Leave
a Legacy
“Each
of us possesses an exquisite, extraordinary gift: the opportunity to give
expression to the Divine on earth through our everyday lives. When we choose to
honor this priceless gift, we participate in the re-creation of the world.”
Sarah
Ban Breathnach (Simple Abundance)
Think about
this: What if everyone in America were to spend the next five days engaged in
nothing but loving thoughts, kind deeds and caring communication. Just five
days. How do you think that would turn out? I ask this because I have been so
angry the past few weeks that, for the first time in my life, my blood pressure
is too high. When we engage in the kind of rage that has become the norm in this
country these last four years, we double the stress load of an already stressed
out population. Instead of viewing this as something to concerned about and
brought under control, we double down and escalate.
I have
been researching natural ways of addressing my blood pressure problem because
the medicine prescribed caused a rash and rapid pulse. Did you know that you
can lower your blood pressure simply by slowing your breathing? Six slow
breaths, slow in, slow out, in one minute will slow heart rate and lower blood
pressure. And the bonus is that it’s almost impossible to take these deep
calming breaths and still feel angry. Calm people usually don’t feel mad as
hell. Truly, they don’t.
I think
that most of us want to be a source of goodness and kindness while we’re here
on planet Earth. Most of us just want to live in peace and raise our families
with love. I truly believe that. What we must understand however, is that
not all of us have that opportunity. For so many in this rich nation, poverty
and constant need drive their lives. I don’t know if you have ever been poor,
but it’s a witch’s caldron of poison. It’s not just about going without basic
necessities; it means spending all your life’s energy just trying to keep your nose
above the waves. Can you imagine for one single second how it would feel to watch
your children go hungry and be deprived of the means of raising them out of
that trap? There are good and legitimate reasons for terrible anger.
The
problem is that the anger adds seasoning to the witch’s brew. It sets fire to
the possibility of finding solutions. Throwing fire-bombs, spraying tear gas, bashing
heads in with night sticks, burning buildings and tossing cars does not address
the problem of poverty and injustice. Cool heads and clear vision are needed
for that. To not offer cool heads and clear vision is an abject failure of
leadership. We can descend into chaos if that’s what we choose. Or we can rise
out of the ashes and use the Divine gifts given us to re-create the world in a
more just and generous fashion. We can leave that as a legacy to our children
and all the generations that follow. Let’s take some deep breaths and think
about that.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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