Spiritual Workout

Dear Spiritual Workout:

I’m noticing my town is getting more and more politically divisive. How do I live in harmony among those whose beliefs are totally opposite of mine?

Dear Reader:

Your town? Our town? This town? Every town? Years ago, I had something I called Spiritual Workout for Politics & Current Events. Then I changed its name to Conscious Politics and moved it to The Consciousness Company, which is the Spiritual Workout training and consulting concern I operate under for teams, organizations, businesses, and the like. If you like Spiritual Workout and you think about politics, I know you’ll like and appreciate Conscious Politics. Please visit consciouspolitics.us for more information and be sure to take advantage of The Conscious Politics Op-Ed, published on Substack and The Conscious Politics Free Monthly Training, live online on the third Tuesday of every month.

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Meanwhile, your question. It inspires me to be as basic as possible. So when engaging in conversation with someone wherein you already know that your “beliefs are totally opposite,” what might be the intention of the conversation in the first place? What are y’all talking about? Why? To persuade? To fight? To inquire? To understand? To unload? If there isn’t agreement on what the conversation is even about, go home! If there is agreement again, more basics. See what happens now when you each talk in terms of intentions — what you each want to see with regard to our society, our politics, and the policies and proposals you each support (e.g., lowering the cost of health care; deporting non-citizens; making college more affordable or free; reducing the size of government; building a border wall; not engaging in war; etc.). For the record, this isn’t just “I want free college” as much as it is what one believes free college will do for society. It isn’t just “I want a border wall” as much as it is what one believes the border wall will do for society.

Now, see what happens when you continue to keep the conversation productive by focusing, as well, on beliefs you each have with regard to any or all of it (e.g., that’s impossible; all politicians are corrupt; government is the problem; government is the solution). Again, sticking to basics, a concerted effort to restrict your potentially explosive conversation(s) to intentions and beliefs should change the tone and I’m eager to hear how that goes.

Dear Spiritual Worksout:

I just moved to a new city and feel so alone, how can I improve my social life without knowing anyone?

Dear Reader:

I would take two immediate steps. One would be to identify the belief(s) that add up to “I feel so alone” and being about the business of reevaluating the veracity of each. Is it really true? The other would be, as soon as possible, to be about the business of creating a shiny, clear intention for the life you’d prefer to live in your new city. Start thinking today in terms of what you want e.g., “I’m meeting so many wonderful new people.” That’s how to create on purpose.

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Dear Reader

Send your questions to [email protected]. (Confidentiality assured.) When you’re ready for more, find cutting-edge counseling Spiritual Workout-style for $50/month at spiritualworkout.com.