there is no separation between us and others. It is the understanding that all of our unique individualities are gifts to be treasured equally. That our differences bring depth to our collective human experience, and there is something to be gained when we accept and appreciate others for how the present, who they were created to be, and what they came to contribute to the building of a better world.
However, we suffer from contamination of our mindset that causes us to think that in life, it is Us vs. Them. We behave as if this life is a race to be won, and we strive and struggle to be the victor at all costs. Conqueror or be conquered. We find ourselves continually competing for power. We have taken the bait, and we have seen the destruction it has caused us, and now we have a choice. Do we continue in a practice that has proved to only bring us more and more division? Or can we take a moment and review our lives and how we have contributed to a world divided and sure up our fidelity to the values we want to see in everyone else.
I believe that when we mindfully accept our responsibility to one another if we retrain our minds to see each other as our greatest resource, we can create a world that works for us all. If we all commit to this work and live our lives as an example of the Oneness model, we would see that the world we all want to live in is possible; equality, unity, and peace are within our reach.
Embracing Oneness requires a drastic change in our mindset. One of the biggest challenges is learning to deal with differences. We seek comfort in sameness. However, our desire to remain comfortable has caused us to think small. We live in a world of infinite possibilities, yet our comforts confine us to limited thinking. One of those limiting thoughts is that people who think, act, live, or believe differently are a threat to us and our way of life. That mindset encourages us to believe that we couldn't possibly live in peace and harmony with people who are too different. However, when we realize that when we work together with people who see things differently, and we respect and value their input, we increase our intellect. We expand our awareness and our ability to be successful in any situation. When we face things together in humility, we accomplish so much more than we ever could alone in our arrogance.
Our minds often feel threatened by what is different, especially when we feel personally wounded by it. I remember a time where I felt wronged and utterly justified in vilifying someone for their stance and beliefs that were in opposition to mine. I was consumed by anger and frustration. Once I realized that what I was feeling was not serving my highest good, I began to release myself from those feelings by embracing acceptance. Emotional Intelligence is a tool that we can all use to heal ourselves, however it is not often employed because it does require hard work. It requires us to take personal responsibility for our emotions and how we chose to respond to others. When I started to heal from my wounds, I realized that although it was frustrating, that person provided me with valuable lessons. I learned how to accept people as they are. I learned that just like me, everyone is learning as they go, they are on a journey of discovery, and at any given time, we are all doing the best we can. Can we always strive to do better? Of course! But we need to see each other as fellow travelers here to discover how to navigate this life with all the baggage we bring. Be patient, be loving, be kind, in all things because we are all in this together.
We say that all men are created equal, but have we full grasped what that means? It means we are all born of the same energy, one infinite Spirit with infinite expressions. We are undeniably one in origin, created in the image and likeness of never absent presence. It is a connection we could not alter if we tried. At the core of who we are, we are of one heart and mind. We need to learn how to speak the language that connects us. A language that calls the best of us forth from a place of understanding and grace. This realization, once we fully understand and integrate it into our behavior, can radically transform how we relate and interact with one another. It unifies and defines as one family. One family with countless expressions, perspectives, and points of view that we can all learn from. We realize that every expression of being, every dimension of diversity brings variety, richness, and depth to our human experience. For everything that was created was created with a purpose. We are all an idea that can not fulfill its highest potential without the cooperation of all of its parts. When we operate in the Oneness of heart and mind, we the fundamental truth that we are all co-creators. We realize the value and importance of the perspectives of others. We know that we all came to experience the beautiful diversity of life, share our gifts, and learn to live as One. The highest potential for the world can only be achieved when we work as One.
"Peace or harmony between the sexes and individuals does not necessarily depend on a superficial equalization of human beings; nor does it call for the elimination of individual traits and peculiarities. The problem that confronts us today, and which the nearest future is to solve, is how to be one's self and yet in oneness with others, to feel deeply with all human beings and still retain one's own characteristic qualities." ~ Emma Goldman