Take Your Lid Off!!!

It is election night and I am sitting in the back of the room of the Prop 37 party with my very patient and agreeable family. They are munching on organic snacks and I am thinking about whether or not I should say something when the leader asks if anyone wants to share. The leader, Paula is a vibrant red head with energy that lights up the room. She first shares that she has only been a part of the movement for a few months and I am shocked. She acts like she has been around for years. She is confident, related to everyone in the room, and owning the event like a true champion for human beings. She is a champion. She is a leader and it occurs to me that my role in the whole movement has been minimal at best. I realize that I have been playing small. Yes, I have been doing more than the average person, passing out flyers and sharing with leaders in my community, but I have not been the leader I could be. Paula is inspiring. I could totally be more of a leader. I could take the lid off my leadership.

So I do. I ask myself if I could do anything what would I do?
I would want to gather people nationally...nationally but locally at the same time and raise awareness in a huge way. I would want to do that in a way that works for Moms and families so they don't have to travel. I would want to do it on a day that is memorable and preferably at an event that already has the media present. Because some of the media is backed by major chemical companies, they often ignore the GMO Free USA movement and do not send press to protests or cover them on TV. We would need to infiltrate a media covered event.
Oh! I came up with and awesome idea that the local group of supporters agrees will make a difference. When a national leader said, "What you guys are doing In CA is incredible."I emailed back, "The Dalia Lama said, "Western women will change the world."That's us." I feel it in my bones. I am one of us.
I won't share the idea yet, because it's still brewing, and our coalition of GMO Free supporters will focus on the best idea to cause education and change.. but any local and nationwide event will require me to be a leader for many many more than I would normally even consider. It's frightening and freeing at the same time.

Most would not consider taking on being a part of a nationwide movement freeing. I would argue it is. See, who you have to be, to be a leader, is freeing. All your concerns about looking good or bad, you need to set those aside. That's freeing. All those fears about messing it up, you need to set those aside. That's freeing. All the resistance of responsibility that has you hesitate, you set those aside and take actions anyway. The connection, love and generosity that you find in the world from empowering others, that is FREEING!

I am clear that whether I lead this particular event isn't the point. I am not attached to my idea. (Although it rocks:) The victory for me is that I have set aside my concerns and I am willing and up for leadership at any level. I have taken the lid off my leadership and anything is possible. I don't remember ever feeling so free and so sure of who I am in my life.

So here's an invitation to look at, where do you have a lid on your life? On what you are capable of? On love? On Leadership?
If you are a parent, how does that impact your children? Your style of parenting? Your partnership with your spouse?

What would happen if you took that lid off? What could you consider?
What kind of parent/lover/friend/spouse/co worker would you be if you have no limits?
Coming from an empowering context, anything might show up and we might create new actions to take that light up and inspire the world.
Here's to a bright future we create together!!!

Zen Honeycutt

The Best Day Ever!

My kids say it at the end of almost every day. And each time they say it with a fervor and authenticity that is undeniable.
"Today was the BEST day EVERRRRRRR!"
They recount several things that made it so...got a prize at school, his brother shared a Jamba Juice, and on top of that we played Foosball and he won! The BEST Day EVERRRR obviously!

Kids make it so by saying so. Sometimes they say so ahead of time. As I am wetting their hair down before they go to school, like a Momma Tiger licks her cubs, they say seriously, "Mom, today is going to be the best day ever. It's Thursday and we get to wear our slippers to school."

Being inspired by our children has us see the world in a new way. What if we declared that Today is going to be the BEST DAY EVER?

Yesterday my friend did that. And told me. She did this not to tell me just to share it with me, like to have a friend hear her, but because she and I both know, because of our unique friendship, that she is then accountable for seeing and causing her day to be that way. I loved her courage and I joined in and declared the same.

And it was, The BEST DAY EVERRRR!

First of all, I woke up and wrote. Not my blog like I usually do, but an idea that had percolated over night about creating a Moms March across the country to label GMO's. I sent it to the 43 organizers in Southern California that bonded together on Prop 37. Even though I hardly knew some, a few I had connected with instantaneously over the cause and passing out flyers, we are sisters and brothers in unity.
The response was fantastically positive. Moms said Yes and gave ideas, connections to people that could help and my heart began to race. When I have an idea like this, something comes over me. It's like a wave of white light. I speculate about it and something in my body buzzes...This is it. You must do this. This is HUGE. The little voice, the one that is not my friend gets washed away by the wave. Every once in a while, when my energy is down, it will shout from a distant shore "Are you crazy? You can't do that! At least not RIGHT anyway! You are going to mess it up!"
But then someone from my community, who is now listening to me as who I said I was, emails me or calls and reminds me what I have already created (just by sharing it). The waves keep coming and I am swimming with the tide, carried by my community, towards the shore where I land on firm ground and walk into my future I created.

Yesterday, shortly after the email was sent out, Pamm Larry the Italian Grandma who organized the entire Prop 37 ballot measure, the woman I had just posted the day before as my hero, emailed ME and said if I wanted to call her to talk about this idea that she would get back to me. I DID! I called her immediately, while I was shopping in Mother's. I gave my four year old a bag of organic gummies to occupy him and I heard her answer the phone. "Pamm Larry?" "Yes." "OH MY GOD! I am so thrilled to be speaking with you!"
I was part shouting part laughing with glee and almost crying. My voice didn't know what to do. I was talk to my real life hero. I realized that she probably didn't have a lot of time for my blubbering so I composed myself and we talked about my idea.
"I love your idea," she said "And we will support you. Just get us a good plan, what you need, how you are going to do this, and we meet next week and support you."
I found myself saying "Thank you thank you! Fantastic! I love you!"
She laughed and said "I love you too." and we said goodbye and hung up.

"Whoooooohoooooo!" I shouted, jumping up and down in the aisle. "YES!!!! I just talked to Pamm Larry!!!" Shoppers turned to stare at me.
I beamed like a banshee. I called my husband to tell him and I heard his gears turning "Here we go! Zen is taking off on a big project!" but this time, even though this is bigger than any of my projects, festivals and fundraisers I have organized before, he didn't sound skeptical and concerned about the overload of work. He was impressed with the partnership I was forming. This project will be done well...because of the level of partners I am creating.

Yesterday was the best day ever because I created a whole new future for myself. We actually do this everyday, whether we declare it the best day or not. Everyday, children, teens, adults we create a new future for ourselves. Whether we complete a task or project and then create a new future for ourselves by having a wide open space for whatever is next, or we take on something new..going to the gym for the first time in years, calling a friend we haven't spoken to in months, planting a garden, writing a new chapter, each action creates something possible in the future. Everyday we are taking actions that create a new future for ourselves.

Sometimes that future could look a lot like more of the same. Sometimes it looks so different and big and, if we let it, becomes so scary that we recall it and shove it on the back burner. And other times, we let it wash over us like a wave, pulling us to a new land where everything is new and we are an adventurer in our own life.

I wish you the BEST DAY EVER and many adventures ahead.

With Love,
Zen Honeycutt

GMO Jedi's

The devastation I experienced last night when I was told that Prop 37, to label genetically modified food (GMO's), was lost, choked the tears right out of me. I stood in Mother's Market parking lot and bawled right in front of my family. The fact that greed and lies could win shook me to the core of my being.
My four year old son touched my wet cheeks and our exchange student Yanie, clouded over with concern. A peppy Mom came up and tried to cheerfully argue the sadness out of me, reminding me that only 17% of the vote was in.
But the percentage of blinded naysayers progressed accordingly and we lost.

The physical sensation of loss is body numbing.
My brain checked out too and I threw all caution to the wind when I saw the PTA President at school. The poor overworked woman got the brunt of my upset as I spewed upset terse words about being denied my first amendment right to free speech when I was denied my request to be able to speak at the PTA meeting about GMO's. I was an uncorked, un-showered and uninhibited and I embarrassed myself. My anger had me shaking when I got home. Before I was fighting the good fight. Now they just gone and done pissed me off! Was this who I was going to be? Some angry bitch?

I eventually breathed, ate and drank some water and realized that I am not committed to being angry about this, so I made amends to the PTA President, and we are creating the possibility of me doing a Topic Talk about genetically modified foods at the school with my son Ben. I am touched by her generosity and commitment to the school. We are creating that he can present his Happy Healthy Students Report and parents can find out how to support their kids' behavior, focus and performance in school.
I am not done. I will never be done supporting my sons', communities', nation's and worlds' health and empowerment in life.
And I see that sadness and anger will not support me in that endeavor. It's not bad or wrong, it is just not effective. It doesn't work.

When I told my 9 yr old, who has been right there with me at Honk n Waves and passing out flyers, that Prop 37 lost for sure this morning, he saw the disappointment on my face and he said, "Mom even Star Wars took 6 episodes to win." And they had YODA!
He was not sad, he was ready for the next episode! Adventure!

I am so inspired by children. Kathleens Hallal's awesome sons made this poster. This is the Art of Inspired Parenting...to stand for something, to express yourself, support THEM to express themselves, to connect with your kids in what matters to all of you...and to listen when they really are just a whole lot smarter than you. :)

Children play games all the time. They make up rules and they always set themselves up to win. If someone else tells them they lost, they get on with it. They end that game and then make up a new game. They declare themselves winner just because they say so.
So I declare I am a winner at being a GMO Jedi! I fought a good fight!I jumped in about Episode 4 I am guessing, as this fight has been going on for 14 years already and thousands of tireless, extraordinary GMO Jedi's came before me. Hats off to you. Today I rest my laser, but not the force. Today I am still a Jedi.

Love to you all who read my constant posts about Prop 37.
Love to you all who remained my Facebook friend.
Love to you all who read this blog in the twenty two other countries around the world.
Love to all of you who shared, passed out flyers, sweated in the sun by day and made calls across the USA by night.
Here's to you. Jedi's in life, in your games.
May the Force be with You.

Zen Honeycutt

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Being a Family of Agtivists

Approaching strangers with something to give them has got to be one of the most confronting things a person could do. Making eye contact for that brief second then looking down at your out streached hand with the flyer in it, willing them with your gaze to look and reach out and accept. When they do, that connection, that moment of acceptance creates an internal sigh of relief and a boom of joy in your heart. You get bolder and look them in the eye again and say "Thank you". Your gratitude tells them, "This means so much, because our world means so much, because you mean so much." We may not know each other but for that brief second we are connected and they matter to a complete stranger, not just because of their vote, but because they create the world we all live in.

My children and I loaded up on Prop 37 flyers and went to the Irvine Global Village Festival yesterday. It was so hot that my three year old's bangs glued to his forehead with sweat and he threw down his hat in protest. Before we approached I rallied the troops and we sorted out what we were going to say.
"Can I give this to you about Prop 37?"
"Do you know about GMO's?"
"Please vote Yes on Prop 37..."
"Mom, say another one..." Bodee requested. He needed to find one that was easy for him to roll off his tongue. One that he related to. He settled on " Will you help label GMO's?"
Ben chose "Please vote YES to label GMO's."
Bronson just said, "Here."

Each had their own way, all was okay. With unity in our hesitation but armed with determination, we walked through the throngs of thousands of families, shoppers, teens and diverse groups of people and began passing out flyers.
The kids lost their words at first, and then found them again. When the first person accepted their bodies sighed and they gained confidence that had them stand taller. Some Persian ladies even stopped and asked for their flyers. These kind people have no idea, or maybe they do....of the contribution they made to my sons in accepting what they had to offer. My sons made a difference, but only because people let them.

We walked through the festival passing out flyers. Sometimes it was confronting, people shook their heads NO before we could even get two words out. Sometimes their hands were full so we didn't bother to approach them. Other times they reached gratefully for what we had, trusting, accepting, and sometimes they stopped and we sensed we had a moment to share more about the issue. They listened, looked over the material, shared a story of their own and we look into each other's eyes with joy in finding a kindred soul who learns, cares and shares about the same thing. Our world felt safer, connected and stronger because someone else out there cares and shares just as much.

We made our way to the children's section and there, practically dragging and dripping with sweat, I heard my sons to the shady craft table and take their flyers from them. They earned shady craft time. Their father finds us after parking and stands in the sliver of slight coolness with them while I venture out again. He supports my passion and I love every bit of his patience.

I never used to be this person, the one with the flyer, the one who got in the face of strangers about a political issue. The one who would get over her fears of looking like a loon and do it anyway. It's so freeing to share. I feel so fulfilled when my two stacks of flyers run out and my bag is much lighter. I have shared with maybe a hundred or two people in an hour and all I want to do is share longer.
I can't wait to go to another gathering or just to stand on the street. I know now why people become activist, or in this case Agtivists, because connecting with other people and sharing about something that matters to us, is, an act of setting aside the fear and fulfilling on who we really are...beings who make a difference in other people's lives. We are all in this life together.
There are people who don't want to know and then there are people who want to know.
They may not know what it is, but they are willing, open and that openness doesn't just allow them to be contributed to, they actually contribute to others.
To those people who accepted a contribution from my sons and I yesterday, thank you for your generosity and graciousness.
You create the world in which I am proud to have my sons grow up.

Zen Honeycutt

Heartbroken

I express my existence through writing. I connect with what is miraculous through seeing the moments of magic and creating them in reality. I also swim in the depths of my sorrow and flail in my fits of rage...through words.
This week, I allowed my self expression to be stifled. Something happened and I let it stagnant my flow of creation. I experienced being heartbroken.

"When you are really committed to making a difference in something, prepare to be heartbroken. Because you will be."

These words came from my dear friend's seminar leader, Curt Hill at Landmark.
I have been passionately learning, sharing and standing for a future where we know what is in our food, for a future where our food is real and whole and healthy. I have been writing and speaking to complete strangers for a future where our children can have children someday, and they can live long healthy lives. I believe everyone wants that. In my heart of hearts I believe everyone will do almost anything for that future.
I felt crushed when I was faced with a no.

My dear friend shared the quotation about being "prepared to be heartbroken" this week when I shared with her my frustration and sorrow about my request to speak to my children's school PTA about GMO's and healthy food, and was turned down. Even my nine year old son was denied in his request to speak in front of the whole school about being Happy Healthy Students and eating food that supports them feeling good in school. A NINE year old wants to get in front of his whole school, voluntarily, for five minutes and share something GOOD that matters to him, and he is told NO. My heart breaks and I weep.
I shared this with him, after I composed myself, and he is confused. He is sure the Principal just doesn't understand what his report is about. He is determined to share it with him and ask again.

When I initially got the news from the Principal, I completely got his concern to not "overwhelm" the parents with issues and inundate the PTA with a political causes.... I get it still, I do.
I get that the issue of food being unsafe, especially the food the school system feeds their kids, is unsavory. No one wants to know that what their kids eat, under their supervision, is not good for them. No one wants to hear something that will require them to change their ways, to be inconvenienced. It's soooooo much easier to believe that everything is okay. And no one appreciates the messenger telling them to change their ways. Annoying. Weird. Looney.
People want to label people with passion for a cause as loons. Then they don't have to give the issue validity and actually take some responsibility. That's human.

I understand our Principal's resistance to having information shared about GMO food and the possibility of questions being raised about the food served at "his" school. One, theoretically, could connect a source of blame to him. But that blame is not exactly accurate. The Principal is not the source of the source of the food. The federal government is.
The Principal is however, the source of the source of the information shared at PTA meetings and school meetings. In protecting the parents and children from a "cause", another perspective is that he is actually blockading them from an education in ways to be healthy and learn and make a difference in the world. An educator. I find this ironic and sad. I wept after our meeting. Not just because I was denied the opportunity to share and make a difference with the PTA and my son was denied his self expression, I wept for the status of the human race....the resignation, the doubt, the fear that permeates our lives and our decisions. I wept for the barriers we create for ourselves "It's too overwhelming", "It's too hard," "I don't know how that's going to go so we are not going to try that." The source of the fears is "I fear I won't look good, so I am not going to do that." I wept for the stagnant status quo that we stew in.

It's human, however, to have the very thing we want to accomplish actually be the thing that becomes the barrier to what we want to accomplish. I get his commitment to the education he has created at the school,the way he knows it. It's a great education, it's a wonderful school, it's a thing to be proud of...not protect. Protecting a group of people is actually seeing them as "small", as people who cannot decide for themselves, who cannot intake any more.
I see our community as big. I see "issues" as opportunity. Even heartbreak.
There is an opportunity for full blown self expression, for connection, for making the earth move beneath our feet because many small voices have spoken up, stood up and are storming the status quo.

Zen Honeycutt

If you are reading this, Dear Principal, I love your stand for our school. Your commitment to our community is unquestionable. I ask you just to ask yourself,what else is possible?
And be prepared for a knock on your door from a nine year old.