Which Camp are you from?
I always say, there is no better place to really see the basics of human behavior than on the playground.
Let’s go back to a time when all of us were just innocent little kids, yes, on the playground. You were unapologetically ‘you.’ You ran around with the other kids having a grand old time, playing games and swinging on the swingset. You had a best friend, whom you did everything with, and shared all your toys with. Everything was right with the world.
Then one day, that bestie just ditched you. What happened?
Maybe another kid had something they wanted, like the latest cool gadget. Maybe your bestie met a kid who had a pool and they decided that was a better friend to have on a sunny day. Maybe your bestie found a group of ‘cool’ kids, that invited him to their table, but only if he didn’t bring you. That day, something happened that, no doubt, imprinted itself on you forever.
As children, we don’t have the capacity to fully understand actions such as these. Instances like these are typically followed by an emotional response such as anger, hurt, betrayal and abandonment. A trusted adult may have tried to explain it to you with sage wisdom such as, ‘that kid was never really your friend,’ or ‘don’t worry, you’re better off without that little booger!’ Helpful as adults try to be, when it comes to the fragile psyche of a child, this isn’t very helpful.
Today, I want to talk to the child that still lives in you, and explain something that I didn’t understand fully until I was well into adulthood.
First, I’m so sorry that you were made to feel like you weren’t good enough. I’m sorry it happened so abruptly and without explanation. I’m sorry you had to watch someone who meant so much to you just walk away as if it were nothing at all to do so. Lastly, I am deeply sorry that hurt has stayed with you for so long.
No, it wasn’t that you weren’t cool enough. It wasn’t that you didn’t have the right toys or that you sat at the wrong table. And no, it wasn’t because you did or said anything wrong. These experiences that to you felt like an assessment in your value, were simply a matter of conflicting natures.
From a Spiritual perspective, I’ve found there are two camps of humans- The camp of Hierarchy and the camp of Oneness. Another way to view these two camps is Cooperation vs Competition.
Determining which camp someone is from is as simple as observing their actions. Words can lie and mislead you, but actions will always reveal what words will try to hide.
That day on the schoolyard, you discovered something very important. You discovered your nature. Chances are, you knew all the same kids on that playground, right? So why didn’t YOU run off and ditch your bestie? The answer to that question lies in your value system, and that is how you know which camp you come from.
You valued the bond of friendship. You saw your bestie in all their talents as well as their flaws and you accepted them both unconditionally. Your actions came from a place of connection. You, my friend, are from the camp of Oneness. When you love someone, you take them as a part of yourself. Therefore what is good for your bestie becomes something you want for them, and in that spirit, it is good for you too.
The actions your bestie took were those of someone who values hierarchy and status. Your bestie chose to level up when presented with an opportunity to boost social status or popularity. Your bestie valued self over connection. Your bestie’s fundamental nature was competition, and hierarchy.
Why am I talking about this? Because all of this drama is still going on today. It doesn’t leave you when you’re too old to play games on the playground. I speak about this because until we are able to process these concepts with our rational mind, we continue to cycle through feelings of unworthiness, rejection and fear of abandonment– which have no real basis in the truth of what these experiences are about. To you, the experience felt like an action taken against you. In Truth, it was the result of the unspoken, underlying nature of the person who took the action.
I urge you, my dear readers, to please take this information and use it as a filter to see that you have and always will be ‘good enough.’ I beg you to see that your only folly then, and most likely now, is that you see things from a place of Oneness and do not realize that everyone is not in your camp. Through no fault of your own, but from a lack of basic understanding, you have carried so much pain and hurt throughout your years. It’s time to put that down, and know that there is nothing wrong with you, and yes, there are many more out there like you.
My call to action, my beloved readers, is for you to embrace this knowledge that you value Oneness and Connection, and that there are others in your camp waiting for you to join them on the playground. Let them see you! I know this can seem difficult as society at large seems to favor competition and hierarchy. But consider this…
Back in the day on the playground, there was always that kid who would see an insect and take absolute pleasure in smashing its poor life out of existence. But there was always at least one other kid on the playground who would put themselves in harm’s way to grab that insect, and hold it in his hand with an outcry of ‘this little bug is special, and vulnerable. We should take care of it and protect it!’
My fellow Oneness travelers– these are your people! Seek them out, and you will find that many of the conflicts in your life were simply a matter of incompatibility in values. With this knowledge, go forth and make better decisions about the company you keep, and who you want to see in your circle. I promise you, if you take this tiny piece of wisdom and apply it, you will see changes in your life and you will move forward knowing your True Value. You will never again measure of your worth by the standard of someone who doesn’t understand– that you simply come from another camp.
With this knowledge, go forth and make better decisions about the company you keep, and who you want to see in your circle. I promise you, if you take this tiny piece of wisdom and apply it, you will see changes in your life and you will move forward knowing your True Value. You will never again measure of your worth by the standard of someone who doesn’t understand– that you simply come from another camp.
Confessions of a Spirit Messenger 