On the political stage there seems to be a resurgence of trying to define family values at a time when our country is standing in the rubble of what historically served as the nation’s core values based on past cultural, religious and societal influences.
I believe the reason we are standing in the rubble is because our country has outgrown an antiquated value system that no longer serves its diverse citizenry. People have changed, their views and perspectives have changed, society has changed, technology has changed and these changes have happened at warp speed.
Life has changed so much in such a short time that it is scary and almost impossible to keep up with, especially A.I and its implications.
The upside of so much fast change is that we are forced to move forward with our evolution even if we don’t feel ready for it.
We are in a state of transition but in a good way. Yes, the values, morals and beliefs that once structured our society are practically non-existent now. We all feel an uncertainty because our foundations are kind of gone and we’re not sure how to move forward.
From an energetic perspective, a vacuum has formed where our country’s foundational values used to be. Certain groups are trying to fill the void with what they believe is best.
One group wants to re-install the ‘tried-and-true’ traditional religious values and gender roles we saw in the 1950’s where women stay at home and raise children while the man of the house brings home the financial bacon.
While this is a worshiped ideal, I would question if it was a reality for many people. For example, my mother was born in the 1930’s and raised in poverty like so many others and worked full-time her entire adult life, including when she raised six children. She was never a stay-at-home mom and neither were most of the mothers in my neighborhood.
My parents struggled to pay the bills with two incomes then, just like parents do now. For me, going backward in time doesn’t seem like it would help anyone.
I believe we can creatively come up with better values to put down as new and improved foundations that can work for all of us.
Freedom of choice is a sound foundational principle, and I’m not just talking about women’s rights. I believe each person deserves the freedom to live a reasonable life that works for them. This requires that a person be allowed to make choices for themselves without infringing upon another’s right to make different choices.
One person or group cannot be allowed to enslave others by forcing their preferences on others. That means we as a society, as a country, would need to develop a willingness to accept differences, creating a sense of mutual respect for one another. I think that sounds like something Jesus might say, but that’s just my opinion.
Inclusiveness is another foundational value that would benefit our society. Instead of demonizing people different from us, we can learn to appreciate our diversity. This would require a willingness to let go of judgements and prejudices to make room for an expanded awareness of new ideas within our thinking.
Each person has value and has something of value to contribute. This perspective fosters a mutual appreciation and an agreement that all living beings have a right to exist.
All humans feel a sense of meaning and fulfillment when they contribute to society. Imagine what we could accomplish with this attitude for ourselves and others.
Fairness is another constructive value that has been tossed around the table a lot because of the glaring examples in our society that show one set of rules for the elite and a different set of rules for the ‘have-nots.’ Getting rid of the unfair advantages to certain groups is something 99% of us probably agree on.
Everyone getting a fair shot at a reasonable life would, in my opinion, take a huge bite out of crime and addiction. There are so many areas in our society that could benefit if we used this value to make life better for the collective.
All societies need a structure of rules, laws and limitations for balanced and constructive activity, and for harmonious cohabitation. Our values and beliefs are a part of this organized structure. Of course, there is no perfect solution, but there is currently room for vast improvement.
If we want families to stay together, we need to learn and teach each other healthy relating skills. If we want families to have the option of a stay-at-home parent, we need to stop letting the banks and corporations financially enslave us. There are ways to have healthy thriving families and communities without taking away people’s right to make their own choices.
Expanding people’s freedoms (not corporate freedom) is the way forward, but I don’t believe the ‘one percent’ would like that very much and would fight that concept but remember, there’s 99% of the rest of us.
Yes, we need a new set of values for our country to collectively stand on, but we also need to be the ones who decide what kind of country we want to live in. It’s our choices now that will build what the future brings us.
The cost for building new values for ourselves and our country is responsibility. It is our responsibility to start making choices, whether good, bad, ugly or indifferent, and then to take responsibility for the consequences of those choices. This is how we move forward in the face of our uncertainty.
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