Gasshō

A few months ago I began talking with you about the Onething Revolution. Shortly thereafter it was time to turn our attention to the Bridge Walk (which many of you helped to make a smashing success--$168,000.00 to continue the work in Africa!), and the Onething Revolution was put on hold for a bit. Now, appreciative of life’s impeccable timing, it is obvious our attention needs to turn back to the Revolution.

We are in a difficult time politically, our economy is in deep trouble, our country is more divided than ever, and the financial wellbeing of the entire world is now in jeopardy. Those of us who do a spiritual practice can recognize a huge opening for egocentric, karmic conditioning in these conditions. The voices of “something wrong and not enough” have REAL ammunition! Lives that, for many, already seemed too hard have suddenly become much harder. Fears barely held at bay threaten to overwhelm. Anger and blame seem justified.

Those of us doing a spiritual practice also know that listening to and believing those voices that want us to be upset, fearful, and angry is not a help. In fact, as we know, the voices are there to make our situation worse, not better. We know that times like these can be our very best opportunity to use the tools we have and to practice what leads us away from rather than toward suffering. As Epictetus reminds us, “What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? I was practicing for this, I was training for this.”

Now is the time “to be the change we wish to see in the world.” Now is not the time to see how other people are not being that change. Yes, it can give a little feeling of power to rant about how wrong-headed we think other people are, but right now we need all the strength we have at our disposal to support what we know is possible, rather than letting that energy be siphoned off by negativity. I offer the Onething Revolution as a perfect step in the direction of possibility.

As I tell you at each opportunity, the quality of our lives is determined by the focus of our attention. We must turn our attention to that which, from the lovingkindness and generosity of spirit that is our authentic nature, we choose for ourselves, for one another, and for this beautiful planet we call home. We must give the good wishes of the greatest good within us all the support, strength, attention, awareness, energy, and effort we can muster.

Enter the Onething Revolution, which I will now present to you as if it is all new information.

“If you could do one thing that would
change your mind
change your attitude
change your day
change your life
change the world
…what would you do?

Wondering what that one thing might be?
The answer is amazingly simple. That Onething is whatever you want it to be.

Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, each and every moment of the day there is one thing you can do to honor life, one thing that will honor you and the world you live in. It might be using cloth bags at the grocery store, not driving one day a week, reading a story to a child, or smiling at a stranger. We live in one world. Nothing can happen to you that doesn’t happen to me. Nothing can happen to them that doesn’t happen to us. For better or worse, we are in this together. Let’s make it better.”

Sometimes it’s not so clear that we are being called to greater things—this is a time when the call is clear. We must not give in to fear-mongers and hate-merchants. Egocentric karmic conditioning wants us to hunker down and isolate (nothing new!), to see others as enemies fighting us for dwindling resources (also familiar)—but we must stand with those ready to add generosity, kindness, and courage to our situation; to unite with those who see what’s good in our world and strive to focus on the goodness. Now is the time to look to our heroes and turn inspiration into emulation.

In the words of George Bernard Shaw:
“This is the true joy in life, to be used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, to be thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap.  To be a force of nature instead of a feverish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.  I am a member of a community and as a member it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can before I die.  Life is no brief candle to me.  It is a sort of splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

Or as Dr. Seuss would remind us:
”You have brains in your head,
you have feet in your shoes
you can steer yourself
in any direction you choose.
Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way." 

Here are the links you will need to launch yourself into the Onething Revolution, to add your Onething to a growing list of commitments from around the world; to send in your five second “I’m gonna…” video.

Please support this peaceful revolution by forwarding this message to everyone who might be interested in joining.

<-BACK TO ABOUT CHERI