After watching so much of the news last night and having a moment of despair, I turned it off and began to write.

Here it is:

Our thoughts must change. What we share must change. I don’t know about you but I have a 2 year old baby sleeping beside me as I write this. You parents or future parents or caregivers or WHATEVER out there….10 years from now, 20 years from now….what are you going to tell your children YOU did to make the world a better place for them? Are you going to tell them you posted statuses about how mad, upset, disgusted or heart broken you were? Are you going to tell them you posted statuses saying what should have been done? Are you going to look into your children’s eyes and tell them that’s ALL you did? Unless you are DOING something to promote a positive change, then tell me what is the point in spreading all this negativity? Are you organizing a campaign? Are you tapping into your resources? Are you doing? Are you acting? Moving? Helping? Or are you just posting your negative opinions and asking for prayers? If all you’ve got to SHARE is how this should be or how that should be that, then why aren’t you doing something about it?

I understand we must become aware of our surroundings. I understand we must share the reality of the situation at hand. I get that. But…..

You can start CHANGE right this moment with something very simple. Your thoughts. Change the way you think. Get a partner. Get one at home, at work, at school…anywhere and everywhere. Find people to call you out when you’re being negative and vice versa. Lay down your ego. Surrender your frustrations. Allow yourself to tap out. Accept your negative mindset and respect your need for change to obtain (and maintain) a new one. We all do it. We all complain about something. Call each other out. Look out for one another. If we can’t have each others back now, then what in the hell are we doing?! If you can’t do something about this nightmare we call reality, you’re dead wrong. You can. You can change the way you think. The way you speak. The way you treat others. You can change what you post. What you say when you pray.

This morning my brother shared with me one of his favorite proverbs. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

YOU are a drop in the ocean. All of you are. Together, WE create the waves. Whether we know it or not, we already do. We can make a change for the better just by changing our thoughts. If you want to literally do something, by all means do so and let me know if I can help. But if you want to sit there and post all of your negative thoughts or feelings, understand that you are only attracting that negativity back into your life. It’s like a mirror. What you see bounces it’s reflection right back onto you. If all you see is bad, then that’s what will come about for you. We, as a community..a nation..as humans….can change the world by changing our thoughts.

So let me ask you again, 10….20 years from now, when your children ask you what you did to make the world a better place for them, what are YOU going to say?

It’s up to us. Right here. Right now.

When I was in kindergarten, I remembered going through the lunch line for the first time and telling the lunch lady what I didn’t want. She said “don’t tell me what you don’t want, tell me what you do.” I’m 30 years old and that memory means more to me now than it ever has before.

Don’t tell the world or our children or social media what you don’t want to happen…what you’re scared of or what you fear is next. Concentrate every thought on what you DO want and what we DO need: peace. It all starts within. It starts with YOU and it can start right NOW if you want it to. You are in control of your thoughts. You always were. Realize the strength of your thoughts and let them be your armor. Express and share your positivity. Let that resonate within you and make your move.

Checkmate,
Stephanie