Photo: Taynuilt, Scotland, United Kingdom by hotel concierge
Dreams appear as theater productions but with deeper emphasis on personal perspectives. For each of us, certain themes tend to appear throughout our lives.
Visions of libraries and pyramids dominate my nightly reviews of life. Beginning in my early childhood, I prayed for the Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding embraced by King Solomon but the crystal clear visions of libraries appeared in response to my request for developing a Divine connection with the Highest Source where I reach the highest level of enlightenment.
In them, an elderly sage patiently shares his personal library of tablets with sacred symbols kept in numerous pyramids. Sometimes, he guides me to a jungle with lavish waterfalls. Other times we travel to the ocean floor. Modest collections are stored in caves housing manatees. Some are in contemporary pyramids with interior moats and his staff of scribes.
His name is Archangel Raziel, and he’s assured me all who seek his knowledge have access to his libraries. While a flash of his presence translates into cobalt blue and golden yellow caps, his energetic frequency travels across the rainbow spectrum while his embodied figure appears as a pot of gold.
His service as the Angel of Mystery is to contain, yet share, the secrets he learned from sitting beside the throne of God. An intellect and soothsayer, Raziel documented the universal codes, which he generously translates to all who ask for answers, specifically as it relates to their spiritual paths and opening their channels of intuition. He clarifies our subconscious interpretations of our previous choices and how they relate to our current circumstances so that we know how best to move forward.
Archangel Raziel’s most famous book is the Sefer Raziel, a treatise on Divine Wisdom for survival outside God’s protected Paradise. This text includes algebraic equations and geometric problem solving for working within our material plane.
Raziel is an aristocrat of the Higher Realms and he has earned many titles carrying responsibilities. As a member of the Cherubim, which is the second tier of angels, and he intercedes on behalf of original thinkers. He was likely one of the Cherubim’s with a flaming shield around the Tree of Life when God sealed the gates to the Garden of Eden upon the first named couple’s expulsion.
Sefer Raziel, also known as The Book of Angel Raziel, was first given to Adam when he and Eve relocated from the Garden of Eden. The descended angels were jealous and sought to keep the couple in a vulnerable, misguided state of mind and living conditions. The jealous angels stole the Sefer Raziel and hid it deep within the ocean. God demanded for the angel of the deep, Rahab, to return the book to Adam.
The book and its universal Wisdom were passed down from Adam for seven generations, to a time it was found by Enoch, the father of Methuselah. Enoch revised the book to explain all aspects of spirit as The Book of the Secrets of Enoch, which is commonly referred to as, 2 Enoch. His connection with Source became pure enough for him to transcend into Heaven on a band of light as he walked with God. His embodiment spreads Divine answers to the mysteries through the flame of Metatron. Again, these images can be described as a rainbow with a pot of gold.
Noah relied on Raziel’s book for instructions on constructing the Ark and surviving the flood. He decorated the Ark with carved images of Raziel in his Cherubum form. King Solomon gained access to the book for fulfilling his quest for ultimate Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding. The secrets of God instilled him with such intuition, the powers seem otherworldly and the knowledge is now misconstrued to be based on a magic where man overpowers material matter.
Raziel’s teachings reach musicians through his royal position as Prince of the Choir of Thrones, at the third tier of angels. In that persona, he is expressed as one of the flaming wheels visualized by Ezekiel with a thunderstorm in the North sky. Four flaming wheels within wheels were covered in eyes of justice as winged creatures with four heads circled the Heavens with the purpose of carrying those of the highest enlightenment, such as Elijah, directly to God.
Raziel is also the Chief of the Erelim, a member of the Sarim, and the Herald of the Deity. His guidance manifests in the writings of spiritual leaders. He is the potential of existence in the form of the Cochma, which is the second level of God consciousness in the creation of the material plane and the Higher Realms. The two interplay off one another to formulate God’s will. Philosophers Isaac the Blind, Eleazar the Perfumer, Maimonides and Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia based their studies of the Cochma and other theories relating to the sefirot or the Tree of Life on visions from Raziel.
The symbols in my romance suspense THE ICE SOCIETY were influenced by the images of Archangel Raziel. Upon completing THE ICE SOCIETY, I visited an estate of an ancestor I was named after. Just as Archangel Raziel asks us to contemplate our past connections for developing our spiritual gifts with accurate perceptions, I received confirmation of Raziel’s guidance in my family photo.
Photo: Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans by Jan Wilder Bill
Endings can make or break an entire story. We’ve all heard about the protagonist’s motivation dictating his actions. His motivation shapes the plot and determines the big finale of the story. Whether you’re a plotter with an outline, or a panster with a completed first draft, once you’ve decided on the resolution, revise with a mind to bolster the ending. Set up the elements before you reach the final chapter.
1. Say It Like You Mean It
Gossip, gossip, gossip. We’ve all been victims. We’ve done our share of spreading seedy details about others, too. It catapults a person’s reputation from dreary housewife into conniving diva. The neighbor who wears high heels with a pajama top to walk down the driveway and pick up the morning paper becomes headline news.
Embellishing the facts is delicious. Tension sky-rockets every time a character expresses a strong opinion about the antagonist.
“He’d kill a kitten in a playground.”
“That woman cheated on her husband and then took his entire savings while he was away in the war.”
2. Spread the Dirty Laundry
Readers love to hate and they love to find a reason to hate. A great excuse to disapprove of a person comes from casting judgment on him.
Exposing the dark secrets of the antagonist’s past does wonders for turning readers against him. Character traits we, as a society, can’t forgive include, harming our neighbors, abusing pets and children, and showing a lack of respect toward the environment. The antagonist loses supporters when he only thinks of himself. The reader yearns to find fault where the antagonist deserves his up-commence.
The anatomist beats his dog.
He refuses to share his cookies with his mother.
He chews out a cashier at the grocery store.
3. Sock It to Me
As long as the scenes prove the protagonist has a right to defeat the antagonist, the ending can be outlandish. Develop the story so that the protagonist must win in order to overcome personal obstacles, protect others, and survive another day.
Give plenty of examples where the protagonist gets kicked around. All the while, the protagonist takes the higher road. Her only wish is for a better life where she receives her well-deserved recognition.
The protagonist spends sixteen hours a day for two years training for the Olympics.
She blows out her ankle and knee replacement surgery.
Her mother’s dying wish is to see her baby win.
4. It Can’t Get Any Worse
Let your characters be pessimistic about the odds the protagonist will reach her goal. We want the gory details to be stated loudly and clearly.
Having several characters see how bleak matters are for the protagonist gives credibility to their predictions. If it’s only the protagonist’s mom who says she has no chance, the reader will dismiss the comment. Once three or four people in the story have the same sense of foreboding, the negative viewpoints become a hardcore fact.
“No one’s ever made it through the Death Valley pass on foot.”
“You’d have to get a perfect score on the C.I.A. exam to make up for your terrible performance.”
“He’s never dated anyone from the office.”
5. Put All the Eggs in One Basket
As the story progresses, slam every door in the protagonist’s face. Let him reach a point where there is only one shot for him to reach his goal. If he doesn’t come through with this one thing, there is absolutely no way he will win.
Lay out the foundation by letting the protagonist think of every possible mishap. He trains. He studies. He abstains from what he loves. Then, when all the bases are covered, remove his one opportunity.
The protagonist must use a special cupcake recipe to pull the hero out from amnesia. She finds the recipe. She saves money to buy the equipment and rare ingredients. She practices. In the final hour, she arrives at the train station with the cupcakes on a silver platter as the hero boards to leave forever. A dog attacks the protagonist and eats the cupcakes.
6. The Golden Chalice
Lucky charms, precious heirlooms, and customized tools give the protagonist a boost over his rivals. Whether you call them superstitions or magical charms, the protagonist relies on one relic. Without it, he fails.
Place his hope to accomplish his goal on his crutch. Harry and his magic wand. Indiana Jones and his leather whip. Jack Sparrow and his compass. The Prince of Persia and the dagger.
In the final moment, remove the golden chalice. Destroy it. Give it to the antagonist. It doesn’t have to be fantastical. Losing that particular item raises the stakes.
The protagonist must have his mother’s pendant for his dream girl to recognize him after an accident disfigures his face. The antagonist melts the pendant and the protagonist has nothing.
7. Giving It Up for Your Love
Throughout the story, give the protagonist something she can’t live without. One craving, object or activity must fuel her life. The world can collapse, but as long as she has this one thing, she rallies and keeps her wits.
It could be her alone time in the woods, her incredible job, her diamond comb or a violin she’s played ever since she learned to walk. At the critical hour, the protagonist voluntarily gives up the one thing that keeps her sane.
She quits her job to care for her crippled husband. She sells the only valuable possession she has, a comb she inherited from her grandmother, to purchase a present for her husband.
She’d rather have her fingers cut off and never play the piano again in exchange for staying with her one true love.
The protagonist is a race car driver. Her car is reliable and serves as her savings account. In the end, she crashes her car into the river to prevent the hero from falling to his death.
8. Captain Underdog Rules the Day
A great strategy is for the antagonist and the protagonist to have equal chances of winning throughout the story. At the climax, shift the skill levels of the characters. Give that nasty antagonist a huge advantage. Let his strengths outweigh the capabilities of the protagonist.
With the new circumstances, the protagonist must think faster, find a unique resource, and change gears. He must devise a new solution.
Both women vying for the same man are beautiful. The antagonist gets promoted and wins the lottery. The protagonist rallies through her sincerity and amazing cooking to aid the hero in overcoming his fear of heights.
9. Change a Leopard’s Spots
Readers love figuring out the ending before the characters do. They stick with the same genre because there is comfort in predictability.
We aren’t here to coddle our readers. Instead, shake their books off.
Set the stage for the typical outcome and take time playing it out. Build the story so that the protagonist craves for the likely ending. Then, deny, deny, deny. Don’t give the reader what he wants.
Three times, show the protagonist lose against the antagonist in chess. Establish that if the protagonist makes the Klondike Crush move, she’ll win every time. Let her botch the first step but then recover. She sees how to make the move, but the antagonist pulls out a gun and holds it to her grandmother’s head before the final play.
10. It’s a Matter of Perception
At her last breath, the protagonist needs to change the way she perceives life. She demonstrates her new take on life by having a different reaction to a repeated situation.
Throughout the story, show the protagonist responding the same way to similar experiences as the story unfolds. Again and again, the protagonist has the same extreme opinion. Finally, once the dust is stirred, the protagonist doesn’t respond in her typical fashion. She feels the opposite from how she did at the beginning of the story but with an equally strong conviction.
In the beginning, the protagonist loves a nice smoke. She inhales the fumes deeply. At every opportunity, the protagonist lights up. She gets angry when people tell her it’s unhealthy. In the final scene, someone ridicules her for taking a light. She throws the smoke away and gives him a hug.
Think of the big finale as the main element of the plot. Focus your motivation and storyline on the final scene. The setup of the resolution escalates your protagonist’s problems. Elevating the purpose of the ending gives the protagonist a humdinger resolution!
Photo: Hurricane Irma by J. Wilder Bill
Getting through each day parallels participating in a combative sport. We train for what is expected and invest into preparations for the worst. As I write, the state of Florida is in lockdown, preparing for a hurricane that will pass through by September 11th. Power outages are certain, water lines are sure to be turned off, massive trees always destroy houses and block roads. This is followed by flooding, inhabitable housing, and the inability of emergency vehicles to reach those in need. Interestingly, the strongest hurricane on record revolves around 9/11, which is also an emergency phone number.
To understand perseverance, I compare Tom Brady, Rafael Nadal, and Michael Jordan.
A common thread is their perceiving each baby step toward their completed goal as an accomplishment. Nadal ignores the scoreboard during a match, explaining, “You just try to play tough and focus point for point.” His “motivation is tomorrow, just one day at a time….” Jordan focuses on the next play, saying, “I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot…. When you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.”
Studies show we release a feel-good chemical when we reach our goals. The more often we complete an objective, the higher the levels of dopamine are in a particular area of our brains. Those increased levels provide a sense of accomplishment, inspiring us to take the next step.
We have the ability to increase our dopamine by mentally rewarding ourselves for doing a good job before reaching our final objective. Brady credits himself with an accomplishment for daily workouts. “I just love working hard. I love being part of a team. I love working toward a common goal.” Nadal enjoys the daily grind, explaining, “The glory is being happy. The glory is not winning here or winning there. The glory is enjoying practicing, enjoy every day, enjoying to work hard, trying to be a better player than before.”
Hard work earns respect from peers. Emotional support boosts dopamine levels. Jordan states, “I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.” Brady says, “My job is to play quarterback, and I’m going to do that the best way I know how, because I owe that to my teammates regardless of who is out there on the field with me.”
A confident winner is unmoved by lack of support. Jordan is inspired by defeatist. “If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” Nadal dismisses criticism, stating, “No one is perfect. Everybody does stupid things.”
Joy comes from finding a purpose in the effort. “I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat,” says Jordan. “Mentally, the only players who survive in the pros are the ones able to manage all their responsibilities,” provides Brady. Nadal “always work[s] with a goal and the goal is to improve as a player and a person. That finally, is the most important thing of all.”
They ignore their personal needs. “When you’re one of the leaders of the team, there are no days off,” says Brady. With regard to physical discomfort, Nadal explains, “I learned during all my career to enjoy suffering.”
These athletes use failures to demonstrate how high they’ve risen. Jordan counts every glitch in his career to motivate himself to improve. “If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them, everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” According to Brady, “I’ve never gotten over one loss I’ve had in my career. They always stick with me.” He describes himself as “the kid that was the one hundred ninety-ninth pick that never had the body for it. People didn’t think I’d play one year in the NFL, and now I’m going on my seventeenth year.”
With perseverance, milestones exist each day. After losing, Nadal states, “I will do as I usually do. Tomorrow is going to be a day like any other day.” “I’ve never been afraid to fail,” says Jordan.
Dopamine fuels them with enthusiasm. Nadal says, “I am a guy who likes to do what I am doing with passion….” Brady likewise says, “I always try to do as much as I can do. I’m never a person that does not enough, because I’d regret not doing enough and think I probably could have done more. I probably go too far and have to reel myself back in….” Jordan “always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.”
Throughout history, man is encouraged to invoke faith in perseverance. “Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere.” Qur’an AYAH al-Baqarah 2:153. According to James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
Life is flavored with obstacles. Perseverance wins, every time.
Photo: Mendenhall Glacier by J. Wilder Bill
Water is our salvation. Consider all the times you’ve taken time out from your hectic life with a soothing bath. Inner peace comes easily when you hear or view a body of water. Many of us plan vacations for rejuvenating our minds, bodies and souls with destinations and activities revolving around the wondrous H2O.
“Being out there in the ocean, God’s creation, it’s like a gift He has given us to enjoy,” states professional surfer and author, Bethany Hamilton who survived a life threatening shark attack. Author, Carl Hiaasen, describes his escape for inspiration as “to just get in a boat and disappear on the water.”
Water provides life within us, through what we consume, and by surrounding us in the atmosphere. Civilizations thrive where they show respect with it. We are all impacted by how man relates to it. Scientists advocate our infinite need to protect all resources. “With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you’re connected to the sea. No matter where on Earth you live. Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere is generated by the sea,” explains National Geographic’s marine biologist, Sylvia Earle.
As Leonardo Da Vinci provides, “Water is the driving force of all nature.” We are advised to consume as much as eight glasses each day to maintain a healthy body and proper brain functioning, yet with the endless concerns about pollution, overpopulation and lack of drinkable resources, we tend to lapse into anticipating a cataclysmic apocalypse.
Many of us concede man must have clean H2O in order to survive, but the more research is conducted, the more confusing it is to decipher which choices we should make. Instead of fretting over the likelihood plastic bottles can poison us, or the chemical runoff from crops is decreasing our drinkable supply, we can be innovative in creating a solution.
It must be more than a coincidence that several religions view water as a means for cleansing not just the body but also the soul. Submersion is considered a method for attaining purification. Washing with an intention for attaining a higher consciousness prepares practitioners to receive the teachings of the benevolent Creator. Even a few drops of blessed water have the power to uplift one’s spiritual connection. All faiths include a ritual or prayerful state of mind when utilizing water in a religious ceremony or church service. “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water,” writes the philosopher, Loren Eiseley.
Water is impressionable. It responds to our thoughts. “All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was,” provides author, Toni Morrison.
Masaru Emoto, author and entrepreneur, devised a method for recording an impression of the memory of water by photographing frozen samples. Emotional images and words introduced to H2O while in its liquid form create patterns in its molecules believed to be a reflection of those moods.
Samples gathered from polluted reservoirs and tap water reveal murky, undefined shapes. Emoto believed human thoughts and images of nature play a role in the quality of water. He arranged several times for groups of five hundred participants to meditate on either an intention to purify the quality, or else on positive chants of love directed at the sources. Photographs of samples taken from the same locations as where the molecules formed murky, undefined shapes were transformed into symmetrical, intricate geometric patterns similar to snow crystals.
It made no difference if the five hundred people prayed, meditated or sang songs, as long as the words and thoughts were positive affirmations. His results were consistent regardless of who provided the loving intentions, who ranged from spiritual practitioners to elementary school children. Also, the distance between the participants and the source of water was irrelevant. Those meditating, chanting and praying were at times thousands of miles away from a body of water they set out to purify. The crystalline formations were equally improved to when the meditations, chants and prayers took place within the same building as the previously contaminated tap water.
Likewise, when the water was exposed to negative words and painful images, the molecules mirrored the chaotic and muddy emotions. In one instance, he recorded seeing microscopic formations from samples removed from a lake that resembled a facial expression depicting horror and pain. After his research concluded, he discovered human tragedies occurred within the body of water.
Emoto concluded that human consciousness and impressions of nature alter the molecular structure of water. He believed, “water could react to positive thoughts and words, and that polluted water could be cleaned through prayer and positive visualization.”
Next time, before taking a sip of a refreshing drink, send a positive affirmation to the item you plan to ingest. Use your consumption as an opportunity to purify what you place in your body. Take a moment to visualize what you would like to improve in your life.
When cleansing and washing any part of your body, put aside your worries and problems to avoid adding a murky element. Focus on intensifying the purifying effects. Practice expressing confidence in your water systems, just as actor and screenwriter, John C. Reilly, found, “There’s something about the water, that solitary kind of peaceful feeling. You’re on Earth but not quite.”
Become consciously aware of the power of your words, both spoken and in thought. Take time to appreciate the wondrous words imprinted in the molecules of water.
Photo: Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee by J. Wilder Bill
Regardless of where you stand on today’s issues, there are times when a political leader gives a statement or supports an order that contradicts your views. The political structure allows opposing parties to create opportunities for themselves by escalating the public’s differing opinions. This gives them leverage to suppress the civilians’ sense of power.
Without belief in our abilities, we become divided. Without unity, a nation lacks strength.
Each of us can make a difference in the government. According to the philosopher and founder of Taoism, Lao Tzu, “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, ‘We did it ourselves.’” It is through the people actively participating that leaders are able to serve.
Our duty as civilians is to offer support and prayers for authority figures of every level and position. “Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is,” stated Mahatma Gandhi. Prayer is action.
Within the Holy Bible, 1 Timothy 2:1-3 provides for man to give supplications, which embrace humility on behalf of another. We are to seek intercessions through angels and saints to exalt our pleas for governmental leaders to receive guidance. Saint Thomas More is the patron of lawyers, civil servants, and politicians.
Most importantly, we are to express gratitude for the benefits within our nation. Through prayers and thanks, the entire country acquires peace, goodness and honest dealings within its boundaries as well as with other countries. 1 Timothy clarifies that only God has authority over men, therefore it is proper to pray for political leaders to act with godliness and honesty. Leaders who make choices on behalf of the Divine promote the salvation of all mankind and support all men in their quest for knowledge of the Truth.
Faith grants strength. Trust in a Divine plan for placing those who are in office elevates our spiritual power. Our support influences their actions and grants them insights of Holiness.
Archbishop John Carroll, founder of Georgetown University, suggests first praying for God to have mercy on all nations, regardless of their views or actions, and then for the leaders to gain “heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life.” He includes all civil servants who are appointed and elected to have powerful protection in performing their duties “with honesty and ability.”
We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.
Archbishop John Carroll
The English Prayer Book issues thanksgiving and blessings for the leaders of the United Kingdom by humbly acknowledging God’s mighty authority over man, praying for spiritual enlightenment of leaders, and then asking for eternal grace. Blessings are requested in saying, “look favourably on our sovereign lady, Queen Elizabeth. Fill her with your Holy Spirit so that she may love your law and walk in your way. Give her health and strength; and grant that after this life she may enjoy everlasting happiness in your eternal kingdom.”
Rule the heart of your servant Elizabeth, our Queen, so that she, knowing whose minister she is, may above all things seek your honour and glory. And grant that we and all her subjects may faithfully serve, honour and obey her according to your word and ordinance.
Book of Common Prayer
Even a moment of silence dedicated to the President, Congressmen, Senators and Governors having spiritual counsel boosts their capacity for benevolent judgment. As Mahatma Gandhi explained, “It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
Prayers and support for government is a longstanding tradition. Unrest within nations tends to arise during periods of social transformation. It is unnecessary to evaluate and determine what decisions our political leaders need to make for us to enjoy safe, prosperous lives. Merely offering your request for them to be surrounded by Holy advisors and to open their hearts to Divine Love creates miracles. “Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us,” stated Socrates.
Photo: San Diego Zoo by J. Wilder Bill
Our planet responds to love. We have the power to improve the circumstances.
With a click of a button, you have the opportunity to witness global acts of uncertainty. Exposure to startling behavior and witnessing deteriorating conditions on Earth tend to produce waves of confusion. Images and news adverse with instilling a sense of safety ripples across the globe in a continuous chain, convincing many to accept the concept of a bleak future as being fact.
Any time my siblings and I disagreed with each other, my father would give the same lecture, his finger pointing, and his tone stern, repeating his notorious one sentence until enough hours passed for us to be too tired to argue with each other.
“Two wrongs do not make a right.” It was that simple for my father.
An intensified version of my father’s philosophy of life applies to global disharmony. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “In spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace.”
It seems world-wide violence is increasing, however, many of the same issues existing today began long ago, before mass media. On an optimistic note, humankind has survived terrorists, pollution, and riots for many generations.
A cure for global hostilities exists: Love.
Yes, by itself the word sounds ineffective. Certainly, anyone who is concerned about the seemingly wave of violent behavior is a person who cares but the same person might act adversely toward another out of love for family or his home.
By realizing the aggressions on the planet cannot destroy our inner peace, we can overpower the aggressions. With each moment we are given an opportunity to respond to violence with compassion for the other’s point of view, we create a chain of events that spreads more rapidly than the media can broadcast their versions of the events.
The effects of your act of love with one encounter will inspire the recipient to commit an act of kindness in a situation where he might typically have responded unpleasantly. Doing for others involves intellectual reasoning and a willingness to release your ego. Depending on the level of aggression, you are also placed in a position to exchange habitual fear for trust in the strength of love.
As the numbers of people reacting with love increases, hostilities are deluded. The aggressors lose power. Kindness multiples tenfold and eventually spreads so wide, it circles back to those who generated the loving energy. This isn’t sidewalk preaching. It’s been proven by political scientists, James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego, and Nicholas Christakis of Harvard University that in a situation where acting out of love required a sacrifice by those who gave, their kindness “tripled over the course of the experiment by other subjects who [were] directly or indirectly influenced to contribute more.”
As Desmond Tutu explained, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
In the greatest turmoil, acts of kindness create the highest ripple. You have the power to change the conditions of the planet. Now is a time for love.
Jan Wilder Bill 