Be The Change You Want To See In The World
Greetings. For those of you who have not been living under a rock, and perhaps may have been catching the news and what’s going on in the world around here (of course, I’m referring to the recent Presidential elections in the United States of America) I felt that I wanted to address the current state of things as so many people have reached out to me personally asking for assurances. They are asking how this could happen, and their lives have become consumed with fear.
Given the outcry, I wanted to use this opportunity to respond to these people asking me, “How could this happen? Why do people let this happen? I’m so afraid. I’m so concerned about life and how things are going to turn out in my world and the world of others.”
First of all, let me address what I would do for those people who are afraid and unsure about their future and the future of others around them. I would ask them, “Do you fear?” I want everyone to listen to this – “Do you fear that you’re losing your ability to differentiate between right and wrong? Do you fear that you’re losing your moral compass? Do you fear that it’s coming off of center? Do you fear that you’ve lost your ability to show kindness to others? Do you fear that you have lost your ability to treat people with courtesy and respect? Do you have fear that you’re losing those things?” And, remember – this is about you. This isn’t about anybody else.
My hope is that the answer to those questions is, “Well, no Jim. Of course not.”
My question to you is, “Where is the fear?” If you can tell me “Of course not.” Then, you don’t have any fear. You have no fear because you still have those attributes. Rather than resist and fight against oppression – what you perceive as the darkness and the evil that’s going to consume your life, seek out and support those people who advocate for change and advocate for the things that are important to you. Those are the people that deserve your encouragement and support.
That’s my challenge to you – just like as Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” Wailing and whining and complaining about the way that things are will not change anything. Let’s talk about that serenity prayer: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. You can say how things are going to be horrible, and that you’re worried about people being oppressed and marginalized. The question is – can you stand up for them? Can you advocate for individuals like that? Can you support and encourage people in public position and positions of power that do advocate for people who are marginalized, oppressed – the poor, the people without the voice. You can be their voice. And, you can be their voice by advocating for them, through people who have the power and authority to do so. It’s your choice whether to live in fear or to have a mind of awareness and a mind of knowledge, and a mind of courage.
That’s what my challenge is to you – please don’t let fear overcome.
As we discussed in our podcast, everything that you want – every good thing, every happy thing, everything in your life – is on the other side of fear. Identify the fear that you have. Identify it. Conquer it. And, get over it. Deal with it. If you need help with that, please contact this website, please contact Namaste Holistic Counseling. We’ll be glad to listen to you. We’ll be glad to help you, to provide you with ways to provide encouragement and support to others.
Namaste. Please do a kindness for yourself. Do a kindness for another. Please forgive your enemies. Please forgive yourself.
