You are Creating the Future,
Not Just for Your Life, but for the World
We can’t heal the world today, but we can begin
with a voice of compassion, a heart of love, an act of kindness.
~ Mary Davis
Do you believe that you have an influence on the future of the world? I believe that we do, and when we realize this, we take our daily choices more seriously.
At a time when you find yourself feeling offended or in judgment of someone in front of you, ask yourself:
"Would I want to live in a world in which everyone was acting in the way that I am about to act?"
That may be the most important decision that you can take – to stop and consider your response to any situation before you.
We all act by habit. When we respond to certain situations the same way day after day and year after year, that pattern becomes so programmed in our brains that we never think about what we will do next. It’s already in our body, ready to express in the next moment.
Are you happy with your automatic reactions, or would you prefer to be more thoughtful of others or more patient or kinder to other people?
It’s helpful to consider these questions after an interaction in which you reacted from habit:
"How do I feel about how it turned out?"
"Was I kind, or did I show up as someone whom I would not want in my life?"
How do you want other people to show up in your life?
Think about it. Write it down. Consider it during the day and go back and add to the list as you get more clarity.
Now ask yourself, “Is this the way that I am showing up in my daily life?”
If not, ask yourself, “What can I do to improve my interactions with others?”
The Jigsaw Puzzle of Humanity
In the worldwide jigsaw puzzle of humanity, each person is one piece of the puzzle.
We each add to our puzzle piece every day. What do I want mine to look like?
What do I want to add to the larger picture?
Do I want my piece to add to the beauty of the picture or is it okay with me if my contribution adds to the chaos and ugliness of the picture?
It all comes down to deciding who I want to be in the world and then consistently expressing myself in that way, as much as I can, every day.
If you decide to be more kind, then make that your focus.
The more you choose to live with kindness, the more it becomes a habit, a part of you.
Then one day, you will discover that you have become kindness. It is not just what you do. It is who you are.
Now you have become love in action.
Be patient with yourself when you fall short of your intended kind response to someone else. Even when we plan to live with kindness, most of us meet people with whom we find it very difficult to be kind. That is part of the process.
Life is a journey, not an event.
Every day brings us opportunities to expand, to become more of who we want to be.
For every encounter in which I respond in a way that is kind, I feel good. Every time I have not been considerate of someone else, I take the time later to replay it in my mind so I can see why I reacted with judgment or impatience or lack of consideration of the other person.
Then I imagine myself having a kinder response. No longer in the heat of the moment, I can imagine another response and a better outcome. That becomes my template for the next challenging encounter.
I know the challenges will keep coming, because an important way that we can grow is through practicing the hard stuff.
I believe that there is a loving power in our lives that provides us opportunities to become more of who we are capable of being. The more that we set an intention for our lives, the more opportunities appear to move us forward on that path.
As a result, we find that our lives flow more easily, and more people respond positively to us.
In addition, the world becomes kinder. Think about that puzzle piece. It is surrounded by other pieces – people who are around us as we go through our day.
As our lives become kinder, our puzzle pieces become brighter and more beautiful. People interacting with us are impacted by the kindness that we offer, and their contributions become brighter as well. Then, the people around them are influenced by their increasing kindness, and our place in the puzzle becomes kinder, more inclusive, more compassionate and brighter.
As our little corner of the world is becoming brighter, millions of people around the world are making similar choices and creating other bright spots in the puzzle. All of those bright spots keep growing, as more and more people respond to the invitation to be a part of the emerging kinder, brighter world.
Imagine the picture that we can create together.
Now, when you consider the future, what do you see?
Don’t tell me about what you see on the news. Right here is real life. This is where the changes are happening – one life at a time - all over the world. This is the unreported transformation of humanity.
You don’t believe it? Just wait and see.
While you’re waiting, we invite you to get clear about what you want the world to be like, then get out there and live it, and enjoy the changes in your life.
We wish you joy on your journey.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.
