What If Up?!

On August 28, 1963, before a crowd of more than 200,000 people, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a 17-minute speech that changed the world. Although he did not live to see his dream come to fruition, and indeed we are still en route to that mountaintop, the dream remains as a guiding light for those of us who seek to create a more just and peace-filled world.

Today is the celebration of the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. Perhaps he is one of the finest examples of what one man can do. But, are there things we can do, ways of thinking, feelings to nurture that would move us closer to seeing the impact each of us has on this extraordinary world we live in?

Part of our community building weekend, What One Man Can Do” includes an opportunity to participate in an exercise we call “What If Up?”  It give us the chance to see new possibilities for ourselves and others. This technology was developed by my friend, Mindy Audlin, who is making a huge difference with her organization, the “What If Up Club.” Check out Mindy’s work - she is a bundle of energy and possibility!  http://whatifup.com/

The exercise we do is energy-filled, and an exciting prospect to think in such positive terms. It seems as though it’s the “natural” thing to do is to focus on “What if Down?” “What if I fail, what if I don’t get the support I want, what if I make a fool of myself, what if I’m wrong?” What is stopping us from looking in the opposite direction? “What if I am the one who is meant to create peace in the world, what if it all goes right, what if there is no difference between me and MLK, what if we could say what is on our mind and still be loved anyway?” It’s like a muscle that we need to exercise in order for it to be stronger and more useful to us.

So what stops us from moving in this positive direction? Are we afraid that we would then have to be responsible for what we say? Are we afraid that it’s going to be too much work? Are we afraid that if we spoke our minds that someone might make us wrong or perhaps even harm us for our beliefs? All of these thoughts and fears have run through my mind at one time or another. It always comes down to, “What is my commitment?”

Some of us are happy to make a difference in our families or with one person at a time. Or perhaps it’s just perfect if we are able to take care of ourselves and let peace begin inside of each of us. However we choose to live our lives, can we focus on the upside as opposed to the downside? The answer is, of course, we can! But again, what are we committed to, truly?

Another difference-maker I greatly admire is my friend, Jan Garrett. Jan is from Aspen, Colorado and is committed to making a difference through songwriting. She collaborates with her talented husband, JD Martin. 

She and JD, along with their associate and friend, Ester Nicholson, wrote a most moving and inspiring song called, “I Believe This Belongs To You.” Some of the things written about their music are:  

A feast of Musical Endorphins!

Masterfully cohesive, well-being made audible

Deep optimism, unmitigated fun

Wise lyrics, kick-ass harmonies

Tasty tunes performed & recorded with a twinkle

and decades of soulful experience

If you do nothing else today, please do yourself the great favor of listening to the song. You can find it through this link: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/167463/4ca337bffd/6000315  

I promise you, it’s a life-changing, thought-provoking song. Let it in...it will be well worth it. Check it out...