Politics

Exercise

Aligning your values and political action

Time: 15 – 30 min

Things you will need: A quiet space, a guided meditation (optional), a journal (optional)

  1. Center Yourself: Find a quiet space and take a few deep breaths. Allow your mind to settle.
  2. Name Your Core Values: Write down or call to mind 2 – 3 spiritual values that are most important to you. These might include principles such as love, justice, truth, mercy, unity, or any other ideal that guides your life. Please take a moment to consider each value and reflect on why it matters to you.
  3. Identify a Civic Concern: Think about a current political or community issue that concerns you. It could be something global, something local, or even an interpersonal conflict over politics. Notice any initial feelings — outrage, hope, anxiety, determination — that arise when you think of this issue.
  4. Connect Value to Issue: Now, pick one of your core values and apply it to this issue. Ask yourself: How would this value guide me to engage with this situation? Let this value guide your interpretation of the problem and potential solutions.
  5. Observe Inner Alignment: As you integrate your value with the issue, notice what happens inside you. Do you feel more clarity, discomfort, and motivation? Are there tensions between what your value would have you do and how you’ve been acting or thinking? Gently observe without judgment.
  6. Envision Action: Now, imagine one concrete action that would embody this chosen value about the issue. Choose something realistic and meaningful to you. Visualize yourself carrying it out and see if you can sense the spiritual significance of that action and how it connects your inner values with outer change. End the practice by dedicating your intention to carry this value forward.