Sitting on the Fence

What does that mean sitting on the fence?
WHY do we need to read a blog about it?
What on earth is sitting on the fence?
Who is sitting on the fence and WHY?

For the purpose of this blog, sitting on the fence means not moving.
In other words, frozen – not choosing to be or do anything.

Dear World,

How many of us choose sitting on the fence because it feels familiar?

How many of us choose sitting on the fence because it is safe?

How many of us could admit that we choose to do nothing because it suits us?

How many of us are used to just sitting on the fence and watching the world go by?

How many of us witness the mess our world is in but just watch everything by sitting on the fence?

How many of us actually know what we can do to help our community but we choose to just sit on the fence?

How many of us know the answer that others want but we say nothing as we always hang out on that fence?

How many of us would like to get off our butts and take action but simply can’t be bothered?

How many of us feel frozen with fear when it comes to opening our mouth and making a difference because we are used to sitting on the fence?

How many of us feel self-fury at others who are not choosing to sit on the fence?

How many of us get bugged by the fact others are taking action and are never sitting on the fence?

How many of us get rattled at the thought of others taking action?

How many of us get disturbed with those around us who simply refuse to sit on the fence and do nothing?

How many of us are jealous of those who Commit to Life and take Responsibility?

How many of us marvel at others who are making a difference, while we just choose to sit on the fence?

How many of us love sitting on the fence because we are not in the spotlight making changes?

How many of us just can’t take another person attacking us for expressing the Truth, so we stay sitting on the fence?

How many of us wish we could be down on the ground doing our bit and not sitting on the fence?

How many of us dream for the day where we get our self out of the way and stop sitting on the fence playing safe?

How many of us know what to say and what to do but just hold back as we are sitting on the fence?

How many of us have all the ideas of what we could do, but just keep choosing sitting on the fence?

How many of us get frustrated, knowing we have something to say but we conveniently keep sitting on the fence?

How many of us live our life doing nothing, as it’s easier to sit on the fence?

How many of us are sitting on the fence as we have a major self-doubt issue?

How many of us actually believe there is no point helping the world so we just stay sitting on the fence?

How many of us would want others to join us on the fence so it’s more comfortable for us?

How many of us feel uncomfortable in our comfortableness sitting on the fence?

How many of us are angry when others on the fence decide to get off their butts and join humanity and get on with it?

How many of us are ok with letting other people get on with it?

How many of us think we should only care about our self and our immediate family?

How many of us sit on the fence because we are scared to move?

How many of us sit on the fence hoping others would just do it?

How many of us sit on the fence wanting to express but don’t?

How many of us are sick and tired of sitting on the fence?

What if sitting on the fence means we are waiting for others to do something but we are not willing to do anything ourselves?

What if sitting on the fence means hanging around hoping others would express what we want to say?

What if sitting on the fence means we get to play it safe and not rock the boat with anyone?

What if sitting on the fence means we will never be challenged?

What if sitting on the fence means we have no Responsibility?

What if sitting on the fence means the world issues get worse?

What if sitting on the fence caps us in ways we are not aware of?

What if sitting on the fence hurts our body and drains us?

What if sitting on the fence affects the whole world because what we came to say and do is simply not happening?

What if sitting on the fence allows us to go off track and we don’t even notice it?

What if sitting on the fence confirms us in our ill patterns of behaviour?

What if sitting on the fence becomes such a habit that we think we cannot change?

What if sitting on the fence serves no one and has no meaning or purpose?

What if sitting on the fence is an utter waste of time as nothing changes?

What if sitting on the fence confirms our stubbornness and does not support us to grow and learn?

What if sitting on the fence affects our vascular system as we were never designed to be and do nothing?

What if sitting on the fence stops us moving forward in life?

What if sitting on the fence stops our own evolution and that of others because we are all inter-connected?

What if we can make a start by simply reading the blog
Do Nothing, Do Something
https://simplelivingglobal.com/do-nothing-do-something/

As Einstein said –
The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.
In other words, sitting on the fence.

As the famous Elvis song –
…do we simply turn our heads and look the other way, as the world turns.
In other words, sitting on the fence.

As the Declaration of Independence said –
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

In the movie National Treasure the meaning of this is –
If there is something wrong, those who have the ability to take action have the Responsibility to take action.
If not, then does that mean we are sitting on the fence.

What if taking true action became our Priority?

What if living a life of Truth was the way forward?

 

 

 

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Comments 15

  1. Great blog Simple Living Global, as always.

    It made me really contemplate this phrase ‘Sitting on the Fence’. You have really spelt out all of the different ways that we do this and I could most definitely relate to them.

    I have recently been inspired by my elderly neighbour who has chosen not to sit on the fence.

    We have a situation in our block of flats that he and I were discussing recently. He had given up about it and had resigned himself to being a ‘mere tenant’ and so what use would his voice be to say anything about the situation.

    I let him know that all of our voices are important and if we all stay silent it just continues to allow unscrupulous activities to continue, which we both cannot stand. We left it at that and I had no thoughts about what he would do thereafter, but I knew for sure what action I needed to take.

    I was quite surprised a few days later when I knocked on his door that he had actually written a letter to the relevant department. He allowed me to read it and I felt very touched that he had decided to voice how he felt about the situation. This has encouraged me to continue saying what I feel needs to be said here.

    It is so Interesting how we can help each other to not sit on the fence, just by one person standing up for what they feel is true in any given situation. We certainly do have more than an affect on each other and what happens in the world than we realise. We can choose to be inspired by others taking action or jealous – the choice is ours.

    Being jealous just further pollutes the world.
    Being inspired by others and taking action could actually change our world.

    It is a choice.

    I choose to not sit on the fence, as I know for a fact it does make a difference.

  2. Well said Simple Living Global – great blog.

    I have had a tendency to be a bystander – to look on, to feel things needed to be expressed or actioned, but to sit from the comfort of my own ‘view’ or seat, and observe. I have learnt recently that this is as harming as whatever is actually taking place – and if we don’t speak up then we are actually colluding with the ills of the world.

    1. Well said, Jane.

      I recently was at a conference and the questions coming from the crowd were getting increasingly purposeless and were taking us off course. I could feel this but sat there waiting for the presenter to deal with it – to move us on.

      But then someone else in the audience got off the fence, called it out and helped get us back on track.

      And I realised I had been by-standing right then.

      What a great lesson in getting off the fence that was for me. And we can all do our part.

  3. Another hidden subject brilliantly exposed here Simple Living Global, thank you.

    It reminds me of the shocking levels of cyber abuse happening in the world.

    What would happen if everyone who sees abuse online chooses not to sit on the fence, and reports it?

    That would be seizmic: a collective choice to get off the fence.

    And that’s just a one fence example that affects us all – so many places we can make a difference, however ‘small’.

  4. I have been frustrated about the state of the world. I have lived my life trying to make a difference. But the world just seemed to get crazier. Like the world was working hard at going nowhere.
    When I was stopped with exhaustion at age 50, after living what I thought was a true life, I gave up and asked , “I want to know what is really going on.”
    Part of my frustration was that I felt that people said and did things that made no sense.
    Was I feeling that what was happening in the world was wrong on a deeper level?
    What if our whole concept of what is progress is wrong? We have made decisions around what we think is right, but has it produced the world we want?
    What if there was another way to make choices? Choices that revolve around what is true for all of humanity. Is it possible that choices like that can be made by living what we know deep down is true?
    The world that we have created is not working very well, and many people are just carrying on doing what they are doing because they do not know what else to do. Maybe if we re- connect to Truth it will become clear what needs to be done and we can jump off the fence and get on with it.

  5. What a great blog. Wow so much in this. I have sat on the fence most of my life, playing it safe, as it’s easier that way, incase of what may come my way after, but I have been speaking out more for a while now and have been surprised at the outcomes and how valuable it is to do so, for us all.. for when I speak up it gives the opportunity for change, change that impacts us all.

    I have found speaking up gives me a deeper connection with people, in my relationships. It can benefit my community as in when I spoke up about anti social behaviour in the flats where I live. It stops unsaid words getting stuck in my body, potentially causing illness, as they are not for me… and I am not adding to the energy allowing our world to stay in the status quo of disharmony it is in.

    If I don’t express what is truly there to express then I am making it about me, when I express it is for us all.

    It is clear to me the importance of getting off the fence and speaking up, something I continue to work on.

  6. We can sit on the fence or choose to climb down off of it on our own. The time has come to take action, if we are still sitting on the fence, it will not be for long because these fences are crumbling.

    So climb down rather than falling, it hurts less.

  7. Our amazing, incredibly complex bodies know exactly what to do in any situation, to keep our bodies on track. No sitting on the fence for it.

    Maybe we should listen to our bodies when we feel indecisive?

    This is basically what Simple Living Global has been presenting for years. By using simple techniques to re connect to my body, this has supported me to heal many of my physical and emotional issues.

    These physical and emotional problems have been in the way of me living my amazing self. Just by dealing with these issues, it has transformed my life. It is so much easier to be in the world. So much easier to just be myself and to know exactly what to do in any situation.

  8. This website and all it’s blogs are a prime example of what not sitting on the fence is. Every blog speaks out and brings truth about each subject and has inspired me to talk about things that I wasn’t aware of before.. to look at our world and it’s people, see what’s really going on and to speak my truth more openly about it.

    Thank you Simple Living Global for the truth you bring to the world and for definitely not sitting on the fence.

  9. I’m wondering about the times when sitting on the fence comes from self doubt – from not feeling sure what to do.

    But what if self doubt can be an indulgence? We know what is needed but we let it get clouded with complexity and ‘what ifs’. That makes it easier to not act.

    I have done this myself – felt an impulse to do something and then held myself back from it with mental analysis: pros and cons, reflection on the consequences and the like.

    That is not to say we should not be considered in our actions and take into account how they will affect others, but I know from experience that too much thinking kills the true impulse.

    So maybe one of the things to support us with less fence sitting, is more certainty inside – knowing when something feels right and staying connected to that.

    And getting on with it, accordingly.

  10. I remember some advice, when I was taking an exam when I was young. Go with your first choice. Do not think about it. Just do your best, and move on.

    1. That is the best advice, Ken.

      It feels like we give ourselves the hardest of times, unnecessarily so. ‘Just do your best, and move on’ is the type of thing we would earnestly say to children but not embrace the wisdom for ourselves.

      And yet is it so wise.

      Over-thinking anything is a killer.

      If I do over-think things, I will these days often come back to ‘what was my first thought?’ as I have learned over time that it is usually correct. It may often seem a quiet first thought, but it is loud when you listen to it.

  11. This blog was inspired by two people I know who have this tendency to sit on the fence and not say anything during a group project we were all involved in.

    I had them telling me what they thought and they were bang on, but come to share it with the whole group then they just go sitting on the fence.

    Mouthy me thinks that is a waste of time and no one gets the benefit plus the group just drifts in the wrong direction.

    I find it very uncomfortable sitting on the fence, because I know what I have to say does hold value and it could just help. Saying nothing, waiting for others to take the lead or just leaving things because we cannot be bothered to express, to me is a total waste of time and it actually harms everyone.

    In the past, when I have sat on the fence, it feels disturbing as there is a pull to actually say something and my body wants it and my head is saying no, stay on the fence.

    The bottom line is I did not want to rock the boat and being nice and fitting in was what I thought was best, as the need to be liked was strong in me.

    Roll on today and those who know me would testify, I really do not care when it comes to Truth.

    It is straight on the table, take it or leave it and no position or status in society makes me change my tone.

    We are all in truth one and the same and saying it as it is – is very much needed.

    Sitting on the fence actually hurts us and I should know and Thank God I gave my licence to sit on the fence back so I could write blogs like this and have a website like this, with no holding back or mincing words.

  12. Thank you Simple Living Global for this much needed blog.

    For most of my life I had not only been sitting on the fence, I had been sitting on a comfortable sofa a few hundred yards behind the fence with several other fences in between.

    About 10 years ago I started to edge off the fence and now, for the most part, I am off the fence.

    Knowing the difference between being on the fence or off it is crucial here.

    When you start to come off the fence it gives you a feeling of truth in your body and this is very liberating because it then gives you the confidence to stay off the fence.

    If we have been on the fence for a very long time and in coming off the fence we have a slip up, it is very easy to beat ourselves up and jump straight back on the fence, but of course that only makes it harder to get back off the fence.

    Although at first, speaking what needs to be spoken can be difficult, it actually starts to become easier when we express, in truth, what needs to be said.

    Coming off the fence shows a commitment and responsibility to not only ourselves, but to others too.

    Sitting on the fence helps no-one.

  13. Do we sit on the fence so we do not have to feel the uncomfortableness, if we get off the fence?

    Suppose the resistance to getting off the fence is a message. A message that something is being offered to us.

    When I feel resistance or uneasiness in my life, I am working at using it as opportunity to open up to what is being presented to me.

    Everything happens for a reason.

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