There are no Gurus… only pedestals, projections of power.
The messenger is not the message. Many speak deep wisdom. Most often we speak wisdom so that we ourselves can hear it and learn from it. Be very careful of fame or notoriety. It is dangerous for the ego and for the public perceived image. Knee jerk reactions are common. The town folk with pitchfork and torches in hand, waiting for someone to blame and destroy. The modern day witch hunt plays out before our eyes.
The inauguration to power is just the first step in your inevitable burning at the stake. The award acceptance speech is you being ushered out in front of the coliseum fans. The lions will soon be released. The symbol of unbridled pride comes to eat your arrogance and over inflated sense of self. Humility is the safest place to be, I shall do my best to build a home here.
As the ‘truth’ is exposed in this year and time of revelation, many influential people are falling. Be careful, though, to see them as flawed or evil. Some do evil works and deserve to be held accountable. Most, however, simply were the victim of the great game of fame and glamour.
This is not a plea for compassion or an excuse for those who have done terrible things. It is a call for personal reflection and empowerment.
Society has built certain people into these plastic and unrealistic demagogues. A musical performer is just a normal human being with a single extraordinary talent. A political figure is a normal human being that has played their hand well enough to sway voters. An athlete is a normal human being that is obsessed with a game.
Ironically, the greatest wisdom I have experienced has come from those who live a life of utter anonymity. Those who have been in prison, those who are or have been homeless. Those individuals who have fought off horrible upbringings and defied death and drug addiction. These are the people who see things for how they are.
The main stream media and collective unconsciousness have brainwashed many of us. We think that we have a right to know about people’s personal lives. We believe that someone is an awful person because they paid a sex worker, because they had a divorce, because they said some rude things. Given enough time and perspective, we all are culpable for less than amazing actions and attitudes.
Why are we looking for a savior? What have we lost from within? What were we told by society? By school? By church? What lies do we still perpetuate on ourselves?
In my estimation, the only thing we need to be saved from is ourselves. The personal abandonment that is endemic to seeking approval. Shifting one’s image in order to receive the desired amount of praise or attention. Fame is an ugly form of self deceit. How many followers do you have? Are you able to tell them not to follow you? Are you able to learn from them? Are you willing to show them the side of yourself that they probably won’t like?
Fame turns to family when the pedestal is kicked out from under you. Those who were waiting to feast on your downfall gather around to gnaw at your bleeding heart. Family will make it through this fall from glory, they will be there to support you and love you. For it is these individuals who stayed in their center. They refused to play the dusty and archaic game of Guru and follower.
We are all teachers. Don’t get it twisted. Balance is key, and the student teacher dynamic is alive and well in each of us. I am doing my best to express what feels right to me. Leaving room for my actions and expressions to teach me. Leaving room for my error to help me redirect my ship.
Refuse to be launched into ‘stardom’. Refuse to be placed ‘on high’. It is a joke, it is a trap, it is a false reality. Glamour and Maya will overtake you easily, so tread lightly, and be grateful for when you stumble. It’s far better than tumbling off of a cliff.