The Power of Equality

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Last week, I was fortunate to share in an experience with a group of educators at an elementary school.  I was asked to facilitate a series of workshops and this was #2 in the sequence.  The first get-together was entitled “Because I am important…” and was focused on a more conscious understanding of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  This included recognition of the power we brought with us into this realm in the form of an opportunity (Life), the freedom to choose (Liberty) and an innate urge to follow that which calls us to happiness (pursuit of Happiness).  The question then being, “Am I taking advantage of the power I’ve been given?”  The second gathering bore the title, “Now that I understand you…” and the focus was equality. 

Some of you may remember that in my previous blog I shared “The Hug”.  It was about my experience with a homeless man that brought me to an incredible realization regarding the meaning of equality.  For me, equality is experienced in the acknowledgment of the existence of another face of God.  It is respect for a fellow expression of the One and Only. 

During the workshop, the power of equality became very apparent.  The impact of taking a moment to recognize and acknowledge the existence of another Being prior to any interaction is incredible.  The influence of feeling the respect from another for just being is transformative.  All of this became clear to me in this gathering of fellow faces of the One.  In this communal-like realization of equality…the room began to glow. 

After experiencing equality, the question naturally arose about disagreement and differences.  How can one maintain a sense of equality AND have interactions with others whom are very different from us.  For me, it became clear that we can do both.  We can hold the consciousness of equality AND not feel threatened by diversity.  When we hold equality, the playing field – within and without – becomes level.  We are ok being who we are…and others feel this same safety.  Conversation becomes a vehicle to understand – not to convince or dominate – and what is created in the conversation is definitely greater than anything any one of us could create by ourselves.

This was an amazing experience for me, to sense and feel the power of equality as a foundation for interaction, co-creation and union was unbelievable.  I realize from this experience that it is the conscious recognition of equality that is a unifying and healing force for humanity.  It is in equality that we find a solution for the troublesome challenges of unhappiness, shadow behavior, violence and tragedy.

Much love,

Karrie   

The Hug

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A couple of weeks ago, I had an encounter with a homeless person which has dropped into my consciousness on several occasions as of late.  My experience was one of those which “sticks out” in my mind and continues to draw my attention…it “glows” in some way with a message of sorts.  Yesterday, it dropped in again as I was chatting with my parents. This morning, I feel the need to write about it…to share it…perhaps because I’m finally conscious of the message.

So…a couple of weeks ago as I was walking into one of my favorite fast food restaurants, my attention was called by the “hello” of a homeless man in a wheelchair near the entrance.  I walked over to the railing – of which he was on the other side – and responded with my own “hello” as well as “how are you today?”  He then shared his story and though he didn’t ask for money…I offered it anyway.  He said a prayer for both of us and we said “good-bye”.  As I started to walk away, I felt an urge to hug him.  For the next 3-5 seconds, I questioned this nudge but then gave into it and headed toward him.  I asked him if I could hug him to which he responded affirmatively and with, “we shouldn’t be afraid to hug other people”.  When we hugged, I really felt his response.  And as I walked away, I felt my tears.  How many people go without the hug – the acknowledgement of their existence – by another human being?  How many children, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, grandparents, colleagues, friends, homeless persons….and other expressions of the One and Only go without acknowledgement of their existence? 

When we wonder why there is such an increase in human-initiated tragedy, we have no further to look than the frustration, anger and despair of those souls screaming for acknowledgement and love.  We have been trained not to “see” those who don’t fit into the human-created, exclusionary, narrow band of “norms” and “acceptability”.  We value some, celebrate others, put those we deem as “special” on pedestals and ignore the “others”.  Each and every face of the One and Only has gifts, talents and genius.  Each and every expression is deserving of acknowledgement and respect.  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [beings] are created equal… with this encounter, I sense I have a deeper understanding of equality.  It’s acknowledgement and respect for a fellow face of God.

Much love,

Karrie