Once in a while we come to a crossroad with two or more choices. The decision might be tough to make, and we don’t want to make any mistakes about it. We turn left — it’s a path of progress and prosperity; we turn right — it’s a beautiful garden with chirping birds, buzzing bees, and butterflies. Which path is right for us, we contemplate. Is studying and building a career while thinking about the long-term future the right way to go? Or is travelling around the world as a social media influencer and building lifetime memories the path we should take? Should we believe in science and the newest futuristic discoveries? Or should we focus on ancient wisdom, religions, and rituals? Should we master typing prompts on a computer keyboard or learn to weave piano melodies beneath our fingertips? Should we think long-term with 10-year plans, or should we take a leap of faith and go with the flow and synchronicities?
Two weeks ago, a couple of masked urban climbers dressed in black got onto the tower of the Empire State Building in New York and put up a black flag with white uppercase letters reading, “WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE OVERCOMES THE LOVE OF POWER, THE WORLD WILL KNOW PEACE.” Then the man knelt down on the tower’s landing and proposed. The whole act was filmed from a helicopter by national news in real time, with the reporter commenting that the couple had no climbing harnesses for safety, and questioning how they could have gotten past security in broad daylight. Afterwards, the couple climbed down, and when arrested, they walked with their heads held high.
People on Instagram were amazed by the bravery and the hope it inspired — that ordinary people aren’t so caged by rules and regulations, and that the spark of freedom to express what you feel outside the norms is still alive. Others made funny videos mocking the unrealistically high standards now set for expressions of love. Yet others revealed that the couple was already married, and that the stunt was a guerrilla marketing campaign for their new Netflix documentary, “Skywalkers: A Love Story” — and likely a chance at six-figure brand deals with companies like Red Bull.
For me, the act was elegant, no matter the intentions. And I’d like to believe in what the flag said, though at this point it feels like humanity still has decades to go before reaching that kind of peace.
So at our crossroads, we have two seemingly opposing options to choose from. After making a decision, we go there. And for sure, it will be a journey of learning and discovery, ups and downs, and we’ll get into the details of the path we chose, deeper and deeper. As a rule, we’ll also meet people criticizing the other path we didn’t choose. Maybe we’ll be glad about the meaning of our path. Maybe we’ll find something adverse and wish we’d chosen differently. We all get our lessons. However, there might be a less-travelled path in the middle, one slightly visible, that combines the best parts of both directions. It could be a harder path, since it needs to bridge the opposites. But I believe it’s the more peaceful path in the end, because it lets us understand both sides — their pros and cons — and create something new.
As self-awareness rises, more and more people are talking about ascension and escaping the matrix — often meaning leaving the cities and living in the countryside or near water. Others prefer stability, predictability, rules, and regulations. Traditional industrial or corporate thinking is often referred to as “3D,” whereas the original thought of creation based on love and higher vibrations is referred to as “5D” consciousness — and spiritual people predict a split between those two states of consciousness, rather than everyone rising together.
In my opinion, if you live consciously in a city, you can’t really escape what you rely on from the matrix: all its facilities, services, and infrastructure. But you can contribute to a more conscious world by embodying the values you wish to see, influencing those closest to you — your kids, friends, neighbours, and communities. Mini retreats, yoga classes, recreational parks, and dance and movement practices could be ways to cultivate human connection, spirituality, and healing. Book clubs and meetups can raise intellect and consciousness. In this way, the whole collective can be uplifted together.
On the other hand, if you want to live in a remote community based on love, empathy, and support, and be independent from the grid — without simply going back to the basics of hundreds of years ago — you’ll probably still draw on the knowledge and resources of existing systems to build your own infrastructure in your village. Leadership, project planning, architecture, engineering, and fundraising will all be necessary to build a village with fresh drinking water and solar panels or wind turbines for renewable energy.
In the end, there will always be a need to bridge the gap between these opposites and explain each side to the other in a vocabulary both can understand. Just as we don’t have to choose logic over heart, or heart over logic, we can also choose to balance both.
