Notable Quotable: Dalai Lama On Love & Compassion

Every day the world seems to lose a little bit more of the light that once kept it in balance. A majority of people wish for a better world, a kinder world, a world where poverty and wars are not tolerated.

If you share this ideal, take time to look carefully at the words of those men and women you plan to vote for in the next election.

Ignore the hopeful promises they make. For the most part, they are false advertisements designed to seduce you and grab your vote. Look back instead at years of comments they've posted to social media. Look into the bills they voted for. Look at the good they've done, if you can find it.

What kind of values do you want your children to experience in life? If you wish they could experience honesty, compassion, and dignity, then look carefully at those candidates who most exemplify those character traits. Their virtues, or lack thereof, will influence any legislation that comes up for a vote.

If you say you don't have power to control what politicians do, consider a more empowering thought: you have the freedom to vote wisely, and the wisdom to choose freely. Going to the polls this time might make the difference between whether this privilege remains in your hands or doesn't.