Why?

I have been asked the question, “Why?” a lot recently.

Why am I doing this?

Why does it matter?

Why do I have to get all touchy-feely with other guys?

I think I can knock out the first two with no problems. I founded Guardians of Sacred Balance, for several reasons.

1. 1. Because whether it has been beaten out of them or they are shamed into suppressing it, modern men seem to have lost the connection to emotions such has love, compassion, generosity, and gratitude. We have been provided with two-dimensional definitions of strength, respect, and what it means to “be a man.” The world moved on a long time ago, and for the most part, we’re behind the curve. My parents and grandparents’ generations still held firm to outdated Victorian concepts of gender inequality, even after our grandmothers were asked to set aside their skirts for some overalls and help with the war effort. By the 1950’s they were expected to jump right back into being Suzy-Homemaker, patted on their pretty little heads, and told not to worry about anything because the menfolk were back to do the really tough jobs again. And it was wrong. These women proved themselves equal to any man by producing the most technologically advanced military hardware of the era, all while looking damn good in a red bandana. So why did this happen? Well, I think it was fear. Men stepped out of those roles they had convinced themselves that no woman could handle and when they filled those empty workboots, the men didn’t know what to do with themselves. So rather than create new positions or tasks, they just plopped Norma-Rae back in her kitchen and told her thanks, but no thanks. Which leads me to my next point:
   2. 99.9% of the problems of the modern world were created by men. It’s a bold statement, I know, but unfortunately, it’s true. We’ve been in charge, at least in Western cultures, easily since the end of the Dark Ages, and we were so focused on obtaining the light, that we forgot that our mothers and sisters helped get us there. And just think about those women who were allowed to take charge, Elizabeth I of England, Queen Victoria, Catherine the Great, are all names that most people would be familiar with, but what about Empress Suiko? She’s the first recorded Empress of Japan, credited with establishing Buddhism as a national religion and she got Japan recognized diplomatically by China. Or, what about Boudicca? She was a British Celtic warrior queen who led a revolt against Roman occupation, even going so far as to snatch London away from the Romans. Western culture had forgotten, buried, and/or propagandized against women as capable rulers. This unfortunately persists into modern day. It is time we open up some space and let our sacred sisters take their rightful places at our sides.
   3. Happiness, respect, and caring are not a pie. If others get more, you don’t get less. In fact, the opposite is true. The more you give away, the more you will actually receive. It’s high time we get more than our share, by giving more than our share.
   4. “I believe the children are our are future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside, give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be.” These aren’t just great song lyrics–there’s a whole lotta truth in there too. Our children follow our examples, despite telling them do as I say and not as I do. The technology we grew up admiring and coveting, has generated a completely disconnected digital world where anyone can say and do things you would never say or do in “real-life.” Children are constantly bombarded with negativity through social media and other children who are only following our examples. They are completely losing respect for how a “normal” society works and even themselves. We have to be the ones to turn that around. We have to be the ones who take the first steps, who extend our hands, and who offer the olive branch. It will be a slow process, but we have to start somewhere. The Dali Lama is quoted as saying, ““If every 8-year-old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m willing to find out. We’ve certainly subjected our children to worse things. And at least the benefits of meditation can be proven by science.

As for that fourth question, well…

If you’re worried about getting “touchy-feely” with other guys, then you’re probably a victim of the peer pressure and bad examples that, ultimately, I’m trying to fix. Nobody here is gonna tease you. Nobody here is gonna look down on you for sharing or not sharing your feelings. But, you’ll probably be a happier person if you got all that off your shoulders..

At the start of this project, I told my niece that I was going to change the world, and I’ll be damned if I don’t give it my best shot.

As always, in life, in love and in spirit, keep pushing for that positive forward motion.

~ Bear