Wake Up Everybody

I woke up in the middle of the night with the chorus of a song playing in my head . . . I recognized the song right away and then I heard . . .  "Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes."  I wondered why I heard the name Harold Melvin because the artist I associated with the song was Teddy Pendergrass. (Little did I know, until I did a little research, Teddy was the lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Learned something new that day)  :-) 

The lyrics I heard were: The world won't get no better, if we just let it be, the world won't get no better, we gotta change it, yeah, just you and me. 

As I lay there in my hazy state, I thought about the fact that I have been seeing this is my community - people doing what they can to help each other - and how much it lifts my spirits when I can participate or even witness what is happening by reading the posts and responses. 

I thought about how it truly IS up to us . . . that it doesn't matter who our president is or who any other "elected" official is. Waiting around for "them" to do something isn't going to create the kind of change we need right now. If we want to see things change, I believe it is up to US to BE that change, to start making things better on our own.  

Almost everyone in our world needs some kind of help right now . . . whether it's food, or a place to live, or someone to talk to so they don't feel so alone. The list seems endless. When I look around, I see so many people in need . . . and I witness their hesitancy to reach out and say "I need some help." 

When I look at the big picture, I see systems and processes that aren't working, old structures and ways of doing things that just don't work anymore . . . and so many places where we could create something better if we came together and began looking for new ways to do things. 

I also see people with so much to give. People with different skills and abilities . . . different perspectives . . . different ideas. There are so many opportunities to make a difference . . . big and small.

So I invite you to ask yourself "What can I do?" "How can I contribute to making this a better world?" It doesn't matter if it's something big or small . . . it doesn't matter if it's something you do alone or something you do in collaboration with others. To me, the most important thing is for us to empower ourselves and start creating a world WE want to live in . . . 

When I looked up the lyrics - I noticed that the original version of the song (when they performed it as Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes) had more lyrics so I trust that I was guided to that version so that I could see the wisdom and beauty in the longer version of the song. For anyone who is interested, I have pasted them below. I thought this would also be a great place to post one of my favorite pictures of my boy . . . a picture of him sleeping to go along with the title of the song. This picture melts my heart whenever I look at it, regardless of how many times I have seen it. It reminds me that regardless of our differences, we are part of the same world, a world that needs US to love it and each other. We have the ability to create something new - and it can be as simple as an act of loving kindness extended to another person.  

Wake Up, Everybody

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

Wake up, everybody, no more sleeping in bed
No more backward thinking, time for thinking ahead
The world has changed so very much from what it used to be
There's so much hatred, war, and poverty, whoa, oh

Wake up, all the teachers, time to teach a new way
Maybe then they'll listen to whatcha have to say
Cause they're the ones who's coming up, and the world is in their hands
When you teach the children, teach 'em the very best you can

The world won't get no better
If we just let it be
The world won't get no better
We gotta change it, yeah, just you and me

Wake up, all the doctors, make the old people well
They're the ones who suffer and who catch all the hell
But they don't have so very long before their Judgement Day
So won't you make them happy before they pass away

Wake up, all the builders, time to build a new land
I know we can do it if we all lend a hand
The only thing we have to do is put it in our minds
Surely things will work out, they do it every time

The world won't get no better
If we just let it be
The world won't get no better
We gotta change it, yeah, just you and me (yeah, yeah)

Change it, yeah (change it, yeah)
Just you and me
Change it, yeah (change it, yeah)
Can't do it alone (can't do it alone)
Need some help, y'all (y'all)
Can't do it alone (can't do it alone)
Yeah (yeah)

Wake up, everybody, huh
Wake up, everybody
Need a little help, y'all (yes I do)
Need a little help (say it, boy)
Need some help, y'all (uh-huh)
To change the world
From what it used to be

Can't do it alone
Can't do it alone
Need some help, yeah
Need some help, yeah

Wake up, everybody
Get up, get up
Get up, get up
Wake up, come on, come on

Wake up, everybody
Teach a new way
Maybe then they'll listen
To what you have to say

Wake up, everybody
No more sleepin' in bed
No more backward thinkin'
Time for thinkin' ahead
Come on

Wake up, everybody
I'm talkin' about the dope pusher
Stop pushin' that dope
Dope users
Stop usin' the dope

Wake up, yeah

False lyin'
False preachin'
False teachin'
Wake up, y'all
Come on

You preachers
Start preachin' what you teach
Teach the truth
Wake up, preachers

All liars
Politicians
Stop lyin'

Why don't someone
Help the poor people
Help the babies

You businessmen
Start treatin'
Start treatin'
Start treatin'

Wake up, yeah
Wake up, yeah
Wake up, yeah
Wake up, yeah
Yeah, yeah

Now it don't matter
What race, creed or color
Everybody we need each other

Wake up, everybody
You see
We need
Wake up, everybody

Wake up, everybody
No more sleepin' in bed
No more backward thinkin'
Time for thinkin' ahead

Wake up, all you teachers
Time to teach a new way
They're the ones that suffer
Each and every day

Teach the children
Teach the babies
Teach the children
Teach the babies
Teach the children

They're the ones who's coming out

Coping with the Intensity

I noticed today that this post I published in September of 2016 was getting a lot of activity so out of curiosity, I pulled it up to see what I had written.  I was shocked (and a little saddened) to see how valid it is once again - four years later but figured it was worth republishing it in the hopes that it may be helpful to folks now. 

These are very intense times right now.  Terrible things are happening in our world . . .  the heartbreaking and senseless violence, the divisiveness and ugliness of the political arena, etc.  It is easy to slip into the feeling of helplessness and despair, to believe that all of this is happening to us and around us with no ability to change it. Yet, I think we have more power to change things than we think.

My personal belief is that our thoughts and emotions are powerful manifestors and if our focus is on fear and anger and disappointment, we, as a collective, manifest more things to be afraid of, angry about and disappoint by.  If we can shift our thoughts and emotions to positive things, we can actually create more positive.

So, how do we shift our thoughts and emotions to positive things?  We can spend some time every day making sure we are taking care of ourselves and being kind to ourselves.  We can put on music that makes us happy and enjoy where the music takes us.  We can hug our pets and think about how blessed we are to have these amazing creatures in our lives, showing us what it means to love unconditionally.  We can take a break from the news and Facebook and get out in nature.  When we are in nature, it's difficult to be in a state of negativity.  (unless you really dislike being outdoors)  :-)

I am fortunate to live very close to the forest so several times a week I hike in the forest.  No matter how heavy the issues in the world feel when I leave the house, once I get in the midst of the trees, all the heaviness goes away.  I breathe in the peacefulness, I listen to the birds and I allow myself to soak in all that beauty as I make my way down the trails.  I have found a favorite tree and I've been known to hug it, as long as there is no one around who might see me.  :-)

I come back from each of these hikes feeling renewed - not plagued by fear or anger or disappointment.  The positive thoughts and feelings I experience manifest more positives - not just for me but for everyone.  It's all about energy and I believe the more positive energy we have inside us, the more positive energy is felt around us . . . and the more each of us takes responsibility for what we are feeling and thinking, the more time we spend doing things that make us happy and bring us peace, the more quickly we can change this chaotic and painful world we live in.  I believe it can start with us individually and quickly effect all of humanity.  Even if you don't believe it can effect all of humanity, it can't hurt to give yourself the opportunity to feel more moments of peace and happiness, can it?