Integritus Prime

Soon after Margaret’s launch, which deepens Alchemus Prime’s commitment to wellness, we gave our first healthy food demo, which turned out to be a refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free vegan dessert. People often wonder why we focus so unshakably on wellness. Some people think we are extreme because we don’t eat junk foods. The same people often suffer from cancer, diabetes, obesity, or heart disease, and fail to make the connection between diet and wellness versus illness. We all have blindspots. It’s part of life.

But wait, this post is about patriotism. Fiji Day is approaching, and that’s when we typically celebrate our independence as a nation. It made me wonder what patriotism really means. It is defined as loving and supporting your country.

I’ve never been patriotic, because I think of it as potentially divisive. Patriotism, like religion, is often used as an excuse for conflict or at least competition. Why should I think of my country as better than yours – doesn’t it feed and perpetuate an “us and them” mentality? Also, as a dual citizen, I don’t really fit into that box. I’d rather be thought of as a global citizen – humanity is my family.

Let’s dig a little here though. What if we defined patriotism in very simple terms: caring about oneself and others around us? If we put this definition into action, and examine our daily behaviors, we see that simple every day actions have a lot of power to bring positive change not only for our nations, but the world. Here’s how:

1. Self – caring about the self means becoming mindful of what we eat, how we move, what transportation we use, our mindset when we are on the road, how much we sleep, how we treat other people, and how our actions impact situations around us. Are we a positive force in the world or are we complaining all the time? To achieve positivity as a habit, involves becoming aware of our trauma and how we might be imposing it on those around us at home or at work, and taking steps to free ourselves so we can be authentic and make advances in achieving our life purpose.
2. Family – caring about our family means making a safe space for them emotionally, psychologically, and physically, which is hard to do if we are not grounded in self-love and inner peace. Once we do our own inner work, we may inspire our loved ones to do the same, and the vibration of the home shifts, becoming more peaceful. Meditation and trauma removal really helps with this – I’m seeing it in my own family.
3. Neighborhood and Community – As we shift our own focus to caring about self and others, we begin to share our peaceful vibrations throughout the neighborhood and community. People become drawn to us because of our peace-loving energy. We can also expand our connections in our communities by visiting neighbors during festivals or celebrations and sharing our practices (such as meditation) that keep us happy and peaceful, and participating in their events, such as Navratri, which my family and I participated in for the first time yesterday.
4. Distant Loved Ones – We share our love and inner peace with those loved ones who are far from us, perhaps through visits, social media, writing letters, or other means, like connecting our friends with their friends. The circle of love expands. For example, visiting relatives could be invited to meditate with us or explore some of our practices to build more peace and unity.
5. Global Causes – As we become integrated within, and with our loved ones, the energy and focus we can bring to causes like climate change, poverty, animal rights, is enhanced. We begin to align our actions with planetary safety and flourishing, the way Greta Thunberg is doing with her vegan diet and low-greenhouse-gas-emissions transport choices. When our own inner trauma and family dynamics are in harmony, we free up more head and heart space to make a bigger positive impact for all of life. We realize that we are all one, and we behave accordingly.

So there you have it – if you define patriotism simply, as caring, then the behaviors that come with caring can transform our positive impact on the self, those around us, and eventually, the globe. Without this love and peace within, we continue to bring our neuroses and trauma patterns to everything we do, and remain distant from authenticity.

I have found Heartfulness to be one movement that is creating such a global community of love, peace, and planet-friendly action, including meditation and tree planting. Share with me your examples!