I watch the rising sun every morning while on my long commute to work. There is
something amazing about walking out the door while the moon is shining, then
watching as the sun slowly makes its way across the horizon. First I notice how
many stars there are in the sky, how bright and how full the moon is. Living in
tropical southern Minnesota, I have a wonderful view of the sky and it is dark
enough that I can see many of the stars. It reminds me that I'm not alone. It
reminds me that we are connected to the rest of the universe. I love feeling
connected. No matter how dark it is when I leave the house, I know the sun will
rise. On cloudy days I may not see the direct sunrise, but I see the effects as
the sky gets brighter and the day fills with hope and possibility.
It
is a daily reminder that when things are dark, this is part of the cycle. I am
not going to remain in the night forever, the sun will come and warm things up,
bring me new light and a new day.
We
are bombarded with media that warns of the doom and gloom of night and evil.
For the last year, the political ads have focused on the negatives, what will
happen if this candidate is not elected. Fear is on the rise. I see panic and
anxiety in many of my students and friends. The ones who voted on the winning
side feel a sense of relief, but disgust and lack of empathy for the ones on
the losing side. The ones on the losing side feel despair and fear. They have
been told that this will bring danger, and now the danger is upon them. This
has just continued the hatred and polarization that is destroying our sense of
connection.
Whether
or not you like the political candidates is not the issue. The issue is how are
we going to live with the choice that our country has made? Choose to look for
the connection, the brilliance in this decision. It's not US and THEM anymore,
it's only US.
No matter how dark things look now, the sun is coming.
Focus on the brilliance of the moon, the reflection of light that is to come.
The moon is there to remind us that the sun is coming. The stars remind us of
our connection with every other living thing. Why else would we look for ways
to connect the stars and create pictures in the sky?
Reach
out. Look for ways to connect. Look for ways to be brilliant. You may
think you are not important, not significant, but together with other brilliant
people, you will shine and see the sun return. It starts with the little
things.
Forgiveness.
I am not asking you to forget. I am not asking you to allow people to
continually violate your boundaries. I am just asking you to forgive. Don't
hold hatred in your heart anymore. It will destroy you and everything you
believe in over time. Hatred is too passionate to be ignored. Forgive your
enemies. One of the most powerful things you can do. They can no longer hurt
you once you have forgiven them.
Empathy.
Pay attention to what they are feeling, what they are going through. Listen to
their point of view. Let them know you hear them and that you care. You don't
have to agree with someone to listen to them. You don't have to change their
way of thinking. Just listen. Everyone wants to be heard.
Transparency.
Life your life in a way that inspires others. If you are true to yourself, say
what you mean, communicate honestly and with intention, if you know yourself
well enough to know the values that you live by and make decisions by, you will
inspire others. This is so important in our world today. There are few secrets
anymore. Everywhere you go, there are cameras that capture your every move.
Pictures of you are easily found on the internet. You can be tracked through
your financial records. Everything you put on Facebook is captured on a server.
When something goes wrong, it is twittered within seconds. Live a life that is
true to what you believe. When you make a mistake, go back to step one and
forgive yourself. Admit your mistakes. Make things right. The best lampshade is
one that is transparent enough to let the light through.
Connection.
Remember that we are all connected. What hurts one person hurts us all. Why do
we hang on to the idea that some people are entitled to more than others? Why
do we sit in fear with our riches, terrified that someone will take them away?
Look at the people around you. Look at the people in the world. Remember that
we are all connected. If you close your eyes to the violence next door, it will
spread. Find ways to help. Start small. Someone you know personally may need
help with something small, offer help. You may see someone hungry, share your
sandwich. As you start to reach out, it can become a habit. You will find that
sharing the brilliance within you will become something you want to do on a
regular basis. It will become a way of life.
Look
for the treasure in everyone you meet. This is hard, I know. It can be
very hard. I had a student years ago and people told me, "Oh, he's in your
class? Try to get him to drop out. He's trouble." I reacted by
feeling angry. How dare they judge my student? I got to class and he was very
disruptive. Loud, angry, hard to handle in every way. I invited him to my
office after class and we talked. Instead of confronting his behavior, I asked
him about himself, his life. I looked for that treasure. It took a while, but
eventually I discovered the rough background that he had grown up with. He was
a survivor and an amazing one at that. The rough exterior was to protect a hurt
child within. We became close friends, still are. He became one of the best
students I ever had in that class. He works in a very rough environment now and
is very good at what he does. I am amazed at how well he can use the pain and
terror that he came from and be empathetic with others while maintaining those
necessary iron boundaries. It wasn't that he changed, it was that I changed
when I saw the world from his point of view.
Everyone has a different
perspective, and the more of those perspectives you can see, the better your vision
will be. The more brilliant your light will be.
Alli Vainshtein is
a business, accounting, and career instructor at Riverland Community
College in Tropical Southern Minnesota. She loves to write (stories,
lectures, blogs, letters, emails, etc.), paint, play piano, meditate,
travel, cook, make new friends, and live like a Goddess. She is also a
great fan of Jamie Ridler - Circe's Circle changed her life
dramatically!
