{"id":23115,"date":"2025-09-13T06:47:33","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T06:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/?p=23115"},"modified":"2026-02-21T00:25:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T00:25:41","slug":"pbs-bs-bf-liag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/2025\/09\/13\/pbs-bs-bf-liag\/","title":{"rendered":"PAUSE &#8211; be still &#8211; but first &#8211; let it all go!"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"23115\" class=\"elementor elementor-23115\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-735a27b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"735a27b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f6dbb95 elementor-widget elementor-widget-thim-heading\" data-id=\"f6dbb95\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"thim-heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sc_heading   \"><h3 class=\"title\">Often in my head as I see things play out real time<\/h3><span class=\"line\"><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3bcab11 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"3bcab11\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F984153020475133%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0\" width=\"267\" height=\"476\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowFullScreen=\"true\"><\/iframe>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ca6470a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ca6470a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58b9fe6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"58b9fe6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">f!@#$ it! \u0003\u0003\u0003f!@#$\u00a0 it! \u0003\u0003\u0003f!@#$ it! \u0003\u0003\u0003<br \/><br \/><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c5db86a elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"c5db86a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/7iNbnineUCI?feature=shared&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-409a48c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"409a48c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0cfd606 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0cfd606\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>It\u2019s not too early. It\u2019s already too much\u2014every single &#8220;ONE&#8221; is &#8220;ONE&#8221; too many. All of it.<br \/><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-915bc92 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"915bc92\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b2fa445 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b2fa445\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">WE ARE<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4302346 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4302346\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c7665c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6c7665c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We carry this weight and can&#8217;t seem to let it go &#8211; some painful example include but are not limited to:<\/span><\/p><p><strong><em>Since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, hundreds of school shootings have occurred in the United States, including some of the deadliest in the nation&#8217;s history. Different research groups define &#8220;mass shootings&#8221; differently, so the counts can vary, but certain events stand out due to their high casualties and public impact.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>This timeline includes major school shootings since Columbine that involved significant loss of life.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;\"><strong>2000s<\/strong><\/span><ul><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Red Lake Senior High School shooting (March 21, 2005): In Red Lake, Minnesota, a 16-year-old student killed his grandfather and his grandfather&#8217;s girlfriend before driving to his high school. There, he killed five students, a teacher, and a security guard, and injured nine others before killing himself.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">West Nickel Mines School shooting (October 2, 2006): A 32-year-old man took ten Amish schoolgirls hostage in their one-room schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He shot all ten, killing five, before committing suicide.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Virginia Tech shooting (April 16, 2007): A 23-year-old student at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, killed two people in a campus dorm and, two hours later, murdered 30 more and injured 17 in an engineering building. The shooter then killed himself. It was the deadliest mass shooting on a college campus in U.S. history.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Northern Illinois University shooting (February 14, 2008): A 27-year-old former student opened fire in a lecture hall on the DeKalb campus, killing five students and injuring 21 before committing suicide.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;\"><strong>2010s<\/strong><\/span><ul><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting (December 14, 2012): In Newtown, Connecticut, a 20-year-old man killed his mother before driving to Sandy Hook Elementary School. He shot his way into the school, murdering 20 first-grade children and six educators. He then took his own life.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Umpqua Community College shooting (October 1, 2015): In Roseburg, Oregon, a 26-year-old student shot and killed eight students and a teacher and injured eight others before committing suicide.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting (February 14, 2018): A 19-year-old former student killed 17 people and injured 17 others at the school in Parkland, Florida. He later pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Santa Fe High School shooting (May 18, 2018): A 17-year-old student killed eight students and two teachers and injured 13 others at the school in Santa Fe, Texas. The suspect was taken into custody.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting (May 7, 2019): In Highlands Ranch, Colorado, a student was killed after confronting two gunmen who opened fire at the school. Eight other students were wounded.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>2020s<\/strong><\/span><br \/><\/span><ul><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Oxford High School shooting (November 30, 2021): A 15-year-old student opened fire at the high school in Oxford, Michigan, killing four students and wounding seven others, including a teacher.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Robb Elementary School shooting (May 24, 2022): In Uvalde, Texas, an 18-year-old gunman shot and wounded his grandmother before going to Robb Elementary School, where he murdered 19 children and two teachers. He was killed by law enforcement.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Covenant School shooting (March 27, 2023): A 28-year-old former student entered the elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, and killed three students and three staff members before being killed by police.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Apalachee High School shooting (September 4, 2024): A 14-year-old student opened fire at the high school in Winder, Georgia, killing two teachers and two students and injuring seven others before being taken into custody.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Utah Valley University &#8211; Charlie Kirk &#8211; Influencer and political activist &#8211; not in an elected position<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;\"><strong>A laundry list of notable political assassinations<\/strong><\/span><ul><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_assassinated_American_politicians\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_assassinated_American_politicians<\/a>. &#8212;\u00a0\u00a0<em>(looks like CK has not been added to this list yet)<\/em><\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0db2a19 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"0db2a19\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-38d9a53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"38d9a53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">WE ARE NOT<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-446baf7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"446baf7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e60a6e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7e60a6e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are not the silent monks consumed by flame\u2014 burning in disbelief, without a cry.<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are not free from the systems that outsource our lives, that prey on us, strip away our autonomy, and steal our agency.<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Though some surrender the wheel to Jesus, we are not living as Christians in action.<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are not yet awakened.<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And I, like so many others, was not the one who pulled the trigger.<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ren, the raw and fearless British artist. He shakes the foundations with truth that even Eminem and his peers hesitate to face. His genius is uncomfortable\u2014because it\u2019s honest, authentic and real!<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-702de90 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"702de90\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73668b1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"73668b1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">These are my emerging unfiltered thoughts.\u00a0 I am acknowledging these, and will distill them to those that can and are due these sometimes difficult practices, craft and exercise and engagements of my self intellectually and actions others may see:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18e0b38 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"18e0b38\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5edd408 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5edd408\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Premeditatio malorum<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Acta non verba<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Scarcity loop disruptions<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a5c36e2 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a5c36e2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ec962f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ec962f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are ill, and to many outside the USA &#8211; the TV &#8211; in real time:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I\u2019ve been sitting with something heavy lately, and I need to get it off my chest. We\u2019ve become so intellectually advanced as a species that it feels like apathy and inaction are the only things keeping the current power structures intact. It\u2019s like abundance is being deliberately disrupted, pushing us toward scarcity\u2014and I\u2019m not okay with that. It reminds me of that moment in Braveheart, when Wallace realizes Bruce\u2019s motives were hijacked by the system. That look between them? That\u2019s exactly how I feel\u2014betrayed, stunned, and furious. Total Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A colleague in the Yucat\u00e1n asked me something gut-wrenching: how is it that 9- and 10-year-olds are already grappling with questions of being alive or not? That\u2019s why I write, why I blog. But even with that outlet, I\u2019m unsure where to direct my actions. I was raised with a value system that wasn\u2019t perfect, but it had integrity. Now I see peers and predecessors so numb, so apathetic, that I honestly don\u2019t know how they\u2019re interpreting the world around them. The illusion of abundance is cracking, and most people aren\u2019t prepared for what\u2019s coming.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I\u2019m not na\u00efve\u2014I know history repeats, and I see the resurgence of ideologies we thought were long gone. But maybe I am na\u00efve, because this hurts more than I expected. I feel betrayed by the numbness, by the acceptance of pain just because it\u2019s familiar. I can handle uncertainty. What I can\u2019t handle is watching people choose suffering over change.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As a parent and caregiver, I\u2019m being pulled\u2014no, compelled\u2014toward a different model. One that\u2019s sustainable, workable, and rooted in something deeper than survival. Not just for me, but for my kids, my spouse, and the future we still have a chance to shape.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ae18aa e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5ae18aa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c01450b elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"c01450b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fzentriathlete%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02yhwpZ2d1zfsCwucq4yGvFopHVHhX2g8hUcZMqcYSQjMtGPWYQfF2cVUjKGjA5ksyl&show_text=true&width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"329\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\"><\/iframe>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff76e2c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ff76e2c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84ee147 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"84ee147\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A post that i wrote in 2024 &#8211; last august <a href=\"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/2024\/08\/03\/zentriathlete-blog\/personal\/disambiguation-and-noise-everywhere\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/2024\/08\/03\/zentriathlete-blog\/personal\/disambiguation-and-noise-everywhere\/<\/a><br \/><br \/>An interesting blog post shared with me around antisemitism and recent assassination:\u00a0\u00a0<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.timesofisrael.com\/kirks-murder-cant-erase-his-antisemitism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/blogs.timesofisrael.com\/kirks-murder-cant-erase-his-antisemitism\/<\/a><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8093f24 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"8093f24\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d7aca12 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d7aca12\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Some final ramblings from the asylums between my ears<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f815fce elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f815fce\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\u2019s all so disorienting. We need to stop, breathe, and rise above the noise. The machinery\u2014this system\u2014thrives on division, keeping everyday people locked in combat, red versus blue, while the real damage goes unchecked.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But the deeper truth? We\u2019re unwell. Spiritually, emotionally\u2014drowning in distraction and disconnection. Will we ever pause long enough to feel, to listen, to remember what truly matters?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I recently attended an Offspring concert where they played the song\u2014<em>Gone Away<\/em>\u2014 This particular version still haunts me. I\u2019m stuck in that moment. It could\u2019ve been us in that field. It\u2019s not just about one life lost\u2014it\u2019s about every innocent soul swallowed by senseless violence.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And broadly, we\u2019ve handed over our agency to systems that barely reflect who we are. We&#8217;ve outsourced our autonomy to institutions that see fragments, not the full picture.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are ill, and we need respite, inoculation, care and recovery!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74c54ea e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"74c54ea\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-87a0725 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"87a0725\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">More and more, I\u2019m discovering that the deeper I commit to honest, grounded self-reflection, the more naturally I lead with empathy, act with courage, and focus on generating momentum\u2014not just managing tasks. My lived experience continues to affirm that true leadership begins within. When I prioritize the internal work, I become better equipped to help others believe in themselves and reach beyond what they thought possible.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This shift in mindset has shaped a leadership style anchored in presence and purpose. Rumi\u2019s words echo through my approach: <em>\u201cRaise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.\u201d<\/em> That quote remains a compass for how I show up\u2014for my team, my family, and my community.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But internal alignment doesn\u2019t happen in isolation. I\u2019m increasingly aware of how our broader systems are engineered to fracture abundance and perpetuate scarcity. Disruption today often masquerades as innovation, yet it thrives on apathy and inertia. It\u2019s a model designed to preserve control\u2014and it\u2019s succeeding. I see it in the disengagement of peers, the quiet resignation of those who came before, and the heartbreaking questions from children already grappling with existential despair.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Nguyen\u2019s insight about outsourcing our value systems hits home. I witness it constantly\u2014especially in moments like the one captured in that image\u2014where the hunger for external validation drowns out the quiet clarity within. That betrayal? It feels like the scene in <em>Braveheart<\/em> when Wallace realizes Bruce\u2019s motives were hijacked by the system. That stunned silence, that fury\u2014that\u2019s exactly how it lands.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d8f3cd e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3d8f3cd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d360413 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"d360413\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=QojajMsd2nE&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3df2294 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3df2294\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-17efddb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"17efddb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I\u2019m not na\u00efve. I know history repeats. But I wasn\u2019t prepared for the ache of watching people choose suffering over change. I can navigate uncertainty. What\u2019s harder is witnessing the normalization of pain\u2014the quiet surrender to broken systems simply because they\u2019re familiar.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As a parent and caregiver, I feel a deep pull\u2014no, a mandate\u2014toward a different model. One that\u2019s sustainable, humane, and rooted in something far deeper than survival. Not just for me, but for my children, my partner, and the future we still have the power to shape.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When we lead from a place of internal alignment, we invite others to do the same. That\u2019s where real transformation begins.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ffc080a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ffc080a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-edc88e2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"edc88e2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\" src=\"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/banksy-parents-1024x767-1.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-22556\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/banksy-parents-1024x767-1.webp 1024w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/banksy-parents-1024x767-1-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/banksy-parents-1024x767-1-768x575.webp 768w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/banksy-parents-1024x767-1-500x375.webp 500w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/banksy-parents-1024x767-1-550x412.webp 550w, https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/banksy-parents-1024x767-1-820x614.webp 820w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Often in my head as I see things play out real time f!@#$ it! \u0003\u0003\u0003f!@#$\u00a0 it! \u0003\u0003\u0003f!@#$ it! \u0003\u0003\u0003 https:\/\/youtu.be\/7iNbnineUCI?feature=shared It\u2019s not too early. It\u2019s already too much\u2014every single &#8220;ONE&#8221; is &#8220;ONE&#8221; too many. All of it. WE ARE We [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","_eb_attr":"","pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[674,817],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2025-check-ins","category-prnci"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24149,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23115\/revisions\/24149"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}