Back in early March, I left a comment on Love To Spare, which is a blog that is run by my friend Michael Scott, and here is what I wrote:
Hi Michael,
Thank you so much for writing this post. This subject has been on my mind ever since the economy started to go down. I live on the East Coast of the US and you can feel there is a slight shift. I live in the suburbs and take the train into the city and there is such fear among people. No one smiles and there is a sense of fear and doom.
Personally, I believe that things are going into a state of correction. Like Lisis, I am optimistic about the future of America. Many people are just waking up to the fact that there is only so much that money can do and that there is more to life. I think we forgot the joys of simple things and now people are being forced to go back to simpler times.
Call me an idealist but I really believe that things sometimes happen for reasons which may not be apparent and anything that goes to an extreme without a solid foundation is eventually going to fall. Life is all about balance and maybe that is what is happening. There are so many people who think life is about material items and it is not.
So overall, I am hopeful but there is definitely a shift taking place. Kind of interesting that we are all feeling it on some level. My heart goes to President Obama…it is not easy to deal with all the issues he has to deal with and yet the man remains so calm. I have been a big fan of his since his days in Chicago and it is wonderful to see how gracious he has been through all of it. I think many people can learn from that too considering all that is happening. The selfishness has got to stop…maybe the age of “me” has ended and we are now going into the age of “we”?
That was when I came up with the idea that we are now in the age of we. In the post that was published this past Wednesday, I mentioned the phrase again and I received so many wonderful responses to it by readers in the comment section and on Twitter. Even my friend Lisis who runs Quest for Balance wrote a post which she said was inspired by the comment I had made at Love to Spare about the age of we.
All of this made me realize that so many of us are longing for a society where we are more concerned about doing what is needed to help the masses as opposed to just being focused only on ourselves.
This concept of the “age of we” has been on my mind for quite a long time. When I was immersed in my pain, my sole focus was on myself. My desire to free myself from the pain mattered more than anything or anyone else. Once I overcame that pain, I was able to see the pain of others.
We are all dealing with pain of some kind. Some of us have done the work needed to get over that pain and now have a different perspective about ourselves and life. Others are stuck in their pain and have no idea how to get out. There are some people who have no idea that they are in pain because they think life is supposed to be difficult.
I also know of people who have no desire to overcome their pain because their sense of identity is rooted in it. Sometimes, we define who we are based on our pain and to be free of that may be too scary for some. As much as we want change, some of us are afraid of what change would mean.
In my mind, a big part of the age of we is the realization that we are all in the same boat on some level. None of us are immune from having issues or days where we wish we stayed in bed. Even I, with all my optimism, have moments when I look at the world and I just want to go and disappear because sometimes it seems too much.
The belief that we are all separate from another is an illusion. The heartbeat that is in your heart, is in mine, too. A mother in China wants the same thing for her child as a mother in America and as a mother in Pakistan. We are all one. We may have different beliefs, different skin colors, and so on, but despite all those external differences we all long for the same thing. We all want to be safe, have a roof over our heads, someone to love and someone who loves us back.
I do realize that all of this may seem like an idealistic discourse but when President Obama announced his intention to run for President of the United States not many people thought he would win and yet he did. When Columbus set sail for America, many people thought the Earth was flat and that he would fall off it. He didn’t. Idealism may seem unrealistic but so is the fact that you can get on a plane, fly at 30,000 feet while using a laptop to watch a movie and write email. Yet so many people do that everyday.
Underneath all the labels you place on yourself, there is something within you that exists in each one of us. The age of we is when we finally overcome our own individual issues and do what we can to help others. The age of we is the realization that we are all brothers and sisters. The age of we is the acknowledgment that money, although important, does not define who we truly are and what we believe.
The age of we is when we finally wake up and accept the fact that life is short here on Earth and nothing lasts forever so there is no need to waste a single second by being self-absorbed. The world does not need more pain, we have had enough of that and I think we are fed up with violence whether it be physical, emotional or verbal. The time has come to own up to who you truly are, accept who you are (that includes acknowledging your good and not so good traits) and do what you can to make the world better. In the famous words of Socrates, “An unexamined life is not worth living”. And lastly, in the words of Albert Einstein; “Only a life lived for others is a life worth while.”
Note: To read more about the reasons behind my new schedule change, click here.
{ 28 comments }
Beautifully expressed!
We are truly connected, all of us waves in the same ocean. This is the quote on my post today but it seems perfect to share with you here, too.
Thank you, Nadia.
janice’s most recent blog post..Birds, Bees and Blogging
Hi Janice,
Got to love Albert Einstein! What a smart man on so many levels. Thank you so much for sharing that quote. I absolutely love it.
You expressed this thought wonderfully, Nadia! I enjoyed reading this post. I wish that most people in our societies did not use all their energies in defining our identities/feeding their ego for materialistic achievements (which are not finite in any sense), but could spare a little for their fellow human beings!
Have a wonderful day!
Hi Lotus!
I have been reading a lot lately about how some people in business are consciously choosing to use some of their profits to help others and to eventually help eradicate poverty. I am in the process of researching this topic for a future post but I definitely wanted to let you know that there are many people who really want to help make the world a better place and be able to take care of themselves financially.
Have a wonderful day too!
We’re moving into an inclusive model. We have to.
Pamir | Reiki Help Blog’s most recent blog post..Let’s conjugate to “Heal”
Hi Pamir!
You are right, we have no other choice. Hope all is well with you!
thx for another beautiful n thought provoking post. if ppl all around the globe even move a bit in this direction of togetherness this blue planet would be much better place to live. AMEN.
Hi Manish,
You are most welcome. I liked how you described Earth as “this blue planet”.
I think more and more people are moving in this direction because I think people are just simply tired. Hope all is well.
Beautiful… and I completely agree!
After I ran that post, about the Prisoner’s Dilemma, I got so many profound emails from readers expressing similar feelings. It’s time to stop looking out for #1 and start looking out for each other (something like what Bhutan did). The fact that Obama got elected on a campaign of hope and community speaks volumes for what “we the people” are craving. Whether he can actually effect change remains to be seen because of the many complicated variables, but he has inspired possibilities.
On one of my email exchanges with a reader I replied this, “I believe we are in a new Renaissance… a re-birth of the human spirit. I just hope I can plant enough seeds of hope and compassion in enough hearts to make a difference in that movement. Who knows? But I can try, right?”
I am so glad that YOU are on this movement as well. WE can make a difference, if we all work together.
Lisis’s most recent blog post..Fellowship Fridays: Dealing With Frustration
Hi Lisis,
Thank you for the compliment.
We all can definitely make a difference if we choose to do so. I think many people want to make a difference but they don’t know how to go about it. I think we have been lead to believe that making a difference has to be something huge and profound but it doesn’t. Something small, like opening the door for another person, can be a way to make a difference. When we start with small steps, then we can proceed to take bigger steps. It truly does start with one small step. Of course, the intention to be of service has to be there too.
I look forward to the journey ahead and I am so happy that you are of the same mindset too.
This is beautiful, Nadia…and powerful! I especially like what you said about all of us wanting the same things…to be safe, to have a roof over our heads, to love and be loved. This is so true, and if only more people could realize that, the world would be a much happier (and better) place for us all.
Jay Schryer’s most recent blog post..God Part 2
Hi Jay,
Thank you so much for calling the post beautiful. I really appreciate it. One of the many benefits of having the opportunity to travel is that you come to see that no matter the location, everyone pretty much wants the same things. The human condition is so universal but we forget that because of the visual differences or the fact that someone may use a different language or whatever. I agree with you that if more people knew this, the world would be a much happier place.
Hi Nadia. I love your post. Thank you for it. I am wondering what you think about the GOP though. Every beautiful thing you’ve stated here they pretty much go with the opposite. And they have every chance in the world of being in the whitehouse again shortly down the road. Have you listened to 5 mins of Fox news? It is downright frightening what they are selling and putting in so many minds. Their main headline last week that they wanted the world to hear was “Obama has failed”. What? Really? How is this helping anyone??
I think what I am seeing here is the amazing positivity and change that truly is occurring at this time – but the opposite of this, the GOP, in what I see is worse than it has ever been – sort of stepping up to the plate to take on all of our grand hope you might say. (It really does seem like a battles of the forces from Star Wars!) Should we just ignore the negative and keep pushing forward? Embrace them as they push us away? It seems like a very real conflict. How do we handle this very large conflict? What do you think of this?
Keep writing. All the best, Eric
Hi Eric,
Even though you are my friend, I have to give you the official Happy Lotus welcome! Welcome to Happy Lotus, E!
You asked a really great question. I am going to put aside my political beliefs because I don’t want to offend anyone and answer your question from a non-political perspective. The people who put out such negativity are doing their jobs and in a way they are doing what they think their supporters want them to do. I used to work in politics and politicians behave in the manner they think their constituents want. It is that simple.
Of course, for those of us who may not share the same views, it looks really negative. My husband can tell you about the many times I have vented my frustrations when a politician says something against Obama. About a week ago, I saw a bumper sticker that was so offensive, I wanted to pull it off of the car because it made me so sick. So I am not immune from getting frustrated at what I hear and see.
However, if we allow ourselves (and that includes me) to be effected by such negativity, then they have won. The world is not a bad place. Yes, there are bad people but the majority are good. The toxic personalities just want others to feel like they do because it gives them power. People are entitled to their opinions and so we have to allow them that right. We just have to not let it effect us. This is much easier said than done and I am working on it myself. I guess the best way to handle it is to see it for what it is and let it go. Just because someone is loud, it does not mean they are right. Does that answer your question or did I get sidetracked?
No, that’s brilliant Nadia. Very nicely put. Thank you. And I will continue working on myself as well. Eric
You are most welcome, Eric. As for working on yourself, it never ends.
Trust me, it never ends.
Awesome post Nadia, I totally agree. I think an age of ‘we’ is on its way as more and more people discover the immense personal benefits in living for humanity as a whole, and not just for ourselves. IMO it’s just a smarter way to live. It creates happiness and ease in ways that material pleasures never could.
I am encouraged that there are people like you and Lisis and so many others who recognize this and see through the casual cynicism that seems to be the norm. If we zoom out far enough, I think it’s easy to see that humanity is headed somewhere pretty good.
David Cain’s most recent blog post..How to Get Comfortable Not Knowing
Hi David,
I definitely agree with you. I especially loved your last line about how if we look beyond our own little environment, we can see that the human race is headed in the right direction. Sometimes we lose sight of that because, as Eric said, the news that we hear tends to always lean towards the negative.
My faith in humanity has really been strengthened due to all the wonderful people I have met through blogging and on places like Twitter. There are definitely more good people in the world than we realize. We just don’t hear about them.
Hi Nadia
I think people are waking up to the fact that, we as a country is a community. And like any community, we have to all contribute and not just take. I don’t know how people got to the point where they believe they can get something for nothing. We have to start thinking about what we can do to give value back instead of looking to see what we can take.
Thanks for sharing.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Giovanna Garcia’s most recent blog post..Do what you can with all your heart and soul.
Hi Giovanna,
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Like you mentioned, I often wonder how some people have the idea that they can get something for nothing. I also loved your point about viewing the entire country (or world) as a community. That is so true.
Hope all is well with you and your family!
Hi Nadia,
Beautiful Post. Yes, the age of WE, the Age of Consciousness is upon us. I feel more and more people are awakening–awakening out of the thinking mind, out of suffering, and opening up to joyous, limitless possibilities. I feel this, and I also feel a heightened angst. This is not surprising–transition is often uncomfortable. It’s a wonderful time to be alive!
Kaushik
Kaushik’s most recent blog post..Zen Living – The Hundredth Monkey and the Third Guy
Hi Kaushik,
You are right about the heightened angst. Whenever I am out and about in the world, I tend to feel that angst too. With unemployment rates being what they are in America and all the other news in the world, it is causing a lot of angst. However, it is always darkest before the dawn. Like you, I definitely agree that it is a wonderful time to be alive!
It takes humility and courage to change from ‘me’ to ‘we’.
There has been such a self-centred approach to living that kindness, grace and compassion is viewed with suspicion. If you give freely without wanting anything in return you are viewed with suspicion.
Sharing resources like money, skills and wisdom is the ‘we’ approach. It does seem impossible if thinking about the entire world but if we start with our own immediate circle it will spiral out to include the whole world.
.-= Paisley´s last blog ..Catch Your Daydreams =-.
Hi Paisley,
As much as I wish it were different but you are right. When a person is acting out of kindness and compassion, some people are suspicious. Add happy to the mix and some people get really uncomfortable. However, that is a reflection of how messed up we are. And I also totally agree that the best place to start the transition from “me” to “we” is within our own little world and then it will spread.
Hope you are having an awesome weekend!
What a lovely post. This is my first time over to your site. If you were to ask how I arrived I have no idea. I am a huge comment reader. I guess I just linked through different paths and arrived.
Your words hit home. So many of us, actually each of us, face our own set of problems. By directing our energy into helping others our own set of problems fade.
I do think “we” as a whole are beginning to think differently. The change is nice and long overdue.
.-= Tammy – Cricket´s last blog ..The Fading Daisy =-.
Hi Tammy-Cricket,
Welcome to Happy Lotus! It doesn’t matter how you got here, I am just happy that you found your way here. It is always nice to have new readers.
I like how you said that by helping other people with their problems, we somehow are able to get over our own. I have noticed that too. I read somewhere that the best way to learn something is to teach it. I think the same came said about healing. By helping others heal, we can heal ourselves. I have found that to be true of blogging. Running this blog has helped me heal in so many unexpected ways, I am so grateful.
And amen to what you said about how the change we are all feelings is nice and overdue!
I was reading a short story today and ran across this incredible sentence.
“She was already fully the thing that was just starting to happen to the rest of the street.”
The woman in the story was remodeling her house, but isn’t that what we’re trying to do now — remodel tired, old notions that have outlived their usefulness? Whenever I feel that there is little I can do to change the world, I remind myself that embodying fully the change I want IS doing something. When others see how happy my “house” looks, they may eventually want to update their own spaces. Be the change you want to see is how we get from me to we. Start dancing and don’t stop; soon enough everyone will be dancing. Or renovating. Or being kinder. The music of the spheres reaches all of us.
.-= Brenda´s last blog ..Lounge Lizard =-.
Hi Brenda,
What a beautiful comment!
That quote is perfect and so true. The change we want to see starts with us and by changing how we are in the world, we help foster the change from “me” to “we”. H
Hope all is well, my friend.