While I’ve been moving I have been out of touch with the news, which I didn’t miss. I however know about President Obama’s plan to commit more troops to Afghanistan and to escalate the war there. This seems like a huge mistake and I believe the president has been very poorly advised on this war by the military and other so called experts who have the audacity to call dead soldiers collateral damage. This is all about ego’s desire for power and control, to win. How can anyone think of war as winning? All the loss of life over the battle of egos is a huge tragedy. There are no winners in war. When will this kind of thinking about war as a rational strategy come to an end; are we capable of evolving past this limited and unconscious viewpoint. Let’s all hope so.

My urge is to blame but if I go more deeply inward I must take responsibility for my part: for not speaking up enough; for not being peaceful enough inside; for not being conscious enough to make a real difference. I can’t blame Obama or Congress because they represent the people and if the people don’t insist on their way, then we get into messes like this. We must all wake up enough to bring about real change because ultimately we are responsible.

So what can you and I do? Here are three ways we can start immediately to make a difference:

1.   Make a commitment today to be fully awake to our own thoughts and emotions throughout our day. If we become mindful and conscious human being the world will naturally become peaceful and war will disappear.
2.   Make a commitment to contact our elected officials regularly. Each of us needs to speak up more about what we know is right by listening to the guidance of our heart. War cannot exist where people have true compassion for each other.
3.   Make a commitment to become more peaceful inside through a regular practice of mindfulness, meditation, prayer, contemplation, sitting in silence or whatever works to bring a sense of inner peace. As peace spreads within so to will it spread in the world.

Yes each one of can make a difference. It has always been that a few well intended people have brought about real change.