Lately, our lovely Himali of Decoding Happiness posted about Silence. This was extremely inspiring and thought-provoking because she asked the reader to think about how ignorance impacted their lives. I don’t want to repeat what I commented on her post but instead, I want to look at a side of ignorance that can even be healing.

The word ignorance automatically feels negative. We equalize it with intolerance, cutting off reality, or discriminating against others with a deliberately restricted view. Through ignorance, you turn away from issues to be discussed. They aren’t solved by ignoring them but grow and make the situation only worse. In the end, it comes back to the ignorer. But there can also be something positive about ignorance. Because as with everything, it depends on how you use it. The most beautiful rose can become a weapon causing terrible injuries when you scratch someone with its strong big thorns. Ignorance can keep us from living but also can actually help us feel alive again. And here we are again at choosing thoughts. It can give you a break from the pressure of circumstances until you are ready to deal with them again. Ignorance is the decision on what to focus on. Ignorance can be the salvation we need in order to detach from bad influences.

Here is a little example: For many years, I thought I had to take and accept whatever others threw at me. I let them abuse me and manipulate me. I thought I don’t have the right to turn away because I was not the person hurting others. But I forgot that others don’t have the right to hurt me either. My low self-esteem always put others above me and so I could not escape the narrowing energy that took my breath and oppressed my soul. Then when it reached a point where I was at my lowest I finally understood with 1000 glowing light bulbs that I have the right to put myself AT LEAST on the same level. If they don’t like that then it is their problem and not mine and I am entitled to ignore that problem – as they ignored how I felt about the way they treated me.

I started to ignore them pulling on my energy. I started to ignore their demanding requests on using me for their own benefit. I still noticed but I did not react. I only responded to respectful and kind behavior. After a little while, they developed a different attitude toward me. But there was a particular effect that appeared at the same moment when I decided to ignore the bad energy: I experienced the most explosive liberation. Only the conscious decision to break out of their claws – and not caring about their reaction or opinion – enhanced the awareness of my own worth. It was the moment when I realized that I was allowed to have my opinion and that I am not wrong even though others want to make me believe so because it wasn’t fitting into their plans. It was the moment when I forgave them because only through their behavior I reached that point of breaking free. And I understood that ignorance can be a sign of fear too. I must have had a lot of power I did not realize and therefore, I must have always been the stronger one.

The healthy side of ignorance is not turning away from what is or what was but refusing to let it dim your happiness, your self-worth, your zest for life, your life, and what you want to make of it! Know that you are powerful! People who are ignoring something about you might fear something about you. Don’t make yourself a slave to their limited view of you. Don’t even fight back or it will only create a counterforce. Instead, try to ignore other people’s bad and respectless behavior and pay as little attention as possible. Stay nice and be a good person but don’t sell your soul.

Don’t be the victim of other people’s ignorance or be ignorant in an unhealthy way. Rather be the mirror.
Because in the end, what was ignored was only postponed to be dealt with.
It is all coming back.

Thank you for the wonderful inspiration, Himali!

In Love and Light