Stop Just Praying. Start Talking. Start Being In Action.

I’m inspired by the photo my brother sent me of the letters he wrote to his representatives today for prudent gun control. What actions have you taken?

After last year’s election, there were a lot of issues that deeply concerned me. I spent time each day calling and emailing my representatives about numerous matters, but it wasn’t sustainable. I couldn’t tackle everything and I quickly fizzled out. However, this is not an excuse to do nothing. Doing or saying nothing means we condone what is happening. And I don’t.

Instead I focused on what I have control over. I spent my time building my blog that supports working moms to be there for their children, to strengthen relationships, to be more mindful, and to tap into their purpose to live joyful, balanced lives while still rocking their career. Because I know that when moms do this, our families, businesses, communities, and the world get stronger.

I am critically aware of how much plastic my family consumes and how much waste we create, because the health of our Earth is deeply important to me and that’s how I can make an immediate difference.

And right now gun control is top of mind because the gun murder rate is 25 times higher in the US than in peer countries, and I will get physically sick if I see one more shooting announced, or “sending prayers to x community” come across my news feed. Just sending prayers is not enough. God guides us and gave us talents and a voice and it is our responsibility to use them to make the world a better place.

For first steps, I learned which of my congressman are being funded heavily by the NRA and you bet I will be voting against them in November.

I am not sure what else to do right now, but I want to ask you this:

What are you passionate about?

What breaks your heart?

Where can you make a difference?

Why aren’t you doing it yet?

As one of my teachers Baron Baptiste says, “If you can, you must.” He also says, “You are ready now.”

It’s time to get a move on. We all have different talents, experience, connections, availability, etc. I am asking you to get excited about something that is important to you: mental health, gun control, sustaining our planet, women’s rights, animal rights, feeding the hungry, impoverished children in India, whatever it may be. Our world needs us to stand up and speak out right now. There is a major shift under way but we need to be in action to keep it propelling forward.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead

I am a huge fan of Brene Brown and its incredibly coincidental that this chapter of her latest book Braving The Wilderness was playing on my Audible the morning after the Parkland shooting. She brings up an incredibly important point about the false dichotomy that is plaguing our politics and conversations right now. I encourage you to please have a read. And before you dismiss it as a highly left wing take on gun control (it’s not), please know that her family is a hunting/venison eating family that cares deeply about gun ownership. This article is about having real conversation that can impact change.

Many of my teachers have said that change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. It feels like we hit this threshold. It feels too painful to stay this way, with more broken families and hearts, with too many unnecessary tears being shed. It’s time for change.

Can we please start LISTENING – generous listening with a willingness to be influenced? And then talking without assumptions and judgments in order to move forward. I know NONE OF US want these shootings to happen. Whether it’s gun control or mental illness support, or all of the above, or a completely different resolution, it must start with our conversation and action. It’s time now.