Elul 7 ~ David Mixner ~ Reaching Others

Over my last six decades of activism, I have attempted to reach others to work together in creating a more loving, vibrant, and healthy planet. My spirituality has taught me that I am created to simply help other people. My concept of ‘sin’ is the failure to use individual ‘gifts’ within oneself to give voice to those who are marginalized and create lasting change.

To that end I have held three principles that have enabled me to do that more effectively:

1. The purpose of a movement is not to prove you are right, but to change minds and invite them to join the effort. So many people fail to remember that the larger and more diverse a movement, the more power we will have to make change.
2. Self-righteousness is the enemy of civilized dialogue. Insisting that you are the only person that has the answer is deadly for an exchange of ideas. Even if you disagree with someone 90% of the time, engage them with the 10% where you agree and build slowly from that point.
3. Words can be just as powerful as your actions. Carefully choosing the words you use to reach out to citizens is critical to being effective. If you must shout to be heard, then you really have no power. Speaking softly is not a passive act, but instead enables you to be effective in reaching your peers. Ill-chosen words can be as violent as any action.

So in following these guidelines and embracing your values of equality, justice, and freedom, you will see how one person with courage can indeed make a majority.

David Mixner is an activist, author, and performer. @davidmixner