Make a Difference

There is no doubt that the most effective way to create positive change is by beginning with oneself. This involves making changes within, in terms of how you see yourself and how you see yourself in relation to all others, including Mother Earth. Often making simple changes can lead to lasting change that has a healing and dramatic impact upon others and the planet.

The old ways of pushing for change are not going to work in our current climate of unrest and uncertainty. Once upon a time it was merely a matter of organizing rallies, protesting and focusing on what was wrong with a situation. Energetically that basically involves using the frequency of anger, hurt, defiance, etc to bring about change, when in reality all that resulted was more of the same energy.

In this new energy paradigm that we are in the process of moving into it’s vital that the frequency of love, compassion, tolerance etc are predominant. That whatever changes are wrought occur through the intention and manifestation of positive energy – as this is the only way to create higher frequency changes to support the new vibration that Earth and all on her are experiencing and stepping into.

For a long time I truly believed that the only way to create change was to maintain a strong spiritual practice, living with mindfulness, being in the moment with heartfelt gratitude and living in a state of unconditional love.

However, the realization finally dawned that this was insufficient! Doing the above things is essential but taking a proactive position in supporting the changes is vital to their successful implementation.

The process is really very simple and involves six stages (that I observe at this point in time):

1.    Change from within. Do the inner healing and attain a state of inner balance and harmony. Often easier said than done but constant practice and mindfulness gradually change the inner landscape from one of grief, hurt, anger etc into one of acceptance and peace.

2.    Make simple and practical changes in your everyday life. Sometimes this involves reducing reliance on plastics, growing herbs and vegetables, supporting local farmers’ markets, minimizing car usage, bartering, buying locally made products etc. Many simple changes reduce energy consumption and also support a simpler and more satisfying lifestyle.

3.    Find your passion. What is it that excites you? Begin to manifest that in some tangible way in the outer world. Often the passion does not fully emerge until the inner landscape is in harmony.

4.    Connect with like-minded souls. Connect with organizations and groups that share your passion. Develop common goals and aspirations and work in community.

5.    Take action to change the issues that are dis-harmonious, destroy the planet, weaken community etc. It is all too easy to complain about what is ‘wrong’. Instead focus on finding possible and alternative solutions. Writing letters and emails to elected politicians voicing suggestions for alternative solutions is a powerful way of creating constructive change, especially when many people take the initiative. Join organizations that are committed to creating strong community values and ensuring equity of resources, etc.

6.    Speak up. Share your awareness and understanding with others. While it’s not possible for everyone to be as strong and expressive as Mahatma Gandhi, it’s nevertheless possible to develop a strong voice, one filled with reason, containing solution based wisdom. Complaining is not an acceptable option as its energy is not going to achieve desired results!

So, where are you at this time? Every person has awareness and convictions. Channeling them constructively and in collaborative community co-operation is something we can all do!

Currently most people in our society are living in bondage to systems that demand we live a certain lifestyle. Here I refer to the endless feeling of being stuck in a rut, working for The Man, needing to pay for basic living costs, having limited choice options, being reliant on choices that are pre-determined by corporations, having a mortgage and generally not seeing a way out of the co-created reality that is primarily dependent upon a crumbling financial system.

And, let’s be totally honest, our financial system isn’t working. The high level of debt experienced by the average person attests to this. We are gearing our lives to a system that enslaves and keeps us in bondage – and all the time we hope (and pray) that the financial situation improves. Globally the situation appears to be even more disastrous.

While we continue subscribing to dated and failing systems (and beliefs) we continue creating more of the same. Winning the lottery isn’t likely to happen for the majority of people so what can we do to begin feeling more empowered and in charge of our life?

De-clutter your Life

If you are serious about changing the inner landscape, of making changes deep within then the first thing I often recommend is letting go of clutter. This may relate to physical clutter that is over-crowding your living space. It may be emotional and mental clutter. It may possibly even be the clutter of a life that is overly filled with activities and people, which keeps you from finding the space and time in which to reflect and clarify your priorities.

Just clearing the physical clutter leaves space for new energy to flow into your life. While it may be difficult to let go of books, music, clothing and personal stuff it is surprisingly restorative and energizing to do so.

Undertaking practices such as yoga, tai chi, meditation and living in the moment supports the de-cluttering of both emotions and mental processing. De-cluttering these is critical to the process of gaining clarity and stepping into a new phase of empowerment. It is only by letting go of extraneous stuff that clarity and insightfulness can occur.

Differentiate Wants and Needs

The second suggestion is to become clearer in relation to ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. Our society has adopted consumerism as a major lifestyle priority. Yet, I doubt this provides lasting satisfaction. In most instances the high that is evoked when a new product is purchased quickly diminishes. This means that additional consumerism is needed to maintain that artificial high. Instead, I recommend asking a couple of simple questions when contemplating yet another act of consumerism: “Do I need this?” and “Do I want this?” Once there is a clear and obvious response it becomes easier to say ‘no’ to the wants and to focus on needs only, thereby leaving energy and time to be gainfully employed in other satisfying and fulfilling activities.

Find Your Passion

Another suggestion for creating a state of self-empowerment and simplicity is to engage in activities that excite and generate a feeling of passion. Finding just what your passion is can be challenging as societally we’ve been conditioned to doing specific things because they’re expected of us. How often are we given the option to explore and experience our true passion? Connecting with what excites you, brings you joy and for which you feel a huge commitment is vitally important to wellbeing and physical health.

Let Go

Letting go means letting go of worry, stress and everything that decreases the enjoyment of life. It means learning to trust that everything happens for a reason and in a timely manner. It means that there is no need to control life – instead be in the flow and energy of life. Allow other people to be who they are and love them for their foibles and idiosyncrasies. Concentrate on yourself and follow your inner voice. Letting go also means letting go of ego! Ouch, that’s a biggie for most people but the more you do it the easier it becomes. The saying ‘let go/let god/goddess’ is highly relevant to nurturing the inner landscape.

There are no hard and fast rules for shifting your energy or for shifting into the new paradigm. It’s a gradual process and one that can easily be viewed as an adventure. It is often challenging, but with challenges comes growth. We’re all in this together, so let’s cooperate and aspire to achieving constructive outcomes for society and global community!