Mohandas (or Mahatma) Gandhi.
The Peaceful Resistor.
The man who organized and took peaceful protests for people’s rights to a whole new level.
The man who directly influenced Martin Luther King, Jr.
Learning to Make a Difference
It’s no secret that I grew up around people from all over the world. Hearing their stories and witnessing their life experiences had a profound effect on me.
I yearn for a peaceful world and wholeheartedly desire freedom and peace for all.
As an empath and a highly sensitive person, I am deeply attuned to the plights of the people.
I can only take so much news (I do my best to stay informed and then I have to turn it off to shut out the relentless pleas for help from every sector of society: from child trafficking to poverty to lack of water to animal cruelty to climate change to civil rights…and the list is endless).
But I think every day about how I can make a difference – how I can tip the odds in favor of all those who are oppressed and who need a genuine hand…
How can I, just one person, begin to change the world?
I’m not 100% sure how, just yet.
I do know people – local people, even – who change the world by starting somewhere.
I just watched a video earlier today about a man, his husband and their family of six and their uphill battle to foster and adopt children from the system – and he had been a foster child himself.
He didn’t know what else to do but help to foster other kids and vowed to help them not have to live out of trash bags.
He started a campaign to give all those kids in his local foster care system their own canvas suitcases.
I’m already somewhere…I think.
For me, I know the first step is educating myself.
Hearing about these kinds of stories gives me hope and courage that if enough of us figure out where the need is – according to our talents and abilities – we can all change the world.
And it also ties back into helping people.
A couple weeks ago, I watched the movie Selma.
It was on my “to watch” list for a long time, but I had to wait until I was in a good state of mind to watch it.
I knew it would be an intense, serious and heartrending movie.
I wasn’t wrong.
It just affirmed everything I felt about the plight of my African American brethren and everything they have and still are going through.
I’ve always, always admired Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
When I read his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” years ago with all its references to major events in history and literary allusions, I was deeply impressed by his intelligence and articulate nature. Oh, and that writing – that gloriously eloquent writing!
I was also moved by his peaceful actions to change the world.
I’m a conflict-averse personality and I love the idea of changing the world with peace.
Peaceful action.
I also learned recently that MLK was influenced by Gandhi.
Gandhi is another person I deeply revere. His hunger strikes, salt marches and peaceful protests speak to me.
LOUDLY.
I have a book about him and watched the documentary that followed his life from the time he got thrown off the train in South Africa until he was assassinated in India.
He never shouted out his desire for freedom from the mountaintops.
He didn’t do it by condemning his brothers and sisters.
He didn’t incite and invoke change by posting articles online about it. (Not that Facebook existed then.)
He did it through the way he lived his life.
While I do not ever want to “wave my beliefs” in someone’s face (even Christianity talks about that in Matthew 6:6), I don’t hide behind them, either.
I strive to be more like my revered leaders and work at it each day.
I write about my opinions and beliefs here, though I’m not 100% sure I would want to write an op ed piece for a wide, general audience to read. (I’m still a little too sensitive for such attention.)
Honestly, though, I think that more of us don’t take more action for the same reasons I do: fear of getting out of the comfort zone.
But what is the root of this fear?
After doing much reading and pondering, I honestly think that most of us so value our lives, that we fear death.
One day, I will use meditation to completely supersede that fear and act exactly in congruence with how I think and feel.
I’m not there, yet.
I have my own personal hang-ups to overcome.
I also know that I’m still quite reluctant to think about laying my life down for my own ideals.
Would I die if it meant that illegal immigrants were given an opportunity to become legal citizens?
Would I die if it meant that the school to prison incarceration rate for African Americans would go to zero?
I’d like to think I would.
I would really like to think I would.
If someone gave me the opportunity to wipe out all injustices from the face of the earth in exchange for my life, I write here that I would.
I close my eyes and imagine that my heart is so big that love would conquer the world.
Since I know that choice is not before me in this moment, I can keep working on my meditation game.
Gandhi did this – that he had reached enlightenment.
He had a profound meditation and mantra practice.
Some say that he had a mantra that he would say to himself every day, many times per day, and that in his last breath, after he had been shot, he still managed to utter Ram, or “God” as part of his mantra: Jai Ram. Hail God.
To have such control, courage and love in the face of one’s own demise is profound.
And so, I was looking over some Gandhi quotes and thought that I would compile a list of my favorites: ones that have resonated with me – that have gently pushed me to improve my life, to strive to be better and to overcome.
There are echoes in these quotes of what is going on in the United States (because, any knowledgeable person will tell you, history can and will repeat itself).
But these are timeless reminders of who we’re meant to aspire to be. Of who we need to be.
Because then, we change the world.
Gandhi Quotes
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.
The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding.
Anger is the enemy of non-violence and pride is a monster that swallows it up.
Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit.
If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.
Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.
Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.
I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Non-violence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could.
Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment.
It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings.
A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.
Man lives freely only by his readiness to die, if need be, at the hands of his brother, never by killing him.
There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.
I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.
A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.
I claim that human mind or human society is not divided into watertight compartments called social, political and religious. All act and react upon one another.
It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.
Let everyone try and find that as a result of daily prayer he adds something new to his life, something with which nothing can be compared.
Prayer is not an old woman’s idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.
Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.
The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.
You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.
Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening.
I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.
I know, to banish anger altogether from one’s breast is a difficult task. It cannot be achieved through pure personal effort. It can be done only by God’s grace.
Hopefully you also found something that resonated.
I also now have an idea for my next “meditation experiment.”
Aw, Cyndi just what I needed to read on this Monday morning and truly has inspired me even more than I can clearly put into words now. Thank you my dear friend and hugs this President’s Day morning. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead xoxo 😉
Janine – aww, YOU inspire ME, sweet friend! Thank you for all your sweet comments and feedback. You make me smile! I hope you’ve had a nice Monday and start to your week. Sending you hugs! xo
The perfect gift for a Monday morning, Lil Sis! Thanks for the quotes, which I will read throughout the day, and thank you for your reflections about changing the world. We certainly need to do that, and soon.
Hugs from Oly
BB – and YOU are a gift, sweet friend! I hope you enjoy these. And we can ALL change the world. 🙂 I appreciate you and your kindness and look forward to your wisdom every week. Sending hugs from the East. 🙂
Cynthia, your sincerity and dedication to self-improvement and living your values is very inspiring. And makes me feel a little tired/ lazy. I have less enthusiasm for changing myself or the world these days. And I’m thankful for brave souls like you, Gandhi and Dr. MLK who live their values boldly. Thank you!
Brad – haha, I’m kind of enthusiastic to a fault. 😀 Never forget that you are entitled to be exactly who you want to be. To values and to living a full life. 🙂 Sending hugs from the East.
Great post, Cynthia 🙂
I admire, that you are working so much for the world peace. I know, there are many ways, this one seems to be effective.
Irene – haha, the way I figure is that it’s like being a water droplet. Add enough together you get a cup. Add enough cups and you get a pool. Add enough pools and you get an ocean. Eventually the world could be covered in droplets of peace. <-- Hmm. I like that. Teehee. I just came up with that off the cuff, but I think Ima gonna have to use that. 😀 See? You give me great ideas! 😀 Sending hugs! xo
This whole post Cynthia resonated with me.. And your commitment to care to others even by your thoughts is making a difference..
We can not see the Energy created by our thoughts, but each one is making huge differences within the world.. Which is why detaching from the media news which belches out constant negatives is a must.. While being informed yet not entrapped into the Fear it is meant to generate..
Looking and learning to read between the lines.. While being compassionate about those whose plight on this planet is harder than our own..
Seeing that History has not always been correct in its disclosures of the TRUTH.. And that the WORLD has a Long long way yet to travel before it finds that much eluded Peace we all of us are seeking..
I have long admired Gandhi and have in my email a tag line of his saying BE the Change you wish to see in the World.
For it is only through changing ourselves, our judgments, our thoughts and our Actions that we then change the world.
Two quotes also stood out to me..
” I claim that human mind or human society is not divided into watertight compartments called social, political and religious. All act and react upon one another.”
This is so true.. each thought, each action, has a direct impact and reaction upon another..
And then this quote stood out for me..
” Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”
Which is why its important to watch what we think.. For what we think we create..
That is why taking time out to OM…… and Chant,, and spend time in quiet reflection is never selfish, for it is enabling us to send out into the world the right vibrations through Peace and LOVE..
Another beautiful post dear Cyndi.. May we ALL take up the Call and BE the Change in the World..
Love and Blessings dear friend.. I so loved this post..
<3 Sue xxx
Sue – hehe, YOU resonate with me. <3 When you speak of energy and it affecting others - yes! I talked about this with the Butterfly Effect in this week's post - we can never know how our actions influence others. I found myself laying awake this morning pondering what the conductor of the train must have thought (or did he even know?) what he set in motion when he threw Gandhi off the train.
It is also so important to limit how much media and negativity we consume. Like food, what we consume mentally matters so much.
And Truth. Sometimes it's such a fleeting word. I think of that quote, "ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free," and I think about how sometimes one person's truth is another's untruth - and that's where it can get so hard sometimes to convince folks that they might need to believe a different truth.
But then in that same line of thinking, it really comes down to love. And this is where your truth, your message and your love have moved me so, sweet friend. Your words, your poems - I hope that I can be half as remarkable as your wise spirit sometime. 🙂 I hope that with enough words of love, folks will see that truth: that love is the answer. Not wars. Not arguing. Not divisiveness. Living over here in the States right now, everything seems divided. I find myself questioning how to be a beacon of light despite how I feel like "the other side" has betrayed the human spirit. I wonder how the Dalai Lama would react, or Jesus, or even Gandhi.
But then I read the next part of your awesome comment: "For it is only through changing ourselves, our judgments, our thoughts and our Actions that we then change the world." And this is TRUTH. We have to watch what we think. And watch our actions. And small actions add up to big actions. And yes, what we think, we create.
And OM. Oh, I love this! I recently read - I've been doing a lot of research on Gandhi, and living intentionally - that he recited a mantra thousands of times a day. And in my new Intention project, I am wanting to incorporate a mantra - preferably an ancient one.
Quiet reflection and meditation is essential. We must detach in order to be our highest selves and to creatively make a difference.
And cheers to your line about "may we all take up the call and be the change" <-- YES! I'm still finding my footing with exactly what I want to do, but I am constantly striving to do this very thing. 🙂 Love and blessings to you! So, so grateful to you and our conversations - I learn so much and gain so many insights and you are a kindred spirit! One day I will come visit you. 🙂 HUGS! XOX
Many thanks for this beautiful reply Cyndi.. I will be reading your most recent post about the Butterfly Effect shortly..
Just trying to catch up and put together a post for my garden blog and my main one right now.. I do hope you have recovered from your cold, and enjoy your week..
The energies out there are turbulent right now which is why we feel it more So add some protection to your meditation..
May Love and Light surround you at all times..
Hugs Sue <3
Sue – I hope you are feeling better yourself! Yes…the cold was short lived. I made sure to rest up on the weekend and it went away almost immediately. 🙂 I just loved your feather post and was riveted by the story. Good stuff!
May love and light also surround you. Sending hugs! xo
Beautiful post, Cyndi. I hadn’t seen it until today. Not only are Ghandi’s words inspiring – right up there with MLK – but also your introduction of this post, which explains that you want to help people. You are doing that with this blog and with the way you respond to the world every day. You strive for peace and love, giving those energies to the world, and if we all did that, my, what a better world it would be for it. Thank you for this post, the hope you bring, and reminding us of Ghandi’s brilliance <3
Christy – thank you so much for the Twitter and FB shares on this post. I could hug you! And no worries about when you saw this: I’m just thrilled you stopped by. <3 Gandhi is one of my heroes. His life and his story just inspire me so much. MLK, too. 😉 I love making people's lives brighter, too. I love trying to make the world a better place. Peace and love - if we don't have that, then what have we got? I so want to put those energies out into the world for there are some who need them so, so badly. And you're right: if we all did that, just imagine the world we'd have! Thank YOU for your lovely words and throughs and the smiles and love you bring! Have a wonderful week, sweet friend! xo
As you know I live by the mantra’s/ quotes.
Your beautiful thoughts were echoing along the quotes of Gandhiji.
Lovely post, Cynthia.
Ruchira – so good to see you here! I remember you love mantras: they are one of my favorite things about your blog! <3 it's great to see your beautiful self! xo