Mr. Rogers is a well-loved children’s TV host in the US. You might have seen the Netflix documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbour?”.
Something he said there really touched my heart.
After the events of 9/11, Mr. Rogers was asked to speak on TV to the American public about the disaster:
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“No matter what our particular job, especially in our world today, we all are called to be Tikkun Olam — repairers of creation.
Thank you for whatever you do, wherever you are, to bring joy, and light, and hope, and faith, and pardon and love to your neighborhood and to yourself.”
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In a world that can seem full of terror, uncertainty and insecurity, where there’s disasters and misfortune both public and personal, when it feels like you just don’t understand why this might be happening – to you, to your loved ones, to the innocents, the vulnerable, the weak, and the unfortunate, I feel Mr. Rogers nails it.
We are asked to be repairers of creation.
Not just along for the ride for however long we have to live, but active participants in healing creation itself: Creating creation over and over again.
This is what you are called to do. When it’s broken, when it’s not working, you are called to fix it. And you fix it, you heal it, by starting with yourself and your neighbourhood. By bringing all the pieces back together again. By accepting and understanding and communicating and forgiving and joining together.
Because creation is a wonderful thing, a beautiful thing. There is so much to be celebrated and enjoyed, and we are guilty of taking it for granted. We are guilty for focusing mostly on what’s wrong or missing.
And where it can be better, you can make it better – certainly. Making it better does not need being stressed or enraged about the problem, because that is actually being a part of the problem, but instead to be peace and show peace and make peace.
It’s why I was so interested in the Bright Path Ishayas when I first met them: Because they were about healing the world through healing the self first.
It all begins with you.
Here’s another quote that I love too:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead, US anthropologist who studied human culture and behaviour
It begins with you, and with us, the lovers and creators of Creation.
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My friend Maharani book is finally ready and released (It’s been a long time coming!)
“Whole-ass: Stop living a half-assed life and enjoy an extraordinary existence”
If you like these emails I think you’ll really like her book. She’s an amazing writer, full of life and passion.
Available now on Amazon, right here: