In a previous post I wrote about the vision of the country and the world that I am holding. It’s a way of saying yes to the world I want to create. Years ago though I learned that No can be equally important.
There was a time in my life when I didn’t know what my future looked like, when I didn’t know what I wanted it to look like. I found that the only way I could make good decisions during that time was by simply knowing what I didn’t want. I learned to let my no really be my no and my yes really be my yes. I learned a great deal during that time and said some very big Nos that created a lot of change in my life and took a lot of courage.
Now is a time to practice some of those learnings again. It is a time to let my No be heard loud and clear in balance with my yes.
I have been simply stunned lately by the realization of the magnitude of the things that we have been saying yes to in the world we have created. Does that mean that I have said yes to the atrocities in the world? Yes, on some level I think it does because I didn’t stand up and shout, No! Now is my time to do that.
The words feel harsh compared to the gentleness of my yes, but must be said. Sadly the list could be much longer. This at least is a beginning.
No, I will not accept a world where people starve to death while others throw excess food away.
No, I will not accept a world where womens' and girls’ bodies are used as weapons of war through rape.
No, I will not accept a world where a fifteen year old girl is shot in the head at point blank range because she spoke an opposing point of view.
No, I will not accept a world where our natural resources are seen only as a commodity and are depleted without regard for the future or the lives lost in the recovery of those resources.
No, I will not accept a world where one is judged to be less worthy than another because of the pigment of their skin, their religious beliefs, who they love, how much money they have or how much they weigh.
No, I will not accept a world where the outside of a person is deemed more important than what is within.
No, I will not accept a world where hatred guides people’s choices.
No, I will not accept a world where people die for want of medicine when those medicines are readily available.
No, I will not accept a world where whoever is the strongest or has the most money has power over others, where people use that power to bully and oppress others.
No, I will not accept a world where young men feel so desperate because society leaves them behind that they turn to violence toward each other.
No, I will not accept a world where whole villages, whole races are murdered because of their beliefs, color or creed.
No, I will not accept a world where people are forced to live on the street and are ignored rather than loved, assisted and seen.
No, I will not accept a world where love thy neighbor is merely spoken but not acted upon and lived.
No, I will not accept a world where multi-million dollar corporations are guided by greed rather than community.
No, I will not.
2 comments:
Amen... and I stand with you on your no's... and yet, sadly, I found myself realizing that by the implied yes that we, and a nation, have been saying for so long we created a world where values are secondary. As I watched the debate, despite who I may vote for, I realized that both parties have been put in a place where words are the commodity to sell their ideas and yet there is no place for honesty - or integrity because to voice opinions or thoughts (or mistakes that may have been made) will leave them vulnerable for some verbal recourse - not just in the debate but in the spin the media uses and then of course the 'secret' allies that the individuals are aligned with will use the old paradigm to influence them... if you say this then I will or will not... sadly... I know this to be true. I am interested in living in a space where values are at the forefront of our decisions and that we move from the place of honor and respect for all beings...
I love your heart, Lynda. Well said. I will not, either. :)
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