The overarching intention of Spiritually Responsible Politics is to elevate the public discourse; the crux of it is the responsibility we take as individuals, knowing that because of the law of attraction, who we are being, what we are thinking, and how we are feeling absolutely contribute to the whole: we are all connected. So here's a bit of what that all looks like in the Gulf using myself as an example.
While I have written that the blame game was one of the first thing I noticed when the news of the leak first presented itself, two months in I have yet to see anything close to anyone making the connection between the personal and the political or the environmental. Yet starting with we belong to the planet, not the planet to us, we are reminded that we are connected to Earth, made of the same stuff, and what we do to it we do to ourselves and what we do to ourselves we do to it. Plus the idea that, law of attraction-wise, we don't ever see anything "out there" that isn't a reflection of who we are "in here."
I realize this we are all connected idea can get a bit difficult to comprehend. I mean, there you are in your body, here I am in mine, there is clear and distinct separation, but only when viewed from where we are viewing. What this means with regard to the planet is that the planet represents our own physical bodies, so here we go. One of the things that stuck out to me, personally, was how ridiculous it was that we, collectively, however we did it, would take such a risk with drilling a mile below the surface of the Gulf when we were not at all sure that we could contain an accident.
And since I saw that "out there," I had to take a look "in here." And what do you know? I take risks with my body all the time. I deliberately put things in it - pollution - that I know are not good for it like, for example, and I'm just talking about myself here, sugar. An addiction? I have a battery of rationalizations as I go for the instant gratification like, oh it won't be that bad just this time and I'm sure my otherwise healthy body will be able to assimilate it and on and on and on. So, frankly, who the hell am I to look at what's happening in the Gulf and express such dismay that our government was lax enough and BP was irresponsible enough to take such a risk when I do the same exact thing myself?
It's not about shame or guilt, people, just a (rather large) dose of responsibility. Not sure about what you can do about the whole mess? Just look at what it is that most irks you about what's happening in the Gulf and you will find your answer. As for me and my sugar thing, it sure would be a lot easier if I were on this ride with some others. Any takers?
What our political landscape looks like through the lens of these universally spiritual concepts: Be Compassionate; Beliefs Matter; Be Present; Choices Abound; Everything is Energy; Have An Attitude of Gratitude; Intentions Matter; Judgments Separate Us; Listen to Inspiration; Mind and Body Are Connected; Take Responsibility; The Law of Attraction is Always On; We Are All Connected; We Are Here for a Reason; We Belong to the Planet, Not the Planet to Us
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Oh Please
I wasn't even going to comment on this one: the hubbub over the president's lack of emotion with regard to the situation in the Gulf. But I can hardly take it anymore and I can be brief.
Here's the spiritually responsible deal: 1) to exercise compassion is to allow people to be who they are without judgment, period; 2) when we are judging someone for being something or not being something, we are only and ever talking about ourselves. As one caller into C-Span's Washington Journal so eloquently put it recently - and I'm paraphrasing - do we show enough emotion when we see a homeless person die? When soldier's families are torn apart by war? When people die because of lack of access to health care? Etc. Etc. Etc.
The evidence is fairly strong that, as of the moment, this is truly a made-up-by-the-media-non-scandal-appearing-to-be-scandalous thought with which "the American people" are not necessarily aligned. But for anyone who is, please oh please take a look in the mirror and let us talk about some of what is really going on.
Here's the spiritually responsible deal: 1) to exercise compassion is to allow people to be who they are without judgment, period; 2) when we are judging someone for being something or not being something, we are only and ever talking about ourselves. As one caller into C-Span's Washington Journal so eloquently put it recently - and I'm paraphrasing - do we show enough emotion when we see a homeless person die? When soldier's families are torn apart by war? When people die because of lack of access to health care? Etc. Etc. Etc.
The evidence is fairly strong that, as of the moment, this is truly a made-up-by-the-media-non-scandal-appearing-to-be-scandalous thought with which "the American people" are not necessarily aligned. But for anyone who is, please oh please take a look in the mirror and let us talk about some of what is really going on.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
BP/Gulf #2 - Sarah Palin Edition
I was struck when I read that Sarah Palin was blaming "extreme environmentalists" (whom she also called "radical," "misguided," and "nonsensical") for what is happening in the Gulf. (Her Facebook entry is here.) As is so often the case when viewing our political landscape through the lens of the 15 concepts, there are so many directions in which to go but as Spiritually Responsible Politics is, above all, about elevating the public discourse and so "debating" at the levels of beliefs and intentions is a really good way to do that. So here we go with one stipulation: We can never really know what someone else's intentions or beliefs are unless they tell us directly, so there may be some genuine guessing going on here, for argument's sake.
When I first heard about what Governor Palin wrote I thought it would be a great opportunity to simply point out that beyond all the name-calling (judgments) are simply differences in beliefs - figuring it would be relatively easy to show how Ms. Palin's beliefs are not the same as the beliefs of your average radical environmentalist. She may or may not consider me to be that, but I certainly have a belief that says, we belong to the planet, not the planet to us - also a concept, yes - and that means to me that we are made of the same stuff and that what we do to it we do to ourselves and what we do to ourselves we do to it and that we should put its health and well being on a par with our own and radically change our approach, legislatively, to what we do and do not consider to be acceptable treatment of the planet. And then I read this: "Some of these countries don't care for planet earth like we do - as evidenced by our stricter environmental standards."
I had thought maybe that Ms. Palin didn't have a belief anywhere near the neighborhood of caring for the planet so I was pleasantly surprised to see that she did. Clearly, however, her belief(s) about caring for the planet are different from mine because mine would not include ever doing something as risky and dangerous as what was done by BP in the Gulf and hers, apparently, would. And there's no doubt that the conversation or debate would continue, but keeping it in terms of what we each believe would undoubtedly keep the level of discourse relatively high. For example, she may have a belief that says oil exploration and drilling is the best source of energy for our country whereas my belief is that America has an addiction to oil that can and should be broken. In this way, we'd be talking about beliefs which would, undoubtedly, lead to conversations about facts and, ultimately, intentions as well.
I just think it's a better way to go than name-calling and blaming and as I have said many times before, it starts with us. What are your beliefs about what's happening in the Gulf? About using oil? About our ability as a country to solve this problem? Etc. and so forth. When we are clear and willing to talk about our own, we will be in a much better position to demand the same of our politicians.
When I first heard about what Governor Palin wrote I thought it would be a great opportunity to simply point out that beyond all the name-calling (judgments) are simply differences in beliefs - figuring it would be relatively easy to show how Ms. Palin's beliefs are not the same as the beliefs of your average radical environmentalist. She may or may not consider me to be that, but I certainly have a belief that says, we belong to the planet, not the planet to us - also a concept, yes - and that means to me that we are made of the same stuff and that what we do to it we do to ourselves and what we do to ourselves we do to it and that we should put its health and well being on a par with our own and radically change our approach, legislatively, to what we do and do not consider to be acceptable treatment of the planet. And then I read this: "Some of these countries don't care for planet earth like we do - as evidenced by our stricter environmental standards."
I had thought maybe that Ms. Palin didn't have a belief anywhere near the neighborhood of caring for the planet so I was pleasantly surprised to see that she did. Clearly, however, her belief(s) about caring for the planet are different from mine because mine would not include ever doing something as risky and dangerous as what was done by BP in the Gulf and hers, apparently, would. And there's no doubt that the conversation or debate would continue, but keeping it in terms of what we each believe would undoubtedly keep the level of discourse relatively high. For example, she may have a belief that says oil exploration and drilling is the best source of energy for our country whereas my belief is that America has an addiction to oil that can and should be broken. In this way, we'd be talking about beliefs which would, undoubtedly, lead to conversations about facts and, ultimately, intentions as well.
I just think it's a better way to go than name-calling and blaming and as I have said many times before, it starts with us. What are your beliefs about what's happening in the Gulf? About using oil? About our ability as a country to solve this problem? Etc. and so forth. When we are clear and willing to talk about our own, we will be in a much better position to demand the same of our politicians.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
BP/Gulf #1
Back at this blog and figuring there will be far more to cover with regard to the BP/Gulf oil adventure, but I'm starting with something that Spiritually Responsible Politics often comes down to: intentions. And it doesn't get more simple than this: a phrase from BP's own web site, well over a month into what, apparently, is now "the greatest environmental disaster in history," the lead statement under their "Environmental Management" section which, if they haven't amended it yet, can be found here:"
Intentions matter. Intentions matter in the nitty gritty of daily life because they help us with the choices and decisions we make on a moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, day-to-day basis. Intentions matter on a spiritual level, because it is with our intentions that we give shape to the never-ending flow of Source energy that come to and through us every moment that we are receiving breath. It's a statement to The Universe about who we are and what we are wanting and it's a statement within a greater dialogue which is ongoing and also never-ending.
This statement says so much. It says that it fully expects "environmental impact" from its activities. It says it will try, I'm sorry, strive to reduce such "environmental impact." And not only does it say it has "management systems" and "standards" and that it uses "innovative technology in its operations," but it goes on to describe what those things are and, having read them, they are no more clear. But we need know nothing more than that BP fully expects "environmental impact" - it's built right into its intention and I don't know any way to avoid such disaster and devastation in the future without an intention to avoid it.
Impossible you say? Corporations will always game the system, blah, blah, blah? Then take a gander at this, from Interface, a pioneer in the greening of our economy:
How would you like to work there? Now this post seems like it might fit more with Spiritually Responsible Business but the reason we are we we are in the Gulf right now is because our own government does not yet have an intention that is in alignment with the notion that we belong to the planet, not the planet to us the way Interface does.
But it could.
"BP strives to minimize the environmental impact of its activities by applying management systems and standards and using innovative technology in its operations."
Intentions matter. Intentions matter in the nitty gritty of daily life because they help us with the choices and decisions we make on a moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, day-to-day basis. Intentions matter on a spiritual level, because it is with our intentions that we give shape to the never-ending flow of Source energy that come to and through us every moment that we are receiving breath. It's a statement to The Universe about who we are and what we are wanting and it's a statement within a greater dialogue which is ongoing and also never-ending.
This statement says so much. It says that it fully expects "environmental impact" from its activities. It says it will try, I'm sorry, strive to reduce such "environmental impact." And not only does it say it has "management systems" and "standards" and that it uses "innovative technology in its operations," but it goes on to describe what those things are and, having read them, they are no more clear. But we need know nothing more than that BP fully expects "environmental impact" - it's built right into its intention and I don't know any way to avoid such disaster and devastation in the future without an intention to avoid it.
Impossible you say? Corporations will always game the system, blah, blah, blah? Then take a gander at this, from Interface, a pioneer in the greening of our economy:
"We will honor the places where we do business by endeavoring to become the first name in industrial ecology, a corporation that cherishes nature and restores the environment. Interface will lead by example and validate by results, including profits, leaving the world a better place than when we began, and we will be restorative through the power of our influence in the world."
How would you like to work there? Now this post seems like it might fit more with Spiritually Responsible Business but the reason we are we we are in the Gulf right now is because our own government does not yet have an intention that is in alignment with the notion that we belong to the planet, not the planet to us the way Interface does.
But it could.
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