Everyday Wisdom: Meet the BeliefWorks Mentors

"We feel threatened by events outside of what we know..... Being personally offended, or incensed and defending is not about what is happening outside of us but inside, ignited by beliefs rooted in fear."

Watching the news, the latest hot-button issue in the United States is immigration. It is a complicated situation with good points being made by congress, citizens, employers, new citizens, first-born Americans and workers with visas.

Change is inevitable and a natural part of living. As things evolve, the way we do things may no longer be in sync with what is. When things aren’t working or wrongdoing occurs, life shifts out of balance and action must be taken. This is a normal part of solution oriented behavior.

What is fascinating is the storm of emotion around any issue. The immigration debate is spawning marches, protests, debates and bare-fisted fights. Is it all about the immigration question or is there something else running beneath the surface?

The emotional timbre seems familiar and repetitive. In the not-to-distant-past I have seen the same hot debate erupt about the price of oil, Wal-Mart, outsourcing, downsizing, the Middle East, cultural and religious differences, and any other number of issues. Go back - years, decades, centuries - and the pattern repeats with a list of issues too numerous to mention.

What I’m talking about is not the issue itself, but the emotional drama, addiction to being right, anger, indignation, hopelessness and violent overtones that these events seem to perpetuate. In the end, the turmoil is not about the issue, it is about beliefs based in fear that are ignited by the issue.

For example: I recently received several e-mails describing alleged threats immigration poses to our happiness, health, safety and financial well-being. These e-mail letters have been forwarded to thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousand of people. Over the years, I have received many similar letters with the same flavor about other “threats”. Stripped down these letters are missives of hate fueled by fear.

At its core this fear is the fear of being hurt. The “issue” touches old wounds - wounds with beliefs and emotional points of view that were at one time true but are now full of lies about what is happening in this very moment.

We project out into the world what we believe to be true – and that distorts what we notice. We don’t see the world as it is, we see the world as we are.

We need others behavior to be different so we are okay. We get inflamed by things we can’t easily change. We feel threatened by events outside of what we know. Looking closely, the eruption, (whether it is about immigration, not getting what we want from our relationships or work, or even your teenager who left his dishes on the counter) is triggered by the event but often not about it at all. Being personally offended, or incensed and defending is not about what is happening outside of us but inside, ignited by beliefs rooted in fear.

The gift in emotional upheaval is discovered by looking inward, not by focusing outward. The next time you get hot about the newest hot-button topic, take a moment and check in: What’s going on with me? How do I feel? Am I afraid? If so, what am I afraid of? What do I need that I don’t think I’m getting?

Notice your breathing. Listen to the words in your mind and ask – Is this really true?

Awareness of this dynamic can open up a whole world of possibility. Real awareness, perception without judgment, allows us to see the undercurrent of belief that drives everyone’s diversity of perception, including our own. From that vantage point we can clearly see what action we need to take…. and avoid the overreaction that provides no solution, that accomplishes nothing more than to make us suffer.

In 1996, after a chance meeting at the pyramid ruins in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Ray Dodd embarked on a 6-year apprenticeship with don Miguel Ruiz M.D. (author of the best-selling book, The Four Agreements). Founder of EverydayWisdom.us, Ray is a mentor and the author of 2 books The Power of Belief and BeliefWorks. Ray helps both individuals and organizations forge new beliefs and agreements to affect lasting and positive change. He can be reached at ray@everydaywisdom.us / http://www.everydaywisdom.us/