Today is Pioneer Day in Utah. Today in our state we celebrate the Mormon pioneers founding this valley and setting up the beginnings of what we are today. These were people who were persecuted for their religious beliefs. They were cursed at, beaten, and brutally murdered for what they believed in. They were driven from their homes and chased from place to place until they were inspired by their leader to make their way west to a safe land. They knew it would be a long and difficult journey, but they had the promise of a freedom to motivate them. So, they packed up whatever they could carry and off they went with the their families in tow. Many died along the way from weather conditions, illness, and other treacheries. Included among these were men, women, and children. Many families made it here only in part.

There are many heroic stories that come from these pioneers. They were driven by a common need--their need to be free. Free to worship and believe what they wanted. Free to live how they wanted to live. Free from fear. We, as humans, all share this same need. Yet, we are often guilty of inflicting this type of bondage on other people. We understand the need for this type of freedom, yet we continue to take it away from others.

I believe this comes from a lack of believing that we are all equals--every human being--not matter the color of one's skin, their attitude or personality, their way of life, their beliefs. Still, we are all of equal value. If this is true, then we must remember that whatever rights we feel entitled to, we must allow others to hold the same rights wihtout our interference. THis means no oppression. THis means respect for our rights and the rights of others. What a different world this would be if we all embraced that idea.

It feels as though we are moving toward it. THere have been great strides in civil rights all around the world, but I know we have a long, long way to go still. Anyone who watches the nightly news can see that there is still oppression in the world in large number. If you have never been affected by this type of negative thinking directly, you will be at some point in your life. Someone will descriminate against you because of some reason. It may be something as simple as the way you dress.

The good news is, we can do something about it. We can first choose to stop ignoring it. THen, we can take this idea and live it. We can make changes in our lives that will have a far-reaching effect. We can treat others around us with respect no matter what their color, lifestyle, belief, etc. Does that mean we have to like it or agree with it? No, but we MUST respect it. Further we can proliferate this idea by sharing it with those around us. We can teach others. We can teach our families, our children, our friends.

I would challenge anyone who is reading this post to do so. Every time you think about your rights--your human rights--first be thankful for them, and second remember that every other human deserves the same as you. Have a great day!

Good evening everyone. It has been a couple of weeks plus since my last post. I have been traveling around for business and have been very busy. It is nice to be home and to be able to get back into the swing of things. I am still working on the concept of WE in my life, as I hope some of you are as well. Right now the biggest message I am learning from this concept is that of equality and the confidence that comes from knowing you are around your equals. It is much easier to see others as supportive and family-like when you can remember that we are all living souls of great worth. When you can see them this way, they are much less intimidating. If you are one to have this issue--fear of judgement, fear of embarrassment, etc.--then this one simple shift in perspective can truly change your life!

For me, it has been very powerful. I used to often feel afraid of being around people I did not know or of talking in front of others. I worried about judgements from them. I worried about looking good. I often felt inferior and that my opinion did not matter. This was so frustrating, because I really felt that what I had to say was important, but I did not think others would agree with that. This type of thinking leaves you feeling helpless and sometimes worthless.

In training myself to see others as my equals and even as my team members, I feel a great sense of confidence. I feel like it is actually my responsibility to share my opinions and ideas. Also, I look forward to discussions more and to meeting other people and learning about them and their insight. This makes social situations so much more comfortable and even enjoyable where before they were a great source of anxiety to me.

I have really needed this type of empowerment in my life. I have had this in Taekwondo (the martial art I teach), and that is why I love martial arts so much. It has given me courage and confidence to actualy get up in front of people and to even teach them. The problem is that as soon as I got into a different (non-martial arts) scenario, I went back to same old afraid me. Interesting. So, this concept has been my teacher in taking my confidence outside of martial arts and into the world. I know I will need this if I want to continue to share this concept with others in the ways that I want to do so.

It is great that my own life is demonstrating the power in these ideas. This serves to make me more sure of my need to share it with others. I imagine there are many more people out there with this same issue and many others whom these ideas can empower.

At any rate, I hope some of you have further explored the WE concept since our WE challenge and have found it to be helpful in some area of your life. As the 2nd principle of WE states...We are all different. Therefore, we will be affected by this in unique ways just as we all have unique challenges and circumstances. I am going to be on a reglar blogging schedule now hopefully daily--probably posting at night.

Also, I am creating a web site called www.power-in-we.com. It is pretty rough right now as it is under heavy construction, but I hope you will check it out often to watch it grow and to contribute to it once I get that feature added. I hope you will continue on this journey with me and that you will share this concept with someone else you know to see how it can help them. Until tomorrow...

Day 21: Final day of WE challenge

Welcome to the final day of the WE challenge. For the last 3 weeks I have been living in the WE concept—which is accessing your personal power through connecting with mankind. To recap, there are 3 main principles of WE.

1. We are all the same. This means we, as humans are all equals. We share many of the same things: this world, our creation, our wants/needs, our journey through life, etc. If we can grasp this principle alone, we can begin to see our selves as equals with others. We can have empathy for our fellow man. We can live a life free of harsh judgments from others and from ourselves. We can cast off our doubts and fears.

2. We are all different. This means we are uniquely valuable—each one of us. We all have unique talents, gifts, dreams, and purpose. We all have a unique role to play, a unique contribution to make. Knowing this might give us the confidence and power we need to amplify our talents, to pursue our dreams, and to fulfill our purposes. We might also be able to be truly happy for our fellow man and his accomplishments—knowing that he is playing his unique role, and we will be able to benefit from that.

3. We are all a team. This means we are all in this together—all taking the same journey although paths may vary. We ought to then be for each other rather than against each other. Life is a competition within ourselves—making ourselves better today than we were yesterday. We as a team ought to seek to empower one another, to serve one another, and to lift one another to our highest potential. If we know we have a team like this behind us in all we do, what could we be capable of?
Many would see this concept and ask, but how to we make people behave this way? Well, we can’t. You cannot control other people—at least not directly. The only person you can change is yourself, and you are the only one who can do that. So, that is where we start—with ourselves. We change our perspective. We begin to see the world in this way. We decide in fact that this is the way the world is. Are we lying to ourselves? No. Truth is in perception. The way you see it is the way it will be. If you believe it, you will make it so.

The great part about taking responsibility and changing yourself and your perception is the power that comes from being able to do that. Just taking control of how you act based on how you see things will help you grow in confidence exponentially and seemingly overnight. I know, because this is what I have been up to for the last 3 weeks. And what a difference!

My outlook has changed, and because of that, my life has changed. I have confidence to follow my dreams. I have the security of knowing that I am part of something really big—the human race—the human team. Further, I know our coach, and I take faith and strength by following Him. I have gained such a great respect for my fellow man. I had it before but not to this extent. I am better able to put silly judgments aside—both on others and on myself. I can experience true empathy. I can experience the happiness of others and the sadness of others. I can learn from others, and they from me. I want to serve those who need a lift in life, and I know the ways in which I can do that. I finally feel significant, and I revel in the significance of others around me. The possibilities are truly endless and the potential boundless.

Does this mean the work is done? Of course not. When you make a change like this in your life, you have to have commitment to it—lifelong commitment and daily commitment. This can seem challenging, but there is also great power in knowing that I have control of myself and I can make changes like this in myself successfully. I have to take responsibility when I fail, but I also get to take responsibility when I succeed. Lastly, I would say without our creator, none of this would be possible. I give all glory to Him, for he has showed me some wisdom in this life and has given me the strength to share it with others.

I would end this 21 day challenge with a life-long challenge to take what you have learned over the last 21 days and let it really transform your life and those around you. True you cannot change other people, but you can share wisdom and your example with them, and through this, they may decide to make a change in themselves.

Although today is the last day of this challenge, I will continue to blog on my journey—my journey of sharing this concept with my fellow man. For me, my purpose in life is to empower others and to help others learn that we are all significant in God’s plan. I believe the concept of We is a great vehicle for doing that. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or if you have any feedback. My email is tkdmommy@comcast.net. Also, I am in the process of setting up a website: www.power-in-we.com. It is not yet complete, but check back often for updates if you are interested. I hope you have a wonderful day.

If you have not yet tried out the WE concept for 21 days, I would encourage you to do so. The great thing is that at worst, you will gain a deeper respect for your fellow man. You can’t beat that. So, go for it. Give it an honest try. Cast off your doubts and fears. Embrace your global family, and be powerful beyond your imagination!

If you have done it, please email me and let me know of your thoughts on it. Take today, the last day to really evaluate what this all means for you. Make the powerful connection in thought using “if, then” scenarios. For example, “if I am equal with everyone else, then there are no people who are better than me or worse than me.” Then ask ‘what does this really mean for me?’ There is great power in just this process. I encourage you to give it a try.

Until next time…

Day 20: Report on team spirit

Today was a great 20th day of the WE challenge. I really focused on team spirit among mankind. As I enjoyed a great evening with my family barbequing and doing some fireworks in our backyard, I noticed the great camaraderie that we as a family share. We can really be ourselves around our family. They know our stuff, our history, our weaknesses, our strengths, etc. We don’t have to feel on alert or anxious to hide things. We enjoy being with each other because we have that deep bond or trust with one another. This is a great example of team spirit that could permeate the human race if we encouraged it along. Can you imagine feeling this free from fear of judgment out in the real world? What would be the consequences of this? How powerful would each of us be? That is really an exciting thought to me, as I am sure it is to you as well.

Today I also kept thinking about the words ‘human race.’ Often it seems as though we are all in a race. We are all competing against each other, running and striving as hard as we can to beat someone else—sometimes with fair play; other times with foul. We often find ourselves exhausted from all of the racing. I know I do. I am exhausted in fact from the racing—not just doing it but watching others do it. I can’t help but wonder if we could change the dynamics a bit to make it a more fulfilling race.

First of all, if this is in fact a race, what is the finish line? Death? If so, we are all going to finish this race. There is no doubt about it or escape from it. Does it matter then where we place in regards to one another if the finish line is death? I don’t think so. I think what does matter is how we run the race. It is the journey that matters—not winning or losing or beating someone else.

Again the competition lies within not without. We are competing against our selves to create a better person, a more improved and wise soul. We are all running together. Instead of trying to beat one another in a race where place does not make sense, we could be encouraging each other and cheering for each other to continue the journey and to improve every day in it. How strong could our team be if this is the way we ran the race?

Team spirit is one of those things that electrifies a team’s performance. With this kind of team spirit, we would be unstoppable. We could achieve things that have never before even been conceived. We may just be able to reach our full potential and become all that our divine creator intended us to be. Is this really possible? If you say it is and believe it is, then it is. See you tomorrow for the final day of the WE challenge!

Day 20: Team Spirit among mankind

It is day 20 of the WE challenge. Today is Independence Day also. Today I wanted to focus on developing team spirit among mankind. For Americans, today is a day of team spirit—of allegiance. As we remember our independence, we feel blessed to be an American. We feel part of a winning team.

We, as humans, often break ourselves into smaller groups by gender, race, etc. I think this is natural for us as we have certain groups of people that we identify with in a stronger way because of circumstance, environment, or substance. There is certainly nothing wrong with this type of group bonding. However, I think it is important to remember that we are part of something bigger—the human race.

Let’s focus today on carrying this great team spirit that we share with our different groups in society to larger spheres. Really this is the key to this entire concept—being able to team up with mankind, to work together, to support each other, and to love and respect one another because we are all human beings. Ultimately we need to develop a team attitude and spirit among ourselves. This starts, again, with just one person. If just one person spreads this spirit to their small group of friends and family, something amazing is possible. A viral growth of this concept that could transcend barriers, solve world problems, and carry us to a much higher level in our existence. Let’s choose to believe this is possible! Let’s share our team spirit! Have a wonderful day, and I will see you tonight!