It's Time to Turn Suffering, Worry and Fear into Effort

It's time to turn suffering into effort; and when I say suffering, I mean fear and worry into blood, sweat and tears.

And that blood, sweat and tears into what you were meant to do. By "meant to do", I do not mean some fated destiny, but  reaching into the heart of your true talent to bring it forth into the world of effective action.

As a nation we have lived in an increasing climate of manufactured fear--from recommendations by the new head of Homeland Security to stock up on duct tape in the event of another attack, that certainly made me feel safe!!! to the current economic crisis. Now I am no economist, but I'm with old FDR who said in his first inaugural address March 4, 1933, that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ." Roosevelt was speaking during the darkest days of the Great Depression when bread lines stretched around the block, the Dust Bowl unhoused thousands of people and turned them into migrants, the economy had collapsed and barter was common. My mom told stories of bartering her talents as a drama and speech coach by giving lessons to the grocery store owner's kid for a loaf of bread or a chicken from the butcher.

And FDR also said in that address that "happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort." FDR Speech His bold vision uplifted the nation spiritually and guided us out of the worst cultural and economic mess until the present day. Now we all need money to survive and pay our bills, but if the current national culture of fear paralyzes you,then all is really lost--suffering as fear will have defeated you and us as a nation.

So if you are afraid and suffering from that fear, think of the joy of acheivement, the thrill of creative effort. Turn your energy towards recreating, towards renewing, towards action. As FDR went on to say in that address, "The Nation is asking for action and action now." And God knows we need Great Leadership now to extend that call to action. But we need to take that call to action personally as well and act with the joy of acheivement, the thrill of creative effort in your own life.

Last night, I went down to Newark again to hear liver transplant suvivor, Lady M , sing on her 59th birthday a mere four months after surgery. She was extraordinary. She asked me to say a few words about the sister site of  this site, www.vaboomer.com, the culture, arts and education e-biz site (under the new name www.boomermade.com  coming soon) that partner Nancy and I are creating. As I spoke to this room of musicians and singers--all so incredibly gifted and unknown, I felt so uplifted and filled with joy, just as FDR said, for the efforts made to bring the treasures of the heart out into the world and be a channel for the world treasures.

Listen to music of Lady M

I devoutly hope that as a nation we can look forward, turn our fears and worries into the joys of acheivement and remake our great nation once more. Each little effort helps.

What is yours?

Comments

[Cathy Warren]

Powerful and Inspiring! Creative effort and self re-invention. Take action. Make changes happen. Make the effort and evolve yourself. One person at a time will make a difference.