“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

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This is a prayer that I say to myself and to you every day and every night: don’t stand for injustices or fall for lies. Don’t allow yourself to be gaslit and abused. Prevent genocide from happening anywhere and to anyone. Don’t allow history to repeat itself. Do whatever it takes to peacefully resist the downfall of our democracy and do your best to preserve our cherished Constitution.

I am usually an optimist, but until I heard Congressman John B. Larson speak to the House of Representatives with unbridled passion, justifiable anger, truth, and clarity, I was quickly losing hope for our country. Yes. Even me.

As I listened to his powerful words, he succeeded in giving me the gift of hope once again. What I felt about that speech was not based on his party affiliation. I am an independent voter and am open to anyone from any party who is here to represent the kind of America that would make us all proud.

He demanded answers as to why his peers were dangerously silent. Why don’t they ever push back on the president’s requests? Why aren’t they using their power to vote and to speak freely and honestly? What happened to their conscience, sense of self-worth, and integrity? Why do they cower from the president’s threats?

He also demanded to know the answer to another question. He pounded the desk and screamed, “Where is Elon Musk? If he doesn’t have anything to hide about all he has done, where is he? Why isn’t he here?”

In those moments, Congressman John B. Larson, single-handedly changed my life and made me proud to be in the kind of America he envisions.

However temporary, there is nothing like a resurgence of hope to raise our spirits. Whether you are from a red, purple, or blue state, we all need to rekindle glimmers of hope. It is our common ground.

As I wrote in one of my latest articles, “SOS: To All the Silent Ones,” I have been continually shocked, frustrated, angry, and disappointed in the majority of leaders who are coldly silent at a time when we need them to be in their spines and to rise up against the president’s fervent desire to be our dictator.

We need everyone to have the same moral courage that Congressman Larson displayed that memorable night, and we desperately need our representatives and senators to speak up to our newly elected leader before our cherished democracy morphs into an autocratic dictatorship.

As you listen to the following video, consider using Larson’s role modeling as a life compass for these scary times. Before it’s too late, let’s all “channel” his kind of moral courage. You can find the video here.

As I heard his powerful words passionately delivered with a tone of voice that came from the depth of his fearless soul, gratitude wash over me.

At last, someone had “Chutzpah.” Chutzpah is a Yiddish word that means “boldness, audacity, and nerve.” Big courage, moral courage, requires that each one of us breathes in a big dose of “Chutzpah.” Even when we are afraid, we need to stand up for what we believe is right.

So that you enjoy the gift of hope, too, here are examples of inspiring people who have decided not to be silent (or never were silent to begin with):

>> Senator Bernie Sanders. At 83 years old, he is ageless in his sense of moral courage, and he is also ageless in his passionate ability to not only speak out but to also listen to what people of all stripes are feeling right now. He’s been on national “Fighting Oligarchy” tours and has been speaking in many Republican districts. The result? People of all ages and from all political parties are attending. With huge crowds.

>> Governor JB Pritzker from Illinois gave a passionate speech about how all the silence, bigotry, minority targeting, and antisemitism happening in America mirrors the exact way it also happened in Nazi Germany. “Do not be silent,” he warned. “Silence is complicity.”

>> Throughout America, people in red, purple, and blue states are participating in nonviolent protests. They are angry about issues that reek of cruelty, injustice, and lies. They are taking a stand and galvanizing themselves into the positive energy of moral courage.

>> People in red, purple, and blue states are also standing tall in their courage by showing up at town hall meetings and owning their right to free speech.

>> Democratic Senators and Representatives, along with a few brave Republicans, are showing up for these town hall meetings.

>> Senator Elizabeth Warren has been relentless in making her voice heard in Congress and across America.

>> Federal Judges are risking their lives to do what is right and to say “no” to the minute-by-minute changes the president wants to put in place that aren’t legal or fair.

>> Canadian leaders are united and standing firm against American tariffs and the threat made by our leader that they become our 51st state. They are strong, vocal, and in their courage.

>> Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum uses her soft power in dealing with the President’s threat to tariff her country.

>> Nonpartisan political historian, Heather Cox Richardson, bravely shares the facts day after day and ties them to patterns in history.

>> Courageous independent journalists, truth-telling newspapers, independent magazines, and fact-sharing television stations are courageously telling the truth amid looming censorship. Sadly, censorship has already begun. On March 15th, Voice of America was silenced. Whom do you think will be the sole voice you will hear?

>> Bishop Mariann Budde spoke directly to Trump in her firm and soft power while he and his family sat in the Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. She embodied a remarkable demonstration of moral courage.

>> Danielle Sassoon, Southern New York district prosecutor, a Republican, resigned when she was ordered to dismiss Mayor Adams’ case. She had abundant evidence against him, and by resigning, she displayed a bold act of resistance.

>> New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, said “Hell, no!” to Louisiana’s leaders when they requested that a New York doctor be extradited to their state for supplying abortion pills to a woman there.

>> Even a few of the Supreme Court Justices haven’t completely bowed down to the king at his every edict or injustice.

>> European leaders have risen, with French President Macron at the helm.

>> President Zelenskyy of Ukraine is the gold standard of what it is to be a hero of moral courage. Every day, he risks his life in the name of democracy.

>> Companies who maintained DEI standards despite demands from the administration to do otherwise have shown tremendous moral courage.

>> As a form of resistance, people of red, purple, and blue states are now boycotting stores, companies, and organizations that let go of DEI standards.

>> Republican, Chris Christie, has shown moral courage by going against the president by saying, “Weaponization of the law is wrong—not just some of the time, but all the time. ”

>> Governor Janet Mills of Maine refuses to adhere to our leader’s demand that she must deny transgender girls from playing in girls’ sports. After he threatened to cancel all Federal funding for Maine, she looked him straight in the eyes and courageously responded by saying, “See you in court.”

>> The former U.S. Pardon attorney, Elizabeth G. Oyer, was fired for refusing to renew our president’s friend, Mel Gibson, the right to carry a gun. Due to a domestic abuse misdemeanor in 2011, he had lost that right. After she was fired, she told the New York Times: “Unfortunately, experienced professionals throughout the department are afraid to voice their opinions because dissent is being punished. Decisions are being made based on relationships and loyalty, not based on facts or expertise or sound analysis, which is very alarming given that what is at stake is our public safety.”

These brave souls have given me hope, but despite that, something else still feels wrong to me.

Where are the spines, the voices, and the hearts of all the Republican Senators and Representatives? They’ve sold themselves out. Fear can do that. A leader’s power, his threats, and what they may know about you can do that. Money can do that, too. The threat of losing it and the promise of gaining more.

One more thing. What happened to the powerful voices, role modeling, and leadership of the inspiring Obama’s? Where are they? Where is our amazing Oprah? George Bush? Liz Cheney? Kamala Harris? Other strong voices of influence?

Are they in fear for their lives, too?

Here is Ralph Nader’s recent powerful article on this thought-provoking subject. Along with my wondering “why,” it may make you question their eerie silence, too.

As for the rest of us, let’s allow “big courage” to take over no matter what the consequences.

When an issue is unjust, abusive, unfair, not right, isn’t serving the collective whole, and feels as if the rich are the only ones who will benefit if they stay in the leader’s good graces:

>> Speak up.

>> Protest.

>> Call your representatives.

>> The saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword” is a good one. Write your truth, no matter what.

>> Sing songs of freedom, justice, peace, diversity celebration, and love.

>> Use everything you are experiencing, seeing, hearing, intuiting, feeling, and thinking to create magnificent works of art, poetry, music, storytelling, theater performances, creative dance, gardening, cooking, baking bread, quilting, and knitting.

>> Look for small moments of joy and breathe them all into your spirit.

>> Get in touch with nature’s healing miracles.

>> Use deep breathing, gratitude, love, and a vision of peace as your anchors.

>> Live your life with the adage “Love thy neighbor as thyself” in real time. Show moral and social courage by helping the many people who will soon need your protection.

>> I have always loved the “Serenity Prayer,” but I am internally changing the line “accept the things I cannot change” to “I won’t blindly accept the things that I know are cruel and unjust. I will continue to have the moral and social courage and conscience to nonviolently fight for justice, fairness, and love.”

>> Out of the blue, do something wonderfully kind and caring to help create a better story for our one humanity.

Self-Care Life Coaching and Big Courage “Chutzpah” Suggestions:

As you move forward toward all the unknowns in this bizarre and crazy time, don’t lose your better self. The who of who you really are. Step into your goodness, courage, kindness, and your open heart of love.

Instead of rushing to judgment about “the other side,” try to understand their perspectives and fears. By making these open-minded choices, I envision a world of more love, empathy, and compassion. Not less.

Accept your vulnerable side and embrace the vulnerability in others, too. The choices the leaders are now making are creating PTSD, trauma, shock, grief, rage, and depression in masses of people. Care for yourself, and care about each other, too.

When you meditate or pray, send positive thought-transference vibrations of happiness, wellness, safety, peace, and ease to yourself, each other, and the world.

Send those high vibrations to our leaders, too. With enough prayers surrounding them, maybe their hearts will shift toward healing and love. You never know.

Hold onto the spirit of hope, no matter what.

Remember to use art as a form of activism. Dance, paint, draw, sketch, weave, crochet, knit, compose inspiring music, sing, write poems, share word-of-mouth stories, author meaningful books, publish consciousness-raising articles, perform life-changing plays, and create motivational scripts for musical theater.

The creative arts have always been a path toward inspiring courage, hope, and nonviolent resistance. Even if all our history is burned and discarded and all our “controversial” books are banned, share what has been going on through your art form.

Continue your self-care practices. Give yourself time to recharge, renew, pause, breathe, meditate, heal through nature walks, and keep on experiencing moments of humor, delight, and gratitude.

Remember to live the words “Peace begins with me.” Be the peace, the kindness, the caring, and the love you envision in the world.

And for additional inspiration, remember to imprint the power of these quotes into your body, mind, and spirit every moment of every day:

 “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”~ Nelson Mandela

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” ~ E.E. Cummings

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” ~ Brené Brown

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead

I leave you with the following inspirational passage from my own award-winning book, Peace Dreamer: A Journey of Hope in Bad Times and Good.

“Every issue is important, and every injustice is unacceptable. Let’s do our part to help make this world a more loving and compassionate place. We have the power to change the way we react to each other. We have the power to shift our hearts toward love. There is no time to lose.” ~ Cheryl Melody Baskin

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