The Everyday Shaman
Join the Everyday Shaman each week for insights on how to spiritually, emotionally, and physically recognize, navigate, and overcome the traumas and daily obstacles everyone encounters by tapping into the inner shadow and divine light that shapes our past, present, and future. Find that no one is ever alone, and that everyone and everything is connected by seen and unseen forces and energies of light and darkness.
The search for oneness with oneself and everything in this world, universe, and beyond starts here!
The Everyday Shaman
Challenging Trust and Embracing Self-Judgment in Modern Society
Is blind trust in professionals undermining our own judgment? Join Jeffrey Brunk in this eye-opening episode of Everyday Shaman as we dissect the profound emotional responses of social media, ranging from smiles to scowls, and how these reactions fuel meaningful engagement. We then pivot to a critical yet necessary discussion about the medical profession, questioning if doctors are truly equipped with the essential virtues of ethics, humility, empathy, and acceptance. By drawing a thought-provoking comparison to ASE certified mechanics, we challenge the unquestioning faith we place in experts, urging the necessity of skepticism and self-trust.
Dive deeper into the mechanics of fear and the societal forces that manipulate it. We scrutinize the roles of charismatic leaders, politicians, and media personalities in shaping our fears to control and divide us. Additionally, we highlight the misuse of religious texts to instill fear, contrasting this with the overlooked messages of love and tolerance. As we navigate the pressures of conformity, our conversation emphasizes the importance of confronting inner darkness and embracing unique qualities. We conclude with a call for open dialogue and understanding, encouraging listeners to transform disagreements into mutual respect and possibly even join the podcast as guests. Tune in for a compelling discussion that champions authentic self-expression and societal well-being.
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Hello again, everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Everyday Shaman. I'm your host, jeffrey Brunk, and it's good to be back. I've been away a little longer than expected and I do apologize, but life does happen right. So I just want to say I pretty much only go on to social media anymore to post the Everyday Shaman podcast and reply to those who message me. For the most part, I see the thumbs up emoji on some of the posts. Sometimes I'll get the heart emoji, which is nice, and I appreciate those responses to an episode Truly do appreciate.
Speaker 1:However, I've also received the angry face emoji and the belly laugh or the laughing emoji in response to some of the episodes that have been released and posted online and for the life of me, at least for one episode, I cannot figure out what would make someone so angry or want to laugh, because it was not a call it what you will metaphysical, shamanic type episode fully. But in any case, you're probably thinking that it upsets me to get an angry face or a laughing face emoji, but it doesn't. It doesn't not in the least. No, it's actually quite the opposite. When I see that someone has left one of those angry faces or laughing faces. I kind of have a sense of satisfaction knowing that, one, the individual who left that emoji listened to the podcast, which is my entire reason for doing the podcast, so I call that a win. And two, something that was said within the episode, either by me or the guest, or both of us, didn't sit well with that particular individual. That, right there, is the core reason that I do this podcast to reach people on a deep level that brings about those emotions they really don't like feeling. You see, because if something doesn't sit well, then there's a collision of one's perceived truth, or their beliefs, and then genuine truth, or one's authenticity and inner knowing, and that collision causes sort of like the Big Bang Boom. There's an awakening there or there's a total shutdown, but at least there's the collision and it causes thought. For me, that's also a win.
Speaker 1:What's funny is it speaks volumes to me that it's so easy to leave an emoji response. You don't take the time to craft a written response for why they left the angry or laughing face emoji. Today's day and age out of sight, out of mind. I guess People can do whatever they want without consequence, but that doesn't bother me either. You can't really bother me. Just to tell you. If you plan on leaving one of these emojis or you want to leave a negative comment, bring it on. I'm up for that. I actually enjoy that because it's not because for the case of argument I don't argue, but it's a case of discussion and I gladly listen. So in a way, it's a win-win. That being said, it should be very interesting to see what type of emoji responses this one elicits, because this is not my typical episode.
Speaker 1:I've said from the beginning it's not a typical shamanic. Here's how you do it blah, blah, blah type podcast. This is nuts and bolts down in the dirt stuff that I do, so I'm just going to get right into it, all right. So I'm wondering if the gods quote unquote God, small g of the body our doctors, as revered as they are, when they go through medical school, do they take courses in ethics or humility? Now, humility, that's kind of a stretch. Maybe I'm not saying all doctors lack humility, but do they take classes focusing on empathy and acceptance? Because I wonder about this Embrace yourself for it. Because doctors often make various serious mistakes and you'll say okay, I know that already, but how many of us will go back to the same doctor after that mistake, thinking that he or she is a professional. I trust my doctor. It was just a mistake, even when there's an uneasiness within that has a shred of skepticism about going back. Now I can't say for sure, but I'd venture a guess that accounting, money management, investment strategy courses are part of the curriculum somewhere during the years of medical school, much like they are, I guess, in any college degree program. But I'm very curious to know, because you know, people revere their gods and their doctors. So the more money they make, more education they have, the more they are just blindly followed and listened to.
Speaker 1:So suppose you go to an ASE certified mechanic and it takes a lot of work and time and money to become an ASE certified mechanic, but you go for basic service on your car. So now ASE certified mechanics are the quote-unquote gods or the doctors of the automotive world. They make a considerable sum of money, probably comparable to a lot of medical doctors, maybe even more. But if the mechanic god comes to you and says you know, you were a little low on your oil, but unfortunately we were out of STP Quaker State, whatever it is, so we just topped you off with a couple quarts extra virgin olive oil, but you don't question it. So who's at fault when your car breaks down Because the olive oil is a little too thin in viscosity to go through the crankshaft in the system and lubricate the unseen parts within the vehicle that keep the car running smoothly?
Speaker 1:Or the mechanic says you know what I would recommend you put a different kind of fuel in your car to get better fuel mileage, like a high-octane urine. So you piss in your tank later that week and for some odd reason the vehicle rejects the urine and refuses to run. I'd like to say that the owner of the vehicle would think I didn't think this would work. I'm more prone to believe that the owner would the vehicle would think I didn't think this would work. I'm more prone to believe that the owner would question himself or herself and think oh no, I must have used a regular, unrelated urine, not a premium. So who's at fault for the vehicle's refusal to run? Who's at fault when a doctor prescribes a procedure or a medication that causes the human vehicle to shut down, possibly permanently? Do you fault the doctor? Do you fault the mechanic when the car breaks down in the middle of the highway? Or do you fault yourself for blindly following the directions of the quote-unquote and you'll hear that a lot professional. Think about it before you answer.
Speaker 1:In this society, doctors and mechanics and I'm just using doctors and mechanics as examples, I'm not hating on them what they say is always right in this society, of course, I'm saying this while I'm rolling my eyes how dare we question their authority? And not all doctors are like this. Again, these are just examples. But what happens when you don't question them? You shut down your own inner dialogue. That's saying this doesn't feel right to me. But this man in a white coat which, if you're at a Mercedes-Benz dealership, by the way, might be a mechanic, but this man in a white coat is telling me that it is right. So, by God, it's right, even when that disagrees with you. It's a simple example of what's wrong with our society.
Speaker 1:People, in any position of power, have control over our inner knowing and they usurp our power, our knowing. We rely on our cars, we rely on our bodies, we rely on society and government. God help us, believing they will be honest, forthright and have our best interest at heart. Yet when they tell us something and we know isn't right, it doesn't feel right and we know it, we tend to go along anyway. I mean a feeling that goes through your body with a reverberation and for those of you who have felt that, when you have a genuine knowing, you know what I'm talking about. It's indescribable. Why do we choose not to question authority? Why do we not question things we're told when those things do not agree with what is within our heart and our soul and our gut? Think about that, because our bodies, our lives, our cars, society, this world, nature, everything depends on what we follow, that we know, not what we're told, not what we're taught, not what we believe, because believing and knowing are two entirely different animals.
Speaker 1:So what I'm getting at goes beyond doctors and mechanics, again, using it only as examples. Please, you know, stay with me and put your guns away. I go to doctors and mechanics. So I appreciate the time and the effort you put into doing the right thing, but let's not forget about organized religion, shall we? Religion in and of itself is not a bad thing. There are many, many, many spiritual people within churches. This I'm talking about organized religion. Stand up, sit down, you know, left to right, blah, blah, blah, blah. The many things that are told, taught and espoused as being unequivocal truths within organized religion. Because, face it, organized religion has held the Control capital C award for at least 2,000 plus years and counting.
Speaker 1:So how many have heard the fear-inducing instructions for making it into heaven? There's only one way to get there, one thing to do, oh, and there's a long list of things that you should not do if you want to be saved. And what happens when you're not saved? You burn in the fires of hell and are tormented for eternity.
Speaker 1:You want to talk about instilling fear. That'll do it. This could very well be the epitome of instilling fear. You're really not left with much of a choice, are you? Or are you, in the randomly selected examples I've given, who was in control of instilling the fear? God, well, maybe in the first half of the Bible you know the Old Testament the mechanic. How about the doctor? Or let's throw a dentist in for good measure. How about a dentist? Who's in control of instilling the fear? Within these example settings, who ultimately makes the decision to accept without question what is true? It's not a difficult question to answer you, the person listening to this. You make the decision, not a decision based upon logic or analyzation or over-analyzation, or an internet search when it doesn't sit right with you.
Speaker 1:Listen to your heart, not the talking head. You know the one behind the pulpit or on the TV screen, or the fancy white long coat and an engraved name tag. Or especially the expert long code and an engraved name tag. Or especially the expert another quote-unquote you watch on YouTube. Or the genius with all the answers on Facebook or Reddit or any other social media platform. Of course, the prospect of burning for eternity in the hellfire of damnation is a frightening prospect. I get it. Change is frightening enough, but change that has a heaping helping of added fear is a whole other beast.
Speaker 1:Fear is a real thing. Don't misunderstand me. There's two kinds of fear. There's the type that's in the moment, say, like someone putting a gun in your face and saying give me your money or I'll blow your freaking head off. Then there's the type of fear that we create or are allowed to be created. One of the two is rational and in the moment. The other is not. That, my friends, is not fear. That is a controlled response brought about by someone else's words or perceptions or opinions or thoughts.
Speaker 1:So do you choose to jump in line and blindly accept the beliefs, statements and opinions of others or of society as being the gospel truth? Pardon the pun, or do you question what you're told to accept as truth? So, along with the doctrine mechanic and religious leaders, the world's greatest salespeople, politicians, those who, I suspect, provided the spark that ignited the tender and yes, we are the tender it ignited the hellfires within humanities and other regions. The divisiveness and the hatred and bigotry that we are witnessing today has always been there, ever since the first human walked upright and said ooga booga, dippity doo to his neighbor, who shook his head and said noogies, boogies and nickelback. It only takes the inaction of one in a position of leadership or authority to not say hey, we can ooga booga, dippity doo and oogie boogie, you nickelback.
Speaker 1:Think for a moment how many times have you heard a talking head or media personality or politician peep Bible verses that aren't from the Old Testament? You know the first half of the book that talks of the vengeful, wrathful God, which is the Torah, by the way, or leader of some group who quotes from the end of the book, the book of Revelation? No, ask, revelation, not book of Revelations, surely the most fear-inducing book of the Bible. So you have sandwiched in between the red words, the New Testament? And how often are the red words the words of acceptance, tolerance, love, understanding and forgiveness? Red words are the ones spoken by Jesus in the Bible, you know the guy who supposedly called upon to save you. How often are those words referenced by a talking head or leader of a cult or a politician that doesn't want to lead people in fearful ways? How often are the red words mentioned by those who claim to be righteous, yet they act in the polar opposite way? Is it because it's being proclaimed by someone in a position of authority, someone with charm and charisma who preys upon the one searching for something?
Speaker 1:Because we're all searching for something at some point in our lives, for the duration of our lives, we're all searching for something more. There's a running theme here that has to do with avoidance. The things we don't want are the things that we try to flee, things we attempt to avoid. And the thing that we seem to not want the most is to know ourselves and the traits, even the gifts, that we have within us that can truly define who we really are. Unknowns that we're afraid to face. Because, hey, change is hard. Who wants to look different to their friends or their families or their employers. Life gets all screwed up. When that happens, right, what's the alternative? The easy road most often taken is the one of avoidance, or the easiest path, the one of hypocrisy and wearing a mask, not a face mask that face you put on, being the person and doing the things that would appease those that are in control, or someone that you need to show your attention to, to gain their approval. You know they could be employers, friends, family partners, pastors, basically anyone. This is the path taken by the ones that smile, nod and agree with everything and present an image of a life filled with rainbows and unicorns and little leprechauns.
Speaker 1:There is a darkness in this world that emerges from the shadows within us. We're composed of three elements flesh and blood as human beings, divine light within and a shadow that we each create. Both the shadow and the darkness are parts of our human nature, each of which we can control. But to control those darker aspects, it's crucial that we face those aspects, those aspects of ourselves. We accept them.
Speaker 1:So, whether it's politicians, preachers, pastors, saints, doctors, dentists, mechanics, mom and dad, anyone with the pulse or an opinion, not to mention the internet and social media, by the way, there are more opinions than there are anuses in the world. You know that saying opinions are like anuses Everyone has one. Well, sometimes it's like there are more anuses in this world than there are people. Thank you, facebook. Everyone wants to be heard. That stands to reason.
Speaker 1:The problem is that everyone also wants to be believed and taken seriously, no matter how outlandish what they may believe or espouse to be true may be. However, everyone is unique and different. So, whether it pertains to their talents, personalities or what they can offer to others in the world, everyone is unique and has something to offer, but that is often stifled, stuffed down inside. It's the ones that don't agree with them, these people that have these talents and traits that scoff at those talents and abilities, or thoughts and inner knowings that ostracize and quell the emergence of another's authenticity. That can cause a breakdown and divisiveness within society and within others individually. And who is in control and who is at fault when we become ill, be it mentally or physically, because we're not being our authentic selves or following our paths by not accepting truths that we know are truths? We know not to put olive oil in a car's engine. Almost everyone knows that. I'm fairly sure that there are probably people out there that would put olive oil in their car's engine. Almost everyone knows that. I'm fairly sure that there are probably people out there that would put olive oil in their engine if they saw it on YouTube. Thank you, youtube.
Speaker 1:We can so easily be offended personally, but think for a moment and try to answer the question well, why? Why do we allow that to happen? It's a choice to be offended, isn't it? At the very least, it's a choice in how we react if we're offended, wouldn't you agree? Sometimes doing or saying nothing during these times is far more powerful than saying anything or reacting. It's difficult, no doubt about that. It takes mindfulness to a certain degree, and a decent relationship with oneself to not react or speak knowing that an argument might ensue. Arguing with people nowadays is like spinning into a hurricane. No one gets away without a face full of phlegm.
Speaker 1:Think about this very carefully. Who's truly at fault for many of the not-so-pleasant things that happen to us? Is it possible that the consequences of our own thoughts, words and actions, both positive and negative, are very often self-imposed? I don't mean to suggest that an event such as being a victim of an accident is always a consequence, although it's certainly possible. So let's go a little deeper.
Speaker 1:I mean this in a way that refers to things that we know about ourselves certainties. It's called intuition and gut feelings, for good reason, and, as you men know, women's intuition is something you don't trifle with. There are signs that are given to us. They may come to us in subtle ways and they may present themselves in ways that cause us to stop and think and smack us across the face until we have to listen. Unfortunately, many simply brush the signs away and attribute them to being nothing more than coincidences. But there are no coincidences, my friends. There are synchronicities, which is a topic for another time.
Speaker 1:The takeaway here is that when we choose to dismiss those signs or we choose to not listen to the inner knowing, we have that intuition, that gut feeling. It can be devastating to us as an individual in many ways, but when you do listen and you're given a truth, you can literally feel it. Like I said before, you feel it, it resonates with you. So again, who is at fault when we choose to not listen to or reject a personal inner truth? Do you fault the one saying or doing the things that are harmful or potentially harmful, or the one that chooses to do those things.
Speaker 1:Blindly following is easy, you know that's the easiest way to go. But in doing so, a part of one's authentic self either slowly dies or becomes somewhat of a snowball that rolls downhill, getting bigger and bigger and bigger until it's nearly impossible to control. Are you at fault when this happens? Is it an individual or a situation at fault? Or maybe it's a bit of both? There's only one answer, and it may be nightmarishly difficult to accept. So think about it very carefully. To go further, everything is energy. Choices are energy, thoughts are energy, actions are obviously energy. So the thought and action of hitting that key to leave that mad face or that laughing face emoji is an energy that's transmitted through consciousness. And how do you choose to use your energy? It's worth taking a little time to ponder that question Think, discern, then choose, don't choose without doing the other two steps.
Speaker 1:In a nutshell, here's the gist of what I'm saying and for the social media fiends out there, maybe the brevity of this will sit better with you, because I know what tension spans. These days are quite short. You know what the easiest thing in the world happens to be, and this goes for everyone, including myself, every single person on this planet. The easiest thing, and sadly, the ugly truth of today's society, is to blindly follow a person, an idea, a societal expectation or anything that doesn't require an expenditure of mental energy. You know, or maybe you don't thinking for yourself as soon as someone becomes so complacent and accepts this fact, something that's on television or the internet, there's a disconnect. Or still, when that fact, quote unquote, is opined by a celebrity or a news pundit news I use loosely an opinion pundit politician, religious leader, taylor Swift, and no, I'm not hating on Swifties, I'm just throwing out examples again. Many people will just throw up their hands and shout Hallelujah, this must be the truth.
Speaker 1:Anyone who espouses an opinion and presents that opinion as a fact is a liar. No more, no less. The same can be said for anyone who presents a truth, a documented fact, but twists that fact and tries to present that fact as being something more than it is, something like a conspiracy or a cover-up. Yada, yada, yada, yada. Even though there's a basis of truth in what the individual says, at this point the individual is just another liar there's no pretty word for it. And chew on this. The liars aren't the problem. The problem is with the people who shut down the brain, silence their knowing and follow everything and everyone except their selves. They are the problem. The liars are the figureheads that expose the misguided, often evil, inner selves of others.
Speaker 1:Bias, misogyny, hate, divisiveness the list goes on and on. In short, do not follow, lead, follow or get out of the way is an old saying, and well, a lot of times you just got to get out of the way, get out of your own way, but you never follow, at least not blindly. The shadows and darkness within this world reside in each of us. There's no unicorns and rainbows world. This world can be an ugly, mean, unforgiving place, but how we choose to react and interact with the shadows and darkness within ourselves and within this world and within others can create something better, a better you, an authentic you. And when one brave enough to face their own fears when it comes to who they truly are, the world can become a bit of a better place and the person taking that leap comes that much closer to being the individual they know themselves to truly be.
Speaker 1:It's about balance. It isn't my fault if someone chooses to not accept their truth. Who is at fault? I'm thinking about it a lot. This is an educational program, I feel pretty certain. I've stepped on some toes and rankled and ruffled some feathers and, if I have good, leave me an angry face or a laughing emoji and invest in some steel-toed boots, because I get in the dirt and it's not a pretty world. I'm not doing this to hand out flowers and participation trophies.
Speaker 1:I do sincerely hope that something said within this episode resonates with people. Not everything is meant to resonate in that. Unicorns and rainbows, everything's rosy way. Sometimes it's the things that are said that resonate and cause a little twinge of discomfort, possibly even anger and denial. We all deny things about ourselves because face it we need balance. Everyone needs balance within themselves, within the world and within their everyday lives. If we don't reclaim our own, knowing our own selves, and we give control to others, that balance is lost and this world goes to hell in a handbasket. Even more, know that the choices we make, no matter how large or how small, affect not only yourself but those around you. It's a ripple effect. Those choices, thoughts and actions not only affect those around you but those across the globe, across the universe and beyond. It's the butterfly effect and it's freaking physics Just ask a physicist. So, for better or for worse, thank you for joining me. I do hope you'll come back for another episode.
Speaker 1:This podcast is for everyone and I don't mind if anyone disagrees with me or disagrees with my, my guests, or disagrees with topics. No one can agree with everything, but I'm here to try to help people understand themselves and to help this world. So I encourage you, contact me. I'd be very open to having a lively point-counterpoint discussion, not argument discussion. Who knows, maybe you could be a guest on the podcast and by the end of the show, that angry face emoji could be just a smirk emoji. I'd settle for that. So I thank everyone for listening and do invest in some steel-toed boots, because there's being nice and there's being honest and those are two different things too, and I just want the best for everyone and I'm here to help. So
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