On balance, hungry bears, and human kindness

Good morning, Tuesday. These are the times.

I was thinking this morning about our President and how he came up in the business world. If you are an 80's survivor or just a culture watcher, you know full well that that era in history, and particularly New York, was all about ruthlessness and a cutthroat approach to business. Greed is good, the Queen of Mean, American Psycho.  That's how Donald Trump became a success- by being a supposedly hardcore business leader (shuddering as I say that) and to approach business like a bear in "The Revenant". 

To me, he will be remembered as the most cruel President of our times. And much like a hungry bear, he's attacking the whole country, and we need to make sure we don't leave anyone behind. 

And as we watch his Presidency unfold and unravel, I can't help but see that this man has only one setting. And it's mean. And nasty. And lacks the slightest lick of empathy or compassion. If you are someone who understands the notion of yin and yang, Donald Trump is the most Yin human being alive. There is no light to accompany the dark, there is no softness to counterbalance the hard, there is simply nothing but hardness and coldness and cruelty. Whether he's sending another epic tweet or cutting down American citizens with his own peculiar brand of bombast, this President has no other side. No other face. I think many of us felt that maybe, just maybe, his campaign rhetoric was just that- but alas, it's somehow even worse. 

My point of all of this is that we are living in highly yin times. We are completely out of balance at a time when our world needs a ton of compassion and care.  I'm wondering how we can cope during these out of whack times. I for one think about how to be a better, kinder person. From listening when people need an ear to donating what I can to causes in need. All of this yin is dragging us down and it's beyond concerning. I don't understand how anyone, let alone a President, can live a life completely devoid of empathy and compassion. His brand of cruelty is foreign to me. We have all done things where we may think afterwards, "I could have been nicer, kinder, more sympathetic".  Even the most hardened of us make room for some kindness.  I just can't fathom that anyone in a position of leadership, and one that at its core is all about public service, can behave this way. We can't live in a world where there is no yang. So here's what I propose.

If you can find it within your heart and soul to embrace some kindness and compassion, you must. If there is a way to shift any energy around this President, the burden is on us. Our leadership in Washington is doing absolutely nothing to help this situation. This President should be shown the door. Since that will most likely not happen, we must do more and be better. It may no longer be about protesting, PS. When I watch the NFL kneeling, I think not of protest- but of an almost deference and respect to those struggling under this brutal regime. We must have grace under pressure and not succumb to this awful amount of darkness. We must find a way to balance all of this dark with some light.  I feel like the lights have been turned off since November, and I for one don't love sitting in the dark.

This morning I shared a Via (a shared ride service here in the city) with an older woman who needed to talk. Via policy does not allow for that (though being silent in a car with others is truly weird) but I talked to her. Because she needed it. She had been through it- illness, divorce, financial problems. When we got out of the car, she gave me a hug and thanked me for listening. I teared up a bit because we are so busy fighting these dark battles every day that we often forget about each other.  Don't underestimate the kindness you can offer to strangers- I suspect the only people Trump bestows any kindness upon are his own family members. The same is true of us- we're so wrapped up in our own lives- take the time to show some compassion- in small ways, in large ways, in any way you can. Just talk to people and listen to people. Start there. And then try harder.

We're all being mauled by this crazy bear in the White House, but what we cannot do is leave each other for dead. Simple acts, people. Get on it. Not to be too new "aerie fairy" but we need to shift some of this bad energy or it's going to get a whole lot worse. Yes we must fight this terrible administration, but we need softness and light. Badly.

Cause that's what's up this trying a little tenderness kind of Tuesday in the 212.  Yours, in balance and hope and searching for the light switch. XO