Meeting the men from the Green Dot Program and the women of Sanghamitra was the answer to my prayer. Hearing their stories reminded me that your can blame and rage at the world or you can get out of bed and change it yourself. They reminded me that regardless of ones’ race, sexual orientation, religion, gender, or social status, what will transform this planet is love over fear, truth over ignorance, and unity, not separation. Sanghamitra's motto, "In Unity There is Strength," is a profound yogic truth, and will be a teaching I carry forever more in my heart and in my practice.

India's great Freedom Fighter Gandhi said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” I am reminded of the struggles I faced earlier in trying to make sense of the incomprehensible. These men and women taught me that we serve regardless of our confusion, we serve regardless of our fear, we serve regardless of our anger. We serve because it is only through service that connection, healing, and change are possible.

I left feeling a surge of inspiration and hope for our planet knowing these men and women have chosen to take matters into their own hands to "be that change," and I want more than ever to support them in their efforts.

I know that if we all work together as a collective for a common goal, this planet WILL change. Peace will prevail. Poverty will end. AIDS will be one for the history books. Our children will live to fall in love, make great art, sleep under the stars, and enjoy a unified and tolerant world—whatever they dream. But we cannot wait for someone else to make this happen. There is a Hopi saying that speaks to me in this moment: "We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!"

I am grateful today for the tears and the anger because it led to a prayer that provided an answer that, once again, opened my heart to truth.