Eps 133: Politics and Parenting

Politics and Parenting - can we keep them separate?

Do we want to?

I don’t imagine that everyone who follows Joyful Courage share all of my views. I am guessing that you all realize that I am a flaming liberal – and if you didn’t, well, cats out of the bag.

• I support dignity and respect for all humans.
• Black lives matter to me.
• Immigrant lives matter to me.
• Woman having equal rights, including rights over their body matters to me.
• I believe that people have the right to gather and worship in a way that works for them.
• I believe in climate change and the duty we ALL have to honor the earth.
• I believe that people who are raised to feel connected, loved and as though they matter don’t show up at public or private events with the intent to kill.
• I do not believe that private citizens have the right to own weapons of war.
• I believe our schools should be safe and secure.
• I do not believe that teachers should have guns.
• I believe in a health care system that is proactive in supporting the mentally ill.
• I believe in compassion.
• I believe in civic action.

Some of what I just shared may turn you off to my work and my message. I hope it doesn’t, because at the most foundational level, I believe in love – living it, spreading it, being it. And that is what will save the world.

“Love thy neighbor as thyself” is a message of all major religions – and when THIS is our come-from, when THIS message is what we start to live, the world will be healed.

And I acknowledge that it isn’t easy. It isn’t easy to put ourselves out there and speak our truths

• we don’t want to offend
• we don’t want to argue
• we worry about what people think
• we want everyone to be comfortable

And right now the environment is so TOXIC! It is so challenging to talk about the issues that matter the most to us. It is scary to get vulnerable and say what we need to say, to lead from the front.

Today I declare that I am no longer going to worry about ruffling feathers. I will continue to share the content that you have come to love, and I will elevate it by pushing my fear aside.

I will bring more of myself.

I will bring more of my authenticity and truth.

I will leave behind wanting everyone to like me.

I am done with school shootings, and my guess is you are too.

It is time to have hard conversations.

It is time to look for solutions.

It is time to get involved, ask questions, reach out and trust that your voice is valued. 

Humans are hurting.

Weapons of war are too available.

Schools aren’t secure.

So lets do something about it.

Today is about action.

Thank you.

Thank you for listening. I feel as though it is my responsibility to speak these truth, it is my responsibility to not pretend that all is well and good and that the world our children are inheriting is going to magically be peaceful.

We are in the creation of the world we live in. Everything we do is part of the creation.

• What we buy
• Who we vote for
• Whether or not we speak up when we get that intuitive hit that what we are witnessing is wrong

We are in the creation even when WE DO NOTHING. Even when we turn away because it is too hard, or too scary, or too vulnerable – we are STILL in the creation of the world we live in.

I choose to be in action. And I hope you join me.

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