The Golden Rule

Sunday's speaker at church began by talking about his family tree. Apparently, he has photos on his kitchen wall, going back generations. He knows all the names and faces of his ancestors and lives with them every day. He acknowledged that most people don't know their family history the way he does. I was reminded of all those commercials for ancestry.com or family tree websites that feature people talking about how they had no idea they were Native American or thought they were German and found they were Irish instead.

He went on to talk about how some issues divide us, versus issues that unite (politics is a definite divider and he joked about our silly behavior when it comes to social media and our varying viewpoints). He quoted a social media post as saying:

"Your beliefs are not the problem. What you want ME to believe is the problem."

With that, he noted that we do not need to take away another's freedom in order to express our own. He found it interesting that many completely different religions all hold a similar variation of "The Golden Rule" and quoted various examples found in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and others.

Christianity: "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."

 - Luke 6:31, King James Version

Buddhism: "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." 

- Udana-Varga 5:18

Confucianism: "Do not to others what you do not want them to do to you." 

- Doctrine of the Mean

Hinduism: "This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you." - Mahabharata 5:1517

Islam: "None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." 

- Number 13 of Imam "Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths"

Judaism: "...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." 

- Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. Old Testament) Leviticus 19:18

Native American Sprirituality: "All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One." 

- Black Elk

Taoism: "Regard your neighbor's gain as your gain, and your neighbor's loss as your own loss." 

- Tai Shang Kan Yin P'ien

* The above quotes were taken from religioustolerance.org - Click here for religioustolerance.org

During a long road trip today, I listened to Eckhart Tolle, in The Power of Now, talking about how we are all connected and how a sense of separation can cause much suffering.

I thought about Russ traveling all over with Nile Rodgers and Chic performing We Are Family, along with other hits, all over the world. I thought about how there are people all over the world who seek to unite, despite all the news reports of incidents to the contrary. I saw this little plaque for sale in a store:

This week, I'll remember that we have friends all over the world who we don't know. We may look different, practice a different religion, have a different culture, or speak a different language. We may look similar, but have more or less social status. Despite any labels or categories that seem to separate us, I know that the truth is that we are united. I know we all belong to the same human family. I choose to believe that there are people all over the world who are rooting themselves in love. I know this is real, and powerful, and that this unites us.

"Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists." - A Course in Miracles

This week, I'll remember The Golden Rule.

Click here for Tanya Diona's song "Family Reunion"

Namaste,

T

We Are Family... #Inspiration

Friday was the We Are Family Foundation's 2016 Celebration Gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City... I just want to take you all there with me...

Russell and Tanya

Moses, Coyote, Tanya

Coyote, Nile Rodgers, Moses

Tanya and Paul

Moses, Coyote, Tanya, Larry

Danielle, Russell, Tanya, Barry

"The We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the vision of a global family by creating and supporting programs that inspire and educate the next generation about respect, understanding and cultural diversity - while striving to solve some of our biggest global problems at the same time."
- WAFF

Click here to learn more about WAFF

The work they do throughout the year is absolutely amazing, especially their support of brilliant and talented teens! Please take a moment and click around their website. You will be inspired. 

"We're building global coalitions, producing international summits, 

creating worldwide curricula and building schools 

in countries with the highest illiteracy rates." 

- WAFF

At this year's gala, WAFF honored President Jimmy Carter (Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Honoree), Adobe Project 1324 (Visionary Honoree), and Bono (Humanitarian Honoree).

Click here for Variety's article: "Bono, Jimmy Carter Feted at Nile Rodgers' We Are Family Foundation Gala"

Bono's acceptance speech - posted on Youtube...

The Edge couldn't make it, but Russ was there! #GORUSS

It was an amazing and incredibly inspirational evening! The event brought together a most beautiful family of people working to make the world a better place. I am in awe of all the love in that room that night. People like Nile Rodgers, President Jimmy Carter, Bono, all the teen leaders (from around the world) and their mentors brought together by the foundation, and hundreds in attendance who appreciate and work toward the highest good of our collective human family... It was an absolutely JOYOUS occasion. 

Thank you Nile Rodgers for your tireless efforts to inspire and encourage the global family to which we all belong. Thank you.

Namaste,

T

The Incredible Shrinking World

Russ and I met on stage at the World Trade Center, on the 107th floor of the North Tower. It was during a gig with a band he had played with for years, and I first came in that night as a guest vocalist.

Last night (Sunday), Russ was on stage in London playing with Nile Rodgers and Chic. He received a text message from New Jersey that included a picture of himself, there on stage in London, and the words "We see you."

Russ on stage with Nile Rodgers & Chic
at the British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park 

It was from the bandleader and entertainment company with whom he had worked for over a decade - the same band that first brought us together on stage years ago.

Someone who books that band in the UK and Europe was in the crowd at the London show, recognized Russ, and sent a picture to the bandleader in Jersey, who then forwarded it to Russ on stage in London. (Cool!)

Every week, I am pleased and honored to see that there are blog views from all over the world! I welcome all of the worldwide viewership and am so glad to be a part of this era in which we are more and more connected globally!

Nile Rodgers' We Are Family Foundation

Namaste global family!
xoxo
T

It's A Small World - Disneyland Paris

The Gray Area

"Throughout history, 
it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; 

the indifference of those who should have known better; 

the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; 

that has made it possible for evil to triumph." - Haile Selassie

I believe there exists in all of us a deep-seated spark that motivates us to act - or not act. It is uniquely our own. It is part of our journey through life that we confront the forces within that speak to us, and that we learn to listen and understand our own motivations in order to improve ourselves - and the world.

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, 

a quickening that is translated through you into action, 

and because there is only one you in all of time, this expression is unique. 

And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. 

The world will not have it..." - Martha Graham 

(This quote appears in the booklet of my album)

We all have our own unique passions, fears, desires, and experiences that drive us to do what we do. What specifically motivates us into action can be deeply personal. We are responsible for our own actions and our motives are for us to examine. We push our own selves to new levels as we hold ourselves accountable and to higher standards of truth, integrity and honor.

Whether we realize it consciously or not, we know the truths in our own heart as God does. Do we accuse others of hate with hate in our own hearts? If we "hate" another for "hating" - we still hate. Do we taint our own causes by contaminating them with our own personal objectives? Do they become vehicles for our personal anger or need for approval, or do they become agendas for some reason less honorable than genuine commitment, purpose and love? It is only for us to answer.

"You can see the speck in your friend's eye. 

But you don’t notice the log in your own eye. 

How can you say, 'My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye,' 

when you don’t see the log in your own eye? 

You show-offs! First, get the log out of your own eye. 

Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend’s eye." – Luke 6:41-42

I believe there exists inside each of us - a gray area. A place we have not yet clearly seen. A truth we have not yet completely uncovered. As we all flounder along trying to do the best we can, I hope and pray that we will each be informed enough to actively excavate a little more of ourselves so that we can move ourselves forward, progress in some way that is uniquely our own - toward a better self and a better world by extension.

The death of Freddie Gray and the events in Baltimore last week have inspired some amazing tests and testaments of courage, strength, faith, action, leadership and community. I've been moved to great sorrow and tears by tragic injustice and burning anger - and also to great pride as exquisite leadership and inspiring forces stepped up to the plate with unparalleled passion and conviction to overpower hate with love, prayer, and God.

"Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation." - Oscar Wilde

"What you are must always displease you, 

if you would attain to that which you are not." - Saint Augustine

As the days, weeks, and even years relentlessly march on and we continue to face underlying issues surrounding these events and more... may we respect and honor ourselves and each other by shining some light on our own understanding and move ourselves to act, in our own unique ways, to better ourselves, our global family and the world we live in.

With deepest love and respect,

Namaste.

T