Socrates wrote, “the secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” A challenge to be certain, especially during these deeply divided times when party lines seem more like fault lines and our world feels to so many of us like a walking open wound.
This moment, like so many other moments in our history, demands that we dig deep. That no matter where we stand, we be, as Rumi advised, “the soul of that place.” That we choose to see this moment as an invitation to tend to the evolving story of who we are.
Because the thing is, it’s not enough to speak our truth. It’s not even enough to live it. This moment requires something more of us. Something much more difficult: To embody our values in such a way that we reflect back to the world all the grace and kindness and compassion we’ve been granted during our own dark times. To think back on the hands and hearts that have lifted us out of our own shame, embarrassment and self-doubt. And to commit ourselves to being that light for the world, while still holding our own sacred ground.
Because the only way we can ever hope to change the world is by first, changing ourselves.