Mother Teresa
When asked if she’d participate in an anti-war rally, Mother Teresa said she would not. But, she said, she would participate in a peace rally.
One of our readers asked us if the protests against Monsanto are helping or hurting the efforts to remove genetically modified organisms from our food supply. Unless you’ve been meditating on a mountaintop the past few years, you know about this bitter controversy.
Here’s is the reader’s email:
Hi John,
I so enjoy reading your blog. Spirit’s messages always ring true with me.
I remember once reading that both John Lennon and Mother Teresa would never protest anything, because you are adding your energy to whatever you are against, thus supporting it in a way.
I have noticed many friends are against Monsanto, and thousands of people have recently protested around the globe. It seems that they may be raising awareness, and may even cause the government to make changes supporting them. (I doubt the government would make changes against Monsanto if no one said or did anything.)
I feel that I want to ignore it all and focus on what I want (a world without Monsanto), but in this case I am unsure.
Are these protests actually helping their cause or hindering it by giving more energy to what they do not want?
Warm Regards,
(Name withheld)
Spirit
Anything you protest against—be it big, such as war or Monsanto—or small, is pure and simple resistance.
Resistance, as you have heard us and others say many times, brings you only more of what you are resisting—more of what you do not want.
Are the worldwide protests against Monsanto raising awareness? Yes—among individuals and governments. That is a good thing. At least some good comes out of even the worst, most painful circumstances.
But let’s take a moment to look at this from a slightly different perspective—your perspective.
If you’re reading this you likely agree with us that resistance is largely counterprodtuctive. Not that we are asking you to agree with us all the time.
But if you, like John, find protests (against anything) futile and frustrating, then we want you to know there is a lot you can do to create a better world—in this case, a world without Monsanto—without having to protest, resist, and otherwise add to the negative energy already swirling around the issue.
Simply focus on what you can do in your own world, in the environment immediately around you.
You could, for example, help people increase their awareness of GMO issues—you could teach classes in your community, share your views with those open to them, create a blog to publicly share your thoughts.
Those are just a few of the many things you could do.
Because you will be approaching the issue from a positive stance, you will effectively be countering the negativity that protests virtually always generate.
You, one person standing alone, in a peaceful, positive place, are far more powerful and effective than the anger and bitterness generated by protests. You can—and will—make a positive difference.
And you will feel the better for it. If you make Monsanto wrong and their opponents right, you’re contributing to the problem, not the solution.
Monsanto may be the problem. But you are the solution.
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Here an interesting video about how our world has dramatically shifted from an agrarian society to what it is today. (If you’re a vegetarian or animal rights advocate, parts of this video may be upsetting to you.)
Related links:
Celebrate What’s Right With the World
Resistance Will Get You Nowhere
We’re Right and They’re Wrong
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What are your thoughts about large organized protests? Or about any kind of protests?
What do you think of Monsanto and other such companies? Please share your thoughts and comments with us below.
What other subjects would you like us to talk about in these posts? Please email me.
Martha
I agree with Steve ( and enjoyed all the thoughtful comments…thank you!).
What it all boils down to is an empowerment issue.
And that ol’ pivot toward THAT WHICH YOU DO WANT that Abraham always talks about and staying focused THERE with pure positive energy.
Regarding flouride free toothpaste have you tried XYLITOL toothpaste?
Wishing everyone including me! pure positive energy.
Love,
Martha
John Cali
Thanks very much, Martha.
beachdrifter
This is a pretty remarkable synchronicity for me, because only a few days ago I read an article about Monsanto giving up their battle over Europe (where I live).
I hadn’t heard about them before. So it was interesting to read about their aggressive legal battles, their lobbying activities, and all the protests against them over the years.
Here’s what Monsanto had to say (translated): “We understand that there is no acceptance for our products right now. We haven’t made any progress in Europe for years. It is counterproductive to fight against windmills.”
So yes, the protests were extremely successful – across the board.
The reason I like this synchronicity is because I rendezvoused with the solution, or resolution, of a problem even before I was even aware of the problem.
It’s just like Abraham teaches it, but it’s certainly fun to see it play out in this way! And then have you, John, bring it up again…LOA at its finest! 🙂
John Cali
Thanks very much, beachdrifter. I just recently heard about Monsanto giving up in Europe.
As you said, it’s fun to watch Law of Attraction playing out in our lives.
beachdrifter
I must say – had I been aware of the problem earlier, I most likely wouldn’t have joined the protests against them.
Simply because my experience has been that those protests develop a momentum that often goes overboard in terms of negativity – for someone like me, who is extremely sensitive to that.
Of course, those people protesting are a match to that, and for them, it most likely feels better to do it than just sit at home worrying about it. It’s all relative, so it has to be a choice that everyone has to make for themselves. “Which choice feels better to me?”
However, I would have done my best to develop an expectation of those protests being successful – after all, I want what they want. That’s an inner process that you can practice. Here’s a powerful quote that has helped me tremendously in this regard (from Abraham):
“How does something move from unexpected to expected? Attention to it. Just attention to it. Whether it’s wanted or unwanted. You can focus on something you don’t want until you expect it. You can focus on something you do want until you expect it. All expectation is, is a habit of vibration. An expectation is a very strong belief. When you expect something, that means you don’t have to strain anymore to hold your thought there. Wanted or unwanted, expectations are manifesting all around you.”
John Cali
Thank you again, beachdrifter. I love that Abraham quote — I appreciate you sharing it with all of us.
susan
Hi, John —
The following is a link to part of a documentary that was sent to me by a dear friend. The whole documentary is also available on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIhelp5QYkY
Thanks for all you do to bless all!
John Cali
Hi Susan,
Thanks very much for the link — and for your kind words.
Martha
Final thoughts:
I envision a New Earth in harmony with all Creation.
But giving birth can be a bit messy and downright painful.
(Ask any woman)
We’re in process here, these are labor pains and I think we’re doing great!
xo
John Cali
Thanks very much, Martha. I agree — despite what the doom-and-gloom folks say, we are doing great.
Martha
Normally, I embrace Mother Teresa’s wise words and have quoted them often.
Againstness is very different than FORness.
Being clear about what we DONT want is the launching pad for getting clear about what we DO want ( as long as we remember to pivot and shift our focus onto the DESIRED VISON.
In the case of MONSANTO, this is my take on it.
How effective were the Suffragette protests toward rights for women? They led to women getting the right to vote and WOMEN’S LIB lead to women’s rights in all sorts of good ways.
How effective were the CIVIL RIGHTS marches and protests?
Montgomery 1963 and SELMA
GHANDI’S PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS?
VIETNAM WAR?
TIANENMEN SQUARE?
GAY RIGHTS AND GLBT?
As averse as I am to angry mob energy I think it has its place ( until we no longer need to play that way as in step into our creation powers as a collective).
In the case of Monsanto (which I view as the evil empire) the more awareness that is awakened the better – for instance on the subject of GMO’s. The European Union does not allow them at all; and yet I am amazed to find as I walk around in my life how few people in this country even know what a GMO is!
I sign my online petitions ( my favorite way of protesting – and hey, it does have ” pro” in the word!) and I write and call my Senators frequently and let them know how I feel on various issues about specific issues and bills.
I believe these protests serve as a way of raising awareness on vital issues and so as peace loving as I am, at least until we evolve more fully as a conscious collective, I am FOR the Monsanto Protests!!!
And ultimately, I am FOR LOVE, PEACE, JOY, PURE EARTH, CLEAN FOOD, WATER, AND KINSHIP WITH ALL GOD’S CREATURES.
Love,
Martha
Sarah
Thank you so much to the questioner for raising this for us. This issue has been one I have gone backwards and forth with so many times. I sign so many petitions and have been a part of groups who have fought against an entity doing harm to people or the environment and a lot of the time the result IS positive change and yet I know with all of my heart that ‘what you resist, persists.’ I still don’t feel totally settled about the issue but thank you for this post 🙂
John Cali
Thanks very much, Sarah.
Pat O.
I ask my congressional representatives to support initiatives that would label foods that contain engineered ingredients so that we can be more informed while shopping for food. This is similar to labeling organic foods, so that we can have that choice as well.
John Cali
Thanks so much, Pat. That certainly is a positive way to approach this issue.
steve
i think it could be argued that speaking in your community about GMO issues is still a form of resistance, so we need to look at the word ‘resistance’ more closely. This word denotes an action against something in the minds of most people, which is why mother Teresa wanted to be ‘pro’ peace rather than anti-war. But she was still resisting hatred and the abuse of the poor, wasn’t she? Or perhaps if we change the wording,she was not giving herself to hatred or abuse, So her resistance came with a positive emotion of love FOR something, rather than the anger and hatred AGAINST something. It is the emotion we have within us act or don’t act that i think is important, not whether we define it as resistance or not. If you stand FOR something then it will always involve indirectly standing against something else, ususally the opposite of what you are standing for. For instance, by speaking in your community about the positive aspects of natural food, you will also need to make people aware of the negative aspects of GM food.If you don’t then you are not doing your job properly.But it is the emotion you use when you do it that i think is important, which is why we need to laugh more and touch the world lightly, even when we are in essence against something.
In the second world war, the resistance movement by definition was anti-nazi, but it also involved violent acts. So by acting violently the resistance movement added to the violence on the planet. So were they wrong to resist the nazis? No they weren’t wrong, but the way they expressed their resistance that appears now to have been wrong. So it is the emotion we feel and the way we express our resistance that makes it add to the problem, not the resistance itself. We can resist with love and peace, by non-co-operation, which is what Gandhi encouraged in India, and removed the British army that way. If you wants peace then just refuse to fight and kill. Don’t co-operate. You resist violence by promoting love and peace.If everyone had refused to fight then there would not have been a world war. But through fear and ignorance people allowed themselves to be emotionally manipulated and gave their power away. We can all fight injustice, but there are many ways to fight, and fighting for something is better than fighting against, and fighting without violence is better than fighting with, So i think we need to understand the word ‘resistance’ and be more fluid and expansive with the way we define these words, so as not to confuse people into being fearful to stand up and say ‘no’ in case they might feel they are adding to the negativity. I think people should say NO more and more, but as long as they have something they can say YES to at the same time. The protests in Turkey right now may seem to be pushing towards peace, but only if when they say NO, they also know what to say YES to afterwards. Otherwise they will end up like Egypt, who are now having to say NO again, for the 3rd time in as many years. If you remove something you need to replace it with something else, something beautiful. The problem comes because we aren’t used to having control and power over our lives. So if we replace one power, we immediately look for another to take over, so we can then forget about it again, and get on with our lives,rather than controlling it ourselves. So we need to say no to fluoride in our water and toothpaste, but we need to then go and buy the toothpaste without the fluoride and the water that is clean and pure. We need the balance of the YES act with the NO act.
So the argument is complex John. But we need act from the heart and we should be ok.
John Cali
Thanks very much, Steve, for your thoughtful comments — there’s much “food for thought” there. I encourage everyone reading this to respond to Steve with your own thoughts and feelings.