I hold myself out as an author, a teacher, and a minister, but not anything to do with animals. So why do I keep facilitating communication between people and their pets? It happened again this past weekend. Someone’s cat had been deathly ill for months, and they asked me to talk it over with the cat. I did. A few years ago, I talked to their dog who was in tremendous pain but was not leaving his body and the dog passed soon after. We’ll see what happens now. The full story is theirs and the cat’s–not mine to tell.
Similarly, my friend Mike is a world-class waiter who spends time each day sending healing light to people who come to mind. He doesn’t think of himself as a healer, but other people do.
What’s your hidden talent for connection in the world?
My point is that as spiritual beings having a spiritual experience in a physical body on a physical plane, we are all endowed with the opportunity to connect with other beings in ways that may not be on our resume.
Every year in the Centers for Spiritual Living we acknowledge and observe the Season for Nonviolence between the deaths of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30th and Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4th. Today is the 7th day of the season. This week we’re encouraged to think about “interbeing” or interconnectedness (This post was inspired by notes created by Louise Tallen, PhD, RScP, Certified Freedom Coach)
When we recognize ourselves as interconnected or interdependent, we free ourselves from separateness and open ourselves to compassion, understanding, and the energy to transform.
Every thought we produce, every word we pronounce, everything we do changes our body, mind, and environment …The environment in which we find ourselves is us, and it is the result of our action…You have to be responsible for both your own body and mind and for your environment. Your environment is you…With mindfulness, compassion, and understanding you can assure a better…future, for yourself and for the world.
Zen & the Art of Saving the Planet by Thich Nyat Hahn
In practical terms, if God is all there is, then everything is connected. When we recognize all of life is interconnected we can cultivate profound compassion and understanding. This will cause a shift in perception where we can empathize deeply and better understand the world around us — even the craziest seeming parts of it.
This week, pay attention to what you know and what you’re here to do. But don’t think that what you do has to be special or big or involve a website. Many of us are fearful and angry about what the Trump administration is doing right now. You don’t have to be a leader right to make a difference; you can be a follower. If you see someone who is doing something that you think is right-on, give them money, get on their mailing list, and do what they ask you to do.
Here’s something I admire that could do more good than many such initiatives–I used to work for Public Citizen– an organization founded many years ago by Ralph Nader that is still going strong–they are the best at litigating and clarifying the separation of powers in government that I know.
Public Citizen is suing Donald Trump. Here’s what they say about it:
We filed our lawsuit just moments after Trump was sworn in on January 20.
- Our lawsuit is about Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (a.k.a. DOGE).
- The suit explains that DOGE is what’s known as an advisory committee, which means it is subject to a 1972 law called the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
- The law requires that such committees be “fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented and the functions to be performed” and that they operate transparently.
- DOGE is most definitely not fairly balanced and most definitely not set up to operate transparently.
- DOGE is being run by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, putting him in a position to drive policy recommendations in Trump’s second term.
- And although Trump says that DOGE is about “efficiency,” the true intent is to spike corporate profits by rolling back vital regulatory protections — on things like clean air, safe food, and workplace safety — and to slash government spending on vital programs like nutrition assistance and Medicaid.
Forcing DOGE to comply with the law is one way to shine light on the Trump regime’s conflicts of interest and to fight back against its extremist, pro-corporate agenda.
But winning a legal battle like this will not be easy.
Anything you can chip in — $5 or $25, $50 or $100, $500 or even more — will help at such a critical moment.Thank you for being part of this shared project called Public Citizen.
For progress,
– Robert Weissman & Lisa Gilbert, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen
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