Our world is shrinking. Our lives are entwined. It’s becoming more and more clear how connected we all are.

That bonds greater than can be seen or touched are strung amongst and through us. Through life itself. Our world. Our universe. And beyond.

This new technology is showing us how remarkably interwoven all of our lives are — each of us — and that all of the events that happen between them are dependent upon one another. Every celebration and heartbreak. Every tragedy and momentous shift.

A sea of dominoes, that’s what we are, swirling and churning among one another in a small corner of the world, all subject to circumstantial “cause” and uncontrollable “effect” as much as to our willful decisions and choices and actions.

Our world shrinks by the day. Every life is entwined. We are connected.

Together.

We see, more and more, that separation is a lie. Separateness, a veil. Loneliness, a myth.

And from every inhumane tragedy — every act of madness, every unfathomably revolting instance of unnecessary death and pain and suffering and horror — our individual hearts are cut, battered, bruised; in turn our collective heart bleeds, our collective love gasps for breath, our collective wishes for peace and simple happiness, solemnly questioned.

Depression sets in.

Hopelessness ravages.

We ask painful questions like, “Why is humanity like this? Who is to blame? Am I to blame? Where is God? Where’s the hope? What is even the point of it all?”

In this new and connected age, it’s more and more clear that what happens to one happens to all.

What tragedies are suffered by a few are felt by millions. What despair subjects hundreds and thousands reverberates with unthinkable magnitude throughout billions of lives the world over.

And in the wake of such tragedies, from the days and weeks and months or years where an unfathomable depth of sadness and anger and disgust and outrage consume our gentle souls… something, at some point, begins to shift.

We realize, when enough mornings pass, that we are still alive.

That we endure.

And that life itself is an ode to peace amidst the madness; a defiant testament to love amongst the hate. And that the very act of living is itself the only true testament to hope.

That the audacity of living on sings a ballad of perseverance; that to wake up, stand up, and press on is a living dedication; a breathing memorial to the lost for the love they shared and their torch, which you carry on.

For those who can’t.

For never-ending love.

And to the liberty and happiness we all believe in.

Every day that you wake up becomes a new testament to it.

When your eyes spring open, your life becomes, once more upon this morning, a defiant stand against madness. A stand against hatred and anger that wound and maim and break hearts but cannot stop a species that never says quit.

And every breath you breathe is an ode to the love you want and believe in —  the love that the whole world and all of its people damn well deserve.

In, and out.

A relentless tribute.

In, and out.

A silent song.

Just being alive is all it takes.

So we fight on. Breathe deeper. Shine brighter. Fight on.

The life you lead is the signaling fire of what you believe in.

And to live aligned with goodness and peace and liberty and happiness defies every coward and scoundrel who wishes to see them erased.

And the nature of this connected world is accelerating the shift that raw heartbreak and suffering compel every human being to eventually make: the defiant overcoming, the choice to change, the audacious decision to live and love a life a light and goodness, even amidst the darkness — to rise up from the bowels of sorrow and suffering when we see that our lives are the only true testaments to hope and that, by living well, by pressing on and by shining brighter we stand in an unstoppable unison of the few who seek to make us victims of our love; slaves to our caring; cowards of our dreams.

More and more, it’s becoming clear.

And this connected world is showing us all, undeniably, the importance of our working together, in unity, amongst one another and through our differences, to create lasting change.

It takes every single one of us.

In every word, effort and action.

Today, right now, this moment.

Dance with me.

Go.

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Flickr photo credit by Roel

P.S. – This week I had slated some pieces to follow last week’s discussions on branding shifts, entrepreneurship and making money from lean-launching new biz ideas, but in light of recent events, such discussions seemed simply inappropriate and totally unnecessary this week. There are far more important things to life, so thank you for understanding and stepping back to honoring those true priorities in life with me this week. ~Dave