What Do I Have to Offer?

Dinner last night with friends. Encouraging to find they are seeing some of the same things I am: people are awaking to accept and promote the idea we're screwed and need to change. It is coming from many different sources now and coming faster.
Complaceny and fatalism arise...and I suggested we need to turn to and work within our local communities, to rebuild our true social networks which reliance on the Nanny State has decimated and replaced with dependence on the Federal Govt, debt-based 'prosperity' and consumerism. FB and G+ are faux social networks.

This is not a short term fix. This requires a fundamental change in how one sees the world and lives in it. We take back our freedoms and rights we've given away in exchange for 'security' and entitlements. There are no entitlements. There is no security. The Nanny state is bankrupt financially, morally and ecologically. Where will Food, Energy and Water come from? Especially Water?  It is time for change. Those of us who take action will  have the advantage. The new world will be created by those who show up.

The rest will find it happens gradual, gradual, gradual, suddenly. They'll wake one morning to find the world changed and ask: "Where was I? How did this happen?  I was told the America Dream would save me. Reliance on the Government would save me. Abdicating my responsibility and action would save me. Working hard would save me."
Don't say you weren't warned.
Nothing will save us except ourselves. Thinking, learning, being open to new ideas, avenues and ways to live.
I find this an exciting time: We are being bombarded daily with cues, reminders and pointers to awaken and change. In some places it is subtle. Some not so much. We are being invitied every single moment to shift and live differently. This has always been the case, yet seems to have a greater urgency lately.
Reminds me of an old story:
A man is leading his mule to the market and as he crosses a small stream the mule stops and refuses to cross.
The man begs, pleads, prays, bribes, pushes the mule. All to no avail. The mule won't budge.
Another man comes along and asks what is wrong. The first man replies "I cannot get my mule to move no matter what I do."
The other man picks up a huge branch lying by the side of the road and hits the mule square in the middle of its forehead, HARD. He then takes the mule's lead and says "come along" and walks the mule across the stream easily.
The first man asks "How did you do that? I beg, pleaded, flattered, bribed, prayed, pushed, but nothing worked."
Second man: "Sometimes, you first have to get their attention."

I'd rather avoid that branch, thank you.

To change requires thought, reflection and action. I see people all the time say they want change, as long as they don't have to do anything differently or take action. I find this odd. It doesn't work like that. If you want things to be different, you have to make them different. Talking about it is one thing. It's a start. But action is required. You actually have to take responsibility, make a choice and act. Erich Fromm says people would prefer to submit to authoritarian rule than choose to exercise freedom and authenticity. I have only to look within my own life and see where I do that. Excellent, fertile ground for change.

It is a matter of priorities.
There is abundant time.
There is abundant resources.
When we act out of fear and complacency we create what we fear the most.
All the opportunity and resources we need are here and have been all along.
We have the opportunity to rebuild the world as we want it. We have always had that opportunity and many are taking advantage of it. Again, the world belongs to those who show up an act.

When taxes go through the roof in a final last-ditch effort to steal your hard earned money to support the Nanny state, redirect your money to the .01%, and bribe the unproductive masses with handouts, food stamps, other state largess, faux health care, crap made in China, Multimedia TV and movies, will you be ready for the coming shift?

I close with the question: What skills do you have in an agrarian economy? What do you have to offer of value besides gracing us with your presence? I subscribe to the idea this is about exchanging my best effort and value for yours.

Think about this. Even if all the above never come to pass in our life time, how much richer will your, ours and my world be. How much better will be the world we pass on.

Peace, inspiration and love to us all.