For or Against? Part Two

Kirsten Harrell at Think Positive wrote a post yesterday based on something both she and I had written nearly a year ago about the distinction between taking a stand FOR something or AGAINST something. In that post she shared a poem she wrote a few years ago called Standing for Peace.

Here's a portion of that poem:

STANDING FOR PEACE

These are difficult times.

Fear and hate preside.

Suspicion and mistrust prevail.

It’s easy to get caught up in the mix of it all.

But did you know that our thoughts create a powerful energy field?

Did you know that we each make a difference daily with our thought field?

Our thoughts either add to the pollution of fear, anger, and hate…

Or our thoughts can add to the peace, balance, and love.

What contribution do you choose?

What a beautiful reminder! Given all the buzz these days about the Law of Attraction, this is quite relevant. What are we creating - and allowing - in our world/World? Is there a distinction between world and World?

I'm reading Marianne Williamson's book Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness, and Making Miracles and this morning I read:

There is so much love in the human heart, yet hatred threatens our planet. And why? Because hatred is currently more committed than love. In the words of philosopher Edmund Burke, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing." Indeed, the forces of fear in the world are more disciplined, more courageous in a perverse kind of way, than are the forces of love. For hatred, as we know all too well, has no problem announcing itself and its intentions to the world. Our response should not just be that we oppose hate; our response must be that we love the world. Then and only then will love truly triumph: when the children of God don't just feel our love, but express our love.

How profound, yet how simple, especially given the events of the past couple of weeks - not just in America, but all around the globe.

I watched American Idol Gives Back last night. I've been especially interested in this year's Idol because Jordin Sparks has Fargo ties (her great-grandparents live here), so I was extremely touched by last night's amazing show. I am inspired to see how much of a difference focused energy and passion can make in the world.

What keeps us from showing our love more often? Think about Corporate America. We have trouble saying the word "love" and the word "work" in the same sentence. Yet the voice of fear is prevalent.

In his book The New Agreements in the Workplace, David Dibble gives us a quiz, asking us to fill in the blanks for some well-known statements. Here's an example:

• Give 'em an inch and they'll take a ____________.
• To get along, _______ along.
• Cover your ________.
• It's the boss's way or the ___________.
• Do what I say, not what I ________.
• We're not paying you to _________.
• If his lips are moving, he must be __________.

•

•

Why is it so easy to fill in these blanks at work? Why is Dilbert still so cotton-pickin' funny to us? Why do we watch The Office and laugh with recognition?

This is my passion, my calling, my genius. I am inspired to have bigger conversations that lead to bigger action, and for some reason I'm drawn to Corporate America. I'm touched and moved and inspired by world hunger, the war in Iraq, and so many other causes in the world - but I'm not called to make a difference as much there as I am in our businesses. Another area that's calling to me is education - and teaching our youth how to THINK ... and how to ask better questions and to challenge the status quo without FEAR.

This is what I envision the Summit for Bigger Small Talk becoming - a place where thought leaders can come together to form action plans for all kinds of big ideas. A place where we can meet others who share our passions, and inspire each other to take action that we might not feel confident enough to take on by ourselves.

I believe in the goodness of people - and I believe that all people have huge capacity for goodness. But, as Marianne Williamson pointed out, when good people do nothing - are not moved to ACTION to demonstrate their goodness - that's when we remain at the mercy of the loudest voice. And the loudest voice doesn't have to be loud in volume - it can be the loudest voice because it's the only one doing the declaring.

If we're not able to take a stand FOR what we believe in - expanded capacity, love-based workplaces, world peace - we end up by default represented by what our thoughts may be telling us we DON'T want ... but what our silence has provided for us.

That which commands the most attention "wins," not by force, but sometimes by momentum and habit and inactivity. We ALREADY KNOW THIS STUFF ... but think how much more we can DO and BE when we don't have to DO and BE it alone.

Come to Fargo and meet others who are committed to bigger small talk. It has to be an amazing event because whoever will be here is the right people for this time and this place. We want you to be among those people! If you're called to bigger action, come and join us June 27-28!