Accentuate the Positive

So lately I've been reading a book about a spiritual practice called Huna. It's a belief system derived from traditional Hawaiian culture and religion, influenced and interpreted through the eye of Western psychology and metaphysics. It honors concepts such as love, balance, breath, family, connection to nature, and mind-body-spirit integration and suggests practices to bring us in touch with ourselves and others in very specific ways.

One of these ways is through positive thought forms, brought into being by positive speech. The belief that words matter, that what we say and how we say it shape not only our intent but the very reality we live in, is fundamental. As a healer friend says "The Universe always says Yes." If you wake up and tell yourself you'll have a great day, the Universe replies "Yes." If, on the other hand, you tell yourself that everything is going to go wrong, the Universe still replies "Yes." It's powerful stuff.

In my everyday life, I've been trying to remember this, and modify the things I say accordingly when I can. As a parent, I get tested a lot in this area. My kids will verify that I'm not afraid to say no when I need to (and chances are it's those no's they most clearly remember), but honestly, if there's a yes to be found, I try to find it.

But there's one area that gives me considerable trouble, when it comes to positive speech and thought. My government makes me very angry, and has for nearly four years now. With the election coming on, the feelings of loathing (and there is no other word that more closely captures how strong the emotion is) have intensified; I see a light at the end of the tunnel, the possibility that we can be rid of an administration that I feel has hugely damaged our country and our world, and it makes me almost desperate.

I don't like feeling that way, and I like even less owning those feelings. Yet there they are.

The other day, it occurred to me that maybe there was a way to turn some of that around, to change my thought patterns from negatives (i.e. we need to get them the hell out of there!) to wishes that are more positive. These are the thoughts I came up with, and that I will try to hold from now until November. In sharing them here, I make those thoughts manifest in the world.

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George W. Bush. Whether one believes your pResidency to be legitimate or no, whether one agrees with even the least harmful of your policies, I think that we can all agree that it's not an easy job you hold. My highest wish is that next January you are able to hand over the burden of governing, to go back to the ranch you love so dearly that you've spent quite a bit of time vacationing there over the last four years, and to become just a regular guy again.

Dick Cheney. It's no secret that you've had your share of health problems. Your heart is not as strong as it once was, and the stresses of carrying a large share of the workload in this administration threatens to send you to an early grave.It also can't be easy to constantly be whisked away from your family to undisclosed locations. So for you I wish rest for your mechanical heart, and more time with your kin especially your lesbian daughter to whom you owe an explanation as to why you don't think she deserves the same rights as straight kids have.

John Ashcroft. You don't have a bad voice, really. I heard you sing in Fahrenheit 9/11 and it was quite okay. In January, when you no longer have the responsibility for violating the privacy rights of anyone who disagrees with you, I want you to take the time to work on that. Let the music flow, Johnny baby!

Condolezza Rice. You always look so sad and lonely and that's just no good. It's got to be difficult to make connections with others when you always have to be the tough one, spouting the talking points that you know are a bunch of hooey. So live up to your name "con dolcezza", and go out there and find yourself a partner! Man or woman, doesn't matter once you're not in the limelight anymore. But *damn* woman. Getting laid should be your number one priority when you have the time and are no longer servicing serving the pResident.

Donald Rumsfeld. The man with the cockeyed plan for world domination expressed in paradoxical poetry. Many, myself included, would say that your talents are wasted orchestrating pre-emptive war on sovereign nations based on faked intelligence claiming the existence of a nuclear and chemical weapons program. No... you're all about self-expression and you need to share that gift with us all through the written word. Though you'll probably be too busy to take on NaNoWriMo this year what with helping your boss try to cook the election, I think that you should definitely plan on enrolling in some workshops early next year to hone your craft.

Colin Powell. Ah, Scarecrow, I may miss you most of all (which shouldn't be surprising, given the others I have to choose from). I don't think it's going out on a limb to say that the last four years have been pretty disappointing for you. Once admired world-wide for your reason and moderation, you've been put in a position where you've had to repudiate pretty much everything you've ever stood for and have compromised your integrity to the point where even used-car salesmen cross the street to avoid being seen with you. I really and sincerely hope that you'll be able to put this nightmare behind you soon and I hope that you'll take the time to do some meditation and come back to your core values... when you do, I look forward to the book you'll be writing.

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So may it be.