Through the Portal

 Using Our Voices to Change the World

by: Tracy Uttley

A few years ago, my son attended a personal growth workshop called Teen Leadership in Simi Valley, California. I agreed to assist as a volunteer. On the last day of the training, the teens took turns challenging themselves by completing a rigorous obstacle course to demonstrate their leadership skills like perseverance and endurance. The kids insisted I do it too.

I agreed, but as I waited in line, my self-doubt and anxiety grew. My negative self-talk had convinced me I would fail before I even tried, but when my turn came, I propelled myself over the inverted wall, traversed the ninja rings, swung through the monkey bars, conquered the rope climb, and raced to the top of the sixty-foot high structure. Instead of feeling elated by my accomplishment, I was furious. I sat down and bawled my eyes out. I cried for all the missed opportunities in my life because I had doubted my abilities. I wept for the numerous times I had given my power away, turning it against myself. I shed tears for the times I had swallowed my words, knowing they would not be heard. I cried for the times I put a smile on my face to hide my anger, making sure I did not make anyone but me feel uncomfortable. 

Like many other girls and women, I believed the lifetime of messages I had been fed. I was not strong enough, capable enough, logical enough, rational enough, or smart enough. Good girls were quiet, pretty, small, and passive. In 2020, we are experiencing centuries of negative conditioning and beliefs, designed to keep us powerless, being brought to the surface. In 2025 we will complete what eastern traditions refer to as a 25,000-year cycle known as a Yuga. Near the end of Kali Yuga, virtues are at their worst. Greed, corruption, and deceit run wild. A small group of people, not willing to advance to a more enlightened cycle, hang onto power. Destructive storms, fires, riots, and even pandemics occur during this time.

Arundhati Roy, an Indian writer, said, "Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew." This pandemic is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between an old belief system of negative patterns ready to be released and an emerging more positive and inclusive world ready to be embraced. 

Problems have a purpose. They are trying to get our attention, inviting us to link our past experiences to solve a present predicament and build a brighter future. How do we say out loud the issues we hold close to our hearts? How do we use our voice to heal the past, change the present, and build the future? How do we keep pushing ahead from the darkest moments? The same way women always have. We keep moving forward with grit, resolve, and courage. We usher in a new cycle, a new paradigm, a new world, empowering us all to reach your highest potential. 

Every day between now and November 3rd, we use our voice to encourage everyone we know to vote. We use our influence to drive political change. We stand tall and vote for all the women who have been abused, silenced, and oppressed. We give thanks for those who have gone before us, paving the way for us to vote. We empower and vote to change our children's lives and their futures. We come together in unity and vote to implement social justice. We honor and vote to protect Mother Earth, so she can continue to sustain us. We recognize our civic duty and vote to save our democracy. 

We use our voice as a bright Light to inspire others to stand forward in their Light. We are part of a movement that goes beyond moments of success or loss. We are awakening to our voice because the world needs us because our ancestors and children need us. We use our voice to leave a thread for someone to catch when we are gone.