Hope Begins With You
Dwelling on the troubles of the world may make you feel heavy today, which may be because you feel that there is little that you can do to make things better. While your feelings are natural, you might remind yourself that it is not really possible to save the world, but it is possible to contribute positively to the world through your thoughts and actions. Perhaps you can consciously incorporate “right action,” a spiritual practice in which you make a point to do no harm to another being, into your day today. As you try doing right action, you may notice that there are small ways in which you can have a positive impact on the world around you, such as by helping a stranger, recycling, or making more conscientious choices. If you can feel that you are part of the solution for a better world, you may find that your concerns about the larger issues in the world dissolve.
Right action is a powerful way to live our lives. So often we go about our day unaware of the effect our actions have on other people. We might, for example, gossip about someone else or unknowingly rebuff another person. The more we recognize our actions, the more steps we can take to transform what we do in order to put more constructive and nurturing energy out into the world. Changing the way you interact with others today will be a catalyst for greater positive transformation and hope for the world as a whole.
I had an opportunity today to fly with a close friend of ours here in Chico. I used the opportunity to photograph from the air many of our local landmarks. We have a vineyard just down the road from our home. The rice fields were exceptionally beautiful today with the sky being so clear. It was a wonderful flight!
We hiked Mt. Lassen Volcano on September 5, 2008. Steven takes annual hikes with his class each year within the first 3 weeks of the new school year beginning. This year, we hiked with 63 5th graders, 7 of whom have special needs. Everyone was at the peak within 1-1/2 hours! It was an incredible day... As you can see from the photos, the sky was clear as a bell and the temperature comfortable through the hike. There was a little breeze (just enough to keep us cool) and the sun brightly shining! It was a great lesson learned by all -- Never give up, no matter how hard something might seem...
I did have enough energy however to remember the camera and take some photos to put in the memory book! We are very excited for them ~ Steven was up and left the house at 6. He also starts school today and is in charge of 33 students... He has a busy day ahead!
