How Can You Change America for the Better?

How can you change America for the better? That change must simply begin with you...and me. Income inequality and desperation breeds violence and unrest. However, the choice to not participate in the insanity is yours. The path and the power to create positive, non-violent change lies within each and every one of us. We have only to stand up, be it, and live it to create the change. Then, what those in power want or do will no longer matter. The joining of the power of our very lives will create the change.

Vote, get involved in politics to change it for the better, choose where you spend wisely, choose what you watch and do buy wisely, choose for the direction you want our country and our people to take. Whatever you do, please don't be apathetic and let this current course continue. The weakest link in the process of change helps to determine the strength and permanence of the outcome. Please choose non-violence as your method of expressing your thoughts, beliefs and actions. The only way those in power could try stop it would be to kill each and every last one of us. Then, they'd have nobody left to do their bidding and they'd be forced to become one of us to survive, and then we'd still have created the change. The path of compassion, love and non-violence will prevail.

This is a journey, and my own path has been rather circuitous. I have shut off my television. In doing so, I have reduced the amount of advertisements to which I am subjected by at least a hundred-fold. I have reduced my exposure to the purposeful propaganda of the 3 major corporate owners of most of the thousands of media outlets  in America (tv, radio, newspapers - ever wonder why they're all saying pretty much the same thing?). I don't buy all the "look at how wonderful and rich I am" celebrity magazines that fuel consumerism, greed, and the grass is greener on the rich side of America. This past year of no television has been a positive, interesting journey; so positive that I will not be watching it next year, either.

I avoid shopping, and if I do shop, I avoid buying anything except food. Yes, I get tempted. Most of the time, these days, my common sense wins. I find creative ways to delay, and then avoid, actually buying something I want but don't need. When I shop for clothes, I usually go to thrift stores before any other, to avoid buying new. At the same time, those in need also benefit. I am thankful for everything and everyone in my life. I don't need any things, except for food, water, shelter, and clothes (could get a little cold out there).

Ultimately, the path to peace varies for each traveller. I wish you all the best of luck on your path. Namaste.

Lack of True Leadership in the United States

There is a real lack of truly great leadership in the United States of America. Any Limbaugh, Olbermann, or O'Reilly can lead people, using their rhetoric and editorials to inspire people to finger-point, call each other pinheads, blame each other for their lot in life, create divisiveness, and inspire hate. However, it takes a truly great leader to inspire and empower people from all sides to cooperate and collaborate to create win-win solutions for the serious problems we all face. If the politicians who were elected to be those kinds of leaders can't do their job, they need to step down or be pressured by their constituents to step up or get out. Our country and our citizens are crying for the kind of great leadership that can reinstate our Constitutional rights and get our country back on the track of its first and only job: representing we the people, rather than the corporations, the Fed and Wall Street. I challenge all citizens to demand great leadership in all areas, especially in the media and politics. Demand leaders who can truly lead, inspire, and empower others to solve problems cooperatively. If your leaders can't do their job, write to them about your dissatisfaction with their job, pressure them, protest against them, boycott them, and ultimately, fire them. In general, legally do whatever you can to remove them from office. Definitely don't re-elect them!