The world we live in is designed by each of us. We are each totally responsible for the world. You are humanity, you are society, you are the universe. 

Consciousness is the home you live in. You are its creator and caretaker. 

So, what does all this mumbo jumbo mean? Well, it means that if you see people as enemies, you have created the illusion of enemies. It means that when you truly love everyone, when you see the oneness in all beings, then that concept of enemies disappears. 

When you become totally peaceful within, when all internal conflict is eradicated because you no longer live according to your ego, then conflict in the world ceases from your perspective because there is no longer anything to be in conflict with.

This can be hard to understand when we are so used to identifying with our ego and its desires. So here is the best example I have ever seen, and it has nothing to do with being blessed with idyllic circumstances. Mahatma Gandhi fought for the liberation of India, but he never for one minute fought against the British. He simply wanted them to see the wisdom in leaving India. He so loved the British that any violence or ill will toward them literally pained him. In return, any pain the British caused Gandhi pained the British. Even an ounce of anger, hatred or animus from Gandhi would have triggered a feeling of justified violent retribution in the British. Despite their goading, he remained loving. The British were ready for war, but they were not prepared for this.

Gandhi achieved independence peacefully because he had eradicated all division and nourished total peacefulness within himself. He wasn’t simply preaching peace but in private hating the British. He saw the humanity in all beings. He saw himself in the shoes of the British empire.

It’s easy to hate corrupt politicians and point our fingers. But are we not greedy? Do we not want cheap goods, cheap energy, the spoils of war, and the security of a mighty and aggressive military? 

For the record, I am not saying abolish the military. We are not there yet. But I am saying we can abolish the military in our hearts. We can throw off the mental shackles of division, identity, hatred and selfishness. When we do, all that remains is eternal peace. And this is how we change the world.

The first three episodes of the YouTube series, Lost and Alone: The Secrets of Finding Yourself, are out now. You can watch them here.

Wishing you a wonderful new year. May it be a time of peace, growth and reflection.

Much love,
Todd

PS – We all can reach a point where we just don’t feel like doing anything. But why does this happen? Why do we get to a place when we feel like we need Tony Robbins to walk into our bedroom and start yelling at us to get it together? And if we are not close friends with Tony Robbins, what the heck are we supposed to do about it? I talk about what to do when we don’t feel like doing anything in my latest podcast.

P.P.S. The response to last year’s 10,000 Mental Steps Challenge has been overwhelming. So many of you have reached out and shared your stories of transformation and I was moved to tears (good tears). Something resonated about this topic because we all know that we need to move our body every day to stay physically healthy, but nobody tells us the steps we need to take every day to stay mentally fit.

Because so many people have asked how they can share this challenge with friends and family, I am excited to share that the 10,000 Mental Steps book is now available on Amazon. In this book, I expand upon the topics introduced in last year’s newsletter challenge.

All proceeds for this book will go toward helping to bring inner peace and healing to our beloved military veterans. Thank you so much to everyone who took part in the challenge and to everyone who reached out to share their story. Your encouragement inspired me to write this book. I hope it brings you, your loved ones, and our selfless soldiers much peace and happiness.