Don't Drink the Orange Kool-Aid

This week, my husband had to endure another CAT scan, which required him to drink two large glasses of orange liquid prior to the procedure. Next week, he'll have another major test done, and the outcome of these tests should tell us if he will need surgery in the near future. I accompanied him to the hospital and sat with him in the waiting room prior to the scan. Other than moral support, there wasn't much for me to offer.

Since then, he's been joking about folks shouldn't drink the orange Kool-Aid. These jokes have met with witty comebacks from people our age, and blank stares from our teenaged children. It has also brought to mind some comments I've heard recently, bashing Democrats and other non-conservative folks.

Most of my readers are old enough to remember the horrible events surrounding Jim Jones and his followers. Since then, for many people, the phrase "drink the Kool-Aid" has come to popularly mean blindly accepting on faith and obeying anything that is said by a leader. My conservative friends are accusing the non-conservatives of drinking Kool-Aid for holding opinions differing from their own.

What worries me is that these conservative friends are spouting idealology that contradicts beliefs they held during the last Bush administration. This has me worried and wondering how often we change our beliefs and stances based on rhetoric from leaders. Have we all drank the Kool-Aid?

I remember reading the books 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 at varying times in my life. Each time, I was horrified by the complacency of the people of the citizenry. How could they not question orders? How could they not see the wrongs that were being perpetuated? How could they not think before they acted?

How could they have drank the Kool-Aid?

Part of my work is creating and teaching courses in rediscovering the self, and in creating a new framework for people to operate from. I don't actively seek to change their outer world, just their inner world. But even in that, I encourage self-examination, self-discovery, and picking and choosing that which is right for them. My truth may not be their truth, and that is as it should be.

And yet, I worry. Have I blindly accepted that everything should be questioned? Am I the one who is wrong for not seeing the world as I was once taught? Is my interpretation of free will incorrect?

Again, I turn to my childhood, and to my upbringing. My favorite teachers (I use the word to define any one from whom I learned a lesson) were the ones that provided information, encouraged me to think and question, and to form my own answers. In teaching through this process, however, they also taught me to respect that others would have differing opinions and conclusions, and that we were all entitled to those thoughts.

Instead, it seems in this era of entitlement, that if "I" have an opinion, "yours" is invalid and must be shouted down. The word "minority" is tossed about liberally, even as it loses relevance in this country with the shifts in racial make up of our population. My existence as the child of an immigrant is lost and marginalized because of the color of my skin. Everyone is either "them" or "us". I have no idea which I'm supposed to belong to, or if I want to belong.

Would it be easier to just drink the Kool-Aid?

The answer is, of course, yes, it would be easier to just drink the Kool-Aid. But then the question would be whose Kool-Aid to drink. Whose reality is the reality I should accept? And as I ask those questions, I realize that I already have the answer.

No one but my own, but it must be done with respect and honor. No one else on the planet has the unique combination of genetic material and experiences that make me, so therefore no one else on the planet can possibly think exactly as I do. Likewise, I can not possibly truly be inside someone else's head and truly experience their reality.

Does this mean that we should all simply reject what we are told and flail about until we construct a new reality? Hardly. It actually means that we are all responsible for living the best life we possibly can within the society we choose. I am a proud daughter of immigrants to this country, and I have, at every sporting event, commencement and school I have attended, sworn allegiance to this country. By swearing allegiance, I promise to obey laws and treat others with respect and dignity.

And in that structure, we are all supposed to not only form our opinions, but to respect and honor those of others. We are all responsible for ourselves and for each other. Dissent is only meaningful when presented within a framework of careful consideration and thought, and as a respectful contrary opinion.

I don't have to drink the Kool-Aid, nor do I have the right to demand that you drink the Kool-Aid.

Unless it is contrast liquid for a CAT scan that may unmask a physical situation that may threaten your life. Then, I will ask you to drink the Kool-Aid, and take you to the shop in the hospital afterwards so you can buy something to take that taste out of your mouth even as I celebrate another day with you on the planet.

Because you are you, and I'd like you to stay that way.

Allow yourself to be patient and to be true to yourself. Remember to take at least five minutes every day to simply be by yourself and breathe. Allow yourself to indulge in a moment of thought, reflection, and planning when the mood strikes. It's your life, your choice. Allow yourself to simply succeed on your own terms, to live in peace, abundance, and joy. One day, one decision at a time, remaining aware of your choices and your feelings. You CAN get there.

And, as always, if you need help, I'm available. It's what I do, and it's what I love to do.

Sharon.

Hypnotherapy can help you to think healthier, happier, and more successful thoughts while adding the power of relaxation to your life. As you go through your day, you feel better and perform better.

Contact us to learn more about how hypnotherapy can you propel you toward a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy, in any form, does not diagnose, treat or cure mental or emotional problems, and is not a substitute for other professional help.