“So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key.” The Eagles
Disillusionment gets a bad rap in my opinion. When someone says they have become disillusioned it often means they have realized a person or organization is not as good as they once believed. It’s a powerful crutch to assign a label to a person or organization and believe that you know what they are about. We all would prefer someone else do the heavy lifting in our lives, including me. We feed the illusion that we do not have power each and every day. We prefer to believe in a government with our best interests in mind, schools that effectively teach our children what is necessary to be productive adults, and medical professionals who solve our health challenges for us. Except that isn’t actually happening is it?
Disillusionment is a powerful force of change. It’s a good thing. A few years ago I became aware that the word ‘apocalypse’ had been hijacked from its original meaning to instead denote doom and gloom. The original Greek meaning of apocalypse is a prophetic revelation or disclosure. Disillusionment presents an opportunity to see the truth, to reveal or disclose something previously hidden. I see a lot of disillusioning going on right now in our society. There is a powerful shift in consciousness occurring. The old way of living is falling away.
I am noticing how the political stalwarts, the Clintons, the Bushes and the old powerhouses of the Democratic and Republican parties seem to be struggling behind outspoken candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Both of these men have been making headlines since the 1980s, why now do they suddenly have traction? I think it is a sign of disillusionment among Americans. Do we really want ANOTHER Bush or Clinton? I’m not declaring my support of a candidate here and I’m not saying I don’t see issues, but I love seeing the old order breaking down.
Think also of the recent shakeup in the Catholic Church. A pope had not renounced his papacy since 1415 until Pope Benedict did so in 2013. Pope Benedict seemed, to me, to be very much part of the old order, and personally speaking, someone who drove me away from the church. Pope Francis, even in choosing to call himself after the beloved and gentle St. Francis of Assisi, is a breath of fresh air and a beacon of hope for the planet whether one is Catholic or not.
Think also of the way we like to put celebrities on a pedestal, believing the image (illusion) that they or their publicists work so diligently to craft. Take the ‘likeable’ Jared Fogle, the Subway diet guy. To look at him, you think ‘how great that he lost all that weight and is a champion of the regular guy”, except he has been arrested on child pornography charges. Think of Josh Duggar of 19 Kids and Counting fame who has been implicated in sexual misconduct with his sister AND adultery through the Ashely Madison scandal. What he showed on TV was an illusion. Probably the best recent example is Bill Cosby. I’ll be the first one to say how deeply disappointed I was when the accusations started coming out. Don’t get me wrong, I believed the accusers, but I was so sad. I loved the Cosby Show. I loved what it represented and I thought he was so funny in a family-friendly way. Bill Cosby is a sociopath! He was able to craft the illusion since the late 60s and lead a maniacal double life to the detriment of all of those poor women.
Why now is Bill Cosby being brought down? Why only now would Brian Williams (who lied many years ago), be brought down by his lies this year? Why now are we interested in candidates who do not tow the party line? Why now do so many people want to learn about essential oils (and their incredible healing support) so much so that CVS (don’t buy them there) is starting to sell them? Why are so many commercials, even on ESPN, promoting organic and natural products? Why are countries all over the world banning GMO crops? Because we have become disillusioned! The shift in consciousness is pervasive and is impacting the way we all see the world.
There has never been a better time to begin to appreciate that what you see on TV is smoke and mirrors. There has never been a better time to detach from the illusion that any public figure matches their image. There has never been a better time to own a health-focused business.
We are collectively waking up from a very long bad dream in which we believed it was safer to give control to others. We are gaining in power every day. We are starting to awaken to the fact that there is more to us than these physical bodies, and that our bodies offer us wisdom from our souls every day if we choose to listen. Disillusionment is a multi-step process. It is not unlikely that you will go through some degree of despair as those institutions and people that you long supported or admired reveal their true natures. Although not every public person or institution is corrupt!
It will take time to become confident with your own power. It’s part of the journey we have all chosen by being alive at this time. Watch for more signs of the old structure crumbling. They will continue to come. Rejoice in the changes even if at first they feel scary. Be careful not to believe in something just because it was how you were raised or what you always believed. Carry no dogma with you. Question the status quo and begin to make decisions that resonate with your innermost feelings, which might conflict with how you normally do things. Every one of us is here to shine our own unique lights in the world. End the illusion. Begin to feel what it’s like to own your power.
xo,
Erin