Tears fell this week from heavy clouds,
raining down upon the broad fields
planted with thousands of white crosses,
the only harvest from the blood shed
by millions in the War to end all Wars
 
I ask, will my children learn?

Hot winds swept the rage into frenzy,
stoking the fires with Santa Ana breath.
Homes and lives lost in a dry storm,
temperatures rising, estates expanding
into the canyons and hills, indefensible.
 
Will my children learn from this?

Hot winds swept the rage into frenzy,
stoking the fires with Santa Ana breath.
Homes and lives lost in a dry storm,
temperatures rising, estates expanding
into the canyons and hills, indefensible.
 
Will my children learn from this?

Floodwaters flash death in the deserts.
Amidst bickering over long held grudges,
the real concerns of food, home, family
remain a mystery not to be discussed.
And fresh water runs off to salty seas.
 
Again, I ask… will my children learn?

Veterans gathered round the globe.
Heroes acting out national walls.
They know wars toll on the body,
aches remain from commands salute.
Families reflect on those not returned.
 
What will it take, my children, to learn?

Stephen Hawking has persevered for years with ALS, adapting to his increasingly limited communication through the use of assistive technology.  Now the gaze of his eyes allow him to choose characters, words, phrases which are turned into speech.  His name and reputation allow his "voice" to be heard all around the globe.

In a powerful video message sent to another world leading author Paulo Coelho (author of The Alchemist) Hawking tells of an upcoming meeting where a grand mission is being launched.  This is a vision of a world without extreme poverty, a world that is increasingly connected and educated.  This is a world that is sustainable for generations to come.  And it is an idea that is very timely when it seems that many forces are trying to divide people along lines of religion, along lines of political thinking and along lines of geographical power struggle.  By seeing people as "other" it is all too easy to marginalize them, think they must be destroyed or ignored.  This message is a message of hope and you can find it on Coelho's public site in the form of a video: https://www.facebook.com/paulocoelho/videos/10153597760671211/. 

On September 25th 2015, 193 world leaders will commit to 17 Global Goals to achieve 3 extraordinary things in the next 15 years. End extreme poverty. Fight inequality & injustice. Fix climate change. The Global Goals for sustainable development could get these things done. In all countries. For all people. The video ends with a call to spread the word about this visionary set of ideas.  Go and visit the site www.globalgoals.com. 

It began as an idea, gather extraordinary stories from around the country to inspire and lead people in finding the best of themselves.  Now it has grown into a movement with multiple volumes and gathering power as events, workshops and talks are being offered to bring The Change alive in the everyday affairs of thousands and soon tens of thousands of lives. 

April 11, 2015 in Orange County CA the first Change Event is taking place.  It will be exciting, invigorating and transformative.

I contributed a chapter - The Change in Leadership - telling the story of new ways that leadership is showing up in the world today.  It is no longer enough to show up with a title and well polished shoes, today's leader swims and thrives in the pulsing energy of change. 

Everywhere we are, people are wanting to have more in their experience - more joy, more meaning, more financial abundance, more expansive relationships, more opportunities to create the life of the hero or heroine.  And The Change that is here now is global, connected and creating more chance to do exactly what most lights us up.  The world stage is large enough for every type of production.  From musical to entrepreneurship, from social activist to networking author.  This is the time to become the Leader of Change in your life.  Grab hold of the camera, write the script and watch it unfold.  The Change is here.