What if the best way for any one person to have an effect on the world is to begin by shifting how they treat themselves and others? We are constantly setting examples. We commit acts of violence in our language every single day. Tiny and imperceptible on a conscious level to most people. But our brains take it all in. We support violence in these millions tiny ways and do not even know we are doing it.
For example: Every time a person thinks or says "should" or "have to" instead of alternatives like "choose" or "intend", it is a subtle, cumulative reinforcement of the belief that we are not in control of ourselves. It is a relinquishment of responsibility and personal power. Oh and when I say power, I mean "power with" and not "power over". "Power with" is a basic human need to influence our environment. These are just a couple small shifts we can make to our thought and speech that have potentially profound affects on our relationships and on the world.
If a person drops a rock into a stream, one might say, "Oh that rock has no effect."
What if the stream now shifts in a subtle way that you don't see?
What if another person drops in the rocks they carry?
What if these two people convince two people each to drop in more rocks?
Could this lead to the formation of a bridge across the stream?
[by Scott Swain]
