Common Sense by Paul Williams
COMMON SENSE
A guide to the present situation
By Paul Williams (author
of Das
Energi)
Copyright 1982
Our purpose here
is to take action
and have an effect on the world.
We have been born
into a moment
of unprecedented danger and opportunity.
Our failure to act
is itself a choice.
There is nowhere to hide
from this awareness.
It is time.
It is time for each one of us
to commit our energy, time, money, attention
to a vision of enduring peace and abundance
to a vision of humanity as a sound mind
in the healthy body of the biosphere
to a vision of a world that works
to a vision of our children’s children
growing up in a world without war
a world committed to the freedom and dignity
of every individual
regardless of race, sex belief or nation
a world committed to clean air, clean food, clean water
for all
a world united in the awareness
that in diversity lies strength
a world more full of love than hatred
It is time for each of us
to vote with our lives
–our daily lives–
for or against
the vision of a more hopeful future.
Our purpose here
is to build a bridge.
The purpose of the bridge
is to span the distance
between our present situation
and our vision of a better world.
The beauty of a bridge is that,
once it is in place,
anyone can walk on it.
A few people can build a bridge
that can be walked on by many.
This is our response
to the dangers that face us:
We will build a bridge of faith
over the great ocean.
Every individual on earth
is welcome
to take part in this work.
It is as individuals, working alone or in groups,
that we will accomplish our goals.
This is the greatest challenge we have ever faced.
We humans are being given the opportunity
to use what we’ve learned.
Hey, I see you, hiding under the rug there.
Come out, my friend, and be of service. It’s time.
breathe in, breathe out
breathe in hope, breathe out fear
breathe in courage, breathe out despair
the time for action has arrived
breathe in love, breathe out fatigue
breathe in, breathe out
fear keeps going out
there’s never an end to it, but it’s not a problem
there are no problems
keep breathing
I am bringing forth my own energy
I can feel it welling up in me
and pouring out into my work
I can’t say thank you for the gifts fast enough
I can’t stop crying out for more
What a wonderful moment to be alive in!
The momentum achieved
by many different people
in different places
working towards a common goal
is a tremendous source
of encouragement and strength
it allows each of us to approach our individual efforts
with joy and energy and love
and yet that moment always returns
when we are alone with our uncertainties
On the edge of the dream
we face our deepest doubts.
Now that it all is almost real
a terrible fear of success takes hold
and we grab desperately, uncontrollably, for failure.
One last chance to get off easy.
Who among us really wants to save the world,
to be born again into two thousand more years
of struggle?
How much sweeter to be the doomed generation,
floating gently on the errors and villainy of others,
towards some glorious apocalypse now…
Hallelujah! It’s not my fault —
Bring on the end times!
We hate our enemies
to provide ourselves in advance
with excuses for possible failure
Only when we give up
the comforts of pessimism
the luxury of enemies
the sweetness of helplessness
can we see beyond our own doubts.
I am speaking today of a great possibility
a chance to return to life
a chance to create a world for our children
not worse than the one we have
How dare I be discouraged in the work
by anything so trivial
as the fear of personal failure?
Fear of success and fear of failure
must be pushed aside and replaced
with enthusiasm for the work at hand
every day a new beginning
Let’s go —
There are bridges to build
new maps of consciousness to be delivered
to every planetary address
in every planetary language
We are ironworkers, skywalkers,
stubborn messengers
of light and life.
Oh friends
don’t forget
why we’re here!
The truth is, we have the skills
and we have the courage
if we could only keep our minds
on what we really want.
When you know what you want
all things are possible.
We want many things.
Now is the time to take a look at our priorities.
I can’t believe we want security and comfort
for ourselves
more than we want good health and full lives
for our children.
But our actions don’t always express our priorities.
Not because we’re afraid to admit
that our daily choices of where to commit our energies
will make the difference.
We are afraid to admit
that we could be building bridges
right now.
The truth is, we have everything to gain
and nothing to lose.
The satisfaction of knowing
you are doing your heart’s work
cannot be matched by any other pleasure on earth.
The freedom of total service to a greater good
is exactly what every seeker is searching for.
Maybe what really scares us
is that if we stopped procrastinating
something real might happen.
What is the nature of the work?
I think the first step is to add yourself
to the vision.
Imagine that you have a specific role to play…
and don’t take no for an answer.
breathe in, breathe out
it is time to remember what I already know
it is time to gather the tools I already have
time to walk forward naked in the direction
where my heart’s voice tells me to go
confident that my tools and my knowledge
will be at hand when I need them
breathe in, breathe out
fill my lungs with patience
exhale anxiety and greed
today I take a vow
not to love the world more than myself
not to love myself more than I love the world
I vow to build a bridge
over this gulf of imagination
that pretends to separate
my awareness of my own needs
from my awareness of the needs of the planet
we are one
that means I must serve you
if I wish to please myself
Let us serve as models.
And let us vow
to enjoy our work so much
that the hesitant and the fearful will grow jealous
and drop their chains
and run to join the fun.
How to prevent world catastrophe:
1) Admit that it could happen.
2) Decide that it will not happen
3) Commit your vision and energy to number two
without ever forgetting number one.
To choose to build a bridge
is the essential act of love.
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