Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what YOU can do for YOU!
1/22/09
I am not embarrassed to admit that I watched and LOVED the news on Martin Luther King Day. Channel 7 news, normally packed with murders, robberies and other tragedies, dedicated the first 15 minutes of their broadcast to stories of people volunteering across the Tri-State Area in commemoration of Dr. King. Everywhere people of all races and socio-economic rankings, pitched in out of the goodness of their hearts. I admit I cried the whole time. What kind of world would we live in if every newscast showed us more of the beautiful parts of humanity? The past week in our nation's history have allowed us to even entertain those questions. Now that as a nation we have no place to go but up, what kind of world do we want to create? What is it going to take from each of us to create that world? Who do we as Americans have to be to reform our nation?
Headlines like "Obama observes Martin Luther King Day with call to service" signify what we all know to be true: that for us to recover as a nation, everyone must do their part and engage in some type of service. And one look at the news will convince even the sharpest cynic, that we are ready to follow the lead of our new president. The humanity of this moment is palpable.
So what could ever be wrong with service? Nothing except that we must all remember the saying, "you can only give what you have." Giving is wonderful, but we must give to ourselves first so we actually have something to give to those less fortunate. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, "the best way to help the poor is not to become one of them." People are inspired by prosperity, radiant health, boundless energy and authentic joy. Create these things for yourself and you will be spilling over with goodness to give to everyone around you. As my teacher Paul Chek says, "to the degree that you heal yourself you automatically heal everybody around you" and everyone around you learns how to heal by watching you. People learn much better by watching than being told. Personally I am unbelievably motivated by the demonstration of greatness, not the rhetoric. Examples of people overcoming "incurable" illness to go on to live a live of health and activity motivate me. Young (and older) entrepreneurs who are ignoring the horrific financial reports in the news and creating thriving businesses right now motivate me. People who have sought help to make peace with their abusive childhood and then move into loving personal relationships motivate me. Our new President, with his demonstrated grace, class, intelligence and the ability to overcome once insurmountable prejudice, motivates me. (And the fact that he is healthy and hot doesn't hurt. C'mon you know it's true. If President Obama looked like a total mess, we would not be as motivated by him as we are. This man has clearly mastered the art of self-care.)
Here are the two main ways that you can give to yourself to be of better service to our nation at this time:
- Take time for yourself in the form of exercise, leisure, quiet time, proper sleep (at least 8 hours, I mean it!), food shopping and food preparation. If you are volunteering your time, but not taking the time you need to be healthy and whole, you're writing checks you can't cash. Remember when we give of self, we need to give from the overflow of energy. When you give and do not replenish your energy, you make yourself sick.
- Spend money on yourself to create health. Are you donating to cancer research but eating at Popeye's? The best way to help cancer is to be as proactive as possible about not getting it! Organic food is worth the expense. By shopping at local, organic farmer's markets you are making a major investment in your longevity, protecting the environment AND helping our local economony. Use what money you have to procure a joyful mode of exercise. Organic food and exercise are not luxuries! They are basic necessities to experience wellness. Services like massage, acupuncture, and Reiki are all wonderful as well but a meditation practice (which is free!) can have the same benefits. Money invested in your own health is never a waste.
Many of us would so much like to engage in service right now, but just don't feel that we have the time or money to do so. Either we are exhausted from the job we do that pays the bills, or we are financially strapped because of changes in the economy or we are already overwhelmed with the amount of responsibility we currently have. I'll defer to the wise words of Dr. King on this one: "Everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."
It really doesn't matter what you decide to do in this life, it matters what you choose to BE while you are doing what you are doing. If you choose to BE healthy, loving, and healing you can do that in absolutely ANY vocation or avocation. You can do the job of "secretary" and be healing by giving yourself the food, exercise and quiet time that you need to be radiating health in a way that makes the whole office wonder what your secret is. Maybe some of them will ask you and then your will have forever uplifted them as well. You can do the job of "cake maker" and be healing to others watching you (even if your cakes are full of refined sugar!) because you have created a business based on taking joy in your heart's creativity expressed. Everyone around you will be in awe at your power of manifestation. You can even do the thing called "ride the train" and be healing. Once you have set the intention to give love and healing to the world around you, the very next conversation you hear on the train may be one you can powerfully add to that will change that person's life forever. This has happened to me personally on more than one occasion.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I practice giving to myself BIG TIME! And I've found that the more I give to myself, the more I am presented with opportunities to give to others, which I am able to joyfully accept because I'm giving from my overflow. I would encourage everyone who wishes to give more, to try the same thing. Give generously TO yourself and watch the opportunities to give OF yourself expand and multiply. The world needs us now. Are you ready?