So Much Potential

I couldn’t help but be awestruck by the sheer energy and momentum I saw amassed at the hundreds of  unity marches held around the country this past weekend .  I mean, as my kids would say, OMG…Oh. My. God!  So many people from such diverse backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc., came together to express their discontent over the injustices put forth by the current Trump administration. Saturday, January 15, 2017 was truly an historic day, one we will be talking about for centuries to come.  But, that’s just it.  How do we prevent this super charged event from becoming a blip in the history books? How do we harness the momentum of the day and affect real change?

We, every one of us, have enough energy in our atoms to fuel an atomic bomb
What will you do with that power?
Will you use it for good?
Or self-destruction?
Will you spread it through your words?
Or through your hands?
Will you heal?
Or harm?

This strength may lie hidden under lifetimes of conditioned thought...
	I am weak
	I am powerless
	I am only One
	What could I possibly do?

But, have no doubt, it is there.
Coiled deeply within
Waiting to be freed
Think of its potential
	 it's range
	 it's lasting impacts

Think of your energy joined with mine
Mine with his and hers
Together, we could move mountains
Together, we could change the world!

How do we prevent complacency from seeping in once we all return to our everyday lives, our day-to-day routines of work, soccer practice, dentist appointments, etc?  There is obviously such a huge desire for action, yet I feel most of us don’t have a clue where to begin.  We marched in groves, because that was easy.  We know how to walk (or roll, if you’re wheelchair bound), but how do we, as individuals, tackle the huge problems of racism, sexism, homophobia, and environmental destruction?  How do we fight an establishment as huge as corporate America with their endless bank accounts? We slip back into complacency, not because we don’t care, but because we we don’t know what to do. We feel powerless in the face of such immense, seemingly insurmountable problems. We are after all only ONE person.  But, I think the events of the weekend prove that we are not just ONE person. We are millions strong, and when we organize and collectively pool our energy and resources, we have so much potential. So much power!

This doesn’t mean that alone, we can’t make a difference (click here to check it out a previous post on this topic), but together, we can exponentially increase our impact.  I did a very quick internet search on “what’s next after the Women’s March” and found several concrete action plans for those of us who want to continue the forward movement:

The Women’s March on Washington website just launched a new campaign: 10 Actions for the First 100 Days, that will give a new action item every 10 days for the next 100 days.  If you are interested in receiving the updates, visit their website: https://www.womensmarch.com/100/

Forbes offers a 6-point action plan: http://www.forbes.com/sites/deniserestauri/2017/01/23/after-the-womens-march-six-point-action-plan-to-win/#7032ec4927f4

The Big Hundred: A celebrity-filled Instagram campaign offering 100 socially conscious things to do in the first 100 days of the Trump presidency.

I greatly welcome more ideas and strongly encourage the dialogue to continue.  I want to know what YOU are doing personally to keep the momentum going.  The more we share and communicate our plans and accomplishments, the more we pool our energy and resources, the more likely we are to see our hopes and dreams come to fruition.  We need to hold each other accountable.  We need to keep each other motivated.  It’s like embarking on an exercise regime; you are more likely to be successful if you do it with a friend or join a group for support.  Let’s start a chain reaction that can’t be snuffed out. Let’s keep each other moving forward. Ready. Set. GO!