Our children are beginning to wake us up! We’re seeing the young teenagers demanding action from us in a way we haven’t seen before. They’re feeling their power, and they are questioning our values! And they are eloquently speaking our truth in a way we somehow haven’t been able to do ourselves. When they faced death and survived, they themselves woke up from a sleep we’ve all been in for too many years. They are stating the obvious—that the protection of lives is more important than anything else. This is not about left or right—this is about life or death.

What they are doing is revealing a very important next step that we, as a society, need to take in the expansion of our conscious awareness. When we think of all the activities that have been going on in the US, and many other countries, well before this administration, this next step is possibly leading us toward something that could heal a lot of suffering—a clearer sense of morality. This is not about judgment—this is about coming into a more powerful recognition of the powerful impact our words and our behavior can sometimes have on other people.

Some people can’t see that morality is the missing link. They might see evil, or ignorance, but negative behavior is really not about knowledge. This is about an opening of the heart to recognize the vulnerability within all of us. There is a need within every society to be able to feel compassion for another’s struggles, to respect every single life. For some this might not appear to be so obvious; sometimes it needs to be taught. These lessons are now coming from our children, and will hopefully bring more integrity into the way we experience our world.

Our children are reminding us that there is a need for a clearer way of thinking, of respect for everyone’s life, rather than supporting the financial gain of any industry. Our politicians, as well as the rest of us, are seeing that these children won’t accept “thoughts and prayers” as a sufficient response any more. And in the process, they are waking up all of us.

It’s time we got back to basics. The school shootings, as well as the news that two teachers recently brought guns into schools and had to surrender to police, clearly reveal that something is seriously missing in our society. It’s horrendous enough when shooting deaths are randomly committed in different parts of our country, but when it happens in schools, making our children so desperately vulnerable, we’ve really reached a new low.

What do we do to rise above this kind of frightening, violent behavior? How do we lift ourselves out of this quagmire that has politicians and citizens arguing about any possible solution?

There’s one basic principle that’s clearly been missing so far, and it’s one we’re going to have to learn before we can change our direction in this matter: we must learn how to open our hearts, take a deeper look, and remind ourselves that every individual person is a completely unique and irreplaceable human being. For me, this means that every one of us is completely precious. One of a kind. Priceless.

And until we begin to acknowledge the vital preciousness of our own and every other human life, we will continue to hold material objects, like guns and money, to a higher value, over the essential beauty that exists within every human soul.

Our current confusion on how to change our laws, so that they protect every innocent life, proves that we’ve come to a time when we need to wake up and acknowledge the absolute preciousness of every individual life. Nothing can replace a life once it’s taken away. We’re not numbers—as in social security numbers, or bank account numbers—every precious life is here for a reason that needs to be explored and discovered for ourselves. We’re not expendable. Every one of us is essential. When we are treated with the respect we deserve, we can each feel freer to develop the amazing insight hidden within us that can change the world for the better.

It’s only when we search deeply into our own soul that we can accept such an awesome basic truth: we have far more wisdom hidden within us than we usually realize. And it’s only when we’re ready to reach beneath the surface of our lives that we can find the strength to overcome our challenges and take greater care of each other.

When we acknowledge this simple but basic truth, it will become much easier to develop the necessary laws that can ensure better protection and treatment of our citizens. If we turn away, we separate ourselves from the well-being of humanity. It’s up to every one of us to raise our awareness and acknowledge that every single member of humanity is to be treated as truly precious.

Deep inside every one of us is a source of consciousness that is beyond our usual awareness. This is a greater consciousness that can only be experienced when we are open to receiving its wisdom in the stillness of our being. This inner wisdom is powerful enough to help us overcome our present difficulties, whenever we are ready and willing to experience it. When we explore the deeper facets of our consciousness we can overcome and resolve any challenge that we face.