If the world feels a little wobbly lately, you’re not imagining it. We are in one of those moments when long-standing establishments are wobbling at best. Is this a bad thing? I’m not so sure. If nothing else, their weaknesses are being revealed—and will, no doubt, be repaired more appropriately during a less chaotic time.
History has a funny rhythm. The things we thought were permanent often turn out to be elaborate stage sets—convincing for a while, until the backdrop tilts, someone notices the ropes, and yanks decisively, exposing the workings behind the scenes. Think Wizard of Oz. Everything changes when Dorothy realizes she had the power all along.
Dorothy is representative of the other energy at play - this energy is bold, curious, and believes anything is possible. The kind that shows up with bright eyes and a half-formed plan, looks at the falling walls, and says, “Well… this certainly opens up the floor plan. Hand me ruby slippers, I have some wishes to make.”
Strangely enough, this is where possibility and opportunity sneak in for some of us. After all, we think: if you can create that stage, you can create anything you want.
Unfortunately, the old scaffolding must collapse to make space—space for better ideas, space for courage, space for people willing to try something new.
And yes, it’s painful to watch the news right now. It feels like flying monkeys are popping up everywhere while the poppy fields lull everyone into a state of collective unconsciousness that would leave even Carl Jung scratching his head.
Moments like this call for a particular kind of spirit: steady enough not to panic as major plates shift beneath us—social, technological, and political—and adventurous enough to see opportunity where others see only loss. A sense of humor helps too and Lord knows you need it.
So if the ground feels a little shaky, take heart 💛. Times of upheaval are also times of opening. That is the pattern. The path forward may not be fully drawn yet—but the yellow brick road is forming under our feet 🚶♀️✨.
And that, in its own strange way, is the beginning of an adventure 🌟.
We Have the Power to Change It ALL
I’ll be honest — lately the news has felt like that drunk friend who calls repeatedly at 2 a.m. asking for a ride home after getting kicked out of a bar for starting a fight. The first couple of times, sure. But eventually your only thought is: grow up and own your sh&*.
Between wars, politics, and people yelling at each other on the internet, my nervous system has gone into full ostrich mode and I’ve buried my head firmly in the sand. And yet… every once in a while something happens that makes me stop and sit for a minute, deploying all the self-regulation techniques I learned while earning my masters degree in counseling 🧘♀️. The Iranian school bombing being one of them. For some reason that hit me particularly hard.
Moments like that force you to zoom out and ask harder questions about how the world works.
One of the uncomfortable truths is that the United States has been involved in military actions across the Middle East for decades, and in 2026 has upped its engagement in places like Yemen, Nigeria, and Venezuela. The official explanations are always complex — security, alliances, geopolitics. But if you zoom out far enough, a pattern appears that’s hard to ignore: a lot of our military actions revolve around countries that have something we want — oil 🛢️. This basically makes us addicts because if they didn't have oil, we would not be inserting our collective noses into their business.
Realizing there is a problem doesn’t mean you’re powerless. Awareness is always the first step toward change. History is full of moments where societies faced addictions or blind spots and came together to build something better. Recognizing the elephant in the room isn’t despair — it’s opportunity.
For those of us who want to address that elephant, the question isn’t whether change is possible. The better question is: how do I, an ordinary citizen, be part of the change?
The truth is that none of us individually controls foreign policy, Congress, or global oil markets.
But collectively?
Heck, yes. We absolutely do.💪
Democracies move when citizens decide something matters enough to push for it. And there are real, practical ways to start doing that.
Things We Can Actually Do
1. Reduce personal oil consumption where possible 🚶♂️🚲🚎
Transportation accounts for a huge share of U.S. petroleum use. Walking, biking, carpooling, public transit, and hybrid or electric vehicles gradually reduce demand. Even planning your errands out so you are not making multiple trips per week helps out. Millions of small shifts add up.
2. Support clean energy locally ☀️🔋
Solar installations, community solar programs, and renewable energy policies help shift the energy system away from fossil fuels. The clearer the signal citizens send from the ground up, the harder it becomes for leaders to ignore. Plus it gives green energy money to give to politicians too.
3. Vote with energy and environment in mind 🗳️⚡
Most people vote based on personality or party. Few vote based on long-term energy strategy, infrastructure investment, or technology development. Many cities all over the world are being designed to be navigated without cars. This is a huge step! Did you know automakers are responsible for to wiping out the city train systems? They knew if people could get around easily, they wouldn't need their automobiles.
4. Invest your money in solutions 💰🌱
Innovation follows investment. Buy stocks in sustainable companies. Supporting city designs, and technologies that move us toward cleaner energy accelerates the transition.
5. Talk to people who disagree with you 🗣️🤝
This might be the most radical suggestion of all right now because people are so entrenched in their idologies. But here is the truth, the United States has solved enormous problems before and, shockingly, it was not by screaming at each other. That's what led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
Collaborating across differences brings gains to everyone.
Democracy has always been messy, loud, and admittedly frustrating. It doesn't matter what side you are on. But it is most effective when citizens stop waiting on leaders to, well, lead - and, instead, take the reins and start owning their power and their future.
What exactly exactly does take the reins look like? I have absolutely no idea but here are a few options: Historically, citizens tend to start with things like petitions, protests, and strongly worded Facebook posts. Soon enough, you look around and realize that the collective power of ordinary people has changed the conversation — and the possibilities ✨🌍.
If you are up for the challenge, then join me.
Rev. Paul Ransford, Jr. June 3, 1942 - December 9, 2021
My dad was a Presbyterian minister who loved his job. For those who don’t know, churches are run by their members, and in the Presbyterian Church the Session is the group of elected elders who determine the church’s course of action. My father talked about Session meetings a lot because, essentially, they were his bosses.
I won’t lie—bossing my dad around sounded fantastic. As a kid, the idea that a group of elders could tell my dad what to do felt like the ultimate power move. So naturally, growing up I always wanted to be one of them.
In 2025, I finally got my wish and became an elder.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far: you spend a surprising amount of time discussing how to pay for very expensive broken air conditioners, temperamental elevators, and other equally thrilling church business.
Turns out the Session does run the church.
Mostly by managing the repair bills.
At these meetings we start with a devotion, and this month it was my turn to lead.
Last month’s devotion leader, Catherine, absolutely crushed it. I have a fragile ego and generally prefer following people who are… let’s say less exceptional, because it makes my chances of looking good much higher. Unfortunately, Catherine brought her A-game. She read from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., talking about what it really means to love your neighbor, and used his words to call us to put our differences aside and be better people.
It was powerful. Inspiring. Humbling.
And a very tough act to follow.
Meanwhile the world right now feels like a moving target at a carnival game. Every time you think you’ve got a clear shot—another headline flies past. Wars. Politics. Epstein files. Voting rights.
So instead of trying to find a theme, I decided to try something different.
Adventure seemed like the better path.
So I led the Session in a guided meditation.
Guided meditations are great because they engage the imagination and activate our spiritual relationship with a totally different kind of energy. Instead of analyzing the world’s problems, we experimented with generating something better.
Here’s how it went:
Fill yourself with light. 🌟
Because you can’t pour from an empty cup. If your cup is empty, the only thing you’re pouring is exhaustion and irritation—and the world already has plenty of that.
Send light outward. 🌈
Each person chose someone or some situation that needed love, peace, healing, or a little divine intervention and sent the light their way.
Send collective light. ✨
For the grand finale, all of us elders joined together and sent light, love, peace, and divine intervention to wherever the world needs it most.
I like this meditation because it taps into both our individual and collective power. We forget how powerful we are. Feeling that light move through you is a reminder that we’re not just passengers on this planet—we’re active creators.
The difference between prayer and guided meditation is subtle but important.
Prayer is asking for something you don’t have:
“Dear God, please give me patience because Johnny is making me mad and I’m about to do something extremely unchristian …”
Guided meditation shows up more like:
“Hey, you want to team up and create something good together?”
(And just in case the whole thing went sideways, I also brought brownies. Because spiritual leadership is important—but backup brownies never hurt.)
In this week’s podcast I talk with Shai Tamari. Meditation is a big part of his life. Shai grew up in Israel and spent years teaching about the Middle Eastern conflict, which metaphorically emptied his cup and left him angry.
Like… really angry.
The guy could hold a grudge like it was an Olympic sport.
Eventually he turned inward and began working on himself. Inner work is hard because it requires taking accountability for your own behavior—which, frankly, kinda sucks. 🙃
Being mad at the world is much easier.
Unfortunately, that approach also shirks your personal power.
Today Shai teaches college students, prisoners, and organizations how to navigate conflict by unpacking and healing their own trauma first. It’s a fascinating conversation about how the work we do inside ourselves changes how we show up in the world.
And if there was ever a time the world could use a little more of that energy…
…it’s now.
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Here is a version of the mediation if you would like to try it.
Let's talk about Shai Tamari. What a guy. In our conversation, we go deep into the human experience of dealing with your own stuff. Pour yourself a glass of wine, break out the cheese board, and join the conversation.
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