All quotes from
Margaret's book
We seek
consolation in everything except each other. The entire world seems hypnotized
in the wrong direction -- encouraging us to love things rather than people, to
embrace everything new without noticing what's lost or wrong, to choose fear
instead of peace. We promise ourselves
everything except each other.
No matter
how beaten down we are -- by poverty, by oppressive leadership, by tragedy --
the human spirit is nearly impossible to destroy. We humans keep wanting to learn, to improve
things, and to care about each other.
The very
simple process of council takes us to a place of deep connection with each
other. And, as we slow down the
conversation to a pace that encourages thinking, we become wise and courageous
actors in our world.
I can
only change how I act if I stay aware of my beliefs and assumptions. Thoughts always reveal themselves in
behavior.
There is
no power equal to a community discovering what it cares about.
Observe
how simple conversations that originate deep in our caring give birth to
powerful actions that change lives and restore hope to the future.
Whatever
we know, it is not sufficient. We can't
see enough of the whole. We can't figure
it out alone. Somebody sees something
that the rest of us might need.
We need
each other's help to become better listeners.
As we
work together to restore hope to the future, we need to include a new and
strange ally -- our willingness to be disturbed. Our willingness to have our beliefs and ideas
challenged by what others think.
We can't
be creative if we refuse to be confused.
Change always starts with confusion; cherished interpretations must
dissolve to make way for the new.
The
future comes from where we are now. It materializes from the actions, values,
and beliefs we're practicing now. We're
creating the future everyday, but what we choose to do. If we want a different future, we have to
take responsibility for what we are doing in the present.
The gap
between knowing and doing is only bridged by the human heart.
Tyranny
starts with the belief that some people are more human than others.
We can
turn away, or we can turn toward. Those
are the only two choices we have.
It's
important to notice that the ritual isn't sacred, it just opens the door to the
experience.
Sacred is
nothing special. It's just life,
revealing its true nature.
Sacred
experiences always offer gentle reassurance that everything is all right, just
as it is.
Conversation
is the practice of freedom. As we think
together, as we question things, as we are stirred to act to change things, we
exercise our innate right to be free.
