There was a time when leaders who were addressing the community opened the dialogue with a question: How are the children doing?

The answer to this question was understood to be a reflection of what the adults were doing well, or needed to correct.

The answer to this question was understood to be a reflection of the society within the youth, not the youth within society.

You see, there are two worlds: our inner-world that we would like to call private, and our outer-world that we all share collectively. However, we all share our inner-worlds with one another—that is what makes up our outer-world as we know it.

What we are born knowing is what we are, Spirit. We either grow within a deeper understanding of what we are, or away from this understanding depending upon the consistent reinforcement of the inner-worlds of those around us.

There was a time where leadership was understood to be a virtue, not a position of authority. Leaders of virtue had the moral and spiritual courage to address the cause, not the symptoms.

They held the understanding that facing the truth has nothing to do with blame; it simply means that we have to honestly look, and then proceed with the solutions. There is always a solution, and solutions cannot be found in blame. If killing for peace was truly a solution, then we as humanity would have experienced peace a long time ago. If violence in all its forms was a solution, then we as humanity would have achieved our collective optimal potential a long time ago.

In a society where a mistake is held as a near-death experience by the ego, and reinforced by images of so-called “perfection,” can we truly expect our young people to admit mistakes when most adults won’t admit their own?

Can we truly expect our young people to stand strong in the face of negative peer pressure when many adults are willing to throw their personal ethics out of the window to be social?

Can we expect our young people to stand alone, if necessary, for what they truly believe in when they see many adults who say they believe in some type of spiritual ethic, yet tuck that ethic away for monetary gain, social status, belonging and acceptance?

Can we honestly expect our young people to be peaceful when they have grown up within the outer-wars produced by the inner-wars of the adults who forgot what they are supposed to remind our young people about—that they’re sacred, gifts and miracles.

Do you remember that you’re sacred, a gift, and a miracle? If you’ve forgotten this truth, then allow the young ones who’ve been sent here to remind you, by allowing their inner-world to affect yours.

Every day there are thousands of answered prayers entering this world.

Spirits wrapped in earth robes—newborn children, another special delivery of love, peace, and hope. We pray, long, and hope for peace, then attempt to change the answers to our prayers by telling them that they have to be realistic, and accept the world as it is.

If we are honest with ourselves then we can clearly say that we all wanted to change the world. The first world we have to change is our inner-world.

Ask yourself two questions:

Are you here to be a healing force or a destructive force?
How are the children doing?

Look within. Make any necessary corrections without blame. Remember: You are the peace that pieces peace together.

 

Love elephant and want to go steady?

Sign up for our (curated) daily and weekly newsletters!

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Paul Downey/Flickr