This Thanksgiving will be different for me, as I’ve decided to spend the day alone, deep in the desert on a vision quest.

I will miss my family and friends, but it feels right for me to shake it up this year and go deep.

There is so much chaos in the world right now, it will take bold action to get us back on track. And by bold action, I don’t mean what is being suggested by any of the well-meaning but bombastic talking heads I see during the political debates. My version of bold action is much deeper.

My plan is to meditate, fast, connect with nature, and give thanks all day long. It feels right to do this in the desert of Sedona, which is so rich in Native American history.

When I think of the meaning of Thanksgiving, I can’t help but remember the full truth of it all. The truth we were never told in schools. The history lessons that most of us received were astonishingly limited and biased.

I have been reading a lot about Native American culture and history lately and, ironically, many of the things we decimated are precisely what are called for right now.

I am talking about:

• a reverence for and deep connection with the natural world
• an honoring of the mysteries of life without a need to control and explain everything
• a people who were free from religious animosities
• a people for whom honesty was a way of life so they didn’t need locks or jails
• a people who understood that the animals were just other sentient beings on the path with us, not here to be dominated by man.

Did you know that Chief Metacom of the Wampanoag tribe was beheaded by white men during one of many bloody battles? His head was displayed on a pole for 25 years as an example. We refused to let them practice their religion and demanded that they convert to ours or die. Do you see the parallels to what is happening today?

When we cry-out about modern day savages and barbarism, it isn’t coming from a place of true honesty.

I grew up in RI which was originally the territory of the Wampanoag tribe and Chief Metacom. What I remember is that we had a Wampanoag Mall where we could go to buy stuff and that Metacomet was a fancy country club that we could never afford with a lush, green golf course.

I was taught almost nothing of the truth.

We cannot progress significantly when we’re not standing on a platform of truth.

I am not saying that we shouldn’t enjoy our families and all the greatness of our country, but what if we (collectively) started giving voice to what actually happened and how we got to where we are today?

What if we were honest with ourselves and approached the world from that place? Honesty is not a weakness. I think we’ve tried just about everything else and we seem to be getting farther away from true peace.

We can’t legislate our way out of this.

We can’t buy our way out.

We can’t bomb our way out.

True peace is an inside job and it starts with being honest with ourselves; the kind of compassionate honesty that comes from clear seeing and deep acceptance of what is. And then moving forward from that place.

I do have a deep love and appreciation for my country and feel blessed every day that I was born here. But I also imagine how amazing we could be if we went deeper as a culture. I feel it’s time for us to mature and lead in a different and more meaningful way.

It seems time to try something new as we are approaching a tipping point of sorts. If we keep going down the same road without a significant course correction, I think the planet is going to decide our fate for us.

I imagine something better and more enlightened than that. I imagine a compassionate uprising that starts with the heart and not the head; a gentle but firm refusal to submit to some of the old rules and systems that are getting in the way.

So this Thanksgiving I will be dedicating the whole day to contemplating my highest vision for our incredible planet and all of us. I know we are capable of so much more.

If you’re looking for me, I’ll be deep in Munds Wagon Wilderness. There is a plateau with a 360 degree view of the red rock splendor. If there’s a bobcat with me, don’t be alarmed and please don’t disturb us.

He’s generously helping me chart a course back to sanity.

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