This post is a generous offering from Wisdom student Phil Ansell and shares his creation of a Resistance Credo, or a brief statement of the principles, values, and commitments which will guide you during this period of unprecedented threat to American democracy and global stability. Read to the end for Phil’s guide on creating your own living Credo.
1. I will continue to act in accordance with the values that have animated my entire life.
In response to the challenges of this moment, I feel a need to re-affirm my core values, and root myself in those values, to have solid ground on which to stand. For me, those values are integrity, love, justice, and open heartedness.
2. I will sustain an open heart.
The challenges of this moment could lead one to respond like a turtle, by pulling into a shell and closing off emotionally to survive and not bear the pain of what is happening. I am committed to keeping my heart open to myself, to others, and to the broader world. Only through keeping an open heart can I discern and pursue the path of right action.
3. I will not act from fear.
Though I am very much afraid of what is and will happen in the United States and the world, I will not allow those fears to drive my actions. I will face my fears honestly but will act from love.
4. I will defend the Constitution.
The Constitution guarantees democracy and the rule of law. As long as democracy and the rule of law hold, individual rights will be protected, and policies can be changed in the future through the democratic process. If the Constitution is destroyed, all legal protections will collapse, along with the processes that can enable a shift back toward freedom, justice, and peace.
5. I will affirm Life.
Life is the sacred energy that animates us and that has the potential to counter and overcome evil, hatred, and violence. I will continue to support the emergence of Life energy, regardless of external circumstances.
6. I will continue dancing.
For me, dancing is a way of expressing and multiplying Life energy, of affirming and embodying freedom, of connecting with others through love. Therefore, for me, dancing is key to sustaining the light that can counter the darkness.
7. I will wear bright colors.
I will not be somber. I will affirm Life in the face of forces that drain and deny life. For me, wearing bright colors maintains my self-expression and rejects being conditioned by adverse, external circumstances.
8. I will embrace joy.
Joy is the brightest, clearest expression of Life energy, and is also contagious. It is no accident that authoritarian regimes have often sought to repress expressions of collective joy, because joy taps into the wellspring of resistance.
9. I will build community.
We need each other now more than ever. Community goes beyond individual relationships, by creating webs of connection that sustain, inspire, and motivate us.
10. I will confront evil, hatred, violence, and injustice without flinching.
Many of my relatives died at the hands of the Nazis and their accomplices. I will do everything in my power and make whatever sacrifices are required to ensure that the United States does not become like Nazi Germany.
Guide to Creating a Resistance Credo
A Resistance Credo is a brief statement of the principles, values, and commitments which will guide you during this period of unprecedented threat to American democracy and global stability.
The purpose of a Resistance Credo is two-fold: (1) clarify the ground on which you will stand; and (2) inspire and encourage others.
Here are 10 easy steps to creating and sharing your own Resistance Credo:
- Go to a peaceful, quiet place where you can connect to your deepest self. Spend a few minutes quietly, perhaps focusing on your breath.
- Draft 3 – 10 short sentences beginning with “I” or “I will”. Each sentence should capture some aspect of your commitment to yourself and to the world about how you will act during this period.
- If you are moved to do so, add a short paragraph of explanation under each sentence.
- Share your draft Credo with one or more people you trust for their review and comments.
- Make any revisions based on the comments you receive.
- Print out your Credo and hang it in a place where you will see it every day, e.g. over your desk.
- Add this Guide to Creating a Resistance Credo as a separate page, following your Credo.
- Distribute your Credo, with the attached Guide, to your networks, which could include sharing on social media.
- Encourage people who respond to your Credo and others whom you know to create and share a Resistance Credo of their own.
- Live your Credo every moment of every day.
Learn more about this spiritual, heart-based approach to political resistance in this video interview with Phil Ansell and Alejandra Warden.
Phil Ansell, the creator of the Resistance Credo, is a lifelong friend of Susan Latimer, a key leader in the Wisdom Community. Though he is Jewish, Phil joined Susan at a wonderful retreat with Cynthia in Arizona a few years ago. Before retiring from Los Angeles County, Phil was the Chief Deputy Director for Public Social Services and Director of the Homeless Initiative. Phil can be reached at philansell@att.net.