I have been looking for positives from the devastating destruction we saw these past few days in SA especially in KZN and Gauteng. I am reminded of the ladder of consciousness.
At the bottom of this ladder is shame, followed by guilt, apathy , grief and fear. The emotions associated with these states of consciousness are humiliation, blame, despair, regret and anxiety. The process that these emotions lead to are elimination, destruction, abdication, despondency and withdrawal. These negative states create a world view that is miserable, evil, hopeless, tragic and frightening.
To move beyond fear you need desire which creates a craving which leads to enslavement. But desire fuels anger which leads to hate and aggression. This anger needs to emerge as pride and then courage to get to a neutral place on the ladder of consciousness. It is with affirmation and trust that empowerment can flourish.
Once past the neutral phase of consciousness, there are positive states described as willingness, acceptance, reason and then love and joy, peace and ultimately enlightenment. The emotions that flourish in these states are optimism, forgiveness, understanding and reverence. The higher the state of consciousness the more likely the feelings of serenity and bliss.
South Africans need to use this moment of anger and desire as fuel to move up the ladder to a higher level of consciousness. We need to salvage our pride and muster some courage to begin a journey of higher consciousness.
