One of my foundational premises is that people are generally good. People are inherently flawed, contradictory, mere mortals. They make mistakes, act out of fear, destroy when they mean to create, etc. However I believe that there is an awakening heart within those ribs, however empty the eyes appear, even when, especially when their behavior appears outrageous from our perspective.

Our perspective is not the whole truth. As I sit down to interview people, it humanizes them, and my judgements fly out the window. My judgments arose out of disconnection; not being willing to put forth the energy to understand. As I do that, and listen deeply, they become more and more human again.

At Esalen in the 70's, there was a radical idea enacted: groups of people from diverse backgrounds got together and shared their truths. In the right context, this type of engagement, when done compassionately, surfaces our shared humanity.

Cruelty and dark thoughts require disconnection, which often arises out of old trauma, unmet needs, poor nourishment, destructive programming. We are all working to shake ourselves out of the programs we were indoctrinated into as children.

Probably the oldest advice one human ever gave to another: If you want to transform the world, transform yourself, by discovering and taking down the barriers you've built up against love. The paradigms shift. Life changes. The world changes. Healing happens. Not necessarily in that order, but inevitably.

Love and Bloom,

Steven Budden