Inspiration or Incitation?

I have learned the importance of paying close attention to the intricate subtleties of living. I genuinely enjoy diving into all the amazing discernments and distinctions that inhabit our beliefs, ideas and language. Each time a new one is unveiled, my life perspectives enlarge, and I am less easily fooled by imprecise assumptions. I submit to you that unchallenged assumptions inevitably propel our lives off track.

I also discovered there is an exquisite dance between discernment and distinction that when tapped into, leads to amazing insights. A distinction rhumbas with the power of the mind through focused mental contemplation. A discernment waltzes with the wisdom of the heart, which we access through meditation and intuition.

I value them equally and utilize both techniques when exploring those deep questions and paradoxes of life. I highly recommend they both be utilized when searching for those acutely intrenched inconsistencies you feel deep inside you. With practice you obtain the ability to shine the light on crucial comprehensions cleverly hidden in the shadow of a distinction/discernment.

From this point forward in the message, I will simply use discernment to represent both.

The focus on the discernment of inspiration versus incitation came to me in the middle of the night. I went to bed unclear about the topic I wished to write about. I set an intention for clarity before nodding off. Around 2:30 AM the answer came knocking loudly at my door. This answer was not surprising as I have been concerned lately by a troubling shift I am witnessing in society.

We have all been impacted by the events of 2020. The impact has been of both a negative and positive nature. This fluctuating polarity has made it challenging to stay consistently inspired. The turmoil left us with an unstable and decrepitated foundation. At the same time, an explosion of creativity and innovation, born of necessity, clearly emerged. And where there is creativity, inspiration thrives.

It has been amazing to watch and hear powerful new expressions emerging across the globe. And it was not limited to a particular generation or culture. People of all ages and societies really stepped up their game. Of course, the voices tended to be polarized, focusing initially on inspiring those who sided with them. I personally see nothing wrong with that. In my eyes, polarized positive upliftment is helpful to all provided it flows from the vibration of pure inspiration and love.

With that said, I have witnessed a recent shift, and this is where the featured discernment of this message comes into play. What started out as a blaze of inspiration is quickly morphing into a more perilous spiral of incitation.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the meaning of the word inspire is to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on something. Whereas the word incite means to move to action, stir up, spur on, or urge on. Both are meant to provide a means of motivation for action and growth. They appear interchangeable. But are they?

This is an excellent example of why the art of discernment is so vital to a path of wisdom. Ask anyone to name the most inspiring people in world history, and an avalanche of names would appear. Names like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Galileo, just to name a few.

Now if the question is asked, who are the most famous inciters in world history, the entire landscape changes. Perhaps it is just me, but the names that start to appear in my mind are people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Benito Mussolini.

All the examples listed in the previous two paragraphs represent the extreme cases of inspiration and incitation. I always start with the extremes when it comes to investigating a discernment because an extreme always originates from the starting point of the subtle differences. Once you identify the extremes you merely trace back its lineage to the root of where the split occurred.

We are now at the heart of this message. The entire point of dissecting this discernment is to highlight that the world is teetering at that moment of choice where we elect which way we go to resolve our issues. What started out as that outburst of creative, innovative inspiration is beginning to transform into an emotional energy of incitation. And as history has shown, one leads to a more peaceful and unified evolution and the other to a more violent and divisive form of revolution. In either case there is a resulting transformation.

Without question there are times that revolutionary change is necessary. This might be one of those times. The split may already be too great. Yet being the passionate voice of love and inspiration I am, I share this message as a last moment appeal that we all make that choice from the power of our sovereign mind and the wisdom of our heart. I personally will always choose the path of inspiration. And if revolution unfolds, I will bring new inspiration into the battleground.

I leave you with this question – do you wish to inspire, or do you wish to incite? Whichever you choose, will bring about a whole new world. Make sure it’s your choice and not a choice forced upon you.

With Love ~ Tom LaRotonda