I have a bit of a confession to make, and please do not be offended by this. Growing up in England in the 70s it was hard to resist adopting some of the anti-American sentiments—the ideas that Americans were loud, over-bearing, lazy, lacking in class, pompous, arrogant . . . and oftentimes fat! Yes, we gladly consumed lots of American television, such as Dallas, Starsky and Hutch, and Mork and Mindy, but no one took any of these seriously, especially when compared with the much finer British productions (of which I can think of none at this time—lol!). All of this meant that, when I met Eldon and he invited me to the States for the first time, the only reason I came was the strong sense that this budding relationship was important. Bottom line, I visited Eldon in spite of the fact that he lived in America! Now, I am sure that I would have had hesitations about any other country, but here we are talking about my British ethnocentrism, which is another story.
Stereotypes
But back to the point—when I first came to America I really thought it was just a larger version of the U.K. where the people had some very strange ideas and values. Was I in for a real education! Eldon was not abashed about sharing his pride in America, as he has to be one of the most patriotic people I have ever known, but even so, I very rarely ever met anyone who came close to fitting the negative American stereotypes I had been taught to believe in. If anything, what I encountered was totally different: most people worked hard and long hours, and rugged individualism was an attribute that was prized and highly respected. And then of course, there is the burning desire to find a better way—accepting problems just is not the American way as there is a constant drive to do better, to find easier ways to achieve the same ends. This one was very interesting for me as, up until I encountered this, I had respected most the East Indian ethic, which believes in being extremely accepting and willing to acquiesce, especially to the wisdom of our elders. But it was when I saw the American desire to be independent, self-sufficient, and continually striving for self-improvement that I realized what it was that had made America such a great nation, even though as nations go, it is still very young. This is a nation that has been born out of a desire to forge its own path, face problems head-on, admit its mistakes, find better ways, and to constantly improve itself. Yes, it has made mistakes, but who amongst us has not? From what I have seen, whenever America sees a mistake, it goes out of its way to correct it!
The Great Experiment
In time I succumbed to the allure of America and decided to become an American citizen. In addition to all the paperwork and legal hoops I had to go through, I also had to get an education into American history and government. It was in this process that I realized why, in certain spiritual teachings at least, America is considered to be the “great experiment.” In fact, I do believe there was some divine inspiration guiding Thomas Jefferson when he wrote in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness … ” To me, there is no higher form of spirituality than living according to this statement, and no value that is worth protecting more. Today I am proud to be a citizen of this amazing country!
What Can YOU Do?
Have you stopped to think what it is that you can do to continue this nations fine legacy as we approach Independence Day 2015? America is not just a concept—it is a group of people who are constantly working to improve themselves and the lives of those around them. So what is it that you can do to:
- Take responsibility for your own happiness and well-being,
- Further your education and find better employment,
- Find your life partner or to improve the relationship you are in,
- Improve your health and/or get more exercise,
- Become financially independent, or
- Enhance your own sense of spirituality and connectedness?
InnerTalk is all about providing tools to help you become all that you dream you could be, and there is nothing I enjoy more than hearing back from customers as they excitedly tell me their success stories.
[Let me] tell you of my personal experience in using the [InnerTalk] CDs. Please understand I am a daughter, wife and mother, not a public speaker. However, because of being my mother’s caregiver, who was diagnosed with Dementia I was asked to speak at the White House Committee on Aging Alzheimer’s Meeting last month. On my way to Washington DC I listened to the CD of Strategic Planning, which Ravinder had recommended along with the Self Confidence CD from the Resolutions Program while on my flight. I continued to listen to them on and off the following day. On Tuesday when I gave my speech I felt calm and relaxed. I successfully read my speech with ease and confidence. I believe I have [InnerTalk] to thank for that.
~ Y. E., CA
Even after being with Eldon for over 25 years, I can still find areas that I can improve in and very rarely will you find me not playing an InnerTalk program on my i-Phone clipped to my belt. Does this mean that I have become a full-blown American? If so, I am very happy to be a part of this amazing country. Happy Birthday America and God Bless You Always!
Wishing you Love, Light and Laughter, always!
Ravinder Taylor