Starting Out

You can begin creating unity in your community and in our nation by taking these simple steps toward the practice of dignity, harmony and forgiveness—some of the characteristic of positive public policy—in our public places. 

And, as you go about your day:  

1. Let me count the ways. How many fear-based messages do you hear through advertisements and news stories? For one day, keep track of how many, and of what kind. See the table the Opposing Realities: Unity and Duality to tell what types of fear-based messages you are hearing. Can you figure out the real goal underneath the message?
2. Slowly I turn, step by step. Are competition, greed and other fear-based  pressures making your workplace a toxic environment? There are reasons why entrepreneurial ventures have increased over the last 20 years. For one day, track the fear-based messages you hear at your workplace. Take a look at the table the Opposing Realities: Unity and Duality and Seven Spiritual Principles for  Governing a People for a start. Then begin to consider, anew, how you might respond to the fear-based messages.
3. Love, love me, do. How many messages of love do you hear in a day, in advertisements, news stories, exchanges of information with fellow employees, family, friends? Keep track of how many, and of what kind. See the table, the Opposing Realitites: Unity and Duality, for more details about the effects of each. How do you respond to messages of love?
4. But what I really mean is.  As political leaders call for support on an issue or a particular piece of legislation, or in the course of their election campaigns, track the messages that support positive public policy and fear-based public policy. Before you do, take a look at What is Positive Public Policy, Two Approaches to Public Policy, and Two Types of Morality for some background.
5. Read all about it! Tired of the emphasis on fear-based news stories? Call your radio or TV station, newspaper editor, or Internet magazine and request stories that demonstrate the Seven Spiritual Principles for  Governing a People in action. Also see What is Positive Public Policy, Two Approaches to Public Policy, and Two Types of Morality, for background before you speak with the media representative.
6. You are what you think. Uh-oh. While watching violent videos and films, or reading books of violence, track the fear-based messages. What is the video, film, or book teaching you about how to perceive your world and the people in it? See the table the Opposing Realities: Unity and Duality, and Two Types of Morality. 
7. Stop the world. Make the choice and the commitment to stop investing time and money in videos, films, books and games that celebrate graphic violence. With the world being terrorized, and in each of our communities, people being killed in random acts of violence, we have to ask ourselves what we are making of our nation from our collective consciousness. And what we could do with the money better spent.  
8. Do what's in front of you to do. When you see someone during your day who could benefit from assistance—opening a door, crossing the street, finishing up a project—do what you would want them to do for you. What you give comes back to you a thousandfold.