So it sounds like Obama wants to move away from the "Politics of Fear". I am not sure that that is possible. It is no easier to separate politics from fear by declaring it than it is to remove yourself from superglue by pushing against it. It is the nature of the beast! Whether you are blaming someone else or scaring people into submission, politics is just based on fear. Fear that "our side may not win and thus lose my job;" fear that "we are going to be taken over by extremists and die;" fear that "if we buy into a certain ideology, our society as we know it, will end;" fear of being voted out of office; fear of people thinking you are stupid, or heartless, or ignorant or cruel, or wishy washy, or conservative or liberal. Whatever. It's just all fear. We are human and we respond to it. Our instincts are for survival, as with all living beings. So, if something seems to threaten our survival or our comfort or our lives and well-being, we will react. It's natural. BUT is it normal?

I guess it depends on your definition of "normal". A oak tree growing from an acorn is "normal" as I see it. A bird hatching from an egg is also "normal". On the other hand a dog having kittens is not. Producing after one's own kind is "normal" to me, as this definition in the dictionary suggests: "occurring naturally". Acting according to one's true nature deep inside. That's normal.

However, fear can be "normal" if you take into account the definition that says, "conforming to a type, standard or regular pattern." Doing what everybody else is doing, thinking what everybody else is thinking may appear to be normal because it is conforming to a standard. Therefore, if everyone is afraid and reacting in a fearful way, you can do that too, AND appear normal at the same time. You can even look at people who are not responding in fear and shake your head, stating that they are in denial. They just don't get it. They are just not normal! As your mother used to say, when you told her everyone is going to that party or staying out until 2 a.m., "If everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you want to do that too?" Mom was no dummy. Just because everyone thinks a certain way doesn't make it smart or right, or healthy or productive.

However, it does make sense to let something occur naturally from your true core. IF we are one with the one who created life [Please note, that if you are breathing and there is blood running through your veins and life is pulsing through you, you are, in fact, connected to that source of life], we need to ask ourselves, what is the true nature from whence I came? It is a nature of creativity and wisdom, knowledge and power [in fact the only true power--yes there are other forces, but this is the only real power]. This power that resides in us has nothing to do with fear, pretty much doesn't even know what it is. This force in us, never cowers, never reacts, never buys into an opinion because others have that opinion. This force just knows. This force acts with wisdom and creativity and effectiveness. This is a good positive force. This force flows from the depths of your being and mine. This force sees the big picture and does not get caught up in the snares that so easily wrap themselves around our feet. It sees where it is going and takes positive steps. It needs to be recognized and nurtured to spring to life. Otherwise, it just remains dormant, like any other unwatered seed. The life is still in it, it just can't grow to its potential unless it is fertilized and watered.

So if we want to produce after our own kind, we will not ever react in fear. Sure, in our humanness, we have survival instincts, but we need to remember that our core, the force from which we come is really indestructible. AND if we consciously, purposely, thoughtfully collect the information we need, we can adjust our thinking and our actions according to what is right and good and necessary. The problem is, we usually spend more time becoming informed of the problem and dangers and disadvantages, that we do becoming familiar with the only force that can dispel them. We act only according to what we see right in front of our face and react to that. Acting out of anger and fear, we make mistakes. Strong emotion like that decreases our intellect and we make stupid, thoughtless and counterproductive decisions. The powerful mind, the wise one, only acts proactively out of a calm, serene mind that knows who he is and where he is going.

So I am with Obama on getting rid of the fear; just remember that you can't move away from the politics of fear by perpetuating that which you are trying to get away from.

www.marianneclyde.com

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