November, 2012
Is there any way — and way at all, short of all-out war killing thousands — to bring an end to the Israeli-Hamas conflict?
Among the most controversial statements in the Conversations with God books is the pronouncement Nobody does anything inappropriate, given their model of the world. The statement ranks right up there with other CWG messages such as “There is no such thing as Right and Wrong,” and…”There are no Victims and no Villains,” and….”Everything is perfect” in its unbelievability.
CWG is spiritually revolutionary, there is no question about that. Its statements challenge everything we have been taught and told since we were six years old. How can we hold these ideas within our operating guidelines and still function in our present-day world? That becomes the question for the day.
The statement says, essentially, that everybody is innocent. And it is true. Everybody is. People are just as innocent at 40 as they are at 4; at 30 as they are at 3; at 60 as they are at 6. We are all little children — and we are acting as little children, in case you haven’t noticed.
And, as little children (on the Timeline of the Universe) we can’t be expected to know all that we need to know to make decisions that are in our own best interest. We can’t even convince ourselves to stop smoking, for heaven sake, even when we know it is killing us. We can’t even convince ourselves to stop eating food that is not good for us, even though we know it is killing us. We can’t even stop ourselves from arguing with each other “to the death”…even though we know it is going to kill us.
What is the problem here? Is it that we are just plain stupid? Or unbelievably stubborn? Or astonishingly barbaric? Or is it that we just don’t understand something very important — the understanding of which would change everything?
I am going to suggest that it is the latter. I am going to suggest, as Conversations with God tells us, that we simply don’t know Who We Are. We are living a case of Mistaken Identity. And we don’t know what the purpose of Life is. Nor do we understand how it functions. We have no idea of our true relationship with each other, and with all of Life. And we certainly have no idea of who and what God is…and what God wants.
Our model of the world is extremely elementary. It is very, very incomplete. And, according to our model of the world, everyone IS acting appropriately. Or at least, certainly we are…
We are caught up in living into Fallacies about Life and about God, and these mistaken notions are what’s killing us. We think that we are being terrorized by others, and we are not. We are being terrorized by our own thoughts and our own ideas and our own beliefs about everything from where we are to why we are here to how we got here to what happens to us when we leave.
All of it. We hold terrifying ideas about all of it. No wonder we are living terrifying lives.
We will discuss, in this space, in the days ahead, what Conversations with God has to tell us about these things. And then we’ll invite all of you to do something with, and about, that.
Stay tuned.
“All attack is called Self Defense.”
I have been reminded of that insight over and over again for the past week as Israel and Hamas have inched closer and closer to the next level of their seemingly endless combat that could lead to an all out war in Gaza.
Humanity has been trying to figure out how to bring an end to war since living beings evolved into self-consciousness on this planet. From those very first moments we have found reasons to oppose each other. From those very first moments we have found reasons to fight each other. From those very first moments we have found reasons to kill each other. It has never stopped, from those very first moments to this very moment.
I would venture to say that there has not been one day — not one single day — since the beginning of recorded history when one human being has not killed another. And I don’t mean by accident. I mean deliberately. With purposeful intent.
Not one.
Single.
Day.
…in thousand and thousands of years.
And now here we go again, on this particular day, trying to see just how many people we can kill in the main cities of Israel by showering rockets down upon them, or in the populated areas of Gaza, with air strikes raining bombs.
And as I write this, the talk is of a massive build-up of Israeli troops on the Gaza-Israeli border, prepared to launch a ground assault on a moment’s notice.
What has caused, and “who started,” this latest up tick in the hostilities between these parties is almost irrelevant at this stage. Each side, of course, insists that it is only defending itself. And it is. Seen from each side’s point of view, all each side is doing is defending itself.
Aggression is always called defense. And aggression takes many forms. Not all of it is military. And so it is true that each side in this ongoing conflict has “aggressed” against the other repeatedly over the years. And one has to go back a half-century or more to get to the root of the cause of all of this. And even then the history doesn’t matter. All that matters today is what it would take to end the killing, to end the aggression and counter-aggression that is threatening to embroil a whole region — and even, conceivably, the entire world at some level, if not directly — in a war that could prove unspeakably tragic for the entire human race.
In the past several days I have been reading a wonderful book by MSNBC’s commentator Chris Matthews, Jack Kennedy/Elusive Hero. America’s slain President was personally and intimately familiar with the savagery, barbarity, hideousness and atrocity of war, having served as a PT boat commander in World War II, losing a brother and a brother-in-law in the conflict, and earning the Navy and Marine Medal for “extremely heroic conduct” when he swam for hour hours to a tiny island in the Pacific, tugging a wounded comrade behind him, the strap of the fellow soldier’s life vest between his teeth, after his PT boat had been rammed and split in two by an enemy destroyer. Kennedy lost two men under his command in the incident — and saved the lives of 8 others. The ordeal was something that he, of course, never forgot.
Chris Matthews writes that shortly after the war ended, the future president wrote in a letter to one of his war buddies, “We must face the truth the people have not been horrified by war to a sufficient extent to force them to go to any extent rather than have another war.”
Those words, written 60 years ago, are as true today as they were then — and as they have been for centuries.
Indeed, for millennia.
I have always thought that any human problem can be solved by talking about it. I have said this to my children. I have said this to my wife and to my extended family and to my friends. I have said this in public, at lectures and in spiritual renewal retreats and personal development workshops. I have said this on-the-air in radio and television broadcasts, and in writing in newspaper stories and magazine articles. I still believe that. But we have to talk about the right things.
There are some who say that human beings cannot — simply cannot, for reasons of biology, genetics, you name it — stop themselves from needing to be right…to say nothing of killing each other over their differences. And the problem becomes, what do you do when the other party won’t listen? What’s left when all the talking has achieved nothing? When one or both parties are intractable? When no one will give an inch? Or when one gives an inch and the other takes advantage of it?
How do you solve it when talking simply does not, will not, has not, and cannot?
The answer is that we all need to talk more — but in an entirely different way. We need, as an entire group called humanity, to talk about not what is going on, but why.
And that is something that no one wants to talk about.
Or, at least, very few people do. Because it is going to put the spotlight on — and may be even ask people to change — beliefs. And that is something that many people would rather die than do. And so, they are achieving exactly that outcome.
Conversations with God famously said, “No one does anything inappropriate, given their model of the world.” This is the same as saying that everybody believes that they are acting correctly — given the way they see themselves and see life in any given moment.
What humanity needs to do, then, is talk about its model of the world. When our model of the world, our whole idea about Life and what it is and what it’s for and how it works and why it exits and who and what God is (if there even is a “God” at all) — when the whole construction produces nothing but anger, crisis, violence, killing, and war…and has done so for thousands of years…isn’t it time to question some prior assumptions?
We need to talk about Who We Are and What We Believe and How We Imagine Life To Be and Where We As A Species Wish To Go, and When We Are Willing To Do What It Takes To Get There.
And we need to request, invite, plead, beg, implore, entreat, petition, ask, call on, and beseech our world’s leaders in government, politics, economics, religion, the military, education, and every area of human endeavor to place these subjects at the top of their agenda. We need to call these the Five Required Topics at any meeting that any of them have about anything whatsoever anywhere in the world at any time.
Let’s call upon our leaders now. Right now. Our world’s leaders need someone to lead them. We thought they were going to lead us, but they can’t. Or won’t. So we need to lead them.
You know who to write to. Write to them. You know whom to contact. Contact them. Then post The Agenda to Save Humanity From Itself on every website, in every newspaper or magazine Letters-to-the-Editor column, on every feedback forum of every television show, every week of your life. Do it. Once a week, every week.
Are you willing to do it?
On October 9, 2012 a teenage girl in Pakistan named MalalaYousufzai was brutally shot by members of the Taliban on her bus ride home from school. Her initial prognosis was not good, yet today she is thriving – walking, reading, and writing. While she still has more medical procedures ahead, the doctors believe she should recover without major neurological damage.
What possible reason could the Taliban have for wanting her dead?
They are threatened by her dream that girls receive an equal education to that of boys and her outspoken advocacy for it. She launched herself into the international spotlight a few years ago, at the age of 11, with her blog about girls and education. She has shown unabashed passion and courage, notwithstanding the threats against her life over the years. Even in the face of her attack, she has expressed that her intent is to continue her unwavering advocacy for education. In fact, she is so dedicated to her own school work that, according to CNN, she has already resumed studying for her exams, even as she recovers. The international community has embraced her as a champion, even naming Saturday, November 10th “Malala Day” to honor her dream (read full story here) .
Let’s reflect on what parents in the New Spirituality can learn from such a tenacious, brave young girl. I believe her strength and passion, the very same ones that made her a target of the Taliban, are helping her to make this miraculous recovery. Your child may or may not be fighting for the right to education or to recover from a life-threatening injury; but the lessons we can, collectively learn, from Malala can be applied to many situations.
One of the Core Concepts of Conversations with God says, “The purpose of your life is to recreate yourself anew in the next grandest version of the greatest vision ever you held about Who You Are.” What this concept means to me is that children who are encouraged to think for themselves by their parents, whose spirits are nurtured, rather than stifled, can lead very fulfilling lives of passion and become agents of great change! If Malala’s parents had discouraged her passion, the entire world might not be engaged, right now, in this important conversation about equal education.
It is tragic that chasing her dream caused her to be a target of hatred and violence, but how amazing is it that she has still chosen to be an advocate for conversation and change! In the New Spirituality, it is incomprehensible that violence is used as an attempt to settle disagreements in the modern world; and further, it seems extreme that it took such a terrible act of violence against a child to draw attention to the plight of education. But all it takes to begin change is a dream…an idea…a person brave enough to stand for something. Malala is a beacon of hope and a steward of dreams!
I have wondered, in light of her attack, if her parents regret that they “allowed” her to be so outspoken; but I think her father’s speaking on her behalf about her continued passion shows that they do not. Or at least they appear to understand that this is something she feels compelled to do and that trying to stop her would be futile; that her advocacy is part of her purpose to recreate herself anew in the next grandest version of herself.
You may wish to think about Malala the next time your child has a seemingly crazy idea in which he says he will invent healthful, non-toxic food that is inexpensive to produce, plentiful enough to feed the world, and easy to share. Or the next time she says she can invent cars that can be given away for free and use no gas. He or she may be just the one to accomplish it! How parents react to their children’s aspirations and solutions to life’s problems, no matter how outlandish or impossible they may seem, directly affects how “big” the child feels it is okay to dream. And how big children feel allowed to dream directly affects how society progresses.
How big do you wish for your child to dream?
(Emily A. Filmore is the Creative Co-Director of www.cwgforparents.com. She is also the author/illustrator of the “With My Child” Series of books about bonding with your child through everyday activities. Her books are available at www.withmychildseries.com. To contact Emily, please email her at Emily@cwgforparents.com.)
Financial uncertainty can create some real challenges in relationships. Unpaid bills stacking up on the kitchen counter, an almost-empty gas tank in your automobile, looming medical expenses, kids in college, rising insurance premiums, maxed-out credit cards, all paralleled with shrinking paychecks or maybe even the threat of losing a job are situations that many, many couples are up against and struggling with. These issues, demanding center-stage attention for couples finding themselves at the end of their financial ropes, are often significant contributing factors leading to the demise of even the most loving relationships.
Modern conveniences, tantalizing advertising campaigns, and overly commercialized holidays cater to and feed our fragile ego’s desire to have more, do more, have it faster, do it faster. Attempts to keep up with the seductive and frenzied pace of “more, more, more” draw us further away from the essence of our own innate abundance, misleading us into believing that the true measurement of “wealth” in our relationships, or lack thereof, is directly correlated to the way in which we measure financial wealth.
Contrary to what we are being asked to embrace by society, could a shoestring budget and a dwindling bank account be just the thing that reconnects us with an experience of inner wealth, unconditional love, and deeply fulfilling partnerships? Could the experience of having nothing remind us that we already have everything?
A partnership is much more than the physical cohabitation of two individuals. It is more than the wedding and the house and the kids and the careers, and is most certainly more than the unpaid bills. A partnership is a Union of Souls on a Spiritual Journey. Refocusing our attention on the larger purpose of our relationships and the ultimate outcome for All of Life helps us to measure how tightly we hold the day-to-day happenings in our life and how meaningful they are to us.
When waves of panic, worry, and obsession dominate our thoughts, we lose sight of the experience for which our Souls yearn. Sure, we still experience something. We are in a constant state of experiencing ourselves in relation to every encounter in life. But when the question becomes “Why is this experience creating conflict and tension, rather than joy and happiness, in my relationship?” we may want to ask the next important question: “How can I CHANGE that?”
Everything we experience in life — the perceived lows, the perceived highs, what we label “good,” what we label “bad,” those events that appear to propel us forward, and those events that appear to hold us back — are simply touchstones for us to choose in relation to. Each experience weighs in somewhere on the “scale of life,” teetering in one direction or another, depending upon what we choose. Perhaps today we will choose a long walk in nature, holding hands with our Loved One, engaging in heartfelt conversation. Perhaps tonight, instead of eating at a restaurant, we will prepare a wonderful homemade meal together. Perhaps this evening we will dance underneath the moonlight to our favorite soulful music. Perhaps we will gift each other with a sensual massage and surrender to a lingering night of making love. Perhaps in the evenings, after a long day at work, we will greet our Beloved at the door with a warm and loving embrace and each morning awaken them with a tender kiss.
If we choose to experience this level of Soul connection, in spite of the unpaid bills stacking up on the kitchen counter, an almost-empty gas tank in the automobile, looming medical expenses, kids in college, rising insurance premiums, maxed-out credit cards, all paralleled with shrinking paychecks or maybe even the threat of losing a job, then we will have truly experienced what it means to be rich beyond our wildest dreams.
(Lisa McCormack is the Managing Editor & Administrator of The Global Conversation. She is also a member of the Spiritual Helper team at www.ChangingChange.net, a website offering emotional and spiritual support. To connect with Lisa, please e-mail her at Lisa@TheGlobalConversation.com.)
I am scared and confused, and I wish someone would tell me what is the REAL DEAL about how God feels about sexual intimacy between people who love each other but aren’t married yet. I am caught between the Bible and what CWG has to say. From what I have read of CWG, God seems very easy going about sex. The Bible implies (and sometimes firmly states) that sexual purity is a must and that God won’t hear the prayers of someone who is sexually immoral. But, I’m not trying to be immoral. I just want to love and be loved by the person of my choice. Why is that bad? My friendship with God means everything to me. He is my best friend and He has walked with me my whole life. I don’t want to feel like I am betraying him by being disobedient. All I want is to do the right thing. Can you give me your perspective? Thank you, Annie, for listening… Frances
Dear Frances…Thank you for reaching out. You asked for the “REAL DEAL about how God feels about sexual intimacy between people who love each other but aren’t married yet.”
Okay, here it is: God = Love. God is all there is, everywhere present, in all things seen and unseen. Love is all there is, everywhere present, in all things seen and unseen (even though it’s hard to recognize sometimes, when it’s been distorted by fear).
Since God is all there is, and Love is all there is, how can any expression of Love between two people possibly be bad? It cannot, dear Frances. Love wants to be expressed, and that’s what we came here to physicality for. YOU get to decide what feels right for you, and no matter what decision you make, please know that God loves you and is perfectly okay with it. God will never abandon you. It is impossible for the reason stated above: You are part of God, because God is all there is.
Please allow yourself to feel pure joy. Allow yourself to live your own truth. And always, allow yourself to feel love, in whatever way feels joyous and true to you!
(Annie Sims is the Global Director of CWG Advanced Programs, is a Conversations With God Coach and author/instructor of the CWG Online School. To connect with Annie, please email her at Annie@TheGlobalConversation.com.
(If you would like a question considered for publication, please submit your request to: Advice@TheGlobalConversation.com where our team is waiting to hear from you.)
Prop 37, The Right to Know GMO labeling initiative, looks to have been narrowly defeated last week in California. It was a contentious fight with over 45 million dollars of advertising and support from major food makers who outspent their grassroots and organic counterparts in an effort to avoid labeling their products.
GMO – Genetically modified organisms, are food crops, animals and other food products that have had their genes changed to create breeds and strains of plants and animals that do not naturally occur. Scientists have been for years now introducing genetic material into organisms to alter, create and effect changes in living plants and animals. Also called recombinant DNA technology, this practice changes the core genetic make-up of organisms. This genetic manipulation gives scientists the ability to create any trait they wish, or suppress natural traits they don’t want. Why? One argument is the world’s population growth demands scientific intervention due to a perceived inability of nature to provide the yields necessary to keep pace. My opinion is much simpler…there’s money to be made in them thar seeds.
Little is known about the long-term effects of eating GMO foods; I ask, why fix what isn’t broken? Nature has provided us the perfect packages to create and sustain health, and we do know the long terms outcome of that, so why mess with perfection? While some countries, including the US, have adopted GMO foods, many others have banned the production and selling of GMO, or at least have created guidelines that require GMO foods be labeled, which is what Prop 37 had proposed to do.
Among the largest bankrollers of the NO on 37 campaign were huge multinational food and beverage companies whose subsidiaries make billions of dollars, ironically, selling some of the most well-known “natural” food brands. Could corporate greed rather than pubic good be the reason why there was such a huge effort to stop the labeling of GMO food? Don’t get me started.
The Organic Consumers Association, who is calling on consumers to boycott the companies and brands whose money may have swayed California voters into voting No on Prop 37 said, “If we raise enough hell, maybe the parent companies of these popular brands will come to their senses and stop doing the bidding for Monsanto and the biotech industry.” The OCA is calling on consumers to boycott the companies and brands listed below by exposing how much each spent to defeat GMO labeling in California.
PepsiCo (Donated $2.5M): Naked Juice, Tostito’s Organic, Tropicana Organic
Kraft (Donated $2M): Boca Burgers and Back to Nature
Safeway (Member of Grocery Manufacturers Association, which donated $2M):“O” Organics
Coca-Cola (Donated $1.7M): Honest Tea, Odwalla
General Mills (Donated $1.2M): Muir Glen, Cascadian Farm, Larabar
Con-Agra (Donated $1.2M): Orville Redenbacher’s Organic, Hunt’s Organic, Lightlife, Alexia
Kellogg’s (Donated $791k): Kashi, Bear Naked, Morningstar Farms, Gardenburger
Smucker’s (Donated $555k ): R.W. Knudsen, Santa Cruz Organic
Unilever (Donated $467k): Ben & Jerry’s
Dean Foods (Donated $254k): Horizon, Silk, White Wave
Most thought that Prop 37 would have easily passed in the granola state, and like me, many were shocked when it didn’t. However, to this day, questions about whether Prop 37 actually lost still linger. Was there vote tampering? According to investigative reporter Jon Rappoport, there may have been. “Media outlets made an early call on election night claiming that Prop 37 had gone down to defeat, while there were well over 3 million uncounted votes at the time of reporting.” Rappoport goes on to question whether or not there was criminal vote tampering and asks the question, should the election have been called so early with such a close margin and so many uncounted votes? Seems like this one may yet be challenged.
Either way, California’s Prop 37 has spawned a national debate and consumer awareness since the “right to know” movement seems more determined than ever to fight for labeling of food that has been genetically modified. Already under way are efforts in Washington State, Vermont and Connecticut, along with a 30-state coalition that is formulating a plan to collaborate on GMO-labeling laws and initiatives. This issue is far from settled, and the same may still be true for California’s Prop 37. Stay tuned.
America is one of the only major industrial countries that allows and promotes the production and sale of GMO foods. In Europe, Norway, Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Luxembourg, and Portugal have put in place GMO restrictions. France made an important step in the no-GMO movement by specifically defining exactly what “GMO-free” means when it comes to food labeling. Ireland has banned all growing and cultivating of GMO foods, and the European Union — a governing coalition of European countries — has considered a Europe-wide banning of GMO foods. So have many other countries.
No matter what side of the GMO food debate you fall on, it seems prudent to me that the public should have a right to know what is in their food supply, no matter where it’s grown or what company produces it. It’s not like labeling ingredients isn’t already required. As a holistic health professional, my further concern is, what are the real long-term effects of eating GMO? Are you willing to be a lab rat? You may be right now and not know it!
Is it telling that in Monsanto’s own corporate cafeteria only organic food is offered and served? If they are so proud of their products, why are they unwilling to eat or label them? I will stick with what nature produces, and the only way to ensure that is to buy and eat organic. Or better yet, grow your own. Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get to eat your efforts!
So it’s clear what my opinion is…what say you? Do you have the right to know if you are choosing GMO… or not?
(J.R. Westen, D.D. is a Holistic Health & Spiritual Counselor who has worked and presented side-by-side with Neale Donald Walsch for over a decade. He is passionate about helping individuals move beyond their emotional and spiritual challenges, transforming breakdowns into breakthroughs. His coaching provides practical wisdom and guidance that can be immediately incorporated to shift one’s experience of life. As is true for most impactful teachers, J.R.’s own struggles and triumphs inspired him to find powerful ways of helping others. Sober since June 1, 1986, J.R.’s passion for helping individuals move through intense life challenges drove him to also specialize in Addiction and Grief Recovery. J.R. currently shares his gift of counseling & coaching with individuals from around the world through the Wellness Center, Simply Vibrant, located on Long Island N.Y. In addition, he works with Escondido Sobering Services and serves on the Board of Directors for the Conversations with God Foundation. He can be contacted at JR@theglobalconversation.com, or to book an appointment, write support@simplyvibrant.com.)
Something beautiful happened on November 6, 2012.
Quietly, calmly and resolutely, millions of Americans came together as one. We made a decision as a nation. Over all of the well-funded noise expressing fear and hate, that wanted more than anything to maintain a nation divided, we made a different choice.
This moment has not been lost on anyone. Everyone, no matter what side of the political spectrum, knows that what happened last week was profound. We can feel it in the air and in our bones. I have long believed that in American politics, it comes down to one simple question: Do you believe in ME or do you believe in US? On Tuesday, US won. We announced that we understand that we are all one.
We’ve been taught to believe in ME in so many ways. We love the notion of the rugged individualism handed down by the idealism of our forefathers. Individualism, in fact, is the concept that founded this nation. We are built on the idea that we should not be limited by birth, that we all have a right to participate in the decision-making process of our society. This was the great step that democracy made over feudalism.
But that’s only part of our story. Since our earliest days, we’ve also been a nation at war with itself. With every generation, there have been many of us who were disenfranchised through ideology, theology, intimidation, or force. For many of us, the experience of being pushed to the side has left us deeply wounded. I, for one, have had a hard time trusting a God that could let such things happen.
This year, the choice could not have been clearer. This election was a referendum on WHO WE ARE and WHO WE CHOOSE TO BE as a people. It was a perfect example of CWG’s most fundamental question: ‘Who do I choose to be in relation to this reality?’ Do we choose to express the idea that only some of us are worthy of heaven and a decent life on earth, as so many evangelists preach? Do we choose to let intimidation keep us from the polls and locked in a cycle of powerlessness? Or do we choose to live who we really are?
Do you believe in ME or do you believe in US?
We answered that question this past week by simply being who we really are. We showed up and stood in line quietly, patiently, resolutely. This was sacred ground we were walking. This was holy work we were up to and it is a conversation that has resounded around the globe:
“(We chose) to experience the grandest version of the greatest vision (we) ever had about who (we are).”
For those of us unafraid of unity and equality, this is our greatest joy.
(Kimberly J. Miller is a writer, musician, and student of spirituality who lives in Northern California. She is currently writing a book, Southern Odyssey, about her own search for soul as a woman of mixed heritage in America.)
I’m beginning to think that there’s something wrong with me. Things that come easily to those around me are hard for me, and every time I try the latest and greatest thing that a friend swears by, I’m frustrated and disappointed because it doesn’t work for me. This happens anywhere from money and career to the latest self-help craze or dieting and I’m beginning to think I’m a “lemon.” I’m generally optimistic, I have a positive attitude and an open mind – is there something I’m just not getting here??
Becky, Vancouver
Hi Becky,
No, you are most certainly not a lemon, and there is nothing wrong with you. It’s easy to watch another person do something and find success and assume that we will, too, only to find ourselves frustrated and wondering, “what am I doing wrong?” For instance, one person may start a new diet program and lose 20 lbs. on it. Another person sees this and tries the program herself, and doesn’t lose a thing. What’s the problem here? The answer is something you probably already know on some level – the answer is that each one of us is a unique individual, and we all work differently.
Seems like common sense, right? Yet how many times do we find ourselves forcing ourselves to fit into different constructs anyway, just because it works for someone else, all the while knowing this answer? We do this because we are taught to. We are taught to fit in, be a part of the norm, conform, etc., and the ironic part is that we’re taught this because it’s supposed to be easier, when, in fact, it makes life much more difficult if these “norms” are not your true nature. We end up fighting ourselves, going against our natural “grain,” and life feels just plain hard sometimes.
But what if we made a conscious choice to embrace the unique things about ourselves, and the unique way in which we work? What if you made a conscious effort to work with yourself instead? Oh, the possibilities…
And here are a few ways to get you started:
– Pay attention to what works for you and doesn’t work for you. How do you know? Things that feel good, come easily to you, and you look forward to work for you. Things that bring a lot of resistance, anxiety, struggle, and even fear probably don’t work for you.
– Avoid the things that don’t work for you and embrace the things that do. It’s as simple as that, but it takes some focus and listening to yourself. Try writing things down as you notice them, and referring back to your lists as reminders when making decisions.
– Get into the habit of centering yourself. When you are closely and strongly connected to your Self, everything naturally becomes clearer, and you’ll find yourself making choices based on what you’re naturally drawn to versus what you think you “should” do. So do whatever works for you, meditate, journal, go for walks, paint, etc.; whatever brings you that calm inner peace and clarity.
Start there, and it will be amazing at how much easier and more enjoyable your life becomes, not to mention how much more fun it is to be YOU. And remember to celebrate the things that make you different – if we were all the same, the world wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.
(Nova Wightman is a CWG Life Coach, as well as the owner and operator of Go Within Life Coaching, www.gowithincoaching.com, specializing in helping individuals blend their spirituality with their humanity in a way that makes life more enjoyable, easy, and fulfilling. She can be reached at Nova@TheGlobalConversation.com. )
(If you would like a question considered for publication, please submit your request to: Advice@TheGlobalConversation.com, where our team is waiting to hear from you.)
In the aftermath of the 2012 Presidential Race, emotions reached an all new level of political intensity. With the results of the election casted and counted, states across the US immediately began to petition for secession from their reelected leader and reelected government. In an article from the BBC dated November 12, 2012, it states that over 700,000 signatures from all 50 states have already contributed to the petition of their statehood removal. Though the petitions themselves are merely symbolic, just what exactly are we symbolizing with these petitions?
As we look back on the course of the elections, we see that the people of the United States have been everything but unanimous on their political lines and boundaries. With such firm divisions over being “Right Wing” and “Left Wing,” “Conservative” and “Liberal,” we have chosen to isolate ourselves from an entire portion of the population simply because they support different ideas. Divisions within and among the people have only magnified our degree of separation.
Are these divisions really progress? Is our continued isolation, and now even secession, from those who think different than we do a part of the path to creating the “perfect” society? The “us versus them” illusion that has been applied by nearly every politician of every age has kept us from remembering the same humanity that lies within the other side. In the face of such separation, we need to redefine Who We Are as a nation – are we going to continue to live that separation or will we come together to love our nation and our brother?
The answers we search for to solve today’s greatest challenges are not found in one man living in a white house in Washington, but are found within the creative conversation and collaboration of the whole. With an understanding of Who We Are as individuals, we can integrate that same higher message into the collective decision of Who We Are as a Nation. By having an understanding of a unified vision, we can work toward that goal, instead of working against each other. As we all take a step in that singular direction, our purpose and our ideas become one. We can choose a New Path for America, one which brings people together under a common purpose and a common goal to face the challenges ahead.
We, the teens, will be the next generation of leaders who will determine America’s New Path. By choosing to apply our greatest version of the grandest vision we ever had about our country, true progress and transformation can happen. We can let go of the old messages and move forward, towards new solutions for a new generation. By thinking above party lines, by living above party divisions, we can create our own agenda, which serves to fill the highest purposes of our highest thoughts. By simply redefining ourselves by our unity rather than our division, we are true change.
(Lauren is a Feature Editor of The Global Conversation. She lives in Wood Dale, IL, and can be reached at Lauren@TheGlobalConversation.com)
