Letter: The Work and Politics

Dear Katie,

I spoke with you on the book tour in Asheville about using the work during my political campaign and you asked me to send a note about it, so here it is.

I live in a fairly conservative county in North Carolina, at least as far as elected officials go. I believe the idea that politics are local and that the best place to start is where you are. In my county we have not had a Democrat elected to 7 of the 9 seats on the board of education in 15 years and the belief was that it can not be done.Many good and well connected people had tried. I filed anyway and several others did as well. I ran a co-ordinated campaign with 2 other candidates and focused on the ideas rather than personality. I was an unknown, never having been involved in politics before.

The short story is I won, getting over 34,000 votes and am now having the time of my life being on the school board.

The work was amazing for me as a way through the process. >From the idea, it can’t be done, to I don’t have enough support, I need more money, I don’t know what I need to know, on and on I would work with my WONDERFUL round robin partner George. He worked with me the month before the election as a special favor and kept the process not only sane but possible. How do I react when I think that thought? what would I do without that thought? It kept me on track only doing the one next thing. The great joy on election night, was having done the whole thing beginning to end, the outcome was really secondary. Being faithful came first. I learned so much about bringing myself back into present time and not believing all the scary thoughts. It was also a great way to find the beliefs that I had used to limit myself in the past.

It also prepared me for what followed. Of a field of really great candidate challengers I alone won. The thought I should not be the only one, is it true? etc. I have learned that we all won, it just looks like me sitting in the seat. I am making friends with all the people I ran “against” and am seeing all the goodness in their hearts. and the children! my goodness I go into the 74 schools we have and they are all mine! sometimes I cry for joy, their beautiful faces like flowers and I am so grateful that I can do my best to serve them.

I never thought of doing this before. nor imagined what a privilege it could be. When I thought about this I heard your sweet voice saying ” you’re the one”. What’s so amazing to me is how being the one has dissolved into being the no one, only playing for all of us.

Thank you so much for the great gift of the work and thank everyone for creating this great game we call living.

Loving you,
Elizabeth