Yesterday, when I shared an article about Barack Obama (and a poem about Martin Luther King and the legacy that has unfolded this week) I received a few harsh responses. Some might call it hate mail. I’ll just call them openly expressive. I appreciated them because it meant that people were voicing their opinions and sharing their fears. Good. Important. And, we need to create a space for more of these open and honest interactions. The third or fourth letter gave way to a long response from me and I now share it, not out of disrespect, but out of a spirit within me that is hopeful and honored to be a spiritual teacher at this time in our history. Here it is… I understand that there are very different opinions and we can’t predict our future, just hold a vision of it and for it. My faith is that all things are divinely guided and therefore, everything happens for a reason, always in service to evolution. I feel the same way about the last 8 years as well and know that a lot of what seems wrong in the world is just about bringing us back to what is most important. I hold a vision of unity and healing and see a bipartisan movement emerging that engages all people, regardless of current opinions, fears and views. I see all people having a voice, sharing their truth and then partnering in the highest good of all. This inspires us to set aside our judgments and differences and say yes to creative collaboration and the changes that will bring greater security, peace and prosperity to all. I see people open to have their minds changed and not dig into an opinion or rhetoric that created doubt, fear, anger, or hatred in the past. I see us learning about compassion, forgiveness and hope and letting go of the fear and greed that has directed so many decisions in the past… Right, wrong, or otherwise, I see a unification occurring and I trust that we are maturing enough to not continue to be so judgmental, exclusive, and so quick to assign blame and jump to conclusions. Rather, I see us facing an incredible opportunity as a collective to learn how to come behind a vision and grant divine patience to the change that will take a while to manifest itself in our every day lives. No matter our political views or how we feel about our new President, my hope is that we can all unite for a common purpose and have faith that God is working in everyone’s lives…ultimately for the highest good of humanity. The timeline for evolution and progress is not always something we can even begin to understand; our view being limited and often tainted by past experiences and current stressors. Suspending judgment and refraining from fear-based, mind candy, and conversations that campaign the promise of impending disaster is something that we can all work towards. Hoping for the best and waiting for the worst (or expecting and preparing for the worst and the “I told you so” that often gleefully follows) is contrary to the Laws of Intention and Expectation. Faith is something that many people only truly experience when life darkens or doesn’t go their way. We can’t say “God is in charge” and then complain and doubt, all the while fighting, kicking and screaming in defiance and anger. At some point, we must say, “OK, this didn’t go the way I wanted it to but now I bring all my energy to the healing of this nation/relationship/situation/my body/whatever-fill in the blank.” Now, of course, as someone who is glad to have Barack, Joe and Hillary in the White House, and actually entertained the idea of finding another country to move to if we didn’t see one of them elected, this may sound easy. And, what I’ll say to that is that after many losses and disappointments in my lifetime, I have held a strong faith in what was as being in perfect and in divine order. I may have not always liked or agreed with what was “going down” but all who know me also know I have a type of faith that can’t be taken away. I willingly and gratefully work really hard to recognize when fear and judgment has moved into my mind, heart and spirit and I do what it takes to shift out of it. I consciously create the space for people to be messy one minute and yet don’t hold them to that image the next. I hope to be a model of compassion, service, faith and love and believe if I took my last breath today that would be how I was remembered. I love big, forgive often and pray…a lot. It turns out to be a really nice way to exist in this often wacky appearing world and most of my prayers are those of gratitude. Judgment and fear is a poison that we have been consuming and regurgitating for too long. We must set aside our prejudices and differences if we have any hope of a future that our children and their children can enjoy and feel secure and joyful in. If you are going to take a stand, take a stand for hope. Take a stand for peace. Take a stand for flexibility and open-mindedness. Take a stand for unification and healing. Just don’t fall prey to taking a stand for fear or judgment. Pogo said that “holding onto resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Let’s just say that a lot of people are ingesting a lot of poison and some of them are spitting it out as often as they can. Give them your love, your time, your compassionate ear. Hold the space for healing, for resolution, and an end to the conflict that is tearing up families, neighborhoods, tribes and nations. Cultivate within yourself those qualities and thoughts that affirm hope and faith. Forgive the unforgiven. Let people off the hook for crap they said or did last week, last year, or last decade. Be gentle with yourselves. Stand for love. Stand for joy. Stand for progress and positive change. Get present to the here and now, for it is where all of the miracles of our lives truly reveal themselves. Ground yourself in gratitude for all that is blessing your life right now. It is pretty incredible that most of what we love and appreciate can’t really be taken away. Love and the memories of love. Our friends, our relationships. Sure, death can occur and relationships might end, but when we are present and grateful for one another when gifted with those chances (in this time and space continuum), it all lives on and nourishes us in ways beyond our understanding. I see our future progress measured not in sound bytes, opinions from pundits, or media drama and hate filled campaigns that love to pounce on someone the first time they make a mistake, say something incorrectly or have someone from their past show up like an idiot. If I were judged based on the behaviors of my past ministers, teachers, family members, or people I attended a party or event with 10, 20 years ago, I’d be toast. Let’s all get present to the greater gift and opportunity that stands before us. We can all agree on one thing. Change is needed and we are ALL needed to step up into the center of ourselves and come back to our original intention as diverse beings created to co-habitate, co-create and celebrate an evolving humanity and a Universe that is expanding in consciousness. Let go, let God. Live and let live. Love everyone. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Have faith. Even the size of a mustard seed, faith can move mountains (and molehills). Have fun. Laugh. Tell the people you love that you love them. Take care of yourself. Find and say yes to your passions. Live your purpose. Align with your destiny (and give yourself permission to explore it). And, above all, live the power of your way, knowing that together we live the power of our way and this, my friends, is where all else is born from. With love, Anita
The Aligning With Destiny movie is posted at www.aligningwithdestiny.com
Breath of One is posted at www.hypnoticmanifestation.com/breathofone
www.aligningwithdestiny.com begins Feb. 10!
www.powerofmyway.com/soulevolution.html is a live retreat March 20-23!
http://powerofourway.blogs.com is where I express myself!
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