My favorite film of all time is, The Field of Dreams. It is a film that is filled with examples of hope, following your heart, listening to your intuition and a belief in the good of humanity. So, when I woke up this morning with the song, “I’m feeling good,” playing in my head and I saw the beautiful sun rise over Mt. Rainier, I felt hope in my heart. And I thought of The Field of Dreams.
There are times in my life when I feel like Ray, in the Field of Dreams. One of those times was when I listened to my inner voice and spoke up about abuse and alcoholism in my marriage and people thought I was crazy. Now, 30 years later, I see a President in the White House who is disrespectful and childish and I am no longer alone in what I see. There were 3.2 million people who marched around the world in the Women’s March the day after the inauguration. They marched for love and basic human rights and care. We stand for #humanity together. The Women’s March has continued to open the voices of women and men. #metoo #timesup . We are in this together.
Hope and Love Prevail.
Each of us is being called into greater service and love and kindness. Each of us is being called to stand up for something and someone; to use our privilege to speak up for each other. Each action, no matter how small, is sending a ripple effect into the world. This is a long game, a marathon. So, take care of yourself. Look for the glimmers and sparks of hope. Take Action and Rest. Take Action and Rest. Take Action and Rest. Find the balance that works for you.
At a community group meeting in Seattle, I witnessed a group of 50 people come together and talk about how they can improve their neighborhood. Improve the systems of education, mapping the needs in the community, creating sanctuaries of safety for all, and increased support for marginalized groups.
One of the conversations was about the low income housing that was just built and how to welcome people into their community. How can they come together and create a supportive, friendly environment for all income groups, for all races, for all genders? They are acting locally and that will ripple into the world. One of my friends is knitting welcome mats out of strips of donated fabric. As refugees come to this country and their new home, there is a welcome mat at the door, handmade with love.
Hope and Love Prevail.
I leave you today with a song by Andy Grammar called Fresh Eyes. It was filmed in Los Angeles at the Union Rescue Mission. It is time for Fresh Eyes and finding ways to work together in love and action. We are in this together!
In love and gratitude,
Andrea Hylen
Andrea Hylen believes in the power of our voices to usher in a new world. She is the founder of Heal My Voice, an organization that inspires women to heal a story, reclaim personal power and step into greater leadership. Andrea discovered her unique gifts while parenting three daughters and learning to live life fully after the deaths of her brother, son and husband.
She is following her intuition as she collaborates with women and men in organizations and travels around the world speaking, teaching and leading workshops. Her passion is authentically living life and coaching others to do the same. To connect with Andrea and learn about current projects and on-line writing circles go to: www.andreahylen.com and www.healmyvoice.org.
