The other day, I had a panic attack. I’ve had them on and off for years, but they are mostly under control. This one came out of the blue and I had a hard time figuring out what triggered it. I mean, there’s the obvious—politics—and the other obvious—grief—but it happened midday without any noticeable difference from what came before.
So I went back to the basics. Breathing. Centering. Grounding. Instead of thinking about what you can’t do, think about what you can do. If you’ve never been though therapy, that sounds like so much hokum, but it’s like muscle memory—you practice until it’s automatic, until you can summon it when you need it.
It made me think about what I could do. Politics? Not much. Grief? Even less. So I had to dig deeper. What are the beliefs I hold truest and how can I move them forward? I already donate money to candidates who advance my personal agenda. As some folks who know me know, I also advance some of my beliefs privately, by reaching out where I can help. But I am looking for other ways and I am writing this here on my blog so I can return to it when the next panic attack comes and I can re-read it and see what I’ve done and come up with new ideas.
I believe:
- That most hatred is born of fear and ignorance.
- That those who benefit most from a system are morally (and should be legally) obligated to give a leg up to those who are disenfranchised by that system
- That governments should protect citizens—all citizens—to the greatest extent possible
- That the purpose of government is to prevent chaos in society and to raise the standard of living for its citizens and that laws should be formed and adjusted accordingly; if a law no longer serves that purpose, it should be removed and if proof cannot be brought that it serves that purpose it should not be enacted. (For exampe: the law against murder fits the bill—if we all went around murdering each other, we’d have no society. A law against drinking coffee in public probably would not make the grade.)
- That with great power comes great responsibility (sorry, couldn’t resist)
- That capitalism requires regulation and oversight, but it’s the best overall system
- That every person has the right to live—and die—as they please, as long as by doing so they are not hurting others (see #3 & #4)
- That no one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from
- That everyone should be able to access the healthcare they need
- That more people should be willing to admit when they don’t know something (me included!) and conversely,
- That the fear of not understanding things accounts for a lot of wacky explanations and conspiracy theories
- That the best hope for all of the above is education, both formal and informal, and exposure to a wide range of ideas and people.