What visions do I have for the world? How might I take steps to realize these visions?

As I read the beautiful message here this morning, I’m filled with hope and wanted to share a couple of quotes that have come my way this week. My 97 year old uncle in a telephone conversation this week said, We’ve been fighting each other every since we crawled out of the trees.” “Yes,” I thought, “Even before we developed language, we were prone to hurt and maim each other. The “Us and Them” mentality has ruled our species. We glory in competition instead of cooperation. We use our words to lie and to assassinate the character of others. Only a willingness to own our thoughts, our words and our deeds will bring the growth needed to choose love instead of fear as our motivator. The greatest step we can take is to commit to our own growth in self awareness. It’s an inside job. Until we as a species make it our priority, both we and Mother Earth will languish. This quote from Buddhist teacher Larry Ward comes to mind: “I am a drop in the ocean, but I’m also the ocean. I’m a drop in America, but I’m also America. Every pain, every confusion, every good and every bad and ugly of America is in me. And as I transform myself and heal and take care of myself, I’m very conscious that I’m healing and transforming and taking care of America. I say this for American cynics, but this is also true globally. It’s for real.” Until we make “knowing ourselves” a priority, we will continue to react in fear instead of respond in love. The biggest battle is within. I envision us capable of the compassion required.