How do I respond to civil unrest?

How do I respond to civil unrest, to the social situation in United States, to police brutality, to protests that make me uncomfortable, to looting, to rioting? The first thing is to do is assess whether you’re coming from reaction or Responsibility.

Between stimulus and response, there’s a space. In that space, is choice. And in that choice, is freedom and power. Throughout life, we’ve been taught to eliminate that space by honing our reactions to good/bad, right/wrong, and justice/injustice, ect.

Examine your response.

You might find that you’re compelled to react from Blame. Blame towards one of the groups, or parties, or politicians, or types of people involved.

If you choose to not blame, then you might Justify. You might think about, or talk about, how the world is, after all, a terribly complicated place.

Perhaps you can afford to write a check, and you do so because you feel bad – that response could be coming from Shame.

There are many who would want to obligate you, to “do the right thing” according to their ethics. Maybe you want approval, so you take their suggestions from a state of Obligation.

I saw something that said, “If you’re not outraged by XYZ, then you’re not human.”

I choose to not be outraged.

Outrage hijacks my mind, and puts me into The Responsibility Process® around blame. Outrage has us react in ways that are ineffective.

I care, and care deeply, but I am not outraged. 

Operating from Responsibility means owning your power and ability to create, choose and attract. It means asking yourself, “What do I want about this situation?”

Most philosophers and gurus on personal responsibility say that ultimately it’s about taking action. That action is most effective when it is inspired by your personal genius.

If you’re looking to tap into your personal genius, ask yourself that question. Ask yourself what you want about the situation, what you want to own about the situation.

When you have your answer, demonstrate ownership for that particular thing.

So how do I respond to this current situation? Respond by examining who you are, and then making the response that matters to you.