Our Current State of Deflection

Chuck Todd on Sunday's NBC Meet the Press used this provocative phrase. He said this about the current political realm we are all experiencing. I keep thinking about how profound his words are for our world in this current political and social climate. There is a current pandemic of deflection in our country. It is almost impossible to get a succinct, heartfelt comment or answer these days. Many of us fear being classified or judged as red, blue or a plethora of other things when we espouse our ideas or thoughts. This creates a stressful environment of walking on eggshells for each of us in our culture.

Deflection and Survival

Maybe deflection is coded in our DNA for our survival. If the chief of your tribe has specific concepts he or she believes in, and you speak your truth that does not jive with your leader, you may not live long or could be shunned by the tribe. A good example is when you are asked what you think about a topic and you know the consequences of your response directly affects your survival. We all may have a survival instinct to divert or deviate from answering the specific question.

Deflection and Technology

When we are asked a question and we know that our response could be plastered all over social media this could cause us to deflect or divert our response. These days we all know phone cameras, and audio recordings are possibly on. We may be learning to pause and deflect to stop any fallout from a gut, honest response that we cannot take back. This could be a way of surviving in our world of social media. We must assume everything we say could be in the public forum.

Choose Reflection Instead of Deflection

I come from a background of training and education in spirituality and health. I was trained, and my life experience informs me that reflection is the root of a healthy mind, body, and soul. Knee-jerk, unmindful reactions can cause suffering to yourself, people you love, and society. In our society today, we seem to cherish and even cheer on an individual's unmindful speech. The age-old, sacred act of reflection gives you an opportunity to pause, gain clarity, honesty, integrity, and to speak with dignity and grace. When you practice reflection, there is no need for deflection because you are rooted in your mind and soul when you speak. You speak your truth from your heart. You become aware of the power and consequences of your words before you speak when you choose the power and grace of reflection.

Spiritual Reflection is Practiced by the World's Greatest Leaders

Reflection is an ancient spiritual, cultural, and political practice that the greatest leaders in our world have cherished and practiced throughout the ages. Let's bring it back today. It begins with each of us having the courage to be our higher, reflective self. Before you speak, consider your power to heal or destroy through your thoughts. Consider reflecting through the lens of kindness, compassion, and mindfulness before you unleash your words into our wounded world.