“The world will be saved by the western woman”

“The world will be saved by the western woman”...

The Dalai Lama spoke these words in 2009 at the Peace Conference in Canada. Many people have speculated as to what this means over the last decade; I know I, as a western woman, have been sitting with these words and contemplating how I fit in to this prophetic statement...over the last 10 years I keep being pointed back to one word:

PRIVILEGE

This word that triggers so many and conjures deep shame from within most is how we change the world. There’s POWER in our privilege, the question to ask yourself is how you are meant to wield it.

I’ve been asking myself this question daily since I heard the Dalai Lama’s words...in doing so I have untangled stories of scarcity, lack and victimhood that don’t belong in my narrative that keep me in fight or flight, afraid and powerless. There is enough for me. My rebellion is held in divine light and my safety and security can not be authentically threatened unless you’re standing in front of me with a gun to my head. News Flash: this usually isn’t happening to you if you’re a white middle class human in the west, but it happens to our brothers and sisters who span the corners of our planet daily. As a western white woman I am safe, I am secure and I can use my privilege to support the growth of what I believe in while choosing to not support what I see to be causing more harm. My point in sharing this is to remind you that if you hold privilege you have power. Now, the question is...

What are you going to do with your power?