The First Move

      What Ted Kennedy Taught Me About Being Human -- 28 August 2009

As Ted Kennedy leaves this relative world, I'd like to thank him for sending me a couple of gentle reminders on being human.

The first reminder Ted sent me is about the short sighted-ness of fixed view and judgment.  I fall into the camp of people who wrote him off after Chappaquiddick.  Having plenty of idealism - and very little compassion or empathy - it was easy to sit in judgment.

My judgment - and its companion fixed view - closed both my heart and my mind.

Judgment closed my heart to what Ted and I had in common as human beings.  Making mistakes. Being scared of the consequences.  Making bad choices as a result.  Behavior very well represented in my history!

Judgment closed my mind to the good work he was doing.  Over the years, each time I heard the name %u2018Ted Kennedy%u2019, I went on auto-pilot, shutting out whatever came afterward.  Except for the %u2018bad%u2019 things, of course, which I used to reinforce my judgment and fixed view.  All of which kept me separate from and ignorant of the wonderful work he was doing, making changes in the world that had a positive impact on the lives of so many.

Seems like a fine line between idealism and ignorance!

The second reminder Ted sent me is about finding the common ground we share as a place for new beginnings.  

Ted didn%u2019t let being at opposite ends of the political spectrum with someone stop him from finding a way to work for the greater good.  Instead, he did his homework and knew the details of both what he and his opponent wanted to accomplish. 

He knew the value of listening deeply to find a place where his interests and the other person%u2019s interests lined up.  It was from that point of agreement that the work began.

Ted also knew that it was better to get something going and then re-visit it and adapt as you moved forward, rather than doing nothing at all.

It%u2019s this kind of commitment to working for the bigger picture that creates the space for peace in the middle of everyday life.  And you don%u2019t have to be involved in national or international relations to put this wisdom to work. 

Each day, someone crosses our path - either in person across the media - with the potential to set off our judgment and fixed view.  Most of the time - if you%u2019re anything like me - it%u2019s easy to just dismiss the person and blow them off.   Or spend a lot of time and energy talking about the person's shortcomings.

It takes courage to try another way.  To open your heart to see where you and this person are actually aligned.  To take the time to find out what you have in common.  To see what you can learn.

So thank you Ted Kennedy, for reminding me about what it means to be human.  To recognize each other in both our strengths and weaknesses.  To respect our differences while finding solutions that work for the greater good.  To know that when all is said and done, we are one.

May the merit of this work be for the benefit of all beings.  Ho!

The First Move , Life Is A T-Shirt & Ellen Kozub 2006-2009 are governed by the laws of karma:-) Please share this newsletter with anyone you feel might enjoy it. I only ask that you keep it intact including contact and copyright information.

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About Ellen Kozub & The First Move

For there to be peace in the world, someone needs to make the first move.

Ellen's first move was to create The First Move as a way to help people just like you to cultivate more peace in the middle of everyday life.

As a Peace Warrior, she looks for ways to bring meaning to life and to be a good human being in this world of ours.

Through her work, she hopes to inspire others to make their own first moves and realize the basic goodness inherent in each one of us.

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