"I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war
demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have
a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there." – Mother Teresa
A message keeps coming to me this week. It goes like this: Whatever you resist,
persists. As many teachers of self-empowerment explain, when you put your attention,
and your passion, on anything – something you detest or something you wish
to create – you actually make it bigger, stronger. You energize it. You give
it more power. You give it life.
That’s why anti-war rallies are not only ineffective,
but counterproductive. The answer to our problems is not to wage anger against
what we don’t like, but to put our love and support behind what we do want
in our world. When we go out to protest this or that, all we end up doing is
comforting ourselves that we know better, that we are more educated, that we are more enlightened.
It seems that the enlightened response is to put our
focus and attention on creating a new solution, one that will resonate with
more people and make all that has not worked before obsolete.
The current political
climate of the United States of America is nothing more than a blood sport,
at best. The two major political parties put great attention, and financial
resources, on the attack of their opponents. They yell at each other on talk
shows. They ignore the other when they have control of the government. They
spend billions of dollars on television advertising, not to tell voters why
they are the better choice, but why voting for their opponent would be a grave
mistake.
One side attacks the other, the news media tells us about the attack,
and then pundits spend the next day debating the consequences of the attack.
Until the next incident. And around and around we go. Where we end up, no one
knows. And then the electorate bemoans the entire mess, blaming the politicians
but not accepting responsibility for their own passion at the office water
cooler.
We, the people, generate an incredibly powerful energy that, in fact,
creates all that we see in Washington. We, the people, have enough collective
force to shift what we have created to a new level, if we choose to.
With intention,
and with passion, the people of America can insist upon a different course
of action. The answer is not in cleaning house, electing the minority party
into power and waiting for it to ursurp its authority and make a greedy mess
of things, and then repeating the entire process all over again. Haven’t we
been there, done that? Aren’t we growing tired of fighting against each other?
Yes. And yes again.
In the past week, I’m more convinced than ever that we will rise above the
fray and create a future that reflects the Truth that lies within each of us.
Why am I so optimistic? Because everywhere I look, I see the passion to do
just that.
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, speaking recently on Oprah, said empathy
for other people led him into politics. His is a voice for human connection;
his new book is The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.
Obama will be President of the United States, when he chooses to.
And in the
media, look no further than a new What the Bleep-like film, The Secret, which
has the potential to change humanity, by itself. One viewing has changed my
perspective on who I am and the capabilities of humankind. The ideas presented
in this column were birthed from the energy of The Secret. It truly is the
best holiday gift you can give yourself, or your loved one.
Breathe, focus and
begin to live and create your life with all of the unique gifts that you came
here to share. Smile and know that the best is yet to come. I am full of hope.
