An Active Heart

"I don't think there is anything as powerful as an active heart. And the activists I know possess this powerful beating heart of change. They do not fear the wisdom of emotion, but embody it. They know how to listen. They are polite when they need to be and unyielding when necessary. They remain open, even as they push boundaries and inhabit the margins, understanding eventually, the margins will move toward the center. They are tenacious, informed, patient, and impatient, at once. They do not shy away from what is difficult. They refuse to accept the unacceptable. The most effective activists I know are in love with the world." - Terry Tempest Williams

This week, I was reflecting on the struggle, and resistance to, accepting what is, vs. accepting what it is I can change. Where is our capacity for positive social change? I am talking about the double-edged sword of equanimity, faith, and acceptance vs. the knowledge that we can exert power on that which lies around us, that we can make a positive difference in the world. I have been fortunate enough to have many amazing mentors that taught me the power of spheres of influence, the fact that our positive work has a “ripple effect,” which resonates out into the world.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

The Serenity Prayer, by Reinhold Niebuhr