“Maturity is when you stop complaining and making excuses in your life; you realize everything that happens in life is a result of the previous choice you’ve made and start making new choices to change your life.”― Roy T. Bennett
One of the biggest obstacles toward improving your vibrational energy, your mental health and your general sense of wellbeing is falling prey to the grievance culture currently appearing to dominate the public narrative.
The inner dialogue is primarily focused on some perceived external enemy responsible for all that has gone wrong in your life. You have abdicated responsibility for your past choices and actions. Everything that has gone wrong in your life is the responsibility of …
Entire countries and cultures can become obsessed with grievance culture, sometimes based on historical events or tragedies going back centuries. How far do we have to go back to historical comparisons or history? The nations of the European Union have fought bitter wars with each other for generations, finally realizing that peaceful, mutual cooperation is more beneficial for all.
Sadly in my home country, South Africa, “colonialism” seems to serve as an excuse for everything that is going wrong such as widespread government maladministration and corruption. This does not justify by any means British imperialism. My grandfather fought against the British in the Boer war and was held by the British as a prisoner of war on the island of St. Helena. It would be just as stupid comparing today’s Britain to the Britain of 1901 as comparing modern Germany to the Nazi Germany of the 1930s.
The loudhailers of grievance culture
Yet, the virus of grievance culture seems to infect a growing number of ordinary, educated people seeking simple answers to complex problems. Demagogues and political extremism is on the rise in most countries. The common denominator is that these groupings are mostly led by cult-like figureheads who become the loudhailers of grievance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is obsessed with grievance as is former U.S. president Donald Trump. Putin has constantly spun the tale of the West’s responsibility for the collapse of the Soviet Union, the economic decline during the post-Soviet era, and Russia’s victimhood. Trump is obsessed with a “stolen election”, and a similar victimhood of a “deep state” conspiring against him.
Learning from the ancient Mystics
Once caught in the maelstrom of grievance culture all sense of humility and self-responsibility is lost. As the great 13th-century Mystic Meister Eckart wrote in one of his sermon’s. It is “running in front of God”. It is falling prey to the Ego-Mind.
The Ego-Mind will be blaming God, fate, people different from themselves, and basically everyone for what has gone wrong in their lives. They are filled with hate, resentment, and anger. They are the malignant narcissists of our age who seek only personal validation and glory. They will never change their opinion and are captured by attachment.
Attachment can be defined as a strong emotional bond to a person, thing, or cause. In extreme cases, it can be closely intertwined with personal perception and identity.
According to Eckart, there are those “imperfect” people who “walk close by God”, wishing to lead God rather than be led by him. They would like God’s will to be their will. We are seeing much of this behavior in religious and political fundamentalism. They are idealists at heart believing that the world would be an entirely different place if a certain ideology. belief or behavior is adhered to.
Joy is found in truth and humility
The “perfect” ones bow to humility in following God on a path that can also be one of hardship and suffering but ultimately leads to a life of bliss and happiness, according to Eckardt. It is what the Buddhists call living a life liberated from all forms of attachment.
It can also be understood as finding the connection to the inner spark of truth. Joy is found in the truth and the pursuit of God’s will, according to Eckart. The Mystic describes walking the path of truth and pursuing the will of God as “an ardent desire” where we are “illuminated and captivated by the depth of our being.” Walking behind is described as “sinking into the essences” of all things.
If you find yourself in the dark hole of complaining about everything wroing in your life or about the weather, politics, your employer or your spouse, then pause and take a deep breath. Take that emotional shift by changing your thought pattern.
You are lucky to be alive. If you are reading this you probably belong to a small group of humanity with running water, electricity, an internet connection, food and a fairly good roof over your head. You probably would also be living in a democracy free to express your opinions and beliefs. You can change your mindset in an instant and decide to take responsibility for every thought, and action you take from this moment onward. It is truly liberating to be responsible for your own life.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
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