Taking Responsibility for Change: Moving Forward with Empowerment and Compassion

WE SHALL OVERCOME – all things are a matter of perspective.

A week or so ago, my friend Allan Ishac told of how a friend from his youth found his book, “Mystic in the Mews” and reconnected with him. They told him how their parents who were holocaust victims were still alive and would love to see him. The parents are 99 and 100 years old. When I first heard this I felt there was such a story to tell, for there are few living who first hand can speak of the horrors of this time.

It certainly puts into perspective how small our concerns in life and our fears can be in comparison. It doesn’t mean that our fears and concerns aren’t very important for us, it simply shows how when called up to face a challenge in life we have 2 choices, to lie down and let it happen or seek within for the strength and fortitude to step up and overcome in whatever way possible to us. To dig deep to find the faith in ourselves and the connection to the Universe to show us the way.

It reminded me this morning of some of the words from the song , “We shall overcome”

Deep in my heart. I do believe.

We shall overcome someday.

We’ll walk hand in hand.

We shall live in peace.

We must overcome. We must overcome.

We must overcome today.

We can survive, no other way.

We must overcome today.

Those which ones term the ‘dark ones’ or whatever term you might use the ones who feed thoughts and energy of fear, hatred, anger, separation, violence, despair and lack into the mass consciousness of humanity. They want us to feed upon those thoughts and emotion to keep us disconnected from each other and feeling hopeless. For when we are divided and angry or at war with each other we are not focusing on the Divine energies of our true selves. We are disconnected from the magic of creation and being able to change our world and create a better life for all. Fear, lack, anger, hatred, violence, us or them are all concepts of these dark ones.

Like Dr King , I believe that one day we can overcome and walk hand in hand, but it requires your choice to let go of belief in separation of your fellow human being. Open your heart to compassion and embrace we instead of ‘us or them.’

August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made a speech entitled , “I have a Dream” This is the final part of that speech:

I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Thank you Dr King may this mantra ring forth to the hearts and minds of all.

There is no lack in the Source of All Life of which we are a part.

Lack is a creation of the humans and it is kept perpetuated by us allowing the words of others to guide us instead of using our hearts. As long as you believe in lack, speak of lack, hoard for yourself instead of sharing with others you shut off the Divine flow of Abundance. It is your belief that keeps you trapped not the presence of others in our country.

Stop being a victim and take responsibility for your thoughts, words and deeds.

Drug lords thrive because people choose to buy and use drugs. Like alchohol, one must want to not do drugs in order to help them.

I have seen businesses since Covid 19 constantly trying to get workers to fill open positions but many people have chosen not to work and to complain because they don’t have enough money. In 2007 when the economy was bad and people were out of work the larger agricultural industry offered to hire and train unemployed workers, but guess what? No one but the migrants wanted to work in the fields. Thankfully, they are hardworking and dedicated people or you would not have food on your table, or someone to clear the tables and wash dishes in a restaurant or clean your hotel room or pull your weeds. Too many people not migrants want a free ride. These people work very hard many hours a day doing back breaking work in order to send money to family to help them have a better life. I am not saying these are the only jobs for which they are able to do, but they are the only ones willing to do this job and hopefully to better themselves along the way with new opportunities.

Just like with family farms, I see small family businesses being sold when the older generation is ready to retire because the younger generation doesn’t want to work so hard and such long hours. This is their right to choose but take responsibility for any results of your choices. Don’t blame others when life doesn’t work out the way you want.

In my life there have been financial ups and downs, and job losses, but each time I picked myself up and took a job or 2 or 3 in order to pay my bills and move forward. I did not blame my condition on others. I did not look to my parents to support me. I do not think myself better than anyone else, I simply accept responsibility for my choices and do what is needed to make things better. If I can help another, I will do so. Why because that is why we are alive.

Wake up people. It is time to make choices or don’t complain and blame. Take responsibility for the future you create with your choices. You came here to help to make this world a better place. If you want to complete your contract it is time to start.

Interesting this was intended to speak of overcoming our personal fears, but it seems that Creator wanted us to remember our fears and humanities fear are connected and both need addressed.