A diagnosis of the spiritual illness of our time is a necessary beginning, but what can we really do to heal it? I first shared the ideas in this post last year, but I'm heartened to see figures like @Pontifex addressing the interior work we need to do—and have the power to do—as individuals and as a society, so I'd like to share some of this vision again: In a time of increasingly dangerous divisiveness, what we need are leaders who are genuinely interested in healing the wounded soul. Tragically (now with one notable exception), most of our "leaders" are only interested in dividing us further (from each other and within ourselves), because that is how they perpetuate the narratives that put them in power. Given the scarcity of healers on a national and international level, the solution is to become healers on a community level. Tellingly, this has now become difficult to imagine, but can look something like this: —organizing discussion groups that educate people about how to identify disinformation —encouraging ourselves, and especially our children, to spend considerable time offline, having *actual* conversations with peers, neighbors, nature, and others —fostering literacy and communication skills that empower people to speak up, to listen, and to articulate their own visions to themselves —encouraging educational institutions to prioritize the teaching of critical and ethical thinking over the market-driven pressure to "incorporate AI into the curriculum" —creating communities and resources that help people express themselves creatively, cultivate the capacity to look inward, and understand the lives of others (hint: fund the arts) —using social media platforms to spread material that pushes back against the algorithm of hate —valuing and creating spaces of silence, contemplation, and reflection, so that individuals can come to know themselves, and the higher powers within them, in ways that make them less likely to be manipulated by systems of political and financial power... And that's just a beginning... Grassroots healing—that's the only way forward. It won't immediately appeal to those who are addicted to strife, it won't be amplified by the social media algorithms that run on divisive engagement, and it won't be front-page news, but it will be a start. If this sounds like a naïve dream, that's only because our media and false leaders want us to believe it's impossible. It isn't. Are there extremists whose words and actions only cause more pain, people and groups whose hate and danger aren't welcome in your life? Absolutely. But I'm talking here about moving beyond the amplified extremes and connecting with others, and with ourselves, in a new-media age that threatens to tear us apart. My own humble work—in addition to my writing—has been to offer free workshops and resources that foster communication, contemplation, creativity, and community-building. It never feels like enough, but maybe that's the point: each of us doing what seems small will add up to something larger. We're addicted to doom. We're unconsciously driven toward destruction and self-destruction by our spiritual frustrations. We're living in the broken psyches of those who claim to lead us. But it doesn't have to be this way. The beautiful truth is that each one of us has the power to turn inward, in deep contemplation, and hear the voice that knows the way. And no one can take that power from you. I've come to understand that no matter what your beliefs are, no matter what guides you, you have the miraculous gift of your humanity, the capacity to be the quiet revolution of an ethical life, one real voice in the chorus of change. Everyone should feel the power to be included in that movement—that human movement. Let's heal. Let's want that. Let's begin.

BREAKING: Elon Musk has become the first trillionaire in history.

I fear we have a cruel month ahead of us: the future of campaign finance law, the definition of Election Day, the fate of birthright citizenship. While I remain hopeful, I am prepared for democracy to leave this month weaker than it entered. democracydocket.com/opinion/…

The PMC county-level COVlD map has been updated w/today's CDC data. Very High🔥🔥 ▪️Guam ▪️Southeast Idaho ▪️Southeast Alabama ▪️Lorain, Ohio ▪️Waldoboro, Maine High🔥 ▪️Waco, Texas ▪️Lexington, Kentucky ▪️Lancaster, Pennsylvania We've posted Monday's report early. 🧵1 of 4

The Reflecting Pool is currently experiencing an algae outgrowth, indicating high pH conditions. Such a high pH is known to strip paint, potentially ruining Trump's $14M paint renovation.