TEXT AND PHOTOS: REBEL ADRIAN DE GROOT
COVER PHOTO: MIA MEDAKOVIC
“Out of the box” is the theme for this month. We all understand immediately that this “box” means the current status quo world and our experience of daily reality, even though this box is nevertheless not the same experience for everyone. The level of personal freedoms differ from place to place.
Is our normal box in which most of live therefore actually so “normal”? With all the wars, political strife, racism, sexism, and you-name-it…..is that so normal? Are we so blasé about it, so used to it, so non-caring, so blindly accepting of our box, taking it for granted, as long as we don’t get hurt by it too much, or as long as it remains tolerable enough, or as long as we have escaped from it sufficiently to our liking, that can we accept this box as just the way things are? So it’s kind of okay to remain in the box? Or because we believe we cannot possibly survive outside of it? Or escape it?
Those who think outside the box are therefore “rebels” of one kind or another. Not only do they “think” outside the box, but they “act” outside the box, which in some cases gets them into trouble with all the humanly created rules, with all its accepted so-called normal norms, with its religions, cultures, etiquettes, and you-name-it. In their lifetimes they might get persecuted, even crucified. After all, Jesus is a very good example of a rebel, who wanted to go way beyond religious rules and dogmas, such as the sacrifices at the temple, Sabbath restrictions, and any form of hypocrisy, by placing unconditional love at the center of his rebellion. He even got angry a few times at all these humanly invented rules and misunderstandings, as many rebels thinking outside the box often do.
Not all rebels are wise. Some are very brave and very young and not mature enough yet. Greta Thornberg is one example of such a young rebel who has not yet thought through all the things she stands for, and her angry messages might therefore not appeal to or reach all hearts. That’s still okay, because she still helps people in their own way to get outside the comfort zone box they are in and support the cause she stands for, even though it could have been delivered differently. And yet, a shock can also wake people up. These rebels plant seeds in the human heart.
Many people choose to remain in the box, for one reason or another. Perhaps they feel powerless. Or they believe in fatalism or karma. They feel they deserve their fate. Nevertheless, whatever the reasons, the box isn’t actually all that comfortable when you really think about it, especially when you look at it with a deeply compassionate heart, which I believe is the best way to look at this box. It’s better to observe them than to judge them anyway.
Many rebels are compassionate people; they are passionate about their cause for a better world, a better future, and many of them are deeply concerned about our human connection to higher spiritual values. However, we cannot overlook that some rebels and/or idealists are deeply misguided, like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. As idealists and dreamers, they wanted a better world for sure, but based their philosophy purely on a materialistic philosophy which eventually led to the violent overthrow of the so-called bourgeoisie, and the implementers were unable to actually create a better box. The new box was actually worse than the old one and for some countries it remains that way.
The phrase “The medium is the message”, was originally coined by Canadian Marshall McLuhan talking about the media, but has since taken on the popular meaning that we interpret the message and its spirit by the way it is delivered. This can create some real problems for the message, no matter how well intentioned, as we just saw above. Some rebels’ egos sometimes get the upper hand and they don’t always act wisely or lovingly and then their messages may get largely or totally lost or distorted by those trying to implement them.
There are also rebels who get squashed by industries or governments, as it may interfere with their economical goals, rather than, for example, their environmental green goals. Apparently, a man who invented an engine that runs on water was killed, and many suspected foul industrial or governmental play. Even some of our own Nikola Tesla’s inventions were suppressed by powers beyond his control. There are indeed dark forces at work in this world that want to keep mankind inside the box, to control them, keep them at bay so to say. Some think it’s government, other think it is religion, communism, corporations, or whatever else.
Yet, to me, all this so-called darkness doesn’t matter, because I believe that there is a fantastic way to get outside any dark boxes safely, and be happy, feel liberated, feel and be free, and attain higher levels of unconditional love and consciousness, and meanwhile, not get into trouble with any authorities.
It’s really simple, not simplistic or naive, as some may judge it. The power of unconditional love not only can, but also will change everything and bring us out any prison boxes we have been in for far too long.
Yes, and “aha, exactly!”, it is via the road of unconditional love, not hatred, resentment or other negativities towards the status quo box that we can crawl out of it. Like Nelson Mandela, who, although in a physical box, prison, was spiritually totally free and outside his box with his love, tolerance and forgiveness. Many other examples of such freedom could be cited.
Jesus spoke of loving your enemies and even praying for them. He forgave “sinners” and loved them unconditionally. He didn’t seek to punish anyone. No revenge either. According to the standards of the humanly invented rules of his time, he certainly stood and acted outside the box which cost him his physical life. Many other rebel heroes have and are still being killed for their beliefs, or die in poverty (like Tesla). But their messages, their examples, remain beacons of light to help us get out of the ego-centric boxes mankind has created for itself. A true rebel doesn’t seek personal rewards and may only become recognized after he or she passes. And that’s okay too.
So, the best way to be and get outside the box as I see it, is a spiritual method, and it is by simply loving, unconditionally, by forgiving, also unconditionally, by being grateful, also unconditionally, and live in joy, again unconditionally, no matter what is happening in the world. Be the love you want to see in the world, as Mahatma Gandhi encouraged us.
Physicists tell us several things. I will cite a few. Whatever they observe is influenced by the observer. A particle can be in different places at the same time! All matter is just energy and vibration. Masaru Emoto experimented with water crystals and rice and noticed that when love was applied, beauty would result, and when hatred was applied, the ugly opposite would occur.
Your thoughts are also vibrations. When a hateful person walks into a room full of happy people, the entire atmosphere is brought down by that vibration, and have you noticed how the presence of just one really happy smiling person can light up and uplift an entire room with their loving presence? This my friends, is how we get outside the box in our hearts.
We don’t need all to become rebels shouting from soapboxes to think and be outside the box. We can just be “rebels” who stand outside any useless status quo, complacency, unnecessary human rules, blind legalism, dogmatism, fanaticism, racism, sexual orientation discrimination, misogyny, and all other unnecessary negativities, with a heart of unconditional love.
This I see as the best method to get outside the box, and to create amazing and wow-inspiring beauty in all kinds of creative ways, and to move the hearts of people around you towards a world of peace and unconditional love for self and others.
Or in a few words: Unconditional Love equals being outside the box as we know it and creates Heaven on Earth!
Or in even less words: Out of the box = Unconditional Love.
