We Are Family

2011 has started with a saturated southern hemisphere (particularly here in Oz), a freezing northern hemisphere and almost every other weather “event” you can think of is happening somewhere on our planet. Whatever you think about the whole subject of climate change, you cannot deny that the climate IS changing ... rapidly, constantly and seemingly with more force and brutality than ever before. Words like “catastrophic”, “unprecedented”, “devastating” and “heartbreaking” inundate (couldn’t resist!) the language of those who keep us informed about what is happening as it is occurring. And it keeps on coming ...

Once again, people everywhere have risen up to help, assist, support, comfort and aid those that have been directly affected. Thousands and thousands of people have turned up in flood devastated areas to physically help, while a vast number of fundraising initiatives for the flood affected continue to be created and supported. People everywhere are behaving like “family”, even though many have been heard to say things like “I don’t know these people I am helping, I just want to help and do what I can” and then pitching in and doing whatever it takes to make things ok again.

That’s what family connection is all about ... particularly when there is a big crisis or disaster. Coming together, putting aside petty differences to help and support and do whatever it takes with and for each other because we are connected ... because we are family and because we can. Love, kindness, compassion and caring for each other rule the day and everywhere you can feel the amazing energy of loving connection.

Then once the initial crisis point has passed, the petty squabbling and ego-centric behaviours resurface and things get “back to normal” which usually means back to the fear-fuelled thinking and behaving ... until the next crisis or disaster. Interestingly, the bigger the disaster, the more people come together and the longer it lasts. But why wait?

The real opportunity every day for you and every human being on this planet is to remember we are always one family. We are always connected, all members of the same human race, all living on this glorious sphere called spaceship earth in the vastness of the known and unknown universe. And every single one of us is able to BE loving and kind and compassionate in each and every moment. Why wait for a crisis to reach out and help someone? If you are willing, you can make a difference to yourself and everyone you encounter, every day, simply by remembering we are all one family, we are all essentially love and then acting on that truth.

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"To put the world in order...we must first put the family in order...to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right."

Confucius