All that we do now must be done in respect of nature and all life

There is a great evolutionary movement

This is such a powerful flow

There are those who are afraid

They will try to hold on to all that they have and all that they knew

They will be washed away

Nothing stops evolution

We must let go of our secure knowledge of what was

We must invest in the wisdom of inclusion and diversity

If we do not follow the wisdom of nature

We will come to an end

The time of greed is ending

The time of egotism is ending

The time of exclusion is ending

Build community

There is strength in diversity

All that we do now must be done in respect of nature and all life

- with thanks to the Hopi Elders

We can no longer resist change. Change is now enveloping all of us. We must flow with the change.

"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." – Albert Einstein

We need to reclaim our service mentality. We need to rebuild community. Greed and egotistical narcissism has created a sick environment and now a sick humanity.  We must reclaim our reasoning ability and listen to science. We need to embrace the behavior that saves lives. We need caring, compassion, kindness, empathy, and deep truthful connection. We need to rebuild trust.

We can no longer resist change. Change is now enveloping all of us. We must flow with the change. We must become "the bridge builders, the hand holders, the light bringers…" – L.R. Knost

We must build bridges of understanding. We must be willing to listen to different perspectives. In this pandemic, we cannot physically hold hands but we can hold each other's heart. When we hold each other's hearts, we know our fears and our joys. We can bring a light of hope. The smallest light dissipates darkness. We each need to bring our light and hope to a frightened world.

It is easy to resist with violence. The great peacemakers of all time have led the way out of darkness through love, acceptance, understanding, service, and healing.

Perseverance

Perseverance from the Latin per for very and severus for strict: "means to continue steadfastly", "one who sees through to the end", "one who doesn't yield." 

Perseverance is the ability and courage to continue our task and our journey through difficulty.

The story of being human is the story of perseverance. Our original migrations, our coming together in tribes, and our finding fire are all examples of perseverance.

Today we persevere by being still. We persevere by staying home and staying solitary. We persevere by listening to science rather than ego. We persevere by listening to facts rather than fear.

We have all had role models of perseverance. Mine have been my wife Sandra, my daughter Ashley, and Martin Luther King Jr., St. Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa.  

Who have been your role models of perseverance?

What can you and I do today to persevere?

We all have the tools to move through today's pandemic.

We have been here before. Our current pandemic is not new. Humanity has struggled with fear and disease; the plague, the flu of 1918. We have been challenged by hatred and narcissistic aggression; the Holocaust, genocide, slavery, and the destruction of all indigenous people.

We must return to the answers of history. We must return to humanity. The answers to today's pandemic are the answers of humanity at its best. Courage, generosity, integrity, truth, empathy, compassion, and love.

We have always overcome adversity. We have always overcome dictators and despots.  We have always overcome malignant narcissism.

We must stand with the spirits of all those who have come before us. We must stand with Jesus, Buddha, Saint Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Saint Mother Theresa.

We all have the tools to move through today's pandemic.

My tools are Faith, love, connection, trust, and truth. What are your tools? 

Act now with love

"Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely." - Clarissa Pinkola Estes

A beautiful compassionate piece of writing for our time.  Whatever action each of us can take to curb the downward spiral of disease, suffering, lies and arrogance, we must find the courage to take loving action now.  Loving action can be prayer, meditation, donation, kindness, giving blood, taking care of the needs of elderly and disenfranchised.  

We simply need to find the courage to let our love speak.

This is how we make change.  This is always how humans have made change.  We can not wait for anyone to come to our rescue.

This is our time.  

It is our turn.  

Step, show up, speak up.

Act now with love.

Focus on People - A message from Thom