We need to focus locally.
Last week, another school shooting. An occurrence that’s happened 74 times since Sandy Hook, just 18 months ago*.
One per week.
Each time, people get fired up about gun control (no pun intended), look to the parents and fault them without knowing their names, throw their hands up in exasperation for the helplessness over lost lives.
These issues which we focus on continue to circle back around. Political debates and hate extrude; we look for major ‘solutions’ via regulations that will magically blanket the tiny pieces of anger that eventually propel into horrid acts of violence into non-existence.
In the 15 years since Columbine, the political debate continues, and people fight to create bills, acts, laws – but for what? More regulations and debates do not do anything to discover the source of the anger: duct tape solutions.
My proposition is this: instead of focusing all our energies outward, focus them inward; stay local. Remember who your neighbors are, or if you don’t even know them, introduce yourself to each one as you see them. You’ll be amazed as how the energies can change in one’s day with a wave and smile from someone across the street.
Look people in the eye, and ask them how they are doing – especially if it’s cashier at the market, server bringing you food, or the person next to you in line. Step up and help a stranger, for you would yourself when in their shoes.
We all emotions in life, so don’t be afraid of what someone else may say, or what comes out of your own mouth. A moment of contact can make an enormous difference in someone’s day – which only reverberates onto others, good or bad. So make it good.
If we focus locally, our tiny little acts of love and care will become a giant catalyst for positive change everywhere. Bring love to ALL our lives. Work, material possessions, all those outward areas where we focus our energies don’t have an iota of worth compared to a single human life. We do all this for a reason, what’s yours?
We need to take care of each other. Start small. Fix our neighborhoods, our schools, our local governments, our environments, and witness it spiral outward. Act with love. Work with love. Focus on how to make positive change and betterment for all rather than shutting down another’s opinion or policy that you disagree with. Hate and anger just breed hate and anger. Acts from the heart create beauty and joy.
Who doesn’t want beauty and joy?
It’s up to each one of us to DO SOMETHING NOW. There’s a backup in the manufacturing of governmental magical blankets right now, and we can’t wait for them to take care of us.
Focus locally — starting with a strangers eyes. Smile. Act with love. Repeat.
<3 namaste