by Jeannette Maw I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about change in Washington . . . I’m asking you to believe in yours.
An online audience recently heard one of my most embarrassing truths of late, which is that… em, err, ugh… my boyfriend doesn’t vote.
Typing the words here is still uncomfortable, even after outing myself online.
Undoubtedly, the reason it’s so troubling that my sweetie doesn’t vote is because my Vietnam vet dad so strongly ingrained that this is what we do-we vote. We’re Americans whose forefathers sacrificed greatly to ensure this privilege; voting is simply what we do.
Also having worked in the political arena several years with folks passionate for politics makes it inconceivable to me that a responsible citizen would deliberately abstain from voting.
And yet, Law of Attraction teaches me better than my real world training on this topic.
Since we live in a vibrationally based Universe, and it is through our vibration that we create, I know it isn’t so much a cast ballot that makes the difference as it is our thoughts, feelings and energy. What we vibrate is what matters-not what box we punch on a ballot.
For instance, there have been times I punched my ballot not so much for one candidate as against another. And we all know what we get when we "push against"-more of exactly what we don’t want. It’s that persistent resistance thing. It’s why Mother Theresa was very wise to say she would attend pro-peace rallies but not anti-war demonstrations.
In those cases where I cast my vote to ensure a particular candidate didn’t make it to office, it would have served my intentions better had I abstained from voting altogether. (Because I wouldn’t have added energy to what I didn’t want. Honestly, how else could Bush have ended up in office a second term?)
This understanding sheds new light on my boyfriend’s habit of not voting. Maybe his indifference to politics doesn’t need changing. Perhaps his complacency actually serves not only him, but all of us.
Supporting the opposition?
He says the reason he doesn’t vote is because the finger-pointing and mud-slinging campaigns leave a bad taste in his mouth. Plus he doesn’t believe his vote makes a difference anyway. Since he’s liberated himself from the political drama, he feels much more peace. He doesn’t rail against politicians and their scandals the way he used to-and the way I sometimes still do.
A dear friend used to assert, "You can’t complain if you don’t vote," Which may very well be the best argument ever made for not voting. If it keeps us from complaining, that would be a vibrational step up for many of us, myself included.
By no means am I suggesting we abstain from voting. But I absolutely encourage each of us to pay closer attention to the vote we’re really casting-our vibrational vote.
That same friend of mine regularly engaged in arguments with colleagues and family members about highly charged political topics. It got to the point where people would groan when an email arrived from him. I’m sure he thought he was supporting the issues he fervently cared about, but the fact is we add power to whatever we rail against, ensuring the continued existence of the very thing we don’t want.
This is why making peace with what is is key to allowing change. By giving up the fight, we release negative energy and align more closely with what we truly want.
Some say it’s not realistic to "get okay with" what’s going on in the world these days: the war in Iraq, an economic recession, global warming, spiraling health care costs. Some argue there are certain things that can’t -indeed, shouldn’t-be ignored. Others believe it’s a sign of apathy to not take up arms on the important subjects of our time.
While I don’t advocate ignorance of current events (although it’s easy to see how lack of negative energy would be an improvement over any observation that creates anger, frustration, or resentment), I do believe it’s important to create habitual focus on what we want rather than what we don’t want. Because whatever we spotlight with our attention we create more of.
Perhaps if it’s too challenging for someone to release resistance the better approach would be "blissful ignorance." I suspect that’s why so many Law of Attraction-savvy folks no longer watch the news or read the paper. To some citizens that feels better than trying to maintain a positive vibration on topics that send them reeling.
All votes count
At any rate, even if you’re not casting your ballot into the box, you still contribute to the changes and unfolding future of our world. You do it in every moment of every day, not just once every election year. You do it with your vibrational vote.
After watching Barack Obama’s Democratic nomination acceptance speech, a member of Twitter (internet social networking site for sharing short thoughts) wrote, "Obama, I SO want to believe you. With tears in my eyes, I SO want to believe you." With those two sentences she reveals (and amplifies, by sharing with a listening audience) her vibrational vote of doubt mixed with a hint of despair. Maybe traces of hope are present that she could breathe life into, but with the overriding vibration of doubt and disbelief, her vibrational vote probably isn’t contributing to positive change.
On the other hand, former Salt Lake resident and activis, Wendy St. Cyr shared that watching Obama accept the Democratic nomination gave her incredible joy and felt like participation in the fulfillment of a dream. St. Cyr says: "This, on the very day that Martin Luther King Jr. said the words ‘I have a dream’ is the manifestation of the intention King set into action 45 years ago. It is a testament to the power of words and the truth behind what you wish for…you get."
St. Cyr calls this event "one of the biggest reality checks that I’ve witnessed in a long time" and calls it "proof we can change everything and create anything."Now that’s a vibrational vote that serves us, no matter how it was inspired!
Not just this November 4, but every day, pay attention to the vote you cast. If your thoughts and feelings are in the toilet, perhaps it’s time for a mental cleanup. Recognize that your every thought and feeling contributes to the creation of what happens next in our world. If your energetic focus is good and getting better, thank you for helping to make this world an enjoyable experience for all of us. We appreciate your vote.
Jeannette Maw is a Law of Attraction coach and founder of Good Vibe Coaching in Salt Lake City. www.goodvibecoach.com