The trigger
My reflections started because I have been asked recently a few times to vote for several women who had been nominated for various awards. This is not the first time that I have been asked to vote for people who I both know or don’t know. I remember when this happened few years ago, I wondered what I would do, if I were in such a position myself … Also, I couldn’t understand why, if somebody has been nominated for an award, they should go and ask around to be voted for, even by people who don’t know them! I felt that this matter was full of material for me to look at and, not to be considered unsocial, I thought that I would just vote for whoever would ask me. In fact most times it wouldn’t require much time and effort, so I thought: why not? Well, I kept being asked more and more through the years and I kept looking inside myself and felt a sense of unease. I thought that maybe I was feeling jealous or envious and I was disturbed by my feelings … This continued until last week, when I stopped and thought that it was time for me to discover what was really disturbing me, instead of just allowing it to be. I sat in silence with the intention to look into the unknown, because I wanted to find out the origin of this strange discomfort, and waited … All different reasons came to the surface including: ‘I don’t do enough to be nominated too’, ‘What do I do to change things?’, ‘Would I want to be in such a position?’, ‘What would I do myself?’, etc. etc. I kept going and stayed in my silence, as I just knew that there was something of importance wanting to pop up. Sure enough it did come to me!
It is clear to me that, for thousands of years, people in our society and in other parts of the world have been living in a competitive way. So many of us have been struggling to be number one in whatever field we might operate, socially, in sports, in the political arena and in our hobbies! Religions, philosophies, rules and regulations have helped on the way to create a world of competition and fight for supremacy. At first I was speechless, but then I allowed this thought to sink in and I pondered on it for a while. Is the law of the jungle still ruling? I asked myself: does the toughest survive to the detriment of the weaker, the different, the less astute, the less outgoing, the less focused, etc.? The more I thought and reflected on this, the more I realised that the answer is yes. When I looked at my life, most of the time I had applied myself to be better, to be first, to have better marks, to arrive first, to get the job, to conquer my lover before somebody else did, etc. etc. I felt a deep sorrow in my heart and asked myself: ‘Can we collectively do something to change this way of living?’ ‘Can we advance spiritually and dream of a world where competition is banned and peace and harmony can rule?’ ‘What can I do to put this awareness in motion?’
The answer came quickly, strong and clear: feel the love in your heart, spread it in everything you do and be present! Whatever you do, whatever you are asked, whatever you think, ask yourself this question before doing anything else: ‘Is this act, thought, desire, action, plan, etc. leading to a world where everybody is included and loved or is it perpetrating the old way of living in competition and struggle for supremacy? Be present and act accordingly! Therefore I decided to send those people who asked for my vote, my love and appreciation for whatever they did and I consciously decided not to vote for anyone, but send out my intention to contribute to a new world, an inclusive world, a new way of living where humanity can flourish in a harmonious way without competition and where everybody is accepted and appreciated for one’s own skills and valued as a human being independently from what one has done.
Hello Gabriella … Enjoyed reading your blog and wish to congratulate you on the conclusions you arrived …. "decided not to vote for anyone, but send out my intention to contribute to a new world, an inclusive world, a new way of living where humanity can flourish in a harmonious way without competition and where everybody is accepted and appreciated for one's own skills and valued as a human being independently from what one has done…"
As the founder of VOICES OF WOMEN WORLDWIDE & VOWW-TV promoting the "voiceless" and giving them voices to tell their stories and find solutions to problems …. I would like permission to use this blog on my website http://voicesofwomenworldwide-vowwtv.ning.com ?
Hello Venusin!
Thanks for reading my blog and asking to use it for your website.
I would be delighted if you used it on Voices of Women Worldwide!
Could you add a link to my website?
So that people can find out more about me and my work if they want to read more …
Love and hugs from UK
Gabriella, a Woman of the XXI Century