Mantra

"Be strong, speak true, and spread the peace."

Melissa Etheridge fans will recognize these familiar words. I have been touched by them this week. When faced with adversity, there is always a way through it if we remember to be true to ourselves, to be honest with one another, and to value integrity as an absolute necessity.

I believe in the subversive power of love, gentleness and the still, small voice of truth. I have always been a lover of oxymorons. I view reality as a complex entity made up of many layers--and oxymorons help illustrate seemingly contradictory elements as, in fact, mutually inclusive of one another. How can something gentle and quiet be powerful? Those who work for justice via an ethic of nonviolence know and understand the effective power of letting Truth speak for itself. Peace can't be brought about by anger, war, or any other form of conflict. Instead, we must find a way to deflate such things through more subersive means.

I learned during a library workshop on "dealing with difficult people" that an effective way of communicating with a loud and frustrated customer is to consciously lower your voice. Arguments usually escalate when each person's voice gets louder and louder, leaving both parties talking over one another instead of listening to one another. Instead, if you lower your voice, the customer's voice will usually lower in response, without the individual even thinking about it. It also encourages active listening as the customer must make more of an effort to hear the quieter voice. Then, you can hope to have a productive conversation. Speaking truth does no good if there is no one around to hear it.

Thank you, Melissa, for your powerfully simple words. You Rock!