Confessions of a bleeding heart liberal

“Shall we let the election be the big bang of our national universe, the time we let our differences send us flying apart? Shall we let terror simplify the world to good and evil? Or shall we lean toward one another, recognize our need, and cherish all magnetic nudges toward inclusion?”—Kim Stafford 

I cheered for Meryl’s speech last night. I was deeply disappointed in the recent election. But I’m also a Course in Miracles student and know my job is to forgive, to recognize oneness with everyone and to see the possibility of the now. This now. This moment.

Byron Katie calls it ‘first generation’ truth. Seeing something as it is without filters, without all the baggage we lay on top of it.

It’s hard for us to look at anyone or anything without seeing our personal interpretation. But as the Course reminds us “perception is learned, selective, unstable and inaccurate.”

Robbin, from my possibility posse, told a wonderful story that speaks to this truth.

She and her daughter were on the turnpike and noticed a bumper sticker on a big truck ahead of them. You’ve seen the bumper stickers with mom, dad, the two kids and the pet, right? Well, this bumper sticker said, “Meet my family” and portrayed a series of guns, from pistol on up to gigantic artillery cannons. Robbin and Kitty looked at each other, rolled their eyes and, like I would have done, made a judgment.

Robbin pulled up to the toll booth behind the truck, reached for her wallet to pay her fare. But the tool booth operator stopped her. “Put your money away. The truck in front of you paid your toll.”

So today I ask each of us to look at our perceptions and judgments and, as Kim Stafford urges, “lean toward one another, recognize our need, and cherish all magnetic nudges toward inclusion?”

I love you all with every ounce of my beating liberal heart.

Pam Grout is the author of 18 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the recently released, Thank and Grow Rich: a 30-day Experiment in Shameless Gratitude and Unabashed Joy.