Note to those wishing to be leaders: (written during the 2004 US Presidential
campaign)
Dear Ms or Mr. President to be:
IN RELATIONSHIP WE TRUST
To win the election and the hearts of the world, connect not only to the
voters but also to that half of the nation that does not vote. Those fifty
percent are your gold mine. Speak to that half in all of us. Say the following:
“ As the future President,
my first big job will be to speak to everyone, including those of you
who are not
voting. We leaders
depress you with our big words and financial campaigns. You feel there
is no one to vote for, or that in some way we all look about the same.
You feel this in part because you are right. None of us can be the true
leader. Vote for yourself instead.
You and I must model the leadership this country and this moment
needs. My goal is to recognize and encourage your power. To do
what democracies are supposed to do, give power back to the people.
My goal is to get YOU and me to be
new democratic leaders. I now ask you to help me with this country and
this world. Model the democracy
and wise
leadership you expect. Treat everyone around you; your friends, your family
you’re your business contacts with inclusiveness, awareness and respect.
Model the human awareness needed for democracy, and support me in doing the
same. Show interest in the potential wisdom of those who do not agree with
you, as I am trying to do right now with you. Show openness to the great
dreams and visions of yourself and others.
The deepest part of any country speaks to us all through her symbols.
For example, this beautiful land we now stand on and call the United States
speaks through the symbol of the Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty resides
in the waters of New York’s harbor. However, she exists everywhere--
in you and me. She is in the spaces between you and others. Let yourself
become a liberty harbor for your family, your group and anyone seeking the
freedom to speak. Become a harbor to thoughts and feelings that are imprisoned
in everyone’s heart. Be a free country where different views can be
heard. Let the democratic power of Washington DC be everywhere. Dear potential
voter, become the center of democracy. Use heart with all your relationships,
all people and cultures.
Let me model what I ask of you.
Some of you will vote for my opponents because they may represent your
conservative
or liberal
orientations and deepest beliefs better than I do. If they represent all
of us best, I want them to be our leaders as well as you do. I personally
will vote for the woman or man who knows that everyone’s belief system,
everyone’s race and creed, everyone’s relationship orientation
is a part of herself. I want and will vote for that person who knows that
the terrorist is also inside herself, just as the most wonderful inspirations
are inside as well.
I am such a person.
I suggest voting for me because I know that those who are most against
me, even “the terrorist” against
our country, are in me as well. I know the enemy is in me and never only
out there! I know that if we fight someone outside our country, we must look
at how we are like that person or group, and work with that inside our selves
and our country as well. I want to change the world. My method is to raise
everyone’s heartfulness, not by conquering it and then handing out
first aid but through greater consciousness.
You know that war has ever succeeded in removing the dominating
abusive powers from this planet. As deeply involved citizens of
democracy, we know that if we focus only on outer domination, we are in
danger of becoming criminals ourselves. History has shown that today’s
greatest leader easily becomes tomorrow’s criminal. In the new world,
we need to be wise politically, and psychologically as well. If you want
a world with less polarization and war, be the leader in your personal
life that you want in public life. Promote, be proud and aware of democracy.
Good leaders were always seers.
Your relationships may work go well, not only because you are good with
people,
but also because
you are connected to something in the earth. Remember to listen to the valleys.
You can’t always reveal to others in words what you are doing, but
you can show it in your actions. Listen to the hum of mountains and the song
of the rivers. Then while humming that song to your self, help the people
from that area of the country or the world. Make your goal the sound of friendship
as well as the accomplishment of your tasks.
Create a foreign policy that recognizes that war is hidden friendship. Remember
that we all fight not only to win, but also to be recognized as individuals
and special communities. So if you must fight, let friendship be your goal.
History shows that in time, today’s enemies are tomorrow’s allies.
Behind all conflict is a longing for friendship, democracy and diversity
consciousness. So be the earth, this planet, and home to us all.
Yes, there will be times for us to shut our gates to protect ourselves
from harm. Be powerful in our own self-defense while remembering
the greater goal. Open those same gates and create a world with all your
citizens and all other nations that values democratic interaction.
So dear potential voters don’t leave the world’s problems to
me or to your government. Model the leadership our country and world long
for. Know, it’s not only what you do that counts; it’s how you
do it. Great strength lies in the feeling of liberty and democracy you bring
to each and every task. Create personal and national government that deal
with internal problems and international neighbors in a way that values friendship
as well as power, communication as well as self-defense.
Democratic government is at its best when it gives power back to
the people. That’s my goal. Let’s do that together
so we can say, “in relationship we trust”.
