Image courtesy of weblody (sxc.hu)
After quite a long personal hiatus and a rather transformational purging of a life that I once knew, I am happy to report that I am returning to an active status at Modern Hippie Mag as the Conscious Living Editor.
Incredibly, I accept this position during a time that has an almost ethereal déjà vu quality to it. As I write this, protesters over the criminal hierarchy that has guided this country’s financial system and kept much of the world in bondage for at least the last century are on their tenth day of occupation in the Wall Street district of New York.
As I write this, people are mobilizing around the country to support the cause, coming together in a spirit of non-violence to show that people do still have power to make change in the world around them, and that the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are still worth fighting for. I find it both an esteemed honor and a rather intimidating task to communicate how to live consciously through times of such upheaval and change.
Photo by Eric Lusion
Yet I have great hope that we can use this occasion to realize our part in the reality that is manifesting around us. Everything that has happened in the history of humanity has been caused by the thoughts, words, and deeds of humanity itself.
Whether consciously or not, by our participation in the civilization around us, we are complicit in its continued development. We are faced with where we have let our energies flow during our lifetimes and charged with taking responsibility for our actions. The question we must ask ourselves now is: where will we direct our energies once we realize the power we have to control them?
Although the present version of society may demand that we give credence to a variety of its machinations, such as money, politics, fashions, and hierarchies, we have the power to decide how much credence they actually deserve, and to direct our focus and intents toward what we deem truly deserving of our attention and belief.
For the last few years, Modern Hippie Mag has been delivering content that points toward a life controlled by people, not governments and corporations. Through articles, podcasts and videos, we have sought to educate those who seek to live consciously on home gardening, healthy eating, community involvement, personal development, and more eco-awareness than you can shake a tree-hugger at. And we will continue to do that, and more so…
Image courtesy of nzric (sxc.hu)
After marching in several demonstrations in protest of the invasion of Iraq before its inevitable launch, I have to admit that I was a bit disheartened by how muffled our shouts were by a media outlet programmed by the very hands that would profit most by the invasions.
However, now that the protests of a system fueled by greed and apathetic to the plight of the people it hurts is reaching a fevered pitch, I realize that the echoes of our stifled shouts still managed to create a ripple effect that is finally rearing its victorious head, and although it may still seem like a whisper, the mantra continues… “There is no power like the power of the people cause the power of the people won’t stop.”
Let us realize our power and live consciously to create the world we know is possible, understanding that we are not reliant upon systems of destruction that are force fed to us, relegating us to the roles of indentured servitude it requires, but that we are free and creative people able to make better decisions than those spawned by the values of greed and injustice.
As we use the tools at our disposal to communicate instantaneously and come together as communities to protest these systems of slavery, let us move one step beyond mere non-violence, and actively engage in the interdependence which will guide us through this revolution and into the new world our forefathers dreamed of. Let us live consciously and know that we are One.
Steve
Steve McAllister is the author of The Rucksack Letters and How to Survive an Estralarian Mind Meld. He is the Conscious Living Editor of Modern Hippie Mag and a blogs regularly at InkenSoul.com and post regular videos on The Unbroken Path. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
