The day following the MH17 tragedy I pondered my book case containing 100’s of books and was drawn to Eckhart Tolle’s “Stillness Speaks”.

Now I have a “rule” (better described as a “suggestion to self” perhaps) – that I must finish a book before I start another.  I hadn’t finished the book I was reading but still I took this book and began to read.

And this is why… It reminded me to look beyond the NOISE.  It reminded me that I could chose to allow my energy to be eroded by the enormity of this tragedy, to be despondent – or not!

Eckhart in his introduction writes:

“The transformation of human consciousness is no longer a luxury, so to speak, available only to a few isolated individuals, but a necessity if humankind is not to destroy itself. At the present time, the dysfunction of the old consciousness and the arising of the new are both accelerating?  Paradoxically, things are getting worse and better at the same time, although the worse is more apparent because it makes so much “noise”.”

I believe it’s time to accelerate the BETTER to overtake the WORSE with vigour and urgency – it’s time to make more noise, to be visible and to shift the balance with a groundswell unlike anything we have ever seen.

And I believe it starts with each of us.  Too often the “problems” seem so big, so global that we think we cannot make a difference.  I believe that we can – each and every one of us can make a difference.  When we think we can’t – we have already lost.

The ripple effect is so very powerful – we lift the energy of someone, who lifts the energy of another, who will lift the energy of another – and on it goes.  Darkness cannot exist in a high energy environment.  This ripple effect, will ripple by ripple, disturb the state of ennui too prevalent in our societies.  Disinterest and lethargy is what the WORSE is relying on to win out.  Enthusiasm and a sense of purpose and joy will accelerate the BETTER.  Imagine the impact when millions of people have their foot firmly on the BETTER accelerator.

May this tragedy, this heart wrenching NOISE, be the impetus for becoming interested, really interested in making a difference – so interested that we will actually do something (or perhaps, stop doing something).

What I know is… if it’s going to be, then it’s up to me.  My contribution to the betterment of this planet cannot be delegated.  How will you make a difference?