In recent years I have become fascinated with the observation that we tend not to make the best decisions when we are angry or fearful. In fact decisions in this state tend to make our lives worse. This is a bit odd because if something is too hot you add cold, too cold add heat. Making bad decisions when you are angry is like adding heat to hot, which does not make much sense. Its as though the anger finds or even creates a like energy to interact with, to feed off of, and our souls get taken along for the ride. To combat this tendency in myself, I have been trying to practice mindfulness, living in the present moment, without much future or past were fear and anger live respectively. And I must say that it does help me make more decisions that seem helpful vs harmful to me and those around me.
After watching the movie “After Earth” with Will Smith, my thoughts about the benefits of present moment living have gone beyond the effects on my own behavior. In this movie was a monster I think called Ursa, a wicked ugly thing that sought to seek out and kill all around it. The interesting thing about this monster, is that it can only see you if you are afraid. If you were mindful, and very present (where fear/anger does not exist), Ursa can’t see you. Ursa also had the strategy that involved putting those killed on display to insight fear in others. This allow Ursa to find (see) those in fear and attack them. To be able to combat this monster, Rangers needed to train and learn to “go Ghost”, a state where the ranger was very present and without fear. In this state they could be right next to Ursa and undetectable, a ghost.
As I reflected on this movie, Ursa seem to represent life itself. I thought of all of the people in the world in various states of fear and anger, looking for someone to interact with, to increase these states of negative energy and feed off of it. For those who are able to go Ghost, they can walk in the midst of those seeking to cause more pain, and be invisible. The opposite of this is the person that seems to have a “black cloud” over them. If something bad is going to happen it usually finds them. Often these individuals have an air of anger, or deep pain about them. The black cloud will always find them, until they address the pain that they carry internally.
I’m not foolish enough to think that living in the present, being calm, and without fear and anger, will keep one from all challenging situations. There are some Goliaths that we are to face. In fact, these Goliaths may have been placed in our paths to make us stronger. But I do think that the practice of mindfulness allows us to be in a place were we can better assess our situations, and apply a truly “authentic” helpful response, rather than one that is associated with more pain and suffering. That is the “power of now”.
So for me…
… I’m “going Ghost”.
Much thanks to the writers of After Earth for this revelation.
be blessed
-james
