-What Makes These Moments Unique-

There is an increased sense of urgency being felt across the world now. Most likely you feel it deep in your bones. Humanity’s ways of co-existing are up for perhaps the biggest review yet. And thanks to technology and the 24/7 flow of information, each of us has a front-row seat of this review.

71 Years: Hiroshima and Nagasaki

We are reminded that this week marks 71 years since more than 200,000 people were killed by the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At the same time, despite what the world learned from that tragedy and real progress in abolishing nuclear weapons, we hear about individuals and governments continuing to favor the nuclear option.

This is just one key example of the war of ideas taking place across the world. These are not the old fashioned kind of wars our ancestors fought over resources. They are based on ideas and proliferated with highly-charged words that evoke emotion. Continue reading to learn what this means for you personally.

Global Melting Pot of Language and Culture

You live immersed in a global melting pot of language and culture. Regardless of where you call home, technology connects you daily with a rich flow of ideas. These ideas are communicated through words and images that when translated across cultures can have widely different meanings. In addition, behind the words can be motivations that are far from loving. Words can be used to manipulate and control without people suspecting. We have many examples in history of how the masses in a country were lured by charismatic words.

Here’s something else to consider. In these times of cyber warfare, you don’t need to leave your home country to be subject to manipulative messages from foreign governments.

Your Divine Changemaker Role

Part of your role as a divine changemaker is to become more aware of the subtleties involved with the intake of information. Words are more than just words. In the battle of ideas, words can become a powerful force of change.

They can assist with awakening, help to create peace, or inform people of big-picture issues. A simple phrase can be so memorable and impactful that it opens people’s hearts and minds to more enlightened approaches.

A string of words – taken out of context or containing both truths and untruths – can be taken literally by an unsuspecting populace. This is especially true in modern times when so many people get their news online and don’t take the time to fully investigate things.

Words also can numb the masses, ignite fear, turn people against each other, suppress truth, or create dictatorial regimes.

Words can have more impact in modern times, too, simply because of our 24/7 news cycles. Repetition of ideas, including the media spin on facts, can create illusions of truth. These distorted ideas move beyond the media channels and into the mass consciousness and the very fabric of society. This means that even people who take in little or no news can be exposed to distortions of truth.

Idea Manipulation

Ideas you take in can be distorted by the words themselves, the emotional undercurrent, what is left out, and what kind of facts are involved.

The war of ideas is complex to understand. At a core level, however, there are some very simple guidelines you can apply to the intake of information.

5 Tips for Discernment

Here are five things you can do to be more fully informed and discern what you are taking in from the world.

First, set your intention to become more present and focused as you take in messages from the world. That may seem obvious, but in our fast-paced world with constant input, setting this intention really can help. Sound bites digested when you are multitasking, and then acted upon, can lead to regrets later. Just like driving while texting can have dire consequences, taking in messages when you are upset or just not present can leave you with false impressions of reality.

Second, pay closer attention to the tone of the words you are hearing or reading. Do they evoke emotion, and if so, what? Do you sense any incongruity in the words? Do the words fall into a familiar pattern you are seeing elsewhere? Do the facts behind the words check out?

Third, get really grounded, calm, and in your heart – then ask within to know whether what you are hearing or reading seems authentic. Does the person saying it seem to have integrity and a caring character? What do you sense the big-picture motivation is behind the words?

Fourth, considering that words can be divisive, evaluate them on deeper levels. Does the message serve as a distraction from real issues? Is it confusing? Does it seem black and white? Does the message leave you feeling angry and without a solution?

Fifth, expand your sources of information so you aren’t getting everything from one place. Listen to more than one side of things before deciding what to believe and what action to take. Question what you have decided to believe and why you think it’s true.

In summary, it’s helpful to daily come back to the big picture of why you are alive now. You are a divine changemaker, and that role alone sets you apart from the masses not yet awakened. Embrace this role. Embrace and live your own vision for a more loving world. Know that your life, your energy, and your actions matter. Know that you are loved, lovable, and capable of modeling unconditional love in the world.