Letters to Myself: Entry Fifty-Nine
Prompt: Pride and Deflating; How is deflating nature coinciding with pride?
A reflection on the idea of pride and deflating happening in our society right now; how all of us are struggling but we have to continue to give our hearts and help to others.
I believe there is an element going on in the world right now, at least based on observations of others, that seems to signal a certain level of stress and ‘deflating’ nature, as the question asks. As I have been talking with others in my circles and seeking out others to find a sense of understanding of this wonderment, I believe it is showing up more and more often than I originally realized; meaning that the very thing that is being shown in our news, is being confirmed in reality. And what I mean is: the level of stress and exhaustion (aka deflating) is near an all time low, at least here in the states. However, there is also another sense that is being persisting still to this day because of the oppression that is still consistently happening; pride, the very thing we need to keep alive in this very moment.
As I wrote on this idea of deflating and pride in my journal, I strike it to be a stark contrast from each other; as if they are holding a sense of neutrality that we are not seeing. Like two cowboys in a western, hands at the holster, both ready to do something, but they choose not too other than hold that gaze at each other. I believe in the idea of pride, I think it holds a truth and honor we should all be supporting; the movement itself is about everyone, like literally everyone. And I think that is a powerful message to signal to everyone; that we are all apart of something bigger than ourselves.
I talk about that much in my reflections because I want to make sure that never goes unnoticed; Sympatheia, this idea should consistently come up each day you are living a full day. I believe it is necessary to think about this because it is good to remember that we are all in it together; whether we like it or not. And why, at least in my humble opinion, are we not stressing this more to the public? To our selves? Much of my awakening hours consist of me going through a series of moves contributing to the whole. We think largely, but the large scale comes from the details; the details are what you are building each day; every minute, every second is a chance to tack on the progress that is the universal whole that we are contributing too.
Pride is apart of that idea; everyone plays their part in the circles of this world. We know where we stand but we are all part of the chain; and at any point there could be a moment where you see someone that is a pivotal point in the chain, but maybe they are not as popular, but remember that point in the chain; it shows that we are all connected and we should not be rejecting it. Acceptance of this idea and the present reality; stop fighting with it, instead see the motivation to keep trying; that yes, while reality does have its harshness, one must continue to show our optimism of the future, believing in the whole you are contributing too. If you are not with it and not contributing, one will run into their own issues and trials, normally stemming from this. Continue to give with your heart; when you give, you receive.
Now, deflating; this idea is harsh because it is real. People in our society are struggling, there is no doubt. Most people, who are not part of some prestige fund or receive more than 6 figures even still are struggling. To make matters worse, I see it all around me, even ones who seem to have it all figured out; we are all struggling out here. However, connecting to the whole as discussed earlier, this is where we have to lean in further; continue to give in as much as one can. This is a reminder I keep uttering to myself in moments of crisis. Where the extra dollar to the other person, the lending hand for a friend; looking further to the moments of immortality, where you will have to give your heart in the moments you don’t want too.
This idea is deflating, scary, stressful, no one wants to do it; we don’t live in a digital landscape that so many seem to want and believe in. Our eyes can only see so far now, the vision is becoming blurry every day by the seams; not sure how to understand or believe in the craziness that is happening around us. But I don’t want resistance to win, I am here to not let deflating nature get the best of me. I am deflated by nightfall because I have lived a day. A day where I am soaking in the pride around me; the overall whole of the universe that we all can contribute too. One must make that decision though.
If one questions their immortality daily, continue to see it as a sign to live your life. Live your life the way you intended. No one is going to tell you what to do or what you want to do; that is the ultimate question for one self. But remember to not get discouraged in this act; see as a way that we have to honor the dead by carrying on their names, not allowing them to be forgotten. That is also pride; think of those who came before us; the ones that lived completely different lifestyles; different mindsets of the future they were aiming for. It is easy to question and or even judge someone for their decisions in history; but at the core of things, context and understanding stand out the most here.
When one is feeling deflated, however feeling that pride inside of them, remember that others out there are feeling that exact feeling. Again, we are all in it together, as cliche and annoying it sounds, it is the truth. The truth is acceptance and figuring out how to move forward instead of complaining about it. Reflect, see the faults and the trials that you went through, but that does not make you, the next actions you take will be. Celebrate with your neighbors; there is more beauty there than most might believe. Even coming from Minnesota, I think I can say that is very evident. It’s okay to be deflated a day here and there, if not everyday, but if this was the last day you had, that goes out the window. Get to work, continue to show progress. Tack on each day to the overall whole; people will support when the takedown might be coming. Develop a strong person inside of you, we all have that ability.
This post is part of my "Letters to Myself" series — a weekly free-write blog where I explore personal growth, curiosity, and healing through simple prompts. Sometimes reflective, sometimes fun, but always real. Thank you for being here.
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Photo by Kyle Gare
