An idealistic awakening:Part 2

In Part 1, I described the moment I realised that I am an idealist and that I am no longer willing to hide behind the more prevalent perspective that the world is full of danger, is scary and that living in it is hard and fraught with struggle. There has been such a feeling of liberation that has come from acknowledging that the way I see the world may be different to others but that doesn’t make it any less valuable or valid.

There is a place for all perspectives.

But, before that feeling of liberation lies a long running struggle, an inner struggle, which wasn’t comfortable but which seems to be the prerequisite to an inner awakening. The inner struggle sits with how to maintain the sense of alignment and assurance that we feel when we touch on our true nature when the world around us is trying its best to pull us away and back to a darker, pessimistic and often hopeless view of the world.

Idealist: “Someone who believes that very good things can be achieved, often when this does not seem likely to others”

It is hard to be able to see the good in things and to always look in that direction when there is another perspective that what is going on is difficult, unacceptable, wrong or hard. We are programmed from very early in our lives to be on the lookout for bad things and to be prepared to defend ourselves and that programming can be hard to break. It is partly a survival mindset which is something that has served us well however, it seems that it has tipped a balance and now many of us are operating in survival mode most of the time.

I don’t believe that life is meant to be that way. I don’t believe that our experience of life is meant to be just a game of survival. I believe it can be an exciting, joyful, stimulating and enlightening adventure. But that perspective is hard for some to hear. 

And so the struggle of an idealist in a world of pessimists, pragmatists and realists is that at times it can feel very lonely, like we’re sitting on the edge of the crowd not being invited into the conversation. Everyone is looking in one direction and when we point out that there is another direction they could look in we feel dismissed, not heard and ridiculed for romantic notions about the world. Self-doubt creeps in and, because of a desire to avoid conflict, we become quieter, step back and our voice gets drowned out. 

I get it. I understand that it is hard to hear an alternative perspective which might sounds good in principle but which appears to be very difficult to turn into reality. This has been the biggest challenge that I have faced, that when confronted by a pragmatist who wants facts and a plan and a clear sense of how to get there. I falter and don’t have the answers.

But does anyone really have the answers??

The pragmatists and realists have not figured out how to navigate the challenges of the world and the pessimists seem to pour cold water on any sense of hope and possibility and so, surely there is another way? Surely there is space for another perspective?

That is my quest now.  To lean into that other perspective and give voice to it.

And I invite you to join me. 

When you can see that the way you have been showing up in the world is contributing to keeping you stuck but you have a strong inner sense that you can contribute in a different way, I invite you to step into that quest.   If you want to have a different experience of life then you need to create it from a different place.

That different place is in alignment with who you really are, not who you have been to try and please others or to fit in. It is who you have perhaps always known yourself to be. Allow that part to be seen and heard and know that you are not alone. 

The idealists have your back!

This is the second blog in a series of 4.  Check out the other posts in the series:

Part 1 - the realisation

Part 3 - the acceptance

Part 4 - the way forward