<h3>By Susan Stone</h3>
This column has posted several articles written to help people realize their personal power…whether the conversation is around creating abundance, better health or peace of mind. What we think is what we experience…right?

Let’s turn our attention to the big picture. How many people do you know who have to choose between food and medicine? How many people do you know who think they are being taken advantage of by the insurance companies, the cable companies and even the government? How can we maintain our power against those who appear to have all the power?

We the People…allowed them into power and We the People can send them packing just as easily. Why do the same pharmaceuticals made in the USA cost a fraction in other countries? Because we allow it. Why do we pay too much for cable? Because we think we have no other choice. Why do we pay in to Social Security all of our working lives? So it will be there when we retire. The question of whether the money will STILL be there or not is ridiculous. The question really is, will We the People hold them accountable and demand our own money back?

Personally, I have no political alliances. My intention is not to highlight the fault of any party or organization for the way things are. The fact is, We the people have done this to ourselves. There really is no “they” to blame. We are “they”. To think that ANY party can save us from ourselves is naive. If we choose to place all of our power in others, we are left with none.

What would happen if we kept it? What would happen if we decided to choose differently? What would happen if we stormed the castle (figuratively of course)? Yesterday, a headline captured my attention; All Hail Hungary: Country Bravely Destroys All Monsanto GMO Corn – AGAIN. The word that struck me in the headline was, Bravely. Collectively, the people of Hungary have chosen to stand up to the Giant called Monsanto and ban GMO’s. Many European countries are following their example. In Demark grandmothers are going in to the fields and beating them down with their canes! Europeans aren’t afraid of corporate giants. They’ve been invaded, plundered and literally plagued with the unimaginable. They re-build and carry on. They have a sense of power that we Americans have not yet found. When my mother found out that Congress had given themselves yet another raise, she said she was going to take her bridge club to Washington and fire them all! I offered to drive them.

We could keep doing what we’re doing, but then we’ll keep getting what we’re getting. To expect a different result would be the definition of insanity. So what can one person do? The idea that we can’t do anything about (fill in the blank)…is just what the people who hold power want you to think. You have more power in your little hoola-hoop than you can imagine! You vote every day. We call it shopping, but it’s voting. We vote with our dollars to support this company or that product. You have a choice whether to give your money to a small business or a huge corporation. Every time you buy food, you have cast your vote. Every time you fill up, every time you buy a pair of socks, every cup of coffee is a vote.

Not everyone has the drive, the time or the energy to storm the castles of this world. There is still important support work we can do from right where we are. Sending good vibes and keeping our focus on what we are doing “right” is more effective than you can imagine. Offering a prayer to those who are working toward common goals really helps.

You make a difference. You always have!