Archive for the ‘World’ Category
The United States: A Ship Without a Rudder?
Moments ago President Obama spoke to the nation, and presumably the world, on his decision to join with the international community in a coordinated response to the violence perpetrated by Libyan dictator Muammar Qadaffi upon the Libyan people.
Early in the speech, the President said that from the outset, the United States had been swift and certain in its condemnation of Qadaffi’s actions.  While this sounded good, it was a lie. If fact, a week of atrocities occurred during which the President remained curiously silent. His press secretary, in responding to why this was so, cited “scheduling problems.†Yet, during that same week, the President was able to suddenly find the time to schedule coaching his daughter’s basketball team because the coach “had a scheduling problem.† The President’s daughter was not even present for the game he coached.
I am less concerned here with the President’s motives, or lack thereof, in responding selectively to Middle East revolutionaries. I leave that to others.
What does concern me is the current, palpable lack of leadership with which we are faced. This President is unlike any other I can recall in my lifetime. His disengagement from the American people is disturbing but timely.
(Did she just write, “timely?â€)
Yes, I did.
It’s timely because we’ve arrived at a point in the evolution of human Consciousness where we must all be leaders. We must all take charge every minute of every day of our thoughts, words and deeds. We must each source within and find what is true and meaningful for us as individuals… while fully knowing that we are all connected.
We have awakened to the truth of Oneness. Whether it is the heroic and admirable people of Japan facing multiple tragedies, the tortured and oppressed peoples of Libya, or the 12-year-old daughter of a slain Israeli family who is now orphaned along with her two brothers… we are all One and responsible for One And Other… one another.
For Our Self and The Other because we are all connected.
So, I am less concerned with one man’s action and timing than I am with yours and mine.  Hope and Change are just words. No single individual will turn the tide as quickly as each and every individual awaking to rise and meet the challenges of personal responsibility and connectedness.
The owner of an Israeli supermarket has been providing food for the three remaining children of the slain Fogel family during the shiva (seven day mourning period). He informed the 12-year-old daughter who found her slain parents and brothers that “she better get used to†seeing him around because he is going to provide weekly food for she and her two surviving brothers until the last orphan is 18 years old.
Now that’s hope and change and that’s how we do it.
Let’s leave the posturing and politics to the United Nations and world governments.
A Global 911?
It’s never easy to look for and find a “higher purpose†in tragic events. Sometimes, in fact, doing so appears almost heartless. So I am well aware of the dangers in what I am about to say.
The events in Japan are akin to a global 911 of natural origin. I think they hold the potential for rebirth, healing and unity for much of the world. However, before I go there, let me say that I’ve been broken hearted over the loss of life and suffering being experienced by the Japanese people. I have been praying for them daily since the earthquake and tsunami struck.
Now, to what I mean by a “global 911.â€Â On September 11th, tragedy struck on an unprecedented scale, lives were lost, and commerce interrupted. The reaction, although admittedly brief, was Oneness. Not only did all of this nation’s citizens pull together to help respond to every conceivable need, but so did many individuals and nations from around the world. There was a temporary understanding by humanity’s Consciousness that we are all in deed connected and, therefore, united we stand.
There’s no terrorist behind what is occurring in Japan. It’s Earth and Nature in service to restoring balance to a world that has veered far off course and that is very out of balance. Again, I am sensitive to how callous this may sound but in order for caterpillar to be transformed into a butterfly, the caterpillar must relinquish its physical form.
Something similar is happening in Japan. Believe that I value all life forms and see not one human Being as expendable. But as painful and tragic as this catastrophe and loss of life is, its form that’s being altered.  There is no corresponding destruction of Spirit.
We are all connected. We have been disrespectful of one another and the Earth. We have been insensitive, greedy and lacking in compassion. We have ignored our Oneness. We have  created the imbalance.
Nature is infinitely more powerful and resourceful than we. No amount of manmade protection or planning will outstay It’s staying power. This is what we are witnessing in Japan.
We can awaken NOW and do what we did not do after 911. We can lay down our differences and our indifference to honor how connected we are to each other and the Earth that sustains us.  We can know and act in accordance with that knowing that this is the moment of “united we stand or divided we fall.â€
In compassion… we can weep for those suffering and those lost.
In wisdom… we can know that every thought, word and deed matters.
In Our knowing, we can act as One.
Revolution: Good or Bad News?
Pattern realignment is what is commonly called “change.†Chaos is a natural and necessary byproduct of change. What we are witnessing in the Middle East is an effort at political realignment.  I use the word effort because only time will tell the outcome. And not much time at that.
Egypt, Tunisia,& Libya have all experienced major revolts while Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Iran, Iraq, Jordon, Oman and Yemen have had significant protests.  There is nothing uncertain or meek about how determined these populations are in expressing their exhaustion with the status quo or their impatience in demanding an end to it.
Revolution can be a good thing… or not. The most common and oft referenced examples are the American vs. the French. One ended in a Republic and the other in beheadings and a return to Monarchy.
So what will likely be the outcome this latest and widespread populist upheaval?
While I think history can be instructive, I don’t think it will be determinative or conclusive at this particular moment in the evolution of human Consciousness.
Why?  Because we’ve never been here before.
Here is a transcendent moment. By this I mean that if we can view events in the Middle East and around the world, generally, from a higher vantage point (“higher ground†as I like to say) we have the opportunity to co-create an unprecedented global future wherein individuality is honored within a framework of worldwide connectivity.
It’s a BIG if.
Why? Because people and systems entrenched in power don’t go down without a fight.   And because we humans tend to be an impatient lot.
No matter how well intentioned and fueled the emergent tidal wave of freedom currently is throughout the Middle East, unless there is a will to endure with our humanity in tact through the uncertainty and birth pangs of co-creating a new paradigm for governance that honors the individual, the culture, and its role in an interdependent world… those antiquated forces fighting for survival will prevail.
I recently read a great line in Spontaneous Evolution by Bruce Lipton and Brruce Bhaerman.  It was “Love a cancer cell to death.â€Â The message is based upon scientifically verifiable experiments at the quantum level that 1) the observer has a direct influence upon the observed and 2) Love heals, literally.
Perhaps this understanding can be applied elsewhere… even the Middle East. Love the old regimes to death and, in their place, envision one giant leap for human Consciousness.
It’s our best hope.
Days of Rage: Wisconsin, Egypt, Iran & Bahrain
It is sometimes the case that certain words or phrases quickly find their way into our lexicon due to their poignancy and precision. For example, following the O.J. Simpson trial, the phrase “rush to judgment†became the watch-phrase for drawing precipitous conclusions.   The phrase remains over-used to this day (in my opinion) but presents no particular harm.
Such is not the case with “Day of Rage.†In the past thirty days, usage of the phrase has spread from Cairo, Egypt to Iran, Bahrain, Tunisia and most recently Madison Wisconsin. Unlike “Rush to Judgment†these words bear significant harm.
Words matter.
In my just released inspirational book, The Lightworker’s Handbook:  A Spiritual Guide To Eliminating Fear, (also available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble) there is a supplemental “English To Spirit Dictionary†where I define words and phrases for the new paradigm. Because language is one of the ways we share information, we need to communicate with words that honor what we believe in and support how we intend to live our lives.
If change is what the world seeks at this moment in time, is it really through rage that we choose to achieve it? Is rage what we want to call our approach to transcending the limitations of the past?  Is rage what we really want the message to be?
Perhaps.
Throughout human history, there have always been individuals and groups skilled at manipulating others through fear and violence. In Egypt this past week, it was two hundred “pro-democracy†demonstrators who violently and repeatedly assaulted and raped a female CBS reporter. Those individuals were easily moved to commit brutal acts of aggression because they were already engaged in a movement based upon and identified by rage.
If change is what we seek, and I believe it is, then let us move in that direction with the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of several thousand years. Violence, which includes violent language, is a brutal means to what will be a brutal end. Because whether you power over something, such as a nation, through physical force … or over someone, such as a spouse, with verbal abuse … all that you accomplish is the sowing of seeds of resentment and hatred that inevitably lead to violence in return.
If citizens of the world seek to designate days to express their concerns, may I suggest global “Days of Voice†as a viable alternative. Where humanity winds up will be a direct result of not only where we choose to go but, most definitely, how we choose to get there. Personally I want to wind up having a voice in my country’s future and in my own life as well.
Not raging about them.
Egypt, The Golden Calf, and Divine Timing
The Egyptian Revolution has been spellbinding. Watching the “power of the People†is an uplifting and inspiring global experience. Now that the preliminary goal, Mubarak’s removal, has been achieved the real work and challenges begin.
History provides us instruction.
In ancient Egypt, the Hebrew slaves agonized for freedom from the tyranny of Pharaoh as have modern day Egyptians from Mubarak’s rule. Once achieved, the Hebrews made initial efforts to organize and proceed with solidarity toward a common goal of personal freedom. However, when their interim leader, Moses, was delayed in his return from Sinai, the impatient Hebrews were quick to revert to what was comfortingly familiar… idol worship. Only Moses’ personal commitment and charisma were able to set the Israelites back on the road to freedom. And ultimately, the desired outcome became a reality in Divine timing, not theirs.
The lesson? Patience.
Its 48 hours since Mubarak’s fall and already there is renewed confrontation and remaining unrest on the streets of Cairo and elsewhere as demonstrators, so effective at bringing down the regime, are impatient with the inevitably slow process that must follow in successfully moving a People from bondage to freedom.
Technology made their success possible. If the People do not exercise restraint and patience, that same technology may be the reason they too find themselves quickly returning to the familiar… dictatorial rule in calf’s clothing.
Technology, by its inherent speed, makes our human nature’s inclination toward instant gratification all that more immediate. We want everything NOW and if we can’t get it, we immediately go elsewhere… and not always to our advantage.
The generation that affected the Revolution in Egypt has been raised with technology. They expect things to happen quickly. My concern is that youth, in the absence of real leadership, will follow the modern day version of what seduced the Israelites. And further, absent a Moses, will fall prey to those dressed as the Golden Calf.
All growth takes time. It is only human hubris that thinks it occurs in anything other than Divine Time.
Recently, I had surgery and my recovery prevented me, for about two weeks, from posting a blog. I lost readership in that time and fielded emails complaining of the absence of new material. When we are used to getting what we want, and expect, our impatience leaves no room for the natural unfolding of events.
Let us pray that those in Egypt, who have so wisely used the tools of modernity, will translate that wisdom into knowing that the hard work begins now and impatience leads only to arriving in the wrong place at the wrong time.
WikiLeaks Is Right On Schedule
An awful lot of people are on edge (and that’s putting it mildly) over the latest release of classified government documents by WikiLeaks.org.  It’s no wonder. The documents reveal conversations, intentions and strategies that were intended to be kept secret not only from the public in general but also from our enemies and allies alike.
Is the content shocking? In some cases, yes.
Is the release itself shocking? Only if you’ve been unconscious for the past several years… or   not reading my posts.
You see, for at least that long I have been writing about the paradigm shift and its concomitant effects. The most reliable of them being that with the shift there is more high frequency energy inundating our consciousness.
Higher frequency light energy.
What happens when you bring more light into a darkened (a/k/a/ denser) environment? The light illuminates the environment and the result is less darkness… fewer places where you can obscure or hide things. Things are brighter, clearer, and more easily accessible.
Now if you apply this principle to the obfuscation of facts, the obvious conclusion is that with higher consciousness there will be fewer secrets. Less ways and means of obscuring the facts as they are. The “behind the scenes†disclosures being disseminated by WikiLeaks are simply the result of the presence of light.
No more secrets.
My friends have been listening to me say that phrase repeatedly for the past several years. Mainly, because I somehow knew that the unfolding paradigm shift would bring with it real change. Not superficial change… not slogans about change… and not change for the worse, either.
While these disclosures, on their face (prima facie as we lawyers like to say) seem damning, they are, to the contrary, liberating. They will help free the world from strategies and backroom deals that have perpetuated, for millennia, deception and greed.
As I have also said, while the transition may be difficult… it’s always difficult to move from one way of doing things to another… to change a pattern… in the long run we will be better off in a world where the Light shines brighter and there are fewer dark corners in which the least of what humankind is capable of has a chance to fester and breed.
Out of the shadows and into the Light. A paradigm shift worth the effort.
For sure.
Chile: A Lesson To The World About Fear
Like the rest of the world I watched with rapt attention and welling emotion as the last, heroic Chilean miner was lifted from the collapsed mine after being trapped for 69 days. Defying logic and the odds, all 33 men survived an unimaginable nightmare and did so with both grace and dignity intact.
Two thoughts come to mind. 1) There are no accidents, and, 2) there are only two emotions, love and fear.
I have always been a believer that everything happens for a reason… even those things that seem to make no sense at all. For while we may not be able to make sense of some events or personal experiences, everything that happens offers the potential for growth. This is Life.
And so, in a world adrift economically, politically, and socially… 33 miners show us how to defy the odds, rise above limitation and scant resources, and accomplish the impossible.
But there’s more.
What the recent rescue teaches us is the power of Love. In a world so long enamored with the love of power, this is a much needed lesson.
The people of Chile are apparently of hearty stock, with an indomitable spirit, national pride, passion for life, unshakable belief in God, and comfort with the expression of emotion regardless of gender. Love of life, love of country, love of one another and love of God.
And the complete absence of fear.
I did not hear or see fear anywhere. Not among the trapped miners, not by the President of Chile, not by the waiting family members who camped out in the desert for months on end. Fear was absent in Chile and in the absence of fear, miracles occur.
There are no accidents. What we have witnessed in Chile is a lamp unto the nations… the hand of God… reaching out to guide us in the direction of all that is good.
May we pay attention, set our intentions, and proceed with unbridled love.
The Inevitable: Another Gulf Oil Spill
Being highly intuitive, I have lots of like-minded, or should I say like-spirited, friends. At the onset of BP’s Gulf Oil crisis one of them said, “There’s another one coming.” What just reminded me of her prediction is the FOX Breaking News headline as I write this.
Seems there’s been another spill.
The obvious question is “What’s going on?” How can there be so much crisis and bad news day after day? How much stress can people take? And why are things as they are?
For me the answer is fairly clear since I have a habit of frequently looking at Nature to clear up the unknown. In reply to these very valid questions I look at how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Its a process of transformation… and a difficult and deadly one at that. There are stages to such transformation. As one aspect (or form) disintegrates and ceases to exist, another more graceful and less dense emerges. Such is the stuff of Life… evolving.
Einstein taught us that matter is neither created nor destroyed, only redistributed. That’s what a butterfly is…a redistributed caterpillar. Unfortunately, there’s no getting around the fact that for the caterpillar, its the end of the road, so to speak. But all roads end when you’re in the physical world. All those roads that led to Rome did also. The only road that does not end is the one that traverses the cycle of life.
That road transcends what is in a continuous journey of self-discovery.
My heart aches for all the destruction that accompanies transformation just as my Soul simultaneously delights in the potential expansion of consciousness and quality of life present in the same evolutionary moment.
The chrysalis, that stage of caterpillar transformation, where the adult structures of the butterfly are formed while the larval structures are broken down, must be stressful and can’t be all that much fun. Neither is all that we are going through. But as with the larval breakdown, we too are in a breakdown phase of our more infantile or adolescent development as sentient beings… inevitably to emerge as the butterfly…more adult, more graceful, more Light.
Amen.