Choosing Peace

All We Are Saying Is Give Peace A Chance

It is apparent on a daily basis that there is this great struggle occurring at this time in our human evolution between uniting or remaining a polarized people. On the one hand is this appeal to our fears, our judgments, our smaller selves in which we can find the illusion of safety in an "us" versus a "them", a me against a lesser Other. This appeal shows up in a barrage of distractions, addictions, soundbite attacks, gossip and rumor, outright lies, and a focus on the smallness of anything that turns our attention away from those issues which, in truth, nearly all of us care about - and especially if we are given the opportunity to clearly see the costs of not caring. Our American corporate owned media is soaked in this smallness of distractions and misinformation, this betrayal of our nation and its people, this commitment to its own bottom line. Profits before people is its motto, greed is its value - which is denied, but in truth, worshipped. And feeding the insatiable demands of that bottom line reminds me of any late stage addict in which one is literally killing oneself rather than seeking the incredible courage and support it takes to get clean and sober. It is my belief that our entire country needs to face our collective need for "recovery" - the need to wake up from experiencing the world as we have thought it is and instead choose to see with new eyes things as they truly are. A reminder I have up in my kitchen states Don't Believe Everything You Think. Amen.

One of the early things I learned in 12 Step recovery meetings over twenty years ago was the soul-deep importance of putting principles before personalities. And when it is important to assess anyone, let it be done first after looking in one's own mirror, and then only for the purpose of assessing character to discern qualities such as trustworthiness, truth, integrity, compassion, wisdom, and heart.

Robert Kennedy, Jr. stated that "the American people are the most entertained and least informed people on Earth." Behind this passionate, painful, and deeply concerned statement was a profound frustration which I share of how difficult it is to be informed in what is believed by many Americans to be the best country in the world. Yet how deeply lacking we are in simple knowledge of the most basic and most important issues which affect us all. And now, with so much at stake, there is a felt sense of increased commitment by the existing power structure to keep us deeply UNinformed. And what better way to do that than to continue to prey upon our vulnerability to being polarized rather than united?

With enough information, and with the courage to open our hearts and seek to strengthen the best in ourselves and others, I believe that we can all agree with the great leaders throughout the history of our beautiful nation that democracy is absolutely dependent upon an informed citizenry. Let us rise up against that which dumbs us down with distractions and, in doing so, threatens the core foundation of our nation and the very freedoms upon which America most esteems itself as representing. Let us SAY NO to all that polarizes us! It is my belief that as long as we remain a divided nation, we are a conquered people - conquered by moneyed interests who care not at all about values or America or our planet. And we will continue to vote and act against our own best interests - and those of our children and grandchildren - while being completely blinded by what we are doing.

Some day future generations will look back upon those of us who live in these times to see what it is that we did. Or did not do. How well are our thoughts, beliefs, actions, values of today going to serve our children and their children and their children's children and on, as native peoples say, into the seventh generation? Let us SAY YES to a commitment to unite behind that which we can all care about! May we seek to re-examine how aligned our actions are with our values. What are the true issues that affect us all? May we have the courage to refuse all that distracts us from the substance behind of our higher selves and the true values which we as human beings share in common. May we align ourselves with our wisdom rather than our wounds. And may we continuously rediscover and deepen in compassion. For isn't compassion the antidote to our judging minds and all the distractions that leads us away from truly caring for ourselves and one another?

I believe that these times are asking of us great courage and great humility and great heart. And I say this with deep humility and gratitude. And with deep passion and great caring for my children and for all children. Perhaps it is time to remember the simple but profound offering of John Lennon's words: All we are saying is to give peace a chance...

Love & blessings,

Molly

"Peace is not just the absence of violence

but the manifestation of human compassion."

~The Dalai Lama