This Is Me Not Talking Politics

   If you live in America, unless you've been holed up in a cave, you're probably aware it's an election year. I'm not going to talk politics here, but I'm going to use this as an opportunity to explore my own humaness. I call myself a liberal, probably not a suprise to most of you. I believe women should have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies, I believe everyone should be able to marry whomever they want (love is love, and we certainly could use more of it in this world), and I believe everyone should have access to food and healthcare. I, like the rest of the country, sometimes have a hard time with people who don't share my veiws. My guess is many of you get caught up in the “us versus them” mentality, as do I, and I don't like it; it's certainly not beneficial for our country. I've been grateful for this election because it has afforded me the opportunity to practice non-judgement. I have some friends who are a bit more pragmatic then myself who believe judgement is part of our human nature, and I would agree, but there is also a time for diplomacy. Diplomacy will lead to peace much more quickly then pointing fingers and criticizing one another.

     For years I have tried to practice a mindful existence and this election brings up the fact that I'm still a work in progress. Case in point: Pete and I sat at a restaurant this past Saturday night and a woman was speaking loudly about her political veiws. I found her tone and volume obnoxious and I was irritated, probably in part because she did not agree with my position on many important issues. When I got up to go to the restroom, I noticed the woman who was speaking was someone I know. She is a current yoga student of mine, and I stopped to speak. As we continued with our dinner it occurred to me that as I judged this person for having a different view then me I was not “living my yoga”. The heart of a mindfullness practice is kindness, compassion, and to move away from the divisive practice of judgement. I'm striving to be the change I want to see in the world, and to do that I must open my mind and heart to those who see things differently than me. Our thoughts are powerful and if we can begin to be more respectful in thought and action to those that differ from us I believe we will begin to see a shift in America. I will try this election to choose my words carefully when stating my opinion about the issues and to treat each person with kindness and respect even when I don't agree with their opinion. So.....go vote! And be kind to one another, whether Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Dog, or Cat.