Hi there!
I am in the first rewrite in my book. As I do this I am reminded of one particular shame I want to comment on.
Awhile back I was watching a show on people who had lost their jobs, had searched and searched, and were unable to find new employment. They were dealing with profound losses, as well as a cultural bias that was shaming to them. The longer they were unemployed, the more they received the message that they were “not employable.” Often they were told not to apply for a job unless they had a job. They were not even allowed into the interview process.
The shame they are experiencing along with the losses and fear is untenable. They are feeling hopeless and often suicidal.
As individuals, we can look at our own biases, how they might be shaming, and how we can change them. We can make changes in our own beliefs that make a difference in the mass consciousness. We can be aware of how we think of the unemployed and make a conscious effort to think loving and empowering thoughts to support them.
I believe we don’t always do this because there is a cultural shame about the way we have “off-shored” our labor force and judged our unemployed. Because we don’t deal with the underlying belief system, we all can get sucked into the shame we place on the unemployed. We become part of the problem.
We each play a part when there is a cultural shame. The only place we have power is in changing our own beliefs. We are of one mind. When I change my mind I make an impact. I may not see this, AND we are making a difference.
We can treat our unemployed with dignity and respect. How would we want to be treated in a similar situation?