I Take The Vow

This morning when I opened my email I had a message about Deepak Chopra's latest initiative, Alliance for a New Humanity and an invitation to " take the vow." I clicked on the link, read the brief message, listened to the audio and felt tears welling up in my eyes. I felt my heart soften and fill up. I felt peace descend upon me.

Ahh, I thought. This is what I was looking for. This is what I need. What the world needs.

I can join this movement. I can do my part. It is simple and easy. It is a heartfelt vow to peace in my thoughts, my speech and actions. To be a vessel of love. To be the change I want to create in the world.

I invite you to take the vow. Visit "I take the vow" and in just a few minutes, find out how you too can be part of creating a new humanity.

In our busy being here-gettin' there world, it is easy to forget the power of our thoughts to change our world, to affect our day, to create our reality. It is easy to let go of our power to live the life of our dreams, to create the world of difference we desire.

In taking a simple vow, the possibility of change awakens within us. The possibility of creating a new humanity, of creating peace for all mankind awakens.

Last night I went to a town hall meeting held by a member of the Alberta legislature. He had invited a friend, a fellow doctor, to come up and speak about his experience of immigrating from Brazil to Canada. The man spoke of coming to this country in 1993 because he wanted to get out from beneath a totalitarian state. He wanted to experience freedom. When he first came to Canada, he believed he had found what he was looking for. Family circumstances drew him back to Brazil, but not forever. He returned here in 2005.

The changes he said were profound. "I could not believe how much freedom had been lost."

Where once the health care system in Alberta was governed by separate and distinct health regions, it is now one 'super board'. "No one dares to speak out against the system," he said. "They are too scared of losing their jobs."

It is, he commented, like living in Brazil.

Later his wife stood up to speak. Like her husband, she is a doctor, but because she only came to Canada in 2005, she cannot yet practise her healing arts here. "They asked me if I had a profession when I applied to immigrate. They didn't tell me I wouldn't be able to work in my profession when I arrived."

She gave an emotional plea for freedom. Thought-provoking. Stirring. "I didn't know there was even a word 'freedom' until I left Brazil" she told us. "I grew up under military rule. My teachers were all military officers. They controlled our thoughts, what we read, what we did, where we went. They controlled our speech."

We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Freedom.

A song I remember from my youthful days as a member of "Up With People!" began, "Freedom isn't free. You gotta pay the price, you gotta sacrifice, for your liberty."

What price freedom?

For me to be free, you must be free too. You must have the same freedom to share your thoughts, your ideas, your truth without fear of retribution. Without fear of being shunned, shamed or silenced.

To be free I must put down anger and walk in peace.

To be free I must let go of bitterness to surrender and fall in love.

I invite you today to take the vow. It is a step towards freedom we can all share. All enjoy. All live fearlessly.

The question is: Are you willing to treat yourself as the unique and special gift you are to the world? Are you willing to share your gifts with love? Are you willing to treat those around you as unique and special gifts to the world. Are you willing to give their gifts room to grow beside you in love, peace and harmony? Are you willing to take the vow?