EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD
EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD
“And in the end, we will preserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”
While watching the news on TV in a typical ritualistic manner, I couldn’t help but notice an underlying theme in the daily bombardment of bad news of “out of control fires” - in the form of global terrorism and chronic conflicts and social unrest around the globe.
Global terrorism and social unrest are only symptomatic of something much deeper, namely, a moral crisis characterized by a battle between good (defined as high awareness and living in harmony with universal laws characterized by integrity, giving and the honoring of all living things) and evil (defined as compromised integrity, corruption and lack of respect for the sanctity of life). It is easy to see the truth that the pursuit of power and control driven by a dangerous ideology is the driving force behind global terrorism. This war is fueled by religious and political leaders who feel they have monopoly over the truth and knowing God, and thus will stop at nothing even if it means using the name of God as a license to kill.
Simply put, everybody wants to rule the world in the spirit of “it’s either my way or no way,” reinforcing the golden rule – he with the most gold, rules. However, the pursuit of power, which is perpetuated by the media, is seen both on the individual and global level alike. It’s particularly evident in political campaigns where winning at all costs is the name of the game and therefore everything is fair game.
The pursuit of power, which can be inherently very intoxicating, has always played a central role in the history of human affairs. Perhaps it’s human nature to seek an edge in order to not only survive but also thrive in the jungles of life. Yet power, like money, in and of itself is not evil, nor is the passion to posses power. It’s only when the obsession with power and winning is unleashed, and universal laws are ignored and violated, that erosion in morality is inevitable and absolute power invariably corrupts absolutely, which ultimately leads to failing systems and institutions, social ills, conflicts and wars. That’s because when power is not used as a useful tool to make a difference, it becomes as fleeting as it is cruel. The history of human affairs is full of stories of individuals, and empires alike, that rose and fell precisely because in the pursuit of power they violated not only the laws of man but more importantly the ultimate laws from which no one is exempt, namely, universal laws, expressions of God, that demand integrity and respect for the sanctity of life.
It’s the pursuit of false power, coupled with a disconnect from our spiritual roots and the failure to see the unity in life, that leads to senseless violence. Every senseless act of violence only reminds us that, while we have become giants in technology, we are by-in-large still mental midgets. The problem is magnified when advanced technology and sophisticated deadly weapons don’t match the level of awareness and integrity of those who handle them. In other words, we have the knowledge, but we lack the wisdom to control our technologies. Power without control, wisdom and integrity is the formula for disaster. It’s been said that those who know most, fear most because they have the ability to see beyond the surface level, see the “big picture” and how everything is connected. They also know that humanity has never had weapons that they did not use (after all, they have to justify the cost and the temptation to resort to a “quick fix” as a solution to a complicated conflict is simply too great). That’s why it’s safe to assume that this time around it won’t be any different, unless something dramatic happens on a major scale (like a change in our way of thinking and doing things – a shift in our collective consciousness).
Living in a time where chaos is the order of the day, the global community finds itself on a collision course with destiny, suspended between fear and hope, evolution and revolution. But the constant flirting with dangerous weapons only accelerates the process of sinking into a spiritual/moral black hole due to a loss of control and inevitable consequences of total mass destruction of civilization as we know it. It’s obvious that the fate of our destiny will be determined by the actions we’ll take collectively.
While killing under limited circumstances may be necessary, it nevertheless poisons and stains the heart and soul. However, there is no glory in pain and destruction. Since it’s much easier to destroy than to build, the challenge becomes very real. You can die at any time, but it takes true courage to live.
It’s only when we understand the distinction between real and false power, can we hopefully make better choices in order to experience life fully with purpose, meaning, inner peace, fulfillment, real joy and self-worth while living in harmony with the world around us. While real power, which is driven by power of love, empowers others and is expansive by nature, false power, which is driven by love of power, overpowers others and is restrictive by nature. Ultimately one leads to destruction and chaos while the other to construction and prosperity.
So here is a condensed guideline for identifying true power:
• True power, which is characterized by integrity, giving, and the honoring of all living things, has the ability to see the unity in all living things. When a high vision is aligned with universal laws, real, constructive power is inevitable and easily accessible.
• Knowledge is true power, but only when used correctly as a tool to make a difference.
• True power is aligned with our spiritual essence (remember we are spiritual beings experiencing the human experience and not the other way around). Therefore, everything we do is spirit-filled and spirit-directed.
• True power seeks to reconnect us with our spiritual roots – the foundation of our existence and true prosperity.
• True power seeks to build and embrace positive concepts of morality, integrity, spirituality and a wholesome values system, all of which give us access to the unlimited positive power that builds and creates total prosperity.
• True power builds and creates in a win-win spirit, helping you make a living while making a difference.
• True power does not fall victim to the misconception that external riches have the power to give us internal riches of meaning, purpose, inner peace, fulfillment, real joy and self-worth.
• True power, which recognizes the spirit that connects us all, recognizes that diversity is the mosaic of life that needs to be celebrated. It brings people together by going beyond superficial boundaries of color, race and religion.
• True power heals, transcends pain and transforms, especially during uncertain times.
• True power inspires people to become somebody’s hero and be the change they wish to see in the world, thus giving meaning and purpose to their existence.
• True power creates real joy and inner peace that comes from helping others become a magnet of real joy and total prosperity.
• True power is synonymous with high vision, hope, purpose and meaning.
Anything short of that is false power, a power which is short-lived and meaningless in the scheme of all creation.
Perhaps it’s time to draw a line in the sand, declare your freedom from false beliefs and mind control by others who may not have your best interests at heart and reclaim your own true and unlimited power that’s waiting to express itself positively. Or perhaps it’s time to think of ourselves as citizens of the world and come together, if only for the sake of the next generation whose future should not be unfairly stolen from them. In the final analysis, only when the power of love overcomes the love of power, and superficial barriers such as race, religion and ignorance are removed, can we finally hope to experience true inner and outer peace and harmony, healing, and total prosperity.
Since every crisis carries with it the seed for equal or greater opportunity for growth, the pursuit of power and control disguised as global terrorism and political games, may actually be a golden opportunity for a true re-birth and resurrection of the human spirit as a human family working in a new and promising direction united by the spirit that connects us all. The real salvation for preserving a free and thriving society is not by developing more sophisticated and deadly weapons (what good does it do if you win but you are dead in an ocean of mass destruction?), but rather through increased awareness and knowledge. Likewise, since the real battle is the battle within, in our way of thinking, the ultimate power we seek is not “out there” but rather is already within. All we have to do is recognize it and use it wisely for purposes of good, or face the consequences of abusing and misusing it. As I keep reminding my daughter whenever she is tempted to violate the rules, “I did not create the world…”
LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES?
LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES?
All that you seek you already have within you.
Practically every year finding love is at the top of Americans’ list of resolutions for the New Year. That is the good news. The bad news is that most Americans are looking for love in all the wrong places.
The way I see it, the definition of love should not be limited to romantic love alone. Love is more than a sentiment. Love is a way of being. The broader definition of love should also be a longing for experiencing a life of fulfillment, purpose, meaning, inner peace, real joy and self-worth. After all, everything we do is to either experience more love and fulfillment or to compensate for the lack of it.
Some people have been willing to go under the knife, and endure excruciating pain, to change their looks (hoping the mirror will still be kind just a little longer and gravity will not take its toll anytime soon). Some people have deprived themselves of food while on the quest for attaining the perfect body. They have been willing to go into huge debt and endure the worst kind of pain and humiliation that comes from compromising one’s integrity and selling their soul just to support a life-style and status they couldn’t afford. Some even ignored and deprived the biggest part of their Self, their spirit, which allows them to experience all the very things they set out to attain in the first place. In short, you name it and they endured just about anything in their quest for love.
Even for those who were able to achieve material success, it was only a hollow victory since no amount of money, good looks, status and/or trophies could fill up the void inside which was created by a malnourished spirit. They too discovered that “when you get there, there is no ‘there’ there,” and that external riches don’t necessarily have the power to give us internal riches (“real love” defined as fulfillment, purpose, meaning, inner peace, real joy and self-worth) that we are desperately seeking. At best they were flirting with the illusion of love rather than experiencing the real deal.
In a “more is better” culture where vanity, and not virtue, is worshipped (consider the growing trend of reality TV shows such as “For Love or Money”) it’s easy to understand why we have been looking for love in all the wrong places. Yet surprisingly, we have ignored the fact that the natural state of our spirit is love, which is the driving force behind all creation. Hollywood stars, the media and multi-billion dollar industries have all brainwashed us to believe that we are simply not adequate, worthy or good enough to be loved just the way we are and that it is only “He with the most toys, and not joy, lives.” The reality is that finding true love should not be either painful and/or costly. You can find true love (in the broader definition) no matter what you have been brainwashed to believe.
First you must recognize that you are a spiritual being first, having a human experience (and not the other way around) and therefore, your natural state of being is love. As such you were meant to live a life of meaning, purpose, fulfillment, real joy, inner peace, and abundance by reconnecting with your spiritual roots (living in harmony with universal laws characterized by integrity, giving and the honoring of all living things). We can’t truly be happy and fulfilled without the element of giving. Real joy comes from making a meaningful difference in people’s lives, when money and power are used only as useful tools to help make a difference.
Next time you are tempted to look for “love” in all the wrong places, consider the definition of real love. Most importantly, remember that all that you seek is not “somewhere out there,” but rather it is already within you. All you have to do is recognize it and enjoy it while you can.
GLOBAL UNITY OR GLOBAL INSANITY?
GLOBAL UNITY OR GLOBAL INSANITY?
“I can’t wait for the day when we can speak of God without embarrassment.”
If the global economy and the Information Super Highway are any indication of an emerging one world vision, there is no denying that no one can be an island any longer - we’re all simply in this together. Therefore, we either win together or lose together. However by becoming more interdependent, the global community is equally becoming more vulnerable to potential disasters on a mass scale.
Today we find ourselves riding on a roller coaster of uncertainty and high anxiety, where anarchy is the order of the day and dangerous weapons increasingly find themselves in the wrong hands. The emerging new world order has also created a new type of mafia, also known as Al Qaeda, using religion as their main weapon of choice in pursuit of control and power.
The chaos and insanity that have plagued the world community is but a reflection of a moral crisis and the level of our collective consciousness. When we fail to see the unity of life, by not respecting the sanctity of life or recognizing the spirit that connects us all beyond the superficial boundaries of race, color and religion, we invariably contribute to the perception that somehow we are separated (when in fact we are all strands of the web of life). When hearts get tainted from lack of acceptance of differences, conflicts and wars are inevitable, particularly when the name of God is used as a license to kill.
It’s so ironic that the very thing (organized religion) that was supposed to unite and bring people together has turned out to be a divisive force, and the main motivator for wars and senseless violence in the history of human affairs. If there is one valuable lesson that can be learned from history, it’s that wars are self-defeating. No one really ever wins a war. Ultimately, “He who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword,” simply because it’s a key element of the universal law of cause and effect (for every action there is a reaction).
However, while striving for peace is essential for maintaining a free and thriving society, it’s important to keep things in perspective. We cannot afford the luxury of being perceived by the enemy as weak, passive and incapable of defeating evil whenever necessary. In the absence of a cure for eradicating evil, the best option is one of managing the problem. This approach has to be based on having a strong spirit.
Having a strong spirit is paramount to success in dealing with any type of challenges, particularly global terrorism. A strong spirit is like a ship in the vast ocean that won’t sink as long as there is no hole in it. My dad used to say, “If you lose your money, you haven’t lost anything. Money is replaceable. If you lose your health, you have lost something, but if you lose your spirit, you have lost everything.” That’s because having a strong spirit gives you the winning edge in every situation. The primary goal of evildoers, who are aware of the awesome power of the spirit, is to target the spirit, weaken it in order to accelerate the process of surrender and defeat.
Mother Nature teaches us that everything has a purpose (after all, God doesn’t play dice). Chaos, violence and destruction are merely a natural part of the equation and cycle of life in which destruction gives birth to new life. Chaos plays a vital role in the scheme of all creation by providing the necessary stimulation in order for growth and evolution to take place. Therefore, it is safe to presume that real peace, defined as an absence of conflicts, is not truly achievable. It would be naive to believe that violence and destruction can be permanently and completely eradicated.
There is no denying that global unity (peace) is a worthwhile pursuit. After all, our very survival is dependent on our ability to co-exist. However, there are certain misconceptions that actually serve as roadblocks and hinder the process of attaining real and lasting peace. Peace has always eluded men. Like life, peace is not a destination, but rather a process by which one is allowed the freedom of self-expression while interacting with the world in a more humane and livable way by making a conscious effort to live according to universal moral values. It’s a process intended to provide a safe haven for like-minded people who are trying to find some measure of joy and happiness while trying to survive on the battlefields of life. Peace is not something that happens overnight, or even in a lifetime either. Rather peace is a worthy goal and a process by which we evolve, allowing inner change to hopefully create the desirable outer change as well (remember the wheels of change always turn slowly but surely).
Genuine and lasting global unity (peace), which is a state of mind and a way of living, cannot be attained through an escalating arms race and certainly not by the signing of a piece of paper by politicians who are driven by their own agendas. It is peace consciousness that unites people, creating prosperity and sanity. When we finally recognize the spirit that connects us all, honor the sanctity of life and learn to be at peace with ourselves and universal laws, it becomes virtually impossible to destroy ourselves and others, or the environment. Indeed only when the power of love overcomes the love of power, will the world finally know genuine peace.
Since everything starts with an idea and everything is possible, isn’t it also possible for the concept of global unity (peace) to gain momentum and become a reality too? All we need is to plant the seeds, so that the seeds take root, grow and spread and take a life of their own. Over time the movement can become a revolution, leading to evolution and global change for the benefit of everyone.
Today, civilization finds itself at a dangerous crossroads. Changing the world which we live in requires changing our way of thinking and our concepts about ourselves and life itself. Real solutions to problems require daring and innovative individuals who can dream of things that never were. As Albert Einstein once observed, “The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them.” However troubling and uncertain the times, it’s just another moment in time. Defining this moment in time is all up to us by the choices that we make. These choices can either lead to global unity (peace and prosperity) where we honor and celebrate the miracle of life and diversity, or to the false glory of death where the triumph of violence eventually ends in a festival of pain and misery.
In a constantly changing world, where global insanity seems to be getting the upper hand, it’s easy to lose sight of your true spiritual essence and awesome power to affect change. Since the path to success of any mission is action, why not resolve to be the change you wish to see in the world today. Who knows, you might even discover the joy of being somebody’s hero in the most unexpected places. Together, we might even restore global sanity.