“We
must become the changes we seek in the world.”
~Mahatma Gandhi
Corporate greed,
immorality, incivility in public life, disrespect for the rights of others and
even less concern for how millions of people in the world eke out their lives
in poverty, suffering from war, disease and lack of opportunity.
Granted there’s a whole lot of undesirable stuff going on in the
world today – you have only to glance at your newspaper, go online or withstand
a cycle of cable news to get a full measure of it. And you have to wonder if this scary decline
is getting as bad as we think, or do we just know more about it nowadays
because of the 24-7 news coverage.
As bad as things may seem – in our neighborhoods, our country,
the entire planet – there would be – believe it or not – a great deal more
pessimism about this societal slip-and-slide were it not for the beliefs and
actions of many millions of intelligent people around the world who are
committed to helping their fellow human beings see the Big Picture, and
hopefully, our role as individuals in it.
In this highly emotional climate, we need to ponder on a quote
from futurist/visionary Barbara Marx Hubbard, who has been called the best
informed human being now alive regarding “futurism” and the fore-sights it has
produced. Hubbard stated that “Whatever
we are going through is part of the planetary struggle to evolve.” She continued with this explanation: "Throughout human history there has been a
continuous and growing impulse toward the regeneration of humanity.” And this is despite many examples that could
cause some to question that there is any activity
in that direction. But when we take a
few minutes to realize how far we’ve come – albeit in fits and starts – since
cavemen wandered the Earth, it’s obvious she’s right.
Yet the mess we’re in now – that humanity as a whole has created
– is serious enough that it behooves us as individuals to bypass the
emotionalism of fear and blaming, and ask ourselves this question: “What can we learn from this situation?”
I believe along with many others that our lesson as individuals
is to finally pay attention and realize that we’re part of a spiritual, as well
as a physical, world and it’s way past time to take responsibility for our part
in changing the negativity that exists today—because it determines our tomorrows.
When we can start replacing negative thoughts with positive ones
in our own everyday lives, we will truly be able to feel that we are now part
of the solution instead of part of the problem.
And if it seems that anything that could be done would be such a tiny
step in a great journey – just remember that’s how all great journeys begin.
One of the most disturbing reactions I see in this situation,
because I experienced some of it myself, is that while many people seem shocked
by the sheer magnitude of the decades-long negative slips that have brought us
to where we are today, they don’t know what to do about it. Trapped in that mindset, the answer is
“Nothing” when they ask themselves the question: “What in the World Can an Individual
Do?” This makes them feel even worse.
This question came up for me during election time, and the
brutality and craziness of the campaign process had totally turned me off, and
for a micro-moment I thought about a way to register my disappointment – and it
was to withhold my vote. Two things
happened to reverse that immature and unwise response. First common sense prevailed and I
immediately returned to my normal desire to support our democracy, which is
based on individual participation, caring for the greater good, choosing to
live from a higher set of values and ethics, and exercising and honoring the
privilege of voting.
Second, I believe that if we’re here on Earth at this time, it’s
our destiny to help ourselves, our fellow human beings, and our planet through
this time. This was confirmed for me
recently while in the dairy aisle at Albertsons grocery store. Perhaps it was only a commonplace incident,
but an illuminating one for me.
I couldn’t reach the last carton of unsweetened almond milk on
the highest shelf and spent a few too many minutes maneuvering. When I turned to look for an employee to help
me, I was embarrassed to see a line of carts behind me. I began apologizing profusely and was
pleasantly surprised. Instead of snide
remarks or angry words I was met with smiles and kindness.
As I expressed my delight at their responses, those total
strangers spontaneously circled me and proceeded to assure me that common
courtesy and human kindness still exist, and there was always hope for
humanity. The gathering concluded with
high-fives, handshakes, and a half-gallon container of almond milk in my cart.
It wasn’t until I worked through my own “stuff” and gained the
insight in this lesson that I was able to complete this essay—and to vote. I realized fully that by continuing to hold
negative thoughts in my mind or spewing them out verbally to others, I was
actually adding to the problem instead of making a positive difference, which
is my heart and soul intention.
From what I’ve learned, the answer lies in the Universal Law of
Attraction, which means that like
attracts like. We already know that
millions of the seven billion human beings on Earth today are
thinking, verbalizing and acting on such heavy-duty energy
thoughts as anger and hatred, which are immediately deposited into the group
consciousness of humanity. This magnifies and attracts even more negative
happenings into our world and our lives.
The good news is that millions of us (hopefully) are now aware
of an answer for what ails us and our world.
This key has been around for eons of time, dating back to Jesus and
Biblical days. It is simply this: When
we change our negative thoughts to positive ones, our lives change for the
better and in that process, we elevate the consciousness of humanity. This means we have the power individually
to be part of the solution. And we do
that by mastering and cancelling negative thoughts and holding only positive
ones for ourselves, others and the world.
It can begin with something as “small” as helping a shopper reach a carton
of almond milk.
All we need to do is choose how we want our lives to be, and
what we desire in our world, and to start claiming it in positive words, and as
a done deal. For example, repeat this
positive affirmation daily: I am grateful for a world that works for
everyone, and is filled with health, wealth, wisdom, loving kindness,
happiness, joy and peace.
Here are some simple steps to help us begin experiencing the incredible
healing feeling that comes from accenting the positive, eliminating the
negative and making a difference in the world:
Start a daily
Gratitude Journal; it will transform your life.
Monitor your
thoughts and cancel negative ones by saying cancel,
cancel, cancel, together, together, together. (This includes your conscious, subconscious and super-conscious
aspects.)
Practice living
loving kindness (including yourself.)
Forgive
Everyone (including yourself) and Everything
_____________________________________ Copyright © 2014 by Fern Stewart Welch
The author’s books: “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart,”
(April 2013); “Tea with Elisabeth,” recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for
Non-fiction; “You Can Live A Balanced Life
In An Unbalanced World,” (Nov. 2008); and “The Heart Knows the
Way – How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit
Within,” (Feb. 2008), are available at Amazon.com, other online booksellers, as
well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.
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