How to change the world

I have taken note that the last few weeks in my life have been filled with turmoil (of course in smaller doses than that of the world) and struggle to promote peace or convince others of peace. War, unrest and violence seems to be the theme of the month though and it has been a trying time trying to find my own inner peace, as well as trying to manifest it in my life. What I know for sure is that eventhough we do not have any control over the actions of others, we are all the masters of our own REactions. It is so vitally important for this small little rock we live on that we start to choose wisely and effectively, from the heart and from love instead of from the ego and fear.

It seems to be that everyone is preparing for in case someone else chooses to attack them and thereby wasting precious energy that, if filled with love, could have been re-directed causing so many brighter ripples in the world than the mis formed ones that are currently part of our systems, and really, there does not seem to be one country that is truly at peace anymore.

Therefore, it seemed like real magic when this email came across my screen this morning. Reading it I remembered Ghandi saying: 'Be the change you want to see in the world' and Oscar Wilde: 'We are all in the gutters, but some of us are looking up at the stars' and then there is one of my favourites by Edmund Burke: 'Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little'.

The truth that has dawned on me so many times before is that we need to stop waiting for the masses in order to fit in, or for the leaders to show us how. We have become lazy as the masters of our own destiny and sleepy to the world around us. Most of our actions are sub-conscience automatic responses, programmed by society instead of intelligent and emotional choices based on the real life current information that we are receiving. We have become a race based on assumptions and pre-dispositions instead.

I hope everyone can take a little self-improvement away from this piece and perhaps realise that unless we stop blaming and throwing harmful words around, we will never have inner or worldly peace:

How to change the world

It seems perfectly appropriate to be e-mailing you from Argentina when the topic for this week’s lesson is social and global transformation. In the words of a local, Argentina has been going through a silent civil war for decades and is suffering. No matter where I travel, it is clear that our countries are facing their own peak challenges right now. We can no longer separate ourselves from our world. What used to happen “over there” and “to them” is now “over here” and “to us”.

Our sense of family is expanding to include a much larger collective global family. Though cultures and languages may differ, we bleed the same, cry the same, laugh the same and need the same.

So as I sit here looking out of my hotel apartment in Buenos Aires, having struggled to speak to the few Spanish-speaking people I have just met, I am filled in awe once again that no matter where I go, when you learn to open the heart you will find family.

Given half a chance, if you offered most people the opportunity to change the world they would want to. Do you?

So the question is how? How do you make your life count towards a better world for us all?

Here are 3 real and deep truths that will help you to help your world.

1. Don’t look outside without also looking “in”.

When we look outside of ourselves at the world, we can feel overwhelmed at the sheer size of world problems. Because it all looks too big, we don’t believe that we can do anything of real value. We also go into a denial born of hopelessness, and then we close our eyes and hearts, to just focus on our own survival. We separate our hearts from “them” to try to feel safer.

TIPS:

a. Become aware of when you do this, and ask yourself to not let fear push you to close your eyes or your heart.
b. Then go inside of yourself to build the peace and the strength to not shrink back from the world.
c. Go inside with prayer or meditation to share the emotional burdens you carry with peace. Sharing the load is powerfully healing.

2. Don’t ask “What can 1 person really do?” Rather ask, “What can I be?”

There is simply too much for any 1 person to do. By focusing on what needs to be done you will feel inadequate and overwhelmed. Rather focus on being the person you were born to be, trust that when you do this, your presence will make the difference you were born to make. Ironically from this perspective you will also likely DO more for the world, but it will feel natural and based on inner peace rather than fear.

3. Your personal and spiritual growth is your greatest contribution to world healing.

Social transformation is a result of personal transformation. Because we are all connected, like drops in the ocean, know that:

• Your greatest contribution to world peace is inner peace.
• Your greatest contribution to world healing is personal healing.
• Your greatest contribution to global financial empowerment is personal financial empowerment.
• Your greatest contribution to world spiritual awareness is a personal experience (not concept) of spirituality.

We make a difference. You make a difference. Just like science tells us that the flap of butterfly wings can change weather patterns on the other side of the world, your personal healing and growth can ripple to contribute to new futures and global healing.

This week's on campus course: Social Transformation - Wednesday morning 28th May at The Academy of Metaphysics and Wednesday evening at The Naturally Yours Institute in Bryanston. Please e-mail pages@iafrica.com or call 011 469-1666 for bookings. Seats are limited.

Look out for next week's teaching until then...
Be all you were born to be!

All my best,
Colleen-Joy

The Colleen-Joy Company
Tel: (+27 11) 469-1666
www.colleen-joy.com http://www.colleen-joy.com
Enrol for Colleen-Joy's free weekly teachings, enjoyed by +6500 online students for over 6 years.