Sometimes You Just Gotta Scream!

No matter where we look today, there appears to be nothing but chaos and breakdown. This is true in almost all fields: be it economics, politics, social justice, the battle between science versus religion, the torrid pace of technological development, climate change, education, healthcare, and so on.

We may feel inadequate and not at all up to the task of solving these complex issues. Perhaps we lack the energy, or motivation.  It happens to all of us from time to time. Or, we might find ourselves shrinking away from responsibility and finding refuge in denial, entertainment, tribalism or religion.

Many of us may simply throw our hands up in resignation saying: “I hope they figure it out” — they meaning government leaders, business giants and educational savants. There are those who are brighter than I and should know what to do.

Years ago, in my early 30s, I was involved in a personal crisis. It was my business. During my breakdown, I found myself driving down the highway with the car windows rolled up, and literally screaming at the top of my lungs: “I need help!”

That dramatic moment could certainly parallel where most of us feel we are today.  My call for help had not been so much a prayer — but an exclamatory demand.  

To be sure, the doubts we are currently facing are overwhelming.  While our economy is in a self induced coma, expenses have not taken a break. Nor have responsibilities. And at the moment, there appears to be no clear way forward.

So where does this actually leave us and what can we focus on that would be productive and give us peace of mind?

First of all, science says that every cell in our body carries within it a complete blueprint of the human body. If we think of our physical bodies as an unbelievably elaborate and highly sophisticated piece of machinery, and our consciousness as the driver, it would seem reasonable that we possess an operator’s manual.  I believe we do.

And using this as a metaphor, let us assume that our blueprint comes with “road side assistance.”  When you call road side assistance you usually call with a description of where you are, and what has happened. You also expect service and are grateful because you’ve been given a solution to your problem.

But sometimes in life we run up against a situation in which we cannot go to the left, nor to the right. We cannot go over and we cannot go under.  We must go through — and persevere.

After my intense screaming incident (a.k.a. meltdown) I noticed that during the weeks that followed, many significant improvements had taken place.

A host of important people and opportunities came into my life. I was introduced to a psychiatrist on a blind date and we developed a very supportive romance. The relationship was a gift and provided me with a wonderful immersion in learning more useful perspectives and points of view.  I developed new skills and thinking patterns that I needed, but never knew how to access.

New business opportunities also emerged. In general, life suddenly took a turn for the better. Not all of my problems were immediately solved but new pathways and tools emerged which empowered me to forge ahead.

Perhaps these events coming together were not just a coincidence, but part of our innate human potential. I believe it is possible to call for roadside assistance. Sometimes it is even necessary to passionately scream and shout for that help.  Emergencies demand this, and this is one of those times.

When you make a demand as opposed to a supplication, you enoble yourself with the authority to do so.  In other words, you are not asking for something outside of yourself to intervene. 

Understanding our own personal power and authority, and how to use it, is a lifelong journey. Recall that if our parents yelled at us, they were likely intercepting something that was going to be unfavorable or detrimental to our well being. They were shaking us up and snapping us out of an ensuing grave consequence. In doing so, they demonstrated their power and authority.

We did not create this world nor are we in charge of it. But we can reach out to the intelligence that resides within each of us. We can even demand from time to time, that we be shown the way.

— Sanderson Sims, April 19, 2020

www.TheWayofPerfection.org

Photo:  Matthew Henry, Burst Photos