Whether in Afghanistan with the withdrawal of US troops, in Melbourne, Australia with government lockdowns, and the police brutality and corruption coming to light, or in parts of Latin America where families are doing their best to provide for their loved ones, the loss of control is heightened like never before.

For those of us who do not engage in fear and are on purpose to be of service to others, we have a responsibility to ensure our vibrational frequency is stronger than ever, not just for ourselves but for others.

These are unprecedented times, and whether you believe that the events happening around the world are all connected in a game of political distraction and the breakdown of society for even greater control, or everything has simply happened coincidentally, is not really the issue here. I, for one, do not believe in coincidences. Having studied political and social sciences for over twenty years and written several books on the subjects of government and police corruption, I find this moment in time fascinating.

There has been a shift in power over the last decade since the internet brought us all together from all parts of the world, and one that many have underestimated. While living in Egypt during the Arab Spring and Uprising, I saw the power of the internet on a whole new level when those who operate in the dark web brought Egypt back online after Hosni Mubarak tried to silence the country with an internet blackout.

Great minds who saw the potential of the internet warned of the dangers and were silenced, considered conspiracy theorists, and deemed paranoid. Authors like Orson Welles and Aldous Huxley even wrote about the times we now find ourselves in; and in the Bible, these times were described as the rapture.

But what about taking back control on a micro level?

In simple situations such as experiencing feelings of inadequacy in the presence of someone more intelligent or with more freedom than we have been allowed to have or allowed ourselves to have?

Recently, I found myself in a situation here in Colombia where a female hotel owner and a female member of her team felt threatened by me, simply because I challenged their way of thinking by just being myself. I understand not many women travel the world alone, and not many people speak multiple languages. After nine months of speaking Portuguese, Arabic, and English, returning to Spanish has made conversations interesting. All four languages are currently coming out in the same sentence, and whereas everyone else I have met has laughed along with me, these two ladies chose to mock me and laugh in my face when I got confused.

It was very unsettling, especially when a misunderstanding occurred over the price per night in the hotel. Once the mistake was cleared up and I offered to pay the remaining amount without question, the female owner chose to threaten me with the police if I did not pay and leave.

It was a very strange reaction, one that caused a lot of confusion for me, not to mention fear. Why would someone threaten to call the police when the guest had agreed to pay what was due and was checking out the next morning, especially given the fact that the hospitality industry is on its knees at the moment?

Having run hotels in the past, and having spent the last four years living in hotels, changing them every 7-10 days, when a situation like this has cropped up due to a misunderstanding due to language, both hotel owners and I have met halfway.

I spent the night tossing and turning. Were the police about to storm the hotel room at any given moment? Why had this woman reacted in this way? Why had me simply being myself had such an impact on this woman and her female team member?

Over the last few weeks of being in Colombia, and spending the last couple of years in Latin America, not to mention understanding the lack of female empowerment in this part of the world, the answers were clear to me.

I represented freedom. My understanding of languages and business, as well as my ability to pay the difference without question, intimidated them both. They had to take back their power and confidence, and they had to control me in some way. A threat of calling the police gave them the opportunity to regain the upper hand they felt they had lost.

Our human instinct to feel in control is powerful. When we feel threatened in any way, we seek survival at any and all costs, sometimes behaving in ways that are more destructive in the long run.

This woman relies on reviews for her business. I could not give her a good review having been on the receiving end of intimidation and arrogance. Why would I put others at risk of being treated in the same way?

In my last article, I spoke of how powerful and misleading reviews can be. After this experience, I went horse riding, breathed in the fresh Andean Mountain air, and relaxed. Nature has a way of rebalancing you regardless of what has gone on before.

Looking at the way the tall palms in the Cocora Valley rose high in the sky reminded me of how to rise above any and all negative situations. Watching the water weave and flow through obstacles in its path, and the bushes, plants, and trees all working in harmony with each other to nourish the soil, the birds, and the mammals present in the depths of the forests, gave me the presence and peace of mind I was looking for.

The tension in my body left me, and I sent love and forgiveness to these two women who are simply a product of an environment they have chosen to remain in; because they have chosen it, consciously or subconsciously.