We are all here for a purpose. We each have a mission to fulfill--to discover our unique gifts and share them with those around us. You likely have a vision for a better world, and when you fully live your purpose you help to create that world. Some may call you an idealist or a dreamer; wear that title with pride.
This is a time to surround yourself with those who nurture you, who understand and respect your hopes and dreams. This is a time to be with those who support you to walk your talk, to live your true values, not those so-called values advanced by our would-be leaders, public relations firms, and the mainstream media.
Remember that everything happens for a reason. Yet even so, you are not relieved of your duty to do what can be done to alleviate the pain and agony of others. And you have a responsibility to deal with your own distress. For while you cannot control what life sends your way, you have complete control over how you will respond to it. You can create suffering for yourself by sitting around wishing things were other than they are, or you can do all that you can do and feel the satisfaction of your efforts and the results they produce.
Pay attention to what's going on in your community and in the world. Don't try to hide from or close yourself off to the horrors taking place. When you see the starving children with bloated bellies, feel the hurt, feel the anguish, feel the anger. And use your feelings as a call to action.
Quiet the chatter in your mind through meditation, prayer, contemplation, or a hike in the woods. Then listen. Each of us has a gift to offer the world, and we become aware of how we might offer that gift when we get in touch with our inner self. Perhaps you've always wanted to write a letter to your local newspaper, but your mind's internal editor constantly heads you off at the pass. Ignore your editor and write it anyway.
To make a difference in the world, become, as Gandhi says, the change you want to see. If you want a peaceful world, explore inwardly and find that peaceful part of yourself. Then rather than taking your anger and resentment out on your coworker for something he did or didn't do, find a way to forgive . . . him and yourself.
Since we are all in this together, there really is no "enemy." We all want to love and be loved. Any action that is not loving, any action that is fear-based--abusive language, intolerant behavior, a violent act--is a cry for love, whether it's coming from George W. Bush, from Osama bin Laden, from you, or from me.
Service to others can present the next step on our spiritual or psychological path. If, for example, you offer a basket of food to a destitute family in a condescending manner, your gift might feed the flesh, but not the spirit--theirs or yours. And if you become conscious of this, you get an opportunity to understand the importance of humility and how your well-being is inextricably intertwined with those whom you might serve.
We do make a difference--individually and as a group. In fact, every loving thought, every prayer, every compassionate action has a significant effect on the world in which we live and the fabric of our existence. We might be moved to handle our own demons--the judgments, anger, and negative beliefs that do not serve us. We might be moved to listen to and hold a friend who is hurting. We might be moved to serve a meal at the local homeless shelter or build a house with Habitat for Humanity. We might be moved to put our freedom on the line by participating in civil disobedience to stop an unjust war. We might be moved to gather in thousands, millions to say, "No more!"
Through the convergence of social movements--peace, civil rights, women's rights, gay liberation, environmental and others--and personal consciousness movements--Gestalt therapy, body work, experiential workshops, meditation, et cetera--a new subculture has emerged millions strong. With a deep sense of the sacred in nature, a commitment to spiritual and psychological growth, and a willingness to support ecological sustainability, members of this subculture desire to live their lives congruent with their deepest values and beliefs.
Despite the fact that this entire social phenomenon has gone unnoticed by the mainstream media, we are in the midst of an epic shift in American culture. And while some may become dispirited at its pace or with the violence and turmoil surrounding it, the transformation of our cultural paradigm is unfolding just as it should. This groundswell of compassion, sustainability, and justice cannot be contained. And now is the time for those who are willing to step forward in its support.
I'd like to close now by asking you to imagine that you have no concept of childbirth. Imagine that you have walked into a room in which a mother is in the midst of labor--with all the attendant wailing, straining, and gnashing of teeth. What would you think? What would your first reaction be?
Today we are participating in the birth of a new cultural paradigm. Our world is in labor. And being a part of this chaotic and confusing process can sometimes be scary, sometimes awe-inspiring. But have no doubt that an irreversible trend is at hand--a movement toward greater love and respect for one another, for all living things, for the entire Earth. And, as always, we have a choice: We can let fear get the best of us and surrender to despair, or we can acknowledge ourselves for the role we play in this transformation and enjoy the creative process.
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