"Change" Is More Than A Buzzword

ISSUE: The call for change

OUR VIEW: It has to start with us

Humans pay a lot of homage to the desire for change, but in general change comes hard for most people. When there is a break from the comfort zone of consistency, there is resistance.

By contrast, humans have little problem with calling for change by others, particularly when such change may positively impact them.

Such is the story of politics in 2008. Change is the electorate’s operative word, but it will take more than a call for change for Washington to be unlike humans in resisting.

Politicians are using the rhetoric of “change” to win primaries & caucuses around the nation, & the message is resonating with the voting public. Nevertheless, should the average voter wait for a political figure to attempt to instill either or is it up to each person to discover the power of hope & to learn to use it in order to create the change they want for the country & for themselves?

Auriela McCarthy, author of “The Power of the Possible,” says, “Change & our readiness for it is one of life’s great mysteries. We’re ready when we’re ready & not a moment before. “Whether it is a life partner or best friend—or whether it is a battle with addiction or a war with another country—change will only come when the people needing it feel “seen, heard, understood & accepted.”

Auriela stresses that it is impossible to ever change somebody else, be it through force or the “best intention.” However, she does reveal, “You can be someone’s REASON to change.” Does that mean a powerful leader who inspires & brings hope to apathetic people can be that reason? “Absolutely!” asserts Auriela. “And so can the person you love & care about. But the choice to change will still be yours.”

She also stresses that every person, not just the president, needs to learn how to apply hope in their everyday lives.

Stump speeches will continue to include “change,” but the status quo will remain in place until the politician, country or individual goes beyond the words & actually embraces the concepts.

For this to happen, Auriela says, “It has to start with us. We need to discover that we matter, our lives matter and our needs & wants matter, even though they may not be the first priority. Then what happens in the world—starting with our country—will matter as well. As related to politics, this means more people voting, less indifferences about who wins an election & the public trusting the candidate for which they voted. It all culminates in, once again, remembering what it means to be an American.”

As Auriela says: “It’s the American spirit. It takes my breath away.”nn