Home > Blog Index > 2016: The Year We Learn to Love Better

“Humanity has only scratched the surface of its real potential.” –Peace Pilgrim

“None but ourselves can free our minds.” –Bob Marley

It may not seem like it according to the news media, but there are a lot of people on this planet who care deeply about the wellbeing of others.

We want food, safety, and shelter for the world’s children. We want compassionate care for the animals that roam our earth home. We want healthy, nutritious food for our families. We want fairness and justice for our brothers and sisters who continue to face discrimination. We want the freedom to follow the religion or spiritual practice of our choice—as well as the freedom to mindfully live each day guided solely by our hearts, minds, and higher consciousness. We want quality educational opportunities for all youth—along with funding to support public education so that these schools are equal to private schools. We want health care treatment that does not require a GoFundMe site or bankruptcy filing when someone we love suffers from cancer, a stroke, or a life-threatening injury. We want peace—inner peace as well as world peace. We want happiness—and not just for ourselves. We want happiness for our friends, children, neighbors, family, and larger global community.

How do we achieve these goals? One way is to begin working together. We can honor our cultural, ethnic, religious, gender, and race differences while also embracing our commonalities. We can try to understand that the real enemies are ignorance, greed, fear, hate, and prejudice. We can refuse to follow any leader who promotes hate. We can joyfully decline to be governed by fear. We can embrace our power to make a difference.

I’ve read that it takes seven solutions for every one problem. Our current challenges are not insurmountable. If we learn to set aside outmoded thinking and negative stereotypes, we can start to seek out solutions collectively. This approach will require hard work. We will have to examine our conditioning and fears. We will have to see the value and dignity of all human life and place that above borders, property, profit, dogma, national pride, and privilege. We will need to respect the critical role of nature: trees, water, air, soil, butterflies, bees, ecosystems, and the whole connected expanse of the natural world. We will need individuals, businesses, and government leaders who understand that we are an inseparable part of nature. We will need people who love our earth home.

As we move into 2016, what legacy will we leave?

We are the change—So, let’s begin!

In joy & gratitude, 

Diana J. Ensign