Reality can be brutal. Everytime I pick up a newspaper, watch a newscast, I sense how difficult survival is and as the reports of endless pain/suffering come down upon my spirit, I feel I am suffocating.

I spend concentrated periods of time when I refrain from knowing the news. That is not because I do not care, it is because I DO care. Knowing renders me impotent. I feel the hopelessness and drown in discouragement.

I know that true change begins within. It begins within each of us. When we place ourselves in isolation and meditate upon the good that is around us, our spirits become more attuned to love, to caring. We reach a state of balance where we gain strength; strength which causes the change within; strength allowing us to change reality through our attitudes.

I cannot change the entire world NOW! I can change my attitude to one of love and extend this love to those I touch. They in turn can respond to my love by extending love and so the circle grows and we have made a difference...a real difference.

And so it goes...the more I shut out the suffering and concentrate on the loving, the more I can tilt the scales toward love.

Dreams...Oh, yes, dreaming beautiful dreams instead of drowning in ugly reality can change the world to a better place. Seems to me, this is what Jesus was talking about so many years ago.

© Jane Mullikin