What do you wish was happening in America right now? How do you want Americans to handle the conflicts and disagreements that will surely continue to arise? Are you waiting for the world to change? Waiting for the world to change to make you feel safe? How can the world be different if you are not different?

If this country needs critical thinking, are you a critical thinker? If this country needs understanding, are you listening and understanding those you find hard to comprehend? If this country needs love, are you loving your neighbor?

You have a unique gift. You have a part. Are you exploring what that might be? Are you acting on what you know is the right thing? It’s not the same for everyone. It’s not necessarily public or loud. But it is in there. Take some quiet time. Listen. Move with the mystery that makes mountains rise up, that causes flowers to bloom and tears of compassion and joy to flow for our fellow human.

Your life is the greatest gift you can offer the world. In reality, it’s all you have to give. How  might you live to encourage the expression of your gift? This is what America is about, becoming who you are, freedom to discover and be, who you are. The American dream is about opportunity, no matter from where you come. It’s about innovation, creativity and the environment to explore all you can be.

Live the American dream. Be the change America needs.

We are fortunate to live in this time with all we have gained over the last thousands of years as we arrive to the culmination of much wisdom and learning. We now have the ability, we have the resources and we have the humanity to overcome what appears to be impossible. This is the biggest challenge we’ve had to date to preserve our values and raise humanity to new levels of connection. It can be done.

In the long arc of history, we have learned to survive the elements, living on an unpredictable planet with many dangers ranging from inclement weather to devastating earthquakes or tsunamis.

We have learned to prosper and develop vast knowledge even in the darkest of times which brought light and beauty to our world.

We expanded across the globe destroying much we encountered and then learned the value of democracy.

Recently, we’ve begun to see the humanity and the rights of others we had scorned in the past and have held out a hand of comfort and compassion.

The clash of viewpoints today has to do with the dying model of controlling others. Do we force agendas and make others come to our way of thinking? Or do we reach out in curiosity? Do We The People realize our power, the power to come together to create a world of inclusion and diversity by making plans for our communities based on empathy and understanding?

You may be thinking, ‘well this is all very Kum-by-yah and peachy but I live in the real world’. That’s just fear talking. Fear that it’s impossible or threatening but in reality this way of thinking likely takes you out of your comfort zone. Take a good look deep inside yourself, many of us were made for this time, for a time to sincerely reach out to others to understand and come together.

What is your part in bringing people together? That is the most important question. Here is a TED talk you may find helpful.

Are you pretty good at cleaning out the closets and keeping those papers filed in the proper places? We need you to volunteer at all the embattled organizations trying to keep democracy afloat. It’s an overwhelming time as the new administration puts out change after change after change. We need a well run machine to calmly and precisely document and manage responses.

This may also be a good way for introverts, tech folks, nerds of all kinds to bring their particular skills to the table. People to process data and put it together in a way we can manage.

What do you think? What ideas do you have in this regard?

It can all feel so very hopeless at times. I look at the rush of recent administration actions, rushing nominees, executive orders, crushing blow after blow overloading the democratic system. It seems as if they already have the upper hand.

Don’t believe it.

They are rushing to make you dizzy and unstable. Breathe.

They are afraid of you. Hiding information. Hoping you will tire and just go away.

Don’t.

Keep moving. Find friends. Keep walking right through the fear.

We are in this together.

America is going through a growth spurt. We are struggling with a big change, worried about what might happen and afraid of the unknown. We are busting through from our teenage years to young adulthood with excitement, fear and trepidation. It’s a scary process as we branch out, some parts want to hold back, stick with what we know, some parts want to forge ahead, some parts are angry and lash out with perceived worry we won’t make it in the new world. Feels like adolescence to me!

We were a long time in the toddler stage, the elementary school age, sometimes playing tug of war, sometimes kind and caring, but always back and forth until… the teenager woke up. The teenager knows everything, wants their own way, can’t understand the viewpoint of others, is often loud, defiant, angry but also idealistic, ready for change and excited to move out.

When the reality of actually moving out arrives, it can be terrifying and many a youth back down and cling to known ways. If the way forward stretches farther than we feel ready for, the snap back can be forceful. I think this is where we are at in a time of our history that will require much from us.

Americans are stout, hearty folk. We don’t mess around and sometimes that gets us into trouble, but I have much faith in people. We can overcome the current hurdle of our political climate. It will require doing something we have been afraid to do for decades – listen, learn, speak up. It will be helped by tools we’ve never had before, well written history, more information than any one person can absorb, but mostly an internet that allows us to see many ideas, points of view and ways forward to keep America intact and moving forward.

There is much to learn from everyone in this transition. Let’s listen and learn, talk and debate, plan and act. Follow this blog to find out how you can be part of the solution.