As we all know, the citizens of Haiti have recently been devastated by a massive earthquake which took close to 200 000 lives. The survivors are suffering greatly as food, water and shelter are slowly being brought in to this country. The world watches on with desperate eyes as medical teams and rescue workers struggle on, trying to bring relief to those who can be reached.
This tragic event has touched each of us, in some way, and a world full of ‘THANKS!’ is on each of our lips as we praise the efforts of those able to help.
Last night, Joanne and I joined millions of other individuals from across North America to unite in collective thoughts of hope for the survivors of this tragedy. We don’t often spend our evenings glued to the television set, but this was an evening that warranted this seemingly insignificant act.
It seems hard to believe that thinking about something can actually have an impact on a global event – or any event for that matter, but I believe this to be true. We humans are composed of Earthly matter and universal energies and whenever we think about anything or do anything we are sending the energies of our minds and muscle outwards into this world. As individuals the energies that we are continuously sending out – twenty four hours a day (even while we are dreaming) – most times loose themselves in the chaos of all the other energies that are ebbing and flowing across the surface of this planet.
When small groups of individuals gather to dedicate themselves to a particular matter, these energies converge and unite into stronger wave patterns. When an entire world is dedicated towards one train of thought and one uniting purpose then patterns of energies begin to emerge in empowering ways.
I’ve always wondered if one day humans will actually be able to see and recognize these energy manifestations.
Music is a very enlightening energy producer and celebrities from around the world packed the three hour telethon that we watched, last night on CBC. In between performances news reporters took us on many journeys through Haiti – through the devastated cities and countryside. They showed the horrors that survivors will be dealing with for many weeks to come and they showed the strength and compassion that is extending its heart and hands in efforts to bring relief.
Every performance was filled with strength for hope for the people of Haiti. Gordon Downie, from The Tragically Hip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGnAGbTdWhA) could be seen wiping a tear away after the emotional performance of ‘Fiddler’s Green’. Bruce Springsteen was calling to the world for support with every sobering note he plucked on his guitar. Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’ which was accompanied by a choir, sent chills of confusion and sorrow through me as I felt the song begin with its haunting tones. As this song continued bursts of hope and light radiated from the stage to fill all viewers hearts with strength and love. I’m not much of Coldplay or Justin Timberlake fan, but I became one… if even for a few minutes! Stevie Wonder twisted his fingers all over his piano to bring an empowering medley to life. This performance ended with a breathtaking rendition of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B07qowh0YQ) and Stevie’s vocals cracked something inside my eye as I felt a small wet drop spilling over my bottom lid.
The evening ended with two supergroup performances. The Edge, Bono, Jay Z and Rihanna (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTa8aGvU9CE) were brought together to unite people from different musical genres in a celebration of love. I thought that it was great that Bono did not steal centre stage – as his soul was designed (LOL!) – but seemed to be there to let the other performers shine while he contributed in a more supporting role… except for a few hoots and hollers he managed to sneak in nearing the end of the song!!!!
Dave Matthews and Neil Young brought this evening to an end in a spectacular way. You could see these two musicians churning their talents together as their guitars sang to each other, feeding one another and feeding from each other (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk6OcXb-W2E).
It is really spiritually satisfying to witness a world uniting for such a worthy cause. I sat in silence with Joanne after this show and thought about the world’s future… as events such as this one will become more frequent and undoubtedly more devastating as global weather patterns become more extreme over the coming decades (and centuries). My thoughts of the future do not revolve around the human spirit as it deals with these crisis after they have occurred, but more to the idea that we will need to unite in new ways to create preventative actions as a way of preparing ourselves for the unexpected.
So… ‘Cards Of Hope’…
Michele Johnson is a friend of mine and an elementary school teacher. We attended a small friends gathering, last summer, and shared with each other many stories about our work with children, the environment and art. Two months later she shared with me her story about ‘Cards Of Hope’.
Michele told me that the students and parents of her school are continuously being asked to participate in fund raising efforts for a variety of causes. She wanted to create a small event that would allow her students to make a positive effect in the world that focussed on individual efforts instead of donations of money. “If the students simply donate a dollar or two to an effort they quickly forget about it, but if the students spend time thinking about a cause and work towards helping as they can, then they become more attached to the cause and then it becomes a part of them.”
Michele agreed that there are always people in need, somewhere in the world, and so she asked her students to create colourful cards with inspirational messages that would be sent to wherever they are needed most.
Though this artwork is several months old and these cards have already been sent to different parts of the world, I thought that it would be appropriate to share these artworks throughout this blog.
I want to inspire people to realize the value of our thoughts and how considerate concentration can make a difference. For those of us who are able to create positive change I want to inspire you to realize that simple and thoughtful actions can really make a world of difference.
Jim
This tragic event has touched each of us, in some way, and a world full of ‘THANKS!’ is on each of our lips as we praise the efforts of those able to help.
Last night, Joanne and I joined millions of other individuals from across North America to unite in collective thoughts of hope for the survivors of this tragedy. We don’t often spend our evenings glued to the television set, but this was an evening that warranted this seemingly insignificant act.
It seems hard to believe that thinking about something can actually have an impact on a global event – or any event for that matter, but I believe this to be true. We humans are composed of Earthly matter and universal energies and whenever we think about anything or do anything we are sending the energies of our minds and muscle outwards into this world. As individuals the energies that we are continuously sending out – twenty four hours a day (even while we are dreaming) – most times loose themselves in the chaos of all the other energies that are ebbing and flowing across the surface of this planet.
When small groups of individuals gather to dedicate themselves to a particular matter, these energies converge and unite into stronger wave patterns. When an entire world is dedicated towards one train of thought and one uniting purpose then patterns of energies begin to emerge in empowering ways.
I’ve always wondered if one day humans will actually be able to see and recognize these energy manifestations.
Music is a very enlightening energy producer and celebrities from around the world packed the three hour telethon that we watched, last night on CBC. In between performances news reporters took us on many journeys through Haiti – through the devastated cities and countryside. They showed the horrors that survivors will be dealing with for many weeks to come and they showed the strength and compassion that is extending its heart and hands in efforts to bring relief.
Every performance was filled with strength for hope for the people of Haiti. Gordon Downie, from The Tragically Hip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGnAGbTdWhA) could be seen wiping a tear away after the emotional performance of ‘Fiddler’s Green’. Bruce Springsteen was calling to the world for support with every sobering note he plucked on his guitar. Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’ which was accompanied by a choir, sent chills of confusion and sorrow through me as I felt the song begin with its haunting tones. As this song continued bursts of hope and light radiated from the stage to fill all viewers hearts with strength and love. I’m not much of Coldplay or Justin Timberlake fan, but I became one… if even for a few minutes! Stevie Wonder twisted his fingers all over his piano to bring an empowering medley to life. This performance ended with a breathtaking rendition of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B07qowh0YQ) and Stevie’s vocals cracked something inside my eye as I felt a small wet drop spilling over my bottom lid.
The evening ended with two supergroup performances. The Edge, Bono, Jay Z and Rihanna (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTa8aGvU9CE) were brought together to unite people from different musical genres in a celebration of love. I thought that it was great that Bono did not steal centre stage – as his soul was designed (LOL!) – but seemed to be there to let the other performers shine while he contributed in a more supporting role… except for a few hoots and hollers he managed to sneak in nearing the end of the song!!!!
Dave Matthews and Neil Young brought this evening to an end in a spectacular way. You could see these two musicians churning their talents together as their guitars sang to each other, feeding one another and feeding from each other (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk6OcXb-W2E).
It is really spiritually satisfying to witness a world uniting for such a worthy cause. I sat in silence with Joanne after this show and thought about the world’s future… as events such as this one will become more frequent and undoubtedly more devastating as global weather patterns become more extreme over the coming decades (and centuries). My thoughts of the future do not revolve around the human spirit as it deals with these crisis after they have occurred, but more to the idea that we will need to unite in new ways to create preventative actions as a way of preparing ourselves for the unexpected.
So… ‘Cards Of Hope’…
Michele Johnson is a friend of mine and an elementary school teacher. We attended a small friends gathering, last summer, and shared with each other many stories about our work with children, the environment and art. Two months later she shared with me her story about ‘Cards Of Hope’.
Michele told me that the students and parents of her school are continuously being asked to participate in fund raising efforts for a variety of causes. She wanted to create a small event that would allow her students to make a positive effect in the world that focussed on individual efforts instead of donations of money. “If the students simply donate a dollar or two to an effort they quickly forget about it, but if the students spend time thinking about a cause and work towards helping as they can, then they become more attached to the cause and then it becomes a part of them.”
Michele agreed that there are always people in need, somewhere in the world, and so she asked her students to create colourful cards with inspirational messages that would be sent to wherever they are needed most.
Though this artwork is several months old and these cards have already been sent to different parts of the world, I thought that it would be appropriate to share these artworks throughout this blog.
I want to inspire people to realize the value of our thoughts and how considerate concentration can make a difference. For those of us who are able to create positive change I want to inspire you to realize that simple and thoughtful actions can really make a world of difference.
Jim
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1 comment:
It's good to be able to channel such positive energy into a project.
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