Hello ladies and gentlemen,
There will be no contact transcriptions for me to post today because I believe it is necessary to address the community about "growing pains" and the necessary work for a good thing to both be built and last. Let's get this straight out of the way: a perfect, happy-go-lucky life where there are no challenges is equally as misleading as saying there are no seasons. We have winter, we have spring, summer, autumn, and fall as much as we have rain and shine. When dealing with people, the expectancy that everything can go 100% all of the time is simply untrue.
The reality is that people can have bad days.
They can be restless from a lack of sleep, triggered by past traumas, genuinely misunderstand or take another's words out of context, or overreact. Recently, we've cleared out most bad actors, yet the problems we faced the past few days weren't with bad actors. They were with folks who have been traumatized, abused, neglected, and hurt, badly in the past. While the idea is to encourage compassion and sympathy, we can only go so far before it becomes enablement.
One's past hurts do not justify the pain you may bring on others in the here and now. Yes, sometimes we have gone through the proverbial ringer and encountered the absolute worst. I have not shared my full life story because I've had terrible losses to say at the least. I have encountered the gutters and the worst of mankind. And yes, I really did lose everything and everyone at a point in my life that nearly made me give up.
But I didn't.
I knew deep down that good had to exist. I knew deep down that even if my actions were misunderstood, the "universe" (call it whatever you wish) would hear me and echo back to me. Slowly but surely, it did. What was set to be the worst year of my life ended up being the greatest. The love of my life came into the picture, and we empowered each other to rise above our scars. Long story short, it can be easy to be spiraled and consumed by our personal wars and past.
It can be easy to see someone wearing a (figurative) same shirt as the ones who hurt us in the past, but it doesn't mean they are the ones in the past. We must be willing to look beyond the damage that has happened to us. And, as hard as it is, we must also be willing to let go of those who have hurt us - lest they keep a power over you even if you wish otherwise. All this is part of healing. The anger can only sustain us for so long before it begins to poison you.
Such is life.
Life is not always Sunshines and rainbows. It can have its challenging days. Days that can remind us of what we've lost and how broken things became. Similarly to those who may be struck with poverty, we can revert to a survivalism mechanic and rationalize our behaviors as the ends justify the means. While it's alright to express some degree of anger, frustration, sadness, and discomfort, it's not alright to spread abuse because we were abused.
You didn't like being ostracized because of your past?
Then why do that to others in the here and now?
Like a virus, that is how pain spreads and the cycle continues. Look at many of the people who abused you. I know, it's tough, but please - try. Do you really believe they weren't abused themselves? The cult leaders who were so angry at the church priest pedophiles who raped them and instead ended up creating an even worse force when their intentions are seemingly good. The victim who was abused by their father or mother when young and grows up to end up doing the same thing to their children. The politician who was ousted and comes back with revenge, creating a whole era of fascism and Nazism.
A cycle of violence, hatred, and an eye for an eye. When does it end? When do we rise above?
I leave you all with this very personal video:
As someone else pointed out in the comment section:
Wu-Fei: We ended a war and a new one started, people haven't changed one bit. We should not give up our weapons and be defenseless. Soldiers should not lose their purpose and way of live.
Heero: Soldier[s] create the need to fight, fights creates the need for war. War creates victims and the loss of innocent lives. Everything repeats becoming an Endless Waltz.
Naturally, when we're hurt and we come to realize and psychoanalyze how it happened, anger seeps in. It's a response to let us know we were wronged. We react with attacks to defend ourselves. While there is a degree of righteousness in these pursuits, it can quickly degenerate if we do not control ourselves and return to some semblance of normality. Anger from hurt and pain can become all-consuming to the point that we have gone so far in our hurt masking behind idealism, that we become the very thing we hated.
As Nietzsche said:
Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.
While the idea isn't pure pacifism in the sense that we are so docile that never stand up for the right thing, the goal is balance. Spiraling out of control isn't going to help. It's not going to win you any favors, even if you are completely right. If you really are true and genuine, then stand in your truth, even if nobody else believes you. The truth stands the test of time. I alone stood against an entire Nazi cult and WON, even though they piled everything on me and tried to take my life away. Yet, they failed. In the end, I rose stronger than ever and came away with much needed wisdom to not only improve myself, but be a friend and ally to those on similar paths.
We have created something here very beautiful.
I am very proud of this platform and community. That is why I am addressing you all today and putting aside the "regular duties." I have no desire to be so detached and turn a blind eye that I care not what happens here. As it should be known by now, it's impossible for me to manage the community alone. It's growing. More members are joining. That means there's more people of various interests, backgrounds, levels of healing and their own evolution to deal with. While the moderators have their shoulders heavy with duties, it's not up to them alone.
ALL of us play a role.
Everyone here is a part of this platform and community. Similar to a garden, sometimes, you must clean the weeds. You must tend to your plants, lest as beautiful as they are to look at, they wither away from neglect. Likewise, I am depending on EVERYONE here to do the right thing. I am not your father. I'm not your guru or teacher, nor do I wish to be anything else other than a friend and equal. I am depending on all of you to be wise and mature enough to act accordingly.
I never force anyone to think in any way or another, and I never will. I do sometimes try too much to get people to come to rationality and reason, something my wife told me more or less I am too giving about. That's because I can sense the similar paths many of us have walked. Like you, I was there. I get it. I know how much it hurts. Yet, I can tell you, LOVE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN PAIN. As it was said in the Crabwood crop circle:
Beware the bearers of FALSE gifts & their BROKEN PROMISES..
Much PAIN but still time..
BELIEVE..
There is GOOD out there..
We oPpose DECEPTION..
COnduit CLOSING,(bell sound)
Please, my friends. We have a truly amazing and wonderful platform here. Let us work together to keep it so. Be compassionate, tolerant, and patient with each other as we all go through our own healing processes. If someone really gets out of hand and is abusing you or saying truly strange things that make you feel uncomfortable, then report it. Let us work together to keep this space clean and healthy.
Be well all and have a great day ahead.
Thank you for everything you’ve said here JRP. This community is growing, and whenever you have lots of different personalities and trauma and the like, it’s pretty inevitable that friction will occur.
Hopefully we can all remember to be patient with each other.
Nobody is at their best 100% of the time. We misunderstand, say the wrong thing, think we know best and then find out we were damn wrong (which is always a fun human moment, heh.)
People are in pain. Everywhere. Life is hard. All any of us can do is our best. Like some other guy with a lot more wisdom than I’ll ever have said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Love casts out fear. And that’s why I have faith that this awesome and (maybe sometimes) complicated community can weather whatever storms come.
Love and light to all of you. 💖 Be well.
Amen brother, I agree completely and will always strive to be a positive force in this community, as I have been so encouraged and blessed already by the beautiful souls on this website, including you, Prudence 😊
I seem to have missed some things, so please excuse me if I am lacking some context.
I think we are all in uncharted territory here, without exception. Whether one is a seasoned contactee and "enlightened" being, or just stepping on to this path, it's clear that what is happening is unprecedented.
We arguably have more awakened people (to varying degrees) than ever before, and we also have an overwhelming amount of disinformation, misinformation, and manipulation occurring in a desperate attempt to quell the rising tide.
As I've personally experienced, when one truly starts on this path, they will experience the "purging" of everything that is holding them back from their growth. This means that any limiting patterns, traumas, bad habits, or conditioning must go. Releasing baggage is challenging at the best of times, and it is compounded by the real life situations that are often the catalysts for people to begin the process. Job loss, grief, trauma... You name it.
Many are experiencing the catalyst, and many more will experience it soon.
I think people need to see the truth for what the path is, they need to know they are not alone, and they need to know they have support in taking the steps. But nobody can take the steps for them - it is a path that we all must walk ourselves.
I completely agree that there is a line between compassion and condoning - we can have compassion for one's "dark night of the soul" but I believe this must be done without condoning inappropriate or toxic behaviors.
I'm so grateful for everyone's guidance here, to help me expose blind spots and see the potential, by revealing the deeper truths behind everything. I know I've read some comments, by our community or by Prudence and thought "hmm, I don't know about that..." But I've kept an open mind and have not been disappointed yet - sometimes we just need to digest a bit. And that needs to be done in a constructive manner.
We don't need or want blind acquiescence, but we also need to see a certain level of respect, personal ownership, and openness.
Truth is the most important thing in all of this, and truth should never distort to avoid hurting feelings or remove the need for the internal work that is required to accept it.
As I explore my inner self, I have observed myself almost daily reflecting others' positivity with positivity and others' negativity with negativity. When I can respond to negativity with positivity, the ego dissolves, and unconditional love is born. (Of course, if the negativity persists, it’s important to set boundaries!)
Instead of judging or criticizing others for their mistakes or flaws, why not offer a kind word? That small act of courage becomes a gift not only for the other person but also for yourself 🥰
"Please, my friends. We have a truly amazing and wonderful platform here. Let us work together to keep it so."
Indeed. Much love for all you do and what you've set in motion here, JR.
And, in testament to the real positive power we have here: while I don't actually KNOW know any of all y'all amazing people here, I feel a rather special connection to folks—the bonds and connections we continue to form are profound—a true community, and one rooted in the fertile soil of both LOVE and understanding.
Growing pains are inevitable, and none of us are perfect, but just by choosing to be here, we've already intentionally set ourselves on a path of growth and discovery—we all have our individual strengths and weaknesses, and together we can help each other on our combined and individual paths.
As a good friend of mine advises when things get tense: "Shed light, not heat."
I try to take that to heart, even in the ugliest and most hurtful situations—of course, I'm not always successful, but it's a reminder even after an intense/negative confrontation, to step back and assess the situation and learn what may help in the next situation that may arise. In a related word, I see it as the concept of "mindfulness," one of my favorite words.
It ain't easy, though, for sure, but I KNOW we're up for the challenge.
LOVE
If there's anything I've learned the past couple of days over dealing with this, it's that when tensions are high, people need space.
We're a very close knit community, and it may be tempting to try reaching out with the best intentions when someone is going through it.
However, even a message of love and light, can become triggering, under certain conditions when people are upset. And sometimes, doing something like this, insisting upon it, without really acknowledging that the other person is in pain, comes off as preachy, or condescending, or in general like an attack.
This is especially true concerning trying to approach a panicking cult survivor that has just been deeply triggered.
Toxic positivity, and love bombing, are HUGE triggers for cult survivors.
I regret some of my actions and words towards certain users, however, I feel that I also must make clear that I was feeling some serious buttons pushed, by certain people continuing to try and just "be positive and loving" at me on a surface level. Despite the fact it was apparent I was angry and processing some previous traumas.
If someone seems agitated, if they seem triggered, if they seem like they are spiraling, despite your best intentions, continuing to press in certain ways is NOT advisable.
I cannot emphasize this enough, if someone is reacting like a cornered, frightened animal at your continued insistence you "love them..."
Please, BACK OFF! Give them space. Don't try to be a professional therapist in situations you are not equipped to do so.
Your intentions may be "good," however, it is important to reconcile that not everyone responds well to insistent positivity, for a myriad of reasons.
It's also important for your own boundaries! Since doing this can continue the spiral and piss off the triggered person, one could be setting themselves up for a lot of unnecessary drama using this approach.
Instead, maybe try: "I really care about you, and I can see that you are in pain. Can we talk when you've calmed down, mind and body?" Something to that effect. Don't be pushy. Don't be insistent.
If you're approaching someone who is reacting like a frightened animal, you have to take care not to be bitten or clawed by them, figuratively speaking (sometimes literally, break downs can be scary for all involved, this is another reason this is important!)
With that off my chest, I think, on the bright side of all this, we have learned more as a community, and can move forward.