Mini Moments of Zen - "Be the Change..."

​“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Driving down to my boyfriend’s house in Delaware I couldn’t help but notice all the political signs at every stop sign, stop light and intersection.  What struck me was that most of the signs were for local politicians.  The signs for the national presidential candidates were largely absent.  It seems that after all the national campaign drama - the focus has turned toward local politics.

What if we took the same approach to our lives?

If this election season is getting you down, unplug from it all and look to do something locally to make a difference.  Volunteer for a local organization that is in line with your beliefs.  Send a thank you note or email to someone who has been kind to you.  Or take a moment to pay their kindness forward by being helpful or understanding to someone who needs it.
 
Taking a positive action that reflects your core beliefs might help you feel less helpless about things you cannot control – like the result of our impending national presidential election.
 
Now this is not always easy.  In past election cycles I threw pumpkins in the street and a remote control through a TV to reflect my dissatisfaction with election results.  But this year, I am working hard to channel my nervous energy into positive actions (like teaching and writing about yoga and helping with a local animal rescue organization).
 
I can’t control what other people do, but I can control what I do. I can make a difference in my world by learning from my past and trying to make changes in my behavior and the environment around me.  I will fail at times - but will try to learn from those failures - and just keep trying.  And hopefully no remote controls will whiz by into another TV on Tuesday night (although it is a bit less expensive to replace them these days). 
 
“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.  As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” – Mahatma Gandhi

What will you do to be the change you wish to see in the world?