282: Rising Up From The Corona Virus Challenge with Marianne Williamson
28 Apr 2020 · 53 min
Marianne Williamson talks with Sahara Rose about spirituality and activism during the pandemic. She argues that spiritual people need to engage politically, not retreat into wellness, and that crisis is a chance to face hard truths about society and ourselves.
Namaste, it's Sahara Rose. And welcome back to the Highest Self podcast, a place where we discuss what makes you your soul's highest evolvement. We are all facing a lot with this coronavirus challenge. There are so many different voices, so many different perspectives. We could get lost in all of them. And I am really committed to bringing you guys voices that are inspiring to me to this podcast. You know, a lot of what we've been talking about recently is what is happening in the world today, because I believe that we can't spiritually bypass it, that we do have to go into it, we do have to talk about what's happening now. That does not mean that we don't find our light. I did an entire podcast episode three weeks ago all about that. But also to go into the shadows and to go into the collective pain and the struggles and the obstacles and the duality, because the truth is, we live in a dualistic world. And as much as there is beauty and light, there is pain and darkness. And that doesn't mean we have to stay there. But I do think as conscious citizens, especially as spiritual beings, it is important for us to be aware of both sides. And there really isn't anyone who is leading the conversation of this in the way that Marianne Williamson is. So I really came to discover Marianne Williamson and follow her work. About four years ago, I was at a conference, and she spoke. I had heard of her before, but I didn't really know much about about her. And she lit a fire under my ass. She was calling us out as spiritual people who, you know, we're staying in our own circles where everything is good and happy and cozy, and we're manifesting everything that we want and not going out into the world and doing something about it. And I felt very deeply inspired by that, because if you guys don't know my story, I actually spent my whole life doing humanitarian work. I've been volunteering in so many different countries, from Zimbabwe to Vietnam to just the inner city. And I went to school to become an international human rights lawyer. And that was always the path that I thought I would be on. And because I had health issues, while volunteering in India, teaching health and sanitation the slums, I discovered Ayurveda, which brought me onto the path of learning about Ayurveda, teaching Ayurveda, writing books about Ayurveda, all the spiritual consciousness uprising that came with that. So I maneuvered, though my work still is to help people. And I've loved how Marianne Williamson really combines spirituality and activism. And she really has a no bullshit way about her. You know, she. If you don't know who she is, she is a long time, 30 plus years, spiritual author, teacher, activist. And she's most known for running for president this past election, this election that we're still in a part of right now. But she actually played all out, played real big and ran for president as a spiritual teacher, bringing conversations like meditation and nutrition and peace and making those our agendas in our political arena. And even though she unfortunately is no longer running, she is still a very active voice in the political arena, bringing spirituality into it. And frankly, the only person out there doing it, doing this. So she has a very unique perspective to this. And she is really calling us out to be in the trenches. She is calling us out as spiritual beings to rise up, to not step away from, you know, the sadness and essentially depressingness of the situation, but to really look into it. Because when we look into it, we feel inspired to take action. Now, a lot of what she says in this podcast might be triggering for you. A lot of what she says may not be what you believe personally, but I think it's important for us to be open to other perspectives so we're aware that we are living in this dualistic world where there are so many different perspectives. So I talk to her about a lot of hesitations that us spiritual people have, quote, unquote, spiritual people, everyone's a spiritual person. But those who identify as being on a spiritual journey, how a lot of us are, you know, a bit overwhelmed by the situation and are afraid of giving into the fear. And I asked her about Law of Attraction and her perspective on it of if we give into the fear, is that what's going to show up into our lives and, and different terminologies, people say, like, I'm looking at this from a non dualistic lens, so I'm not kind of seeing the right or wrong and I know Earth is going to provide. So I ask her these questions, these conversations that I see, you know, because I have friends from like completely in the 3D to completely in the 5D and every spectrum in between. So I'm kind of privy to a lot of conversations. And she went there, she called us out. And again, you don't have to necessarily agree, you don't have to leave everything you do and like get into politics. And I think, you know, really what her suggestion to us is just to educate ourselves and to use this time wisely. But what I believe that she was kind of intuitively telling us is we are at the brink of essentially a revolution. We are at the brink of a huge change in our government, in our society, in our economy. And it is important for us to be aware of how these things have happened in the past. That's why she suggests to us to read, you know, the works of Martin Luther King and Gandhi and different people who were spiritual political activists so we can be aware of what was their mindset and how were they kind of interlinking spirituality and politics. And I think it's an important conversation for us because again, regardless, regardless of your political views, I think that we could all agree that politics do play such a large role in our lives. You know, right now, even though this is a virus, we are experiencing the effect of government here. We're experiencing that different states are handling it in different ways. And maybe we like how the President is treating this, maybe we don't like it. I don't think anyone is on 100% side either way. But we're seeing how much control our government really has in terms of, you know, the stimulus package and how people are being supported at some etc. So politics is affecting our lives. We can't really just say like, oh, I'm not a political person when we're living in a world that is run by politics, whether we like it or not. So if we want to change that and if we want to be part of the conversation, if we want our voices to be heard, then it is important for us to be at least aware, you know, at least voting, at least, you know, tapping into what the conversation is. That doesn't mean losing yourself on cnn, you know, that doesn't even mean checking it all the time. But I think what it really means is to look at what politics truly are and how we have such a negative connotation of politics because of the political leaders who are presently in it and the fact that our voices are not being heard for the most part, and the fact that money and corruption is such a large part of it. But that's not the essence of what government is supposed to be about. Government is supposed to be about protecting people. Our government actually works for us, but most of us have a relationship that we're like, screw the government. You're trying to knock me down, right? Myself included. I'm not speaking this like I'm running for president here, but I think it's important for us to realize politics is going to affect our lives in so many ways. I mean, we've seen that they've taken away the rights to Female bodies to control what happens to your bodies, who you can marry. You know, even things like slavery were instituted by the government at one point. So we can shift these things by being involved. And what Marianne really calls us out for is us spiritual people are the people throughout history that actually have led, you know, a lot of these more humanitarian revolutions, whether it was the abolition movement or the women's suffrage movement, etc. Those were actually led by, you know, Quakers, spiritual people, etc. So this is a different type of podcast that we normally have on here. This one, she is obviously very grounded into what is happening in our present day reality. And I think we have different voices for different things. And it's this voice is one that's a call to action. And this voice is a call to getting in the trenches and getting real about what part we have in all of this and how we can create a better future, not wait for a better future, not sit back and hope someone else makes the better future, but for us to become active participants in it. And I think that we can all agree that we do all play a role. And some of the examples that she gives are really profound. So I just kind of wanted to preface this conversation because it is a very different one than we have on the podcast. And I think it's an important voice because Marianne Williamson is, of course, I think most of you know her, an extremely thought provoking and interesting and intelligent person. So I think you're going to be in for a real treat in this conversation. So, Marianne Williamson, where do I begin? Political leader, activist, meditation teacher, and so much more. So let's welcome her to the Highest Self podcast. And before we get started, I'd love to share with you this special offer. Are you craving a deeper experience to sit in ceremony with your sacred sisters, liberate yourself from the expectation of others, regain touch with your divine feminine essence, and finally understand the truth of who you are. Then I invite you to join my Goddess Kali Mask circle. We are in the midst of the greatest awakening in humanity. And Kalima is the primordial goddess who has the power to destroy the world, returning us into the dark void, the sacred womb, the space of limitless potential, so we can be radically reborn. A lot of us are in the beginning of new shifts right now, and Kalima is the goddess to tap into at this pivotal time, to see, sweep away any limiting beliefs, stagnant energy, or timelines that do not serve you. 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Welcome Marianne, to the Highest Self podcast.
It's so great to have you here.
Well, thank you very much for having me on.
The first question I would love to.
Ask you is what makes you your highest self?
I think God makes us our highest self because our highest self is the aspect of us, which is the only real aspect of us, which is God's creation. I didn't make it. You didn't make it. I think that's the whole Point is that that was created by a power higher than ourselves.
So beautifully said. So you have been putting out such.
Incredible meditations and reflections on getting through this moment that we are all in as a collective.
And I think a lot of us.
Especially people who identify as spiritual, are having a difficult time kind of balancing the very 3D of what's happening in the pain and the suffering with staying in their hearts and staying in the light. So what recommendations and suggestions do you have for us for being both in the world and also able to bring forth a higher perspective?
This situation is rocking us to the core, no matter what community we're involved in. In a way, it's rocking humanity to the core. But here in America, it's certainly rocking us to the core because we had so many illusions that turned out to be actual delusions of invulnerability as far as the spiritual crowd is concerned. And this is something I've been saying for a very long time. You say we're struggling to stay in our hearts. Were we in our hearts before? Entirely because we, you know, I'm generalizing here with a big we. I'm not saying this is true of every individual, but I think as a community there was a lot of. Isn't it wonderful here in La La Land. There was a lot of actual use of a pseudo spirituality to justify not looking at some of the very issues which, had we looked at them, would certainly be helpful. Today we have been distracted at best and in denial at worst about political, social and economic issues in such a way that today the absence of intentional, conscious attention to those things causes catastrophic results that did not have to be. That did not have to occur. In many ways it's been. Because the spiritual community has felt. Well, it's hard for me to stay in my heart if I'm looking at that. That's just childish. That's just childish. There's nothing transcendent about that. That's denial, that's not transcendence. And that's not what grown ups do. You know, in every serious spiritual path, the issue of suffering is core. Before the resurrection, there was the crucifixion. Before there was the journey to the promised land, there was slavery in Egypt. In all the great religions, there's the Creator and there's also the destroyer. Buddha saw suffering. If Buddha had not seen suffering and death for the first time, he would not have begun his journey to enlightenment. But there's this sort of newfangled spirituality. Who wants to skip the crucifixion? Go right to the resurrection that wants to conveniently put aside Buddha's focus on suffering. He said, life is suffering. So being unused to addressing even the suffering within ourselves as deeply as we might. And part of the way we have distracted ourselves from addressing our suffering in the deeper way is by taking on over the last few decades in this country, this cheap yellow smiley face that we poured on everything. Be happy, be happy. And if you're not happy, you're supposed to pretend you're happy. And if you're not, and also the way we have made it in our country, as though there's something wrong with being sad. That's what my book Tears to Triumph was about. You know, even the happiest life, until we're enlightened masters, even the happiest life has some sad days. And it takes a certain kind of emotional and psychological musculature to be able to navigate sadness. And those of us who have. This is why I often quote a line from Rilke, let me not squander the hours of my pain. Because in that song that Simon and Garfunkel, hello, darkness, my old friend come to talk to you again. If you have some working knowledge of sadness rather than complete freak out every time it comes, and buying into the modern pathological delusion that it's something that has to be dealt with other than experience fully and learned from, then you lack the kind of inoculation that's very helpful at a time like this. This is sad, this is depressing. This is a multi dimensional horror show. This is big. You know, there's an old fashioned thing in parenting where stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about. We've suppressed our tears too much and now you couldn't suppress them even if you wanted to. And so I think for some people it's even more overwhelming because it is so sad. Times are such a stranger to be peripheralized and kept at bay at all costs. But all forms of sadness do represent a situation about which it can be said, this too shall pass. And there's something about hunkering down. You know, just like people are saying you have to stay in your house and hunker down. We have to hunker down emotionally, we have to hunker down psychologically. That means sometimes we do cry. It means being careful, monitoring how much of the news you watch, how much you just. At what point do I just turn it off? Because it's not helping that you have to know enough to be informed, but not so much that it's just going to. You can just feel it sending you spiraling down, meditation, checking in on other people, checking in, particularly people who are older. People are alone. Very few of us are not hit financially by this, but we all know people who are being hit financially even worse than we are. You had 40% of all Americans who, even before this, could not handle a $400 unexpected expenditure. So this is showing America's underbelly on such a level, because in the richest country of the world, that should never have even been the case. It's calling us. When you talk about the spiritual community, it's calling us to a much greater intellectual maturity and political maturity. Like what was going on in this country that we would be so vulnerable? We all had this idea, well, you know, there are people in Washington and they handle these things. Clearly they were not. There's a book called the Fifth Risk by a man named Michael Lewis, talking about how there's been this withdrawal of resources that invest in things that just keep Americans safe. Just God forbid if something happens. So when you say, how does the spiritual community stay in your heart? I think if you stay in your heart right now, that doesn't mean you won't cry. If you're really in your heart right now, you do cry. But I think the key is to know. Unless you're in the hospital yourself, unless you are dealing with a loved one in the hospital, you're crying for other people. Those doctors, those nurses. I don't know if you've seen. Have you seen what they've done in countries like England where they took a time and the whole country clapped? The key to going through this is going through this with our hearts open to everyone else who was going through this with us.
So beautifully said. And I think a lot of us.
Are afraid of going into the sadness.
Because we've read so many Law of.
Attraction books and we're afraid, well, if I go there, then I'm going to be manifesting more of that. So what do you say to that?
It's time to see that for the bullshit that it is. What a platitude. First of all, how can you say whatever you focus on expands? Say that to an oncologist. Say that to someone who has stage one cancer. Are you saying, well, let's not look at it, because if we look at it and treat it, it will expand. Some things expand because you don't focus on them. If you see a child who's being beaten by their parents next door, do you say, well, I don't want to focus on because it'll expand. No, you focus on it and call the police. What is this? This is such a. This is like this newfangled. I don't know. Anyway, it's not helpful. Time to throw that one out. People feel like it's written in the Bhagavad Gita or something.
You're so funny. Yeah. Yeah. I think a lot of us are.
Having a hard time because that school of thought has been so influential in kind of just this modern spiritual movement. So we are having a hard time with, you know, looking at the things that we feel like we can't control, and then the fact that we can't control them sends us into this spiral.
Okay. So I think this is a good time. You know, this is a moment where we're being invited and challenged to uncover every rock and turn it over and look at it. So you just said in the modern spiritual movement. Really? Because in the movement that you're talking about, you rarely hear about God. You rarely hear about a higher power. You rarely hear about surrender. You hear about making things happen. What's spiritual about that? So, you know, in the course in Miracles, they talk about the difference between magic and miracles. It's a modern magic movement. But a magic. Magic is not always spiritual because magic can be positive or negative. Magic is when you try to use metaphysical tools to get what you want. Miracles is when you surrender who and what you are, that love might work through you. That's spiritual.
That makes so much sense. And I think a lot of us.
Yeah, we don't have the distinction between the two.
And I totally agree. So much of this modern manifestation movement is for material gains or getting a partner or getting something which is essentially playing the same game.
I don't even have a judgment on it, but can we please not call that spiritual?
Yes.
Might be all lavender and everything, but.
So what is your perspective on seeing.
What is happening right now as part of the great spiritual awakening that's taking place around the world?
In order to survive and thrive as a species, we must evolve beyond an economic organizing principle to a humanitarian organizing principle. Put no gods before me. That means, among other things, do not put money before love. That's idolatry. So the virus demonstrates a perspective of humanity as one. This virus doesn't care. Black, white, brown, Democrat, Republican, Jew, Muslim, Christian, atheist, Asian, African, European, American. It's just humanity. That's how we have to become. And we all learned in School, Evolution 101. If a species is behaving in a way that is maladaptive, for its survival, then that species will either mutate or it will go extinct. And we as a species behave in ways that are maladaptive for our survival. We fight too much with weapons of such force that most of us rarely, if ever allow ourselves to contemplate. We as a species are actively involved in the destruction of our own habitat and more. And one of the reasons this situation is so profound is because if we are taking an honest look, we realize this could have been anything. It happened to be a pandemic. It could have been a nuclear catastrophe, it could have been a bioweapon, it could have been a weather catastrophe. We have been so reckless and so irresponsible on so many levels. And what this demonstrates for us, particularly as Americans, is if you think you have the systems in place to handle any of those things, wake up now. So, you know, this is a coming of age event for us in ways that most generations alive at this time thought they had been able to avoid. This is the war, just like my parents experienced. And there have been way too many. And I think when you talked about the spiritual movement, Zahara, I think that, you know, I felt for a long time, even in the higher consciousness community, too many women being little girls, too many men being little boys, a lack of maturity, a kind of infantilization that this sort of magic la la land thing gave us, when in fact we should be the biggest grown ups in the room. We're the last people who should be sitting out the big questions. Because if you have a deeper contemplation, which we do, of cause and effect, a recognition that if there is a cause, there will be an effect. We're the last people who should be withholding that information. But on the other hand, we have to look at the fact that it's been very convenient for us to be over here in our little capitalist bubble. There was money to be made and the fact that the mainstream culture ignored us with convenience. So a lot to look at there.
And one of the speeches you gave a couple years ago, talking exactly about this super just put a fire under my own belly to get moving and to get active and to use my platform to actually talk about things.
And I think a lot of us.
Have this almost, maybe we could call it non dual perspective of everything's going to be taken care of, Earth is going to provide, we can step back and let things happen. So how do you kind of balance this like non duality with duality by.
Pointing out how irresponsible it is? First of all, everything will take care of itself in time. Yes, but time could be thousands and thousands of years and at the expense of immense human suffering. Yes, the Earth is going to take care of itself. You're absolutely right. However, if we continue acting in the way we have been acting, the way Earth will have to take care of itself is by kicking us off the planet. And that will involve levels of suffering beyond anything any of us should find tolerable, if at all avoidable. Tell people in Germany in the 1930s that they could just sit back and let it happen. Everything was going to be okay. The Holocaust happened because too many people assumed it would be okay. I mean, it's just an infantile perspective to. And then to what. What you just said is exactly what I'm talking about here. To label it a non dualistic, like it's something smart.
So funny, you know, because yeah, I.
Think a lot of us, in a.
Way, it kind of takes a load off our back.
Right.
You know, Exactly.
How convenient.
Yeah.
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You know, I think where we all.
Get stuck is, you know, right now.
What can we be doing with our time? We feel confined, we feel like we can't protest. We feel like there's so much noise on social media. So what can we really do as citizens at this time?
Read good books. Teach yourself some things you don't know anything about. You know, I've long felt in the spiritual community, I've often said there are more books than just self help books. I know I wrote a book. I've written a couple of books where they're about the intersection of spirituality and politics. One was called Healing the Soul of America. Another is called Politics of Love. So I have sought to present political issues in a way that those of us who are spiritual seekers can contextualize. So I recommend those for anyone who's interested in that. Also, if you read any of the writings, Martin Luther King, there's a book called Testament of Hope, which is collected writings. Any of the writings of Gandhi. If you're a spiritual seeker, you start recognizing how those themes work. I think there are a lot of people like in the spiritual community who know they're awake enough now to know. Wow. I think I really do need to get involved, but kind of don't know how and where to enter. It's kind of like a soap opera. You haven't been watching it and the first time you look at it, it's like you don't know the characters, you don't know what it's about. But after about three or four days, you start like, okay, I get it. It's not complicated. It's just another human system like any other. Or I should say this, it's complicated in a worldly sense. But this is where a spiritual understanding, an understanding of the deeper dynamics of life, you bring that universal wisdom to everything and it simplifies everything. There's a difference between simple and simplistic and a lot of the complexity. You know, there's a line in the Course in Miracles where it says complexities of the ego. The spirit sees things in a pretty simple way. Either you're behaving with love or you're not. And that is as is as applicable to public policy as it is to individual behavior. Does this show reverence? Does it show reverence with the people of the world? Does it show reverence towards life? Does it show reverence towards the planet? Does it show reverence towards animal? Does it show reverence towards our food? Does it show reverence towards our bodies? Hella a lot simpler than some people would make it. And that's why spiritual voices, you know, if you look at the great social justice movements in the United States, the abolitionist movement came from the early evangelicals in America and the Quakers. And also many of the leaders of the women suffragette movement were Quakers. And of course the leader of the civil rights movement was a Baptist preacher, Dr. King. So it has always been the spiritual voices that have been the voice of conscience in society. Traditionally, the religious and spiritual voices are not those who say, oh well, I just don't have to look. We look at them as, you know, like some of the preachers who said slavery was okay. It is generally agreed that was not cool to say the least. So I think that there is now and interestingly enough, you know, in AA there's a saying, every problem comes bearing its own solution. This situation is giving us a lot of time on our hands that we didn't have or we didn't think because we're a very adrenaline driven society, almost addictively so. Was running around like chickens with her head chopped off and all of a sudden there is nowhere to go. And Blaise Pascal, the French philosopher, said that every problem stems from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone. That's why some people have a hard time meditating their nervous system. It's just as if we're like this, right? So this is the time to read deep books. Allow yourself to finish that article, allow yourself to think things through, spend time checking on other people, digest poetry and cry when you have to.
What I've noticed is ever since this happened, people are spending so much time online that though this is the opportunity for us to take this beautiful reflective pause, we are so busying ourselves with Knowing everyone's perspective and theory and this and that. And, you know, it's this desire of us to want to be a part of something and be in the know of something. But I think it's in a way, robbing us of what this opportunity is really here to give us, which is that time to read the poem.
Well, I think both. And I mean, this podcast is going to be online, right? So I think that what this podcast represents is a lot of what's online right now, which is people having conversations that are important online as we know, it's the best and the worst of things. It's whatever the human consciousness is. But I feel myself, some of the political conversations going on is really important. What you don't want to involve yourself with too much or it'll just destroy you is too much information about the virus. That's a rabbit hole if you allow it to take up too much of your day. I'm not saying deny it or avoid it, but there's got to be a point at which in the Course in Miracles, it says, look at the crucifixion, but do not dwell on it. But I think for myself, and I'm spending more time online than usual, it's where I feel I can be of service right now. It's where I feel I can be in touch with some of the conversations, because this country will not be the same on the other side of this, but it's not a guarantee that we will be better. So the conversations that we're having right now, including online, are a really important part of the transformation because they will determine what happens after this.
So what shifts do you see happening? Maybe if we come together and if we don't, what are you kind of speculating?
First of all, we have an election in November, Congressional seats, senatorial seats, obviously the presidency. And we have a very stark. We're at a fork in the road. And there is one way of looking at things which wishes to see the marketplace be that organizing principle, our bottom line, what I think of as a false God. And over the last four years, there has been this deregulatory trajectory where capitalism, instead of being properly regulated and properly kept in its own lane so that you have individual liberty, but never at the expense of the common good. So much money by certain financial forces have been able to wield undue influence on our government that our governmental system has been turned into a handmaiden to certain corporate forces. So we have, like a corporate aristocracy now of big pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies and Gun manufacturers and food and big ag and chemical companies and oil and gas companies and defense contractors. Their financial power is so gargantuan that it has been at the expense of health care money for education. You have tens of millions of people who live with the chronic economic anxiety every single day because they don't know what will happen if they get sick. Look what's happening now. What would happen if their kids got sick, how they're going to send their kids to college, how they're going to get out from under the college loans. That was happening even before this. Now we're on the brink of a full on depression. Most people in this country don't even know anything about what that really means except from history books. And there was a big political and economic and social question involved in the bailout that just happened. We gave $500 billion to companies, 100 billion to hospitals. I don't know how you could say it much more. $1200 one time bailouts to millions of Americans. But I think it should have been 1800 every month while this lasts. Medical services should be completely free right now. No one should be able to have to pay, should have to pay their rent right now. But we don't have a functioning government of the people, by the people, for the people. It's of buying for a few of the people, of buying for these corporate forces. And that's a corruption of our democracy. And especially given that bailout, we have just handed those same forces even more power. Because with that 5, that 500 billion can turn into trillions. So we have a lot to think about. I know because of my own experience last year as a candidate, I feel I've seen up close and personal how this game works. I can't tell you I know what the solution is. Because the solution is not simple. The problem itself is very gnarly and very complicated. It's like a cancer that is metastasized. It's not as simple as an operable tumor. You know, slavery was an evil institution. What's the answer? Abolish slavery. Institutionalized oppression of women was an evil system. What's the answer? That passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Segregation, institutionalized white supremacy was an evil institution. What do you do? Desegregate and have civil rights legislation? This is more like an economic mindset, an amoral economic mindset that has wrapped itself around everything. It's not that that mindset is itself immoral. The mindset is amoral. It's not about people who wake up in the morning and say, how can I harm indigenous tribes? It's simply people who wake up in the morning and don't think it's their moral or ethical responsibility to think about the indigenous tribes one way or the other because they think their only responsibility is fiduciary respons responsibility to their stockholders. And we have a government which allows them to do that. So it's going to be a lot of change in us. And when you talk, your platform is an example. We represent, and by way, I mean you and me and so many people who are very active as speakers and writers, et cetera, in this field. There are millions of us. We are the last people. And I felt when I ran for president that more people within that community, I had expectations. Dave Navarro, the musician, said to me, I guess it takes people a minute. And I said, yeah, I think my mistake was I thought it would take 30 seconds. And I received a lot of support, don't get me wrong. But I saw that my candidacy did not serve to make people on the sort of mass level that I had hoped it would say, wow, someone bringing this consciousness. That was an interesting thing. Although many did. I want to make it clear how grateful I am to those who did. But I saw a lot.
Yeah, I saw the same thing. And I think a lot of people.
Are afraid of bringing politics into it because, you know, you get the feedback of, you know, when other people share, you're not a politician. We don't want to hear your political views.
Let's keep politics out of it.
Politics is dirty. Let's not bring that vibration in here. So it's almost this form of like, again, as you said, this protectionalism of like, we need to stay in this bubble. And anything that you bring outside of this bubble that could throw me off my vibe is not welcome here.
Also, there's a lot of brand protection there.
Yes.
People who are making a lot of money being popular and they're afraid that if they make a statement about politics, they're going to lose clients. So, you know, that's more about, like I said, brand protection.
Yes.
Economic and also, it's exactly what you said. Let's not bring politics in. Let's not mess with our beautiful frequency. There's nothing holy about that. It's funny because in our crowd we talk about not doing a spiritual bypass in our personal relationships, but we have given ourselves permission as a community to do a spiritual bypass when it comes to political, social and economic issues. Among those who literally could not afford to Be in some of the seminars where we think we're all being so pure and holy.
So well said. Well, I know you are doing your Sunday meditations. Can you tell us more about that and how we can become a part of it?
I have a wonderful friend named Sarah Siegel, Magnus Siegel. And she called me and she said, marianne, let's do something. Know many people are doing different kinds of meditations, etc. But the one that she and I started is a global meditation that is every Sunday. It is at noon in New York city and that's 9am in Los Angeles. It is 8:30 in Johannesburg. It is. No, it's 6pm well, now it's 6pm in Madrid and Paris. I don't know who goes Daylight savings. I know it's 8:30 in Tehran. 3 I think the next morning in Sydney. And the idea is five minutes of silence, meditation, prayer, people praying for a miracle in whatever way is true for you. But that five minutes, when you feel people all over the world, all over the world is five minutes, you know, that's a powerful disruptor. It's like a jump start. So. And there are other ones as well, of course, if people. I have quite a bit in the way of meditations and prayers and reflections, all of which can be found on my website@marianne.com so beautiful.
And can you guide us through a.
Prayer right now to really pray for a miracle for the situation that we're in?
Dear God, humanity is rising, some members of our species, to the point of extreme pain, extreme risk, extreme sacrifice, and even death. The coronavirus has truly brought us to our knees. It is clear to us now, dear God, the limits to our own power. And in this moment we contemplate yours. Your power of omnipotence, your power that is higher. Put your hand upon us, dear God, and illumine our understanding. Open our eyes that we might see. Forgive us for our trespasses and help us to forgive those who have trespassed against us. Lift us to the higher place of love and forgiveness and mercy and compassion. Overshadow, dear God, the doctors, the nurses, all those who are participating in solutions, all those who are making masks, who are making ventilators, who are procuring equipment, doctors and scientists, dear God, there is so much love, there's so much compassion being shown. Even now. Here is in all things, dear God, my love prevail. We know, dear God, that there are lessons here. This has humbled us and may we be humble. This has made us more appreciative and more grateful for what we have, may we remain grateful. This has knocked us off our arrogant and irresponsible purchase. May it make us better people. This situation transforms us, dear God. May it transform us into more loving, more reverent, more compassionate people. Even now, dear God, your presence, we know, is with us in miraculous ways, dear God, that only you can create. May a great light prevail here even now. And so it is. Amen. Amen.
Thank you for that beautiful prayer and thank you for all of the work that you are doing and have always done. You are such a huge inspiration for me.
I talk about you on the podcast all the time.
I've written about you in my book.
And I'm just so grateful for everything that you're doing. And I really hope and know that this episode will help inspire people right now who've maybe been sitting on the sidelines and not knowing if they should or how to take action, to dive deep, to read those books, to educate themselves on the political system so we can get involved. And will you be running again?
I don't know. Last time I ran because I got very clearly in my heart, I was with my guidance to do so. I have no idea what my guidance will be in the future, but thank you for asking.
Well, thank you for continually guiding us, especially right now where we need it the most.
Well, I so appreciate it. I'm honored that you have me on, and I wish you the very best in your lovely work. Thank you so much.
Thank you.
God bless you, honey.
What a conversation. You can always trust Marianne to bring it there. I remember when I saw her speak a couple years ago at that conference, you know, a lot of us were super enthusiastic and passionate and ready to serve, and a lot of people were really triggered. So maybe this. This conversation, parts of it really triggered you, and maybe parts of it called you to action and just to. To look at that, because each person is a reflection of us in their own way. So look at the parts of you that maybe really do want to get involved, but you've been scared or you've been uncertain, and parts of you that feel like, I'm not responsible for this, so I don't need to be involved. And again, there's no right or wrong answer. No one's word is Bible. She is sharing her interpretation. But it's important for us to look at different people's interpretations, especially ones that. That maybe we aren't looking at, you know, on a regular basis. I think one of the cons of social media is we get so trapped into our echo chambers where everyone thinks and sees the world exactly how we do. So we think that that is just the way it is. And I really loved how Marianne brought a very different perspective. You know, of course I still love Manifestation. I still love all the woo. And there is a side of me that was really awakened in this of like, yeah, yes, we do really need to help and we do really need to serve. We don't know exactly what that is going to look like at this point in time because everything is moving and changing so quickly. But it is a call to action for us to not sit in the sidelines and realize that this situation isn't going to get better if we don't step into it. So whether your way of stepping into it is posting on social media, whether it is through creating a business, whether it is through educating your children, whether it is is through telling, you know, your family members, whatever that feels like for you, it's just an invitation for all of us to get more active towards the things that we are passionate about. To be the change, to not wait for it, but to actually step into it and be the change. And I think that is something regardless of whatever your political views are, we can all agree with. So gotta love Marianne. Check her out at Marianne Williamson. So many incredible books.
Books.
A Return to Love is one of my favorites. So many incredible meditations and insights that she offers. She is a true queen. So be sure to check her out. If you love this episode, I would love to send you a free gift which is the first half of my unreleased book Eat Right for your Mind Body Type. This is a different book than Eat Feel Fresh, my first book ever which is not released anywhere and I am gifting it exclusively to those who leave a review of my podcast in the IC iTunes store. So all you got to do is head over to itunes where you may be listening to this podcast and leave a review. Take a screenshot that you've left it and email it over to me@saharaetfeelfresh.com again that's Sahara S A H A R A@eatfeelfresh.com and I will send you back the first half of my unreleased book Eat Right for your Mind body Type which goes all into Ayurveda, doshas, plant based nutrition, body types, all of the things in a really fun and engaging way. So this is my gift to you for free for supporting the podcast. Every single review I personally read. It really helps the podcast be listened to by more people so we can raise the vibration of the planet together. And I am so grateful to have you on this journey. Thank you so much for listening, and I'll see you on the next episode. Namaste.
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