From where I sit, we must extract some valuable lessons from 2004 if we wish to move forward as a global community. Lies, unethical behavior, corporate crime, and man's inhumanity to man are out of control. Power and the almighty dollar are the twin deities that beckon egocentrics to worship at a false altar, blinding them to the things that really matter. In 2004, we saw much more of the same kind of power mongering, with the haves desperately attempting to build more riches even as too many of the rest of the population went hungry.

What's wrong with this picture? The short answer is we've lost sight of our connectedness to others around the globe. Every stone dropped into a pond sends out ripples that affect everything else in that pond. Instead of distributing kindness, the powers that be have dropped boulders into the global pond, spreading chaos and unrest around the world.

As I like to say, change has to start with each individual. You are the only one who can increase your personal growth, after all. In order to be a role model for others to emulate, you can choose to increase your own ethical standards and behaviors, thus becoming that pebble with a positive ripple in the pond.

One quality stands out in my mind as the most important one to develop for 2005. It's a characteristic that many enlightened individuals around the world have, but that few demonstrate at the top of the wealth and power heap. That quality is compassion, and it behooves all of us to create more of it.

In order to be compassionate, you need to have a sense of empathy for others. If you can mentally place yourself in the shoes of someone else, and understand his situation and feel his emotions, you understand the basic quality of empathy.

Empathy doesn't allow for the judgment of others. Looking down on someone because he is different in appearance or talents doesn't mesh with the quality of empathy. Humans have much more in common with each other than they have differences, and the uniqueness of peoples and cultures should add to their value, not lessen it.

Once you have empathy for another, you can feel compassion for her. When you feel a sense of connectedness to an individual, you want to alleviate her pain and suffering through kind action.

Without compassionate behavior, we become people who feel nothing, say nothing, and do nothing about injustice or abuse. In 2005, we have a critical task ahead of us at a major juncture in history. What will we do to make our world a better place? Will we stand idly by, watching as the world continues its upside-down, wrong is right, attitude? Or will we decide we've finally had enough?

© Kathy Sanborn
Life Channels Staff Writer
All Rights Reserved

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