20 Nov Turn Poison Into Medicine: Here’s How (3 of 3)

Yesterday’s post focused on how to RE-CLAIM our values at maddening times like these when civilization is moving backward. I introduced you to Ann Thompson Cook and her guidebook, co-written with Rev. Cedric Harmon, for understanding and supporting trans and non-binary people.

As a reminder, you can get your copy, and share it with your community at this link:

https://lincollective.org/resources (scroll down linked page to view and download)
Next, nearing the conclusion of these three emails, it’s time to:

REVERSE

These days what passes for public discourse is negative, hostile, and far beyond previous norms.

The worst and most prominent purveyor of this brutality, of course, is the President. It’s actually his brand. The President’s bullying now takes the form of words, images, video, and even criminal acts on the world stage.

To REVERSE all this requires a kind of activist akido. Whenever you hear the next great insult hurled across the news cycle, seek out someone struggling and speak to them with purposeful kindness.

Whenever you learn about any kind of dehumanization, lavish someone less fortunate with unexpected generosity.

Such a REVERSE, of course, cannot match the scale of wrongdoing that usually prompts it, but that’s not the point. Each small act on your part helps you stay engaged and positive when otherwise you might sink into despair. Plus, it restores the world just a little, and subtly rewires the collective field.

Finally, it’s time to:

REFRAME

I live in Portland, Oregon. Something happened here recently that was truly amazing. The President, while trying to send the National Guard to our town, repeatedly called us “war-torn.”

Fact is, we’re pretty much the opposite. But it was hard to refute such a label when the administration would repeatedly drench the media with images of a small group of furious ICE protestors in a one block area.

The desire to fight back against such mischaracterization is strong, but it only ends up adding fuel to the fire.

Then, spontaneously, up from the grassroots came a truly inspired REFRAME. A few of the protesters began to wear inflatable costumes – big ones, ridiculous ones. Dinosaurs, frogs, bunnies. Some began calling it “Operation Inflation” or “targeted whimsy.”

Creative, original, this REFRAME brought joy to vitriol without ever forgetting what was at stake. It became impossible for the world to believe the lies of the administration, and it continues to this day.

While humor is always a potent option for a REFRAME, there are other great ones, too.

As an example, let’s return to the subject of diversity. Instead of approaching it as a policy, let’s think about it in terms of health. Over the past few decades we’ve learned that the healthiest human digestive systems are ones that host the broadest array of organisms, and that help those organisms learn to “play well” together.

Therefore, one possible REFRAME might be a cheeky challenge: “Diversity – Got the Guts for It?”

Picture a campaign in this vein splashed across buses, billboards, and going viral on social media. With diversity recast as brash, courageous, and even patriotic, perhaps we could bring it back from exile.

RE-CLAIM. REVERSE. REFRAME.

A potent trident for the bleakest times.

A way to survive the battle without losing our soul.

Thank you so much for considering all this with me. Let me know your thoughts and I’ll share them with the group.