Turning Principles to Action

I am inspired by human beings who turn principle into action. That's why, years ago, I became involved with the LGBT+ community.
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I've been on a personal spiritual expedition for a long time -- many years in fact -- and my outlook on the world has certainly evolved since I set out. Along this journey, I have come across a number of people and organizations that have inspired me by embodying the unforgettable appeal to "be the change."

I am inspired by human beings who turn principle into action. That's why, years ago, I became involved with the LGBT+ community. When I saw what the community was doing and how they were operating, I was inspired. I wanted to be a part of working with that community. Those are the people who are taking action. They are telling their truth. They are operating, as Abraham Lincoln said, as "the better angels of [their] nature." They are not hiding their truth.

My friend Lekha Singh is channeling the better angel of her nature by putting into action what she has seen in the world. I have watched her transformative documentary Beyond Right & Wrong: Stories of Justice and Forgiveness again and again, and each time I'm struck by how astonishingly powerful it is. This film isn't just philosophy, and it isn't just somebody's good idea or some new age movement; this film and the people in it are powerful demonstrations of how we as inhabitants of the world could be operating at a different level -- a higher level where we can embrace alternatives to violence.

I've watched the members of the LGBT+ community rise like a phoenix from the ashes of conflict and hostility to create an inspiring and powerful community. In much the same way, the people in Beyond Right & Wrong are not staying helpless as they struggle to balance needs for justice and forgiveness. They are being proactive. They are seeking a different way to be in the world. And they're not doing it to prove anything to anyone else. Their journey to peace and reconciliation is their truth.

I really believe this film can be a teaching tool that can go anywhere: small villages, foreign countries, the White House, the United Nations, and a million other venues with the purpose of reminding us of the good we're capable of doing. That's why I'm so passionate about Beyond Right & Wrong and why I want to be a part of spreading its message to the world. When you have passion for something, you want to be a part of making a difference.

This film reminds us of who we actually are as human beings. The Friends Committee on National Legislation embraces the expression, "war is not the answer." When you watch Beyond Right & Wrong, you will see there is no better demonstration of this phrase. It shows us who we actually can be in the world if we become conscious of each other, if we see opportunities for healing and mending, and if we allow ourselves to all be connected because we're all one.

This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post and Beyond Right & Wrong in conjunction with the Beyond Right & Wrong One Million Viewer campaign, an effort to garner one million unique online views for Beyond Right & Wrong and, thanks to generous donations from Operation Kids Foundation and Share the Mic, support charities at the same time. Find out more about the Beyond Right & Wrong One Million Viewer campaign here. Read all posts in the series here.

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