A better way? a Blessing Way...

Hello friends! I have struggled with the right/wrong, good/bad divisiveness of the party conventions and the coming Presidential race. What really bothers me is the need for people to spend excessive amounts of time and energy on "what's wrong with the other guy/gal," rather than sharing what they support. I have received endless email from all points of view, and I promise you, other than a few sensationally edited videos, every one has *some* credibility, and every one is *right*.

I don't like the way that every election turns into a primitive replay of tribal fear. Today I received this newsletter article from Kate Nowak. Reading it hit me like a breath of fresh air in a too long stuffy room. be Well, Janis

A note from Kate Nowak, of the Blessings Experiment website

Hello from my heart,

Like most Americans, my attention has been riveted lately to the political storm stirred up by the upcoming presidential election. The past two weeks of Democratic and Republican convention watching has had my mind in a whirl.

But I have to admit that I am thrilled and proud to live in a country where the mixed-race child of a young single mother in Kansas; a couple of life-long politicians; and a relatively unknown woman stepping out of the shadows can all stand equally before the American public seeking the highest office in the land and one of the most powerful offices in the world.

That realization fills me with pride and gratitude for our founding fathers who had the wisdom and foresight to write such a possibility into our constitution.

However, as I have listened to the politicians speak and to the responses those speeches have warranted this past couple of weeks, I am reminded of the story of the troubled old man who was asked by his counselor what he believed to be the single-most source of his problems.

"Oh, that's easy," he at once replied. "I am always right and others are always wrong. But those foolish others will NOT, no matter how hard I try to convince them, admit that they are wrong and I am right."

Not pointing out the enormous egotism involved in such a statement, the counselor decided instead to try simple logic by asking, "But how is it possible for you to always be right and everyone else to always be wrong?"

"Ah, that..." said the old man. "That is one of the greatest miracles of all time!"

The moral of the story, of course, is that logic has never been much of a match for vanity, whether its one or one, or spilled across the boundaries of an entire political party. We humans like to be right, and even in those times when admitting an error might suit us better, we are loathe to admit we might not be as right as we'd like to think we are.

Which reminds me of another story: A Master was walking across a broad field one day with an eager student at his side. The two passed by an archer practicing his craft. When an arrow hit the target, the archer praised himself exceedingly for his great skill. When the arrow missed the target, the archer blamed a gust of wind.

"Do you see the nature of man?" the Master asked the student. "When things go right, he credits his own skill for having made it so. But when things go wrong, he quickly finds someone or something else to blame."

Over the next couple of months, we Americans are apt to hear a great deal of credit-taking and blaming. Our job as responsible, caring and progressive citizens, not only of this country but of the world, is to filter through all we will hear, and find whatever nuggets of truth lie buried beneath all the half-truths and contradictions.

Personally, I think the best way to do this is to refrain from judging and criticizing as much as possible and try blessing instead. It is my heartfelt belief that we can do far more good by blessing all of the candidates in this election and the leaders and future leaders of every country in the world, for that matter, than we ever can be condemning any.

Then, we can better make up our own minds based, not on what the politicians tell us or what our own egos demand be right, but upon our sense of personal guidance arising from within. Because what any politician tells us is going to come from his or her personal perspective, and no matter how altruistic or worthy their goals may be, their own personal agendas will naturally color their words.

We simply cannot know with certainty that what a candidate or a political party says is best is always best for all concerned.

When, however, we go within and ask that we be guided to choose the best candidate, not just to satisfy our own personal agendas, but for the betterment of all, then the wisdom that comes from within will be true to that request.

We don't just make our own lives better when we take the time to go within and get to know ourselves better. By learning to listen to our own inner wisdom, we make the world a better place to be.

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