Optimism to Face Oppression

Feb. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- Monday is Dr. Russ Busster Day.  At the beginning of each week I try to come up with some tips, adages, and guidelines for living that will help the readers “busst-up” any pessimism that is draining the “battery of daily energy” and limiting thoughts about choices and ways to solve problems.

The events in Egypt over the last 21 days have lead me to think about how we learn to stay optimistic in the face of the most challenging and difficult of life’s circumstances.  Circumstances captured in the word OPPRESSION.

A pessimistic perspective leads us to succumb to OPPRESSION with a hopeless and helpless attitude.  Optimism allows us to overcome OPPRESSION.

What is OPPRESSION?

   * The removal and denial of basic human rights to which we are all entitled by an individual, group, government, or society.
   * The removal of human rights including dignity, honor, respect, choice, freedom and equality.
   * Using others to meet one’s own needs without their consent.
   * Using force, threat and fear to get another to submit.
   * Committing acts of atrocities against others.
   * Trying to take away, eliminate or erase another’s sense of self-worth.

History of OPPRESSION

Suffice it to say that thousands upon thousands of pages have been written, continue to be written and could be written on the OPPRESSION that humans have inflicted upon each other since the beginning of humankind.

The GOOD NEWS is that there are just as many accounts of OVERCOMING OPPRESSION as there are of the OPPRESSIONS themselves.  The Biblical book of Exodus, Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation, formation of the State of Israel after World War II, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the dismantling of the Berlin Wall are just a few examples of people OVERCOMING.

OPPRESSION can occur one to one, in a family, a community, and a nation.  

MY POINT:

   * OPPRESSION has been always been with us, and will continue to exist as long as there is EVIL in the world.  Nevertheless, we need not succumb to it and we know it can be overcome, case by case, increment by increment.
   * I can hear you saying, “Dr. Russ why are you giving me a downer moment by talking about such a pessimistic thing as OPPRESSION?!”
   * My answer is that if we do not talk about and increase awareness it will take us over, and we will be helpless and hopeless.  I remind you that the greatest optimism is experienced from taking on and overcoming the greatest challenges.

Dr. Russ Bussters for Overcoming Oppression

  1. We cannot overcome a negative unless we first see it and recognize it as a negative.  Instead of sticking your head in the sand and reciting “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” look around for OPPRESSION, knowing that we must identify it to eradicate it.
  2. Remember, a voice from the wilderness, a message in a bottle, and now a “Tweet” can and will be heard around the world.  Better yet, a prayer can be heard around the universe.
  3. The combination of youthful energy and aging wisdom has the best chance of overcoming OPPRESSION.  From start to finish of the protests, it only took 18 days to bring down Mubarak’s regime.
  4. We think of Cancer as an OPPRESSIVE disease.  But, keep in mind the words of Jim Valvano on the eve of his death, “Cancer can take my body, but not my soul or spirit.”  
  5. Oppressors will make every attempt to try to rob someone of their self-worth, spirit and soul.  Remember, ONLY you can give your self-worth away, it CANNOT be taken from you.
  6. Why can’t your self-worth be taken from you?  Self-worth is your inner spirit, it has no physical mass.  Your body and its parts have mass.  Your house has mass.  You can only be robbed of something that has mass.  Your possessions can be taken and your body beaten and abused; the energy of your spirit drained.  But, as long as you breath your spirit has energy and hence worth, and its stamina can be rebuilt increment by increment.
  7. The OPPRESSED often feel shame and blame themselves as in: “How did I let myself get into this situation?”  They need your empathy, help and support to know they are not to blame, only the OPPRESSOR is.
  8. Just as the American Revolution needed the help of France to defeat Britain, so too do the OPPRESSED need our help to defeat the OPPRESSOR.
  9. Have the courage to face your outright and inner disgust about the treatment of the OPPRESSED, and get involved in trying to help with a CAUSE.
 10. God gave humans free choice to choose good or evil.  God needs our OPTIMISTIC HELP, the belief we can and will overcome, each and every moment of everyday to fight OPPRESSION.  And, be assured that if we use the energy of our spirit in this cause, the power of God will prevail.

http://www.drrussbuss.com

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