We are the Voice of Change
There has been a lot of talk about “Finding our Voices” and “Exerting our Power” lately but what does that really mean? I have been contemplating it for some time now; I was initially inspired back in January when I attended the Voice of Change Workshop with Suzanne Sterling. Then again during a week-long Leadership Training intensive with Off the Mat in the beginning of May. Following these two powerful events I took a trip to South Dakota with my teacher, Seane Corn, where my eyes were fully opened. My focus in my own work has been to discover my truth and to live with purpose. All of these events and the knowledge and emotions they stirred up have been marinating and I want to share some of my thoughts with you. We hear every day that we live in a free society and we have freedom of speech, but you know as well as I do that we cannot go around saying anything and everything we think out loud. We live in an era of Political Correctness…We have to be so careful as not to offend anyone and then on the other hand we are encouraged to speak our truth. So how can we use our voices in a productive and honest way?
In yoga, through the 8 Limbs of Patanjali we are taught to value Ahimsa (non-harm) and Satya (truthfulness). These concepts go hand in hand and if practiced together help us to find ways to speak the truth without harming or hurting others. We look at what is necessary and choose carefully how we say things so that communication is an act of consciousness. If we take this conversation beyond communication with each other, then the question is “What is our Truth”? Once we begin to figure that out we start to live from a space of mindfulness.
With the upcoming elections this is a time for reflection about such truth. What do you stand for? What are your values? What issues matter most to you? Take some time to discover the answers to these questions and then realize that you can put these values into action. We live in a democracy and YES we have freedom of speech. So let’s make sure to use it! This is not something that we can take for granted. If we really want to find our voices and exert our power then VOTING is the best way to do that.
Take some time to get familiar with the candidates that are running in your local elections. It may seem unimportant to vote on a local level but even in the smallest of towns we; THE PEOPLE choose who represents us in office. It is from these offices that seeds of change are planted, as those representatives are the ones who move into seats at the County and State levels and eventually they head to Washington DC…. It is our responsibility to make sure that our government represents us. If we are unhappy with the system then we have to change it. No matter which side of the aisle we sit on, the truth is that WE are the system. It is made up of people who have chosen to serve as our representatives. It is up to us to make sure that they do just that.
At this time I can’t think of a more powerful way to use our voices. Elections are at the end of this month in my home state of Florida – if you don’t live in Florida and want to be involved but don’t know when your local elections are go to: USA.gov to register to vote and find your local election office. Get informed; don’t rely on the negative ad campaigns you see on TV. There is information online - every candidate has a website that expresses what they stand for. Make sure they stand for YOU before you cast your vote. Hope to see you at the poles on Tuesday August 28th in Florida. This is a powerful way to use your voice!