Are You Giving Away Your Power?

There is a huge problem in the U.S. and in the world: We are relying on other people to call all the shots for us. We highly regard our freedom, even fight for it, and yet we hand much of our power over to politicians, medical professionals, and gurus.

We are looking to other people to give us the answers we already have. By searching outside of ourselves, we have created a culture that shuns personal responsibility and denies the wisdom of the inner voice.

It is really no wonder America is a sue-happy nation, in that respect. It is never our fault! God, Obama, Medicare, Monsanto, or someone/something else is causing all of our problems. Heaven forbid we stop blaming other people or entities and start taking radical responsibility for everything that happens in our life.

The best way to change the world is through YOU. It’s not by sending a dollar a day to some impoverished child overseas; not by protesting in a rally; not by writing an angry letter to your congressman. Don’t give your power away by thinking that voting, protesting, or sending money is enough.

Change yourself, your beliefs, and your perspective and watch the world around you change. You cannot force change on others. You can only lead by example. If a tuning fork is set off in a room full of clocks, the clocks will eventually all vibrate on the same level. Be the vibration you wish the world around you to be. (S)he with the strongest intention-vibration “wins”.

You cannot change anyone except yourself, so it only makes sense that we would start by taking an inventory of what’s going on in our own life.

• Where am I giving my power away? Where am I not taking responsibility for my life?

• What am I doing to contribute to the problems I see in the world, even the ones I don’t see myself directly contributing to?

• How am I representing myself through my daily actions and habits?

• What am I doing to create the kind of world I’d like to live in?

By being honest and taking full responsibility for EVERYTHING in our lives, we become empowered to facilitate change. Change starts with awareness that something actually needs to be changed.

Two great practices to cultivate inner peace, which leads to peace outside of you, are Tonglen (Tonglin) Meditation and Ho’oponopono. Tonglen (Tonglin) Meditation is essentially breathing in the negativity of the world – the fear, anger, greed, and loneliness – transforming it in your heart space, and sending love and compassion out into the world. Ho’oponopono is a Hawaiian Kahuna tradition wherein you look within yourself to find where you are helping to create the problems you see around you.

You can also educate others and raise awareness. This is not about spreading fear or forcing your beliefs on others. It is merely saying, “This is how I see things.” If someone else can see things from your perspective and agrees with you, you’ve just made more powerful change than any amount of preaching can do.

Remember Gandhi’s timeless wisdom: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” It always starts with YOU.