Dear America,
I want to begin with this:
I love you.
I really, truly do.
I lived in your cities. I walked your campuses. I sat in your coffee shops, dreaming of building something that could change the world.
America was where I studied. Where I discovered my voice.
Where I fell in love with ideas that reshaped my life.
Where I started Mindvalley, with nothing but ambition and a belief that anything was possible.
For a full decade, you were my home.
And in many ways, you still are.
I may live elsewhere now, but I still identify as American more than anything else.
Because America—the idea of America—isn’t just geography.
It’s a frequency. A dream. A promise that inspired not just me, but billions of people around the world.
What we loved about you
We loved your optimism—the way you believed anything was possible.
We loved your rebels—the ones who spoke truth to power and rewrote the rules.
We loved your Martin Luther King Jr., whose voice still echoes across continents.
We loved your Silicon Valley, that dared to invent the future.
We loved your Apple, born in a garage, changing the way we connect.
We loved Burning Man, a wild celebration of freedom, creativity, and community in the desert.
We loved your poets, your scientists, your dreamers.
You were never perfect. But damn—you had soul.
You were the lighthouse.
The messy, brilliant, complicated beacon we looked toward for what was possible.
But lately… that light feels like it’s flickering.
What the world sees now
In just six months, this is what the world has seen:
– Threats to abandon NATO, the alliance that preserved peace for generations.
– Pointless trade wars where everyone loses.
– Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Treaty, while the Earth burns.
– And now—bombs falling on Iran.
Another unwinnable war in the Middle East.
A war your people swore they’d never allow again.
Not after Iraq.
Not after Afghanistan.
And it’s not just the outer world we see you destroy.
We see you tearing yourselves apart from within.
- Immigration raids that tear apart families and have caused LA to burn.
- Politicians who sound like children while openly taking bribes.
- Tax cuts for billionaires, while those struggling now actually have to pay more in taxes.
- A climate movement abandoned by the very country where it was born.
And yet—I’m writing this letter with an open heart.
Because I haven’t given up.
This week, I’m helping my son apply to U.S. universities. We’re preparing for a tour of East Coast campuses. Then, I’m driving from South Dakota to Yosemite, with stops at Mount Rushmore and the great open spaces I fell in love with.
I want to show my son America. Because I still believe in what America can be.
But I also cannot stay silent—not as a lover of your culture, not as a global citizen.
This spiral you’re in?
It must be named. And it must be stopped.
Because true friends don’t stay silent when they see you crashing.
The spiral was not a mystery. It was a choice.
Every war.
Every broken treaty.
Every erosion of trust.
It didn’t just happen. It was chosen through voting decisions.
By people who, often unknowingly, chose:
- Ego over empathy.
- Charisma over character.
- Soundbites over substance.
And I don’t blame you.
You were caught in a storm of propaganda. You were tired, misled, afraid.
But we need to be honest:
When you vote for leaders who enable war, destabilize peace, and govern through vengeance, you are not just voting for policy. You are voting for self-destruction.
What happened to service?
A great American president once said:
“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy
Another said:
“We must never remain silent in the face of injustice.” – Barack Obama
Even Ronald Reagan once called America a “shining city upon a hill.”
What happened to that America?
Now we see leaders who sow division instead of unity.
Who thrive on conflict rather than compassion.
Who look not to serve, but to rule.
And as Sun Tzu warned:
“Some men would set their own nation ablaze, just to be king over the ashes.”
Can you recognize them?
Because now more than ever, you must.
America, you’ve always known how to tell the story. Now it’s time to live it.
Think of your heroes.
The ones you’ve shown us on screen for decades.
Will Smith in Independence Day.
Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible.
They save the world, not just themselves.
They protect their families, but they also rise to a higher mission.
That’s what made us fall in love with you.
Your heroes were never selfish.
They were flawed, yes. But they stood up for something bigger.
So why, in real life, do you so often vote for the opposite?
Your vote is not just yours
I say this with love—and urgency:
Your vote doesn’t just affect your neighborhood. It affects the entire planet.
- It affects the air we all breathe.
- The treaties we all depend on.
- The peace we all hope for.
- The future our children will inherit.
This is no longer about party loyalty or economic policy.
This is about consciousness.
This is about whether the most powerful country on Earth will continue to operate from fear and ego —
Or rise into wisdom and service.
What the world needs from you now
We don’t need another American empire.
We need an American elder.
Not one who dominates. One who guides.
Not one who fears. One who serves.
Because you were never meant to be a fortress.
You were meant to be a lighthouse.
But a lighthouse cannot fulfill its purpose if it forgets to shine inward first.
You taught us to dream. Now we’re asking you to dream again.
The world doesn’t hate you.
We’re not laughing at you.
We’re just watching… and hoping.
Hoping that the America we believed in is still in there.
The next time you march in the streets,
March for all of us.
Not just for the poor or hungry in your zip code.
But for the citizens of our shared planet who need you to shine again.
And when the time comes…
Vote with your heart. And with your higher self.
The choice is yours
Not every election is a turning point.
But some are.
And the one you’re facing now?
This is that moment.
You can vote for leaders who turn the world into a battlefield.
Or vote for those who understand that true power is service.
You can choose:
- Ego or evolution
- Division or destiny
- Fear or future
The world is not asking you to be perfect.
We are simply asking you to remember who you are, at your best.
The America that marched with MLK.
That wrote the Moonshot speech.
That created iPhones, NASA, jazz, and the dream that all humans are created equal.
That’s the America we still believe in.
That’s the America the world needs.
Let that be the America you choose.
— Vishen
Founder, Mindvalley
Citizen of Earth.
Forever shaped by the promise of America.
PS: This letter isn’t just mine—it’s a conversation we all need to have. I’d love to hear how this landed for you. What do you believe America still stands for? What does it need to stand for?
Share your comments below.
Let’s make this a space for reflection, dialogue, and hope.
953 Responses
I very much appreciate your words. It’s nice to hear kind words, especially when our leaders are behaving so poorly. Sadly, those who need to read and understand your words will never see them. I believe the majority of Americans never wanted the America we now have, however I have friends and relatives who were duped by the constant barrage of misinformation and false narratives, and used their vote to empower those who wish to destroy our democracy. However, given how the situation is unfolding, many who have been asleep or simply watching from the sidelines are becoming aware our democracy is seriously under attack. I hope our democracy will survive, though our standing in the world has been forever tarnished.
Thank you so much… It resonates with my heart, and allows compassion to grow… With love from CanadaI’m
Thanks for listing the past accomplishments of America. Yes America was home to great people from elsewhere; they carried ‘music & morals’ from older, more traditional, still humane lands and territories. The America you paint ignores its Native Elders and guardians of their lands. I can only caution you not to dishonor the Elders from your country, the ones who elevated you to seek and find those values on Turtle Island (Indigenous naming for this part of the World), while keeping them sacredly protected. If the rulers of America wish to destroy it, I will not be hypocritical about their truth; this is simply a grand finale where the right to kill is valued over the right to survive, thrive or live on this planet, with others.
Dear Vishen, Thank you so much for your eloquent message. I am 65 years old and I can remember asking myself (this was before we elected our current President for the first time) why in this amazing country have we not moved past our fears and concerns over perceived differences: color of ones skin, religious preferences (or not), sexual preferences and orientations, political party. I am at a loss now more than I’ve ever been. We have unravelled so much forward movement towards climate change, gender orientation acceptance and now we have bombed another country, are attempting to make the rich even richer, the poor even poorer, physically attacking people who might look like an “immigrant” and illegally removing them from this country. (And other atrocities) I am attempting to remain optimistic as I think about my children, my friends grandchildren and the whole World who probably wishes the United States was not such a prominent part of their news. I am also heart broken and baffled as to what to do next.
This is refreshing to hear.. Everything I’ve felt but 1,000x more eloquent in delivery. I’ve noticed the same things. I personally only know men who voted for this and they all have ego over empathy — in fact believe empathy is more for women and harder for men to express biologically, they have fear over service — so afraid of being a communist/socialist country, afraid of China sending sleeper agents to invade our country, afraid of the immigrants coming over being murderers and rapists, afraid of literally everything and anything that could go wrong. They are extremely focused on division, playing the blame game, and being “right”. What they all have in common is anger, fear, and frustration. They are not happy with themselves and their lives on a day to day basis.
It is so difficult to have conversations with them about this because they are coming from a place of ego, fear, and division. Even when logic is spoken, they pivot the conversation to using fear tactics.
I believe it comes from generations of men who were devoid of emotional intelligence guidance. They were told to toughen up, boys/men don’t cry, no one cares about your feelings, etc. And in the same time they were stripped of many forms of creativity, the ability to use their hands to create, and the opportunity to use and develop critical thinking skills throughout most of our primary education. This combination created generations of men who are not able to deal with their emotions or the stressors of everyday life in a healthy manner and who feel incompetent in themselves and their skills. It’s hard to understand how we could let this happen until you take a closer look into our primary education system, then it all seems inevitable.
We are strategically shaping people who are unable to critically think, who believe they are incapable of empathy because they never received it, who don’t have much confidence in their ability to manage and succeed in modern times, who are full of anger and resentment towards those who are emotionally adept, skilled, and happy.
Every time I believe I’ve broken the barrier and helped them see the fear-mongering taking place or bring them to logical thinking it lasts for maybe 24 hours to a week. Then they go right back to being fearful, divisive, and unhappy.
I wish we had some formula to help bring them back to the light, back to unity, peace, and love for all.
I am unsure how to get there which is why I put most of my efforts into the children. As a Montessori Primary teacher I work daily to instill unity, peace, confidence, independence, critical thinking, and love into the children of my classroom. In hopes of changing the trajectory for future generations. I know I’m only in one classroom now so I can only impact 29 children a year. Which is why my goal is to start my own preschool and eventually my own school — starting with Primary (ages 3-6), then expanding into Nido (ages 0-3), then into lower elementary (ages 6-9), then into upper elementary (ages 9-12), then into middle school (ages 12-15), then into high school (ages 15-18), and eventually into maturity for secondary education (ages 18-24).
I believe changing the education system by empowering our youth is how we change the direction of this country. And that’s my mission in life, to assist this country from a path of self-destruction to a path of peace which I believe is only possible through the children — a hope for mankind.
“If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men.”
– Dr. Maria Montessori, 1946 (published during the time of global healing following the devastation of 2 World Wars)
Dear Vishen,
Thank you for this letter. It speaks to the heart of America and all it’s citizens. It actually spoke straight to my heart and brought tears to my eyes. I share your view of America and it pains me to witness what is transpiring now, in a country I felt proud of, in a country I felt safe in, a country where I felt anything wonderful and magical could happen, where the hearts of man could expand and embrace humanity and the world with open arms, in love and respect.
Of course, knowing that all is not perfect and knowing we still had some growth, but I felt we were moving in that direction and that felt good, and hopeful. I don’t know why anyone would vote for anything less, or for such corruption. I wonder if they truly believe the propaganda, or if they are so lost that their souls have closed down to goodness and light.
I wonder, were they able to “rig” this election? Because it is hard for me to believe that this is what people voted for. When Biden came into office I was glad. Glad because the previous administration created division and chaos and I felt America woke up.
Now I am not so sure. My heart bleeds and tears fill me for the good people being removed and punished for their culture, their skin, their home of origin (even those who are citizens or who are working on becoming citizens), their sexuality and their gender.
I worry about free speech.
I worry about truth.
I worry about the bully on the block.
I worry about my grandchildren who are mixed race. What if they target them? Where do we hide? I worry about our healthcare, our food supply, the air we breathe, endangered species, I worry about the state of our beautiful planet. My prayers go out daily for the healing of America and the world.
Thank you for recognizing our beauty, our true hearts and please keep praying for us. We need prayers, we need hope and we need love, and we cannot lose our vision of America and what it has always stood for, life, liberty and freedom.
in my opinion, you are the one that has been influenced by the delusion the democrats are trying to instill in people. They (politicians on both sides … some democrats and some republicans) have stolen our money (our tax dollars) to get wealthy and promote propaganda to deceive the people of the United States.
The propaganda of our government, media, and a group or wealthy people has tried to make us struggle with our finances and divide us as people creating division. They do not care about the United States or the people of the United States!
They have created a massive amount of debt by stealing our tax dollars. They use paid protesters and other people to create division within our people. They have opened our borders to allow all kinds of lawless people to enter our country. They also set-up all these illegal aliens with health care, welfare, and jobs. Our tax dollars are used to help these people while we ignore the people of the United States…some of these people we have ignored are our veterans! Immigrants who want to become part of this great country, the United States, go through the proper, legal, process.
No matter who our politicians are, we need to hold them accountable to the people of the United States first…they work for the people of the United States! We really shouldn’t be so intent on being a democrat, republican, or independent, etc.; but a people who are all Americans and do what is important to do what is best for the United State of America as a whole! What decisions do we need to make, to make us the best country to be a part of in the world!!!
Exactly right, Jeff! I actually live in California in the very neighborhoods that experience this mess, and see the same propaganda first hand while stepping over poop, urine, and the same homeless people that have been around the neighborhood for 10+ years (who we have helped many times).
These politicians do nothing but talk and create division while acting like they are holier than though and they “care”.
There are so many veterans that don’t get the help they need while these politicians spend literally billions for zero results and a bunch of schemes and then say “I don’t know what happened to the money we spent to fix that issue that is now 10 times worse because we didn’t actually do anything at all”.
Vishen should research what is really going on before dropping “Open letters” that are completely uninformed.
Immigrants contributed nearly $100 billion in taxes in 2022 (yes they pay taxes), according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. They have paid a commensurate amount annually. Meanwhile, Trump wasted $30 million of our money on his golf trips in just a few short months, another $45 million on that parade nobody went to, and DOGE wasted billions without saving us any money. In fact, the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan nonprofit that focuses on the federal workforce, estimates DOGE’s cuts will cost taxpayers $135 billion this year alone. It’s clear where the waste really is.
https://itep.org/undocumented-immigrants-taxes-2024/
The party you support is also putting forth a bill that this week will trash Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans’ Health Care, SNAP food benefits for children and the elderly, destroy environmental protections, take money from public schools and reallocate it for scholarships for rich kids to attend private school, and worst of all, totally undermine democracy by allowing retroactive dismantling of court-ordered accountability of government officials. This last bit will remove the last of our existing checks and balances on authoritarianism by the president.
And here you are, going on about holding government officials accountable. Have a look at this rejection of the bill by Trevor Potter, the former Republican chairman of the Federal Election Commission:
https://campaignlegal.org/press-releases/clcs-trevor-potter-urges-congress-reject-problematic-provisions-budget
And then please call your Senators and demand this provision be removed from the budget. Otherwise, there will be no more accountability, ever. And this will be retroactive. For the so-called party of law and order, the GOP is driving law and order off a cliff, and we will all pay the price as we live under authoritarianism and fascism.
I appreciate you write from a place of good but as a spiritual seeker you don’t seem awake at all and who are really running the show and pushing global agendas designed to restrict people’s freedoms from the plandemic, climate crisis scam to pushing trans and woke ideology. The LA riots are funded to create division when infact the previous administration allowed illegals into the country with open borders and should be deported, (Not to mention all the other issues they caused) Do more research and perhaps have a real awakening and then make you voice heard as this is so disappointing.
Thank you Vishen for these powerfully loving words.
Thank you, Vishen…
When I saw the email, I truly hoped for something like this. That someone whom people look up to and will listen to, might somehow break through to those who have lost the vision of America.
This was beautifully written, inspiring to me and, I am sure, to countless others.
May America wake up from this nightmare and remember who we claimed to be, have always been to ourselves and the world. I hope that we will not forget and will once again reach out with compassion and love to those who are tired, poor, hungry, and in need of a place of shelter, rest, comfort, and safe harbor.
I needed to read this letter Vishen, I truly appreciate your words; thank you. I feel as if I just want to forward and share it in my company’s newsletter as is (of course giving you credit ;), as I don’t have the words to express how I feel just yet, I should put the mind/heart/time to it. I do want to share a reference from the work of Haitian Director Raoul Peck. “Exterminate All The Brutes” where America is actually not far from behaving too far from the tree, of how it became to be the nation it is today. Coming back to the true origins, of pure oppression and extermination at its core, just an example: wiping out and confining native Americans in their own country. I am not surprised at all. That is why I love MindValley so much, it brought me back to my origins, and as a Puerto Rican, a colony of the US, it’s geared and strengthened me in my soulwork and consequently, everyone around me. Now I take the spiritual/mental pillar high up there with work and health. We need to stay strong and keep up the MindValley work. I’m a huge ambassador for MindValley and share my joy with as many people and all lifeforms in this world. Lots of love, and Thank YOU AGAIN VISHEN!!
Thank you, Vishen, for this! You nailed it! I am not American, but in my country, Finland, we are deeply concerned about the state of the States. The whole world is worried. We cannot vote for you. I do hope the Americans see the situation that you described and take action as soon as possible. As soon as they can vote again. May the deep understanding that you showed in your post be shared by all people and truly make America great an again. (But obviously, not in the sense it has been reiterated lately.)
Thank you, Vishen, for speaking out. Your letter is honest and heartfelt, and I’m certain it will resonate with many.
Those of us who choose love, compassion, and growth – for all – over ego, fear, and division, must unite and raise our voices. The world needs to see that there are more of us… more who want peace, more who care about people regardless of race and religion, more who dream of a thriving planet for NOW and for future generations.
We are here, and our hearts are connected. Together, we can stand strong against hatred and fear.
Thank you so much for this eloquent thoughtful and beautiful memory of the America I love. I am now 70 years old, lifelong California native. I have seen the turbulence of the 1960s the glitzy disco 1980s the 90s, 2000s. I have seen my America’s growing pains. I have seen many presidents come and go. We thrive then we fall to get up like a Phoenix and thrive again. This is not just affecting America, it affects us all. The American people are resilient and will somehow someway persevere through this travesty. I keep praying for wisdom and knowledge for our government. Keep us in your prayers
Just a concerned American
Thank you so much for writing this beautiful piece. I’ve shared it on my Facebook feed because I haven’t had the words. You do, and I appreciate you so much. I’m scared because my child just had the first grand baby.
I want my grandbaby to live in the same country that I remember. The same country that I was so proud of growing up. Most days, I wake up with hope. Some days have been so difficult.
Thank you for writing with so much love and conviction., it has evoked so many emotions. The fact that you Vishen, as a global citizen, still sees that glimmer in America, gives me more hope. I am heartbroken.
I believe in the ability of one person to change the world. This message matters. Thank you, and God bless America.
PS, I’m bawling my eyes out.
Vishen – You’re being fed propaganda, fight it. You said:
– US threatened to Abandon NATO – nope, just a negotiating tactic to get them to step up and save Ukraine.
– Pointless trade wars – nope, just re-industrializing US just as robots take center stage. If you hate our tariffs, look at the rest of the world’s tariffs.
– Bombing Iran – nope, took out the nuclear threat, Iran / Israel now at ceasefire. Are your advocating FOR a nuclear armed dictatorship in Iran?
– Immigration raids – nope, taking out the criminals, helping the peaceful return to their own country and apply for citizenship legally if they wish.
– Politicians who sound like children and take bribes – you got me here. They always sound like children and take bribes (globally)
Just as a fact check: Barack Obama dropped 26,172 bombs across 4 countries in 1 year to what effect?? Pause to think about the lives lost. Now compare that to 50-ish bombs to take out a military installation to keep Iran from getting the bomb. Not much of a comparison.
I am a proud immigrant to America, and always will be. Let’s check in 4 years from now and see if: 1) Americans are doing better economically and emotionally, 2) If the world is safer and more stable with less people dying and 3) Do the American people in another free and fair Democratic election endorse the results in 2028.
While this did sound very AI-ish, it was a good read. Seems to me, though, that this process of American decline and division has lasted much longer than 6 months, and it was there in the making long before Trump’s first presidency. And there are many reasons for it. Let’s hope it will be a thing of the past someday, but while we wait, let’s not be one-sided about the reasons and causes. As an sidenote, I personally hope that Mindvalley will stay out of politics.
Well said from the heart Vishen. I am a proud Canadian and it saddens my heart to see the inner turmoil and loss of so many values that is being forced and encouraged in the USA. I hope your words here are spread far and wide. I do have faith in my heart that love and compassion will win and the USA will become great once again. I hope your son will see a leader in the USA as you did but I think that is going to take some time. I remember you starting your company and your moving from the States. You and those around you are a big part of what will over come. Thank you for your words.
Thank you Vishen. So powerfully stated. So important and necessary. I hope and pray that this letter goes viral and reaches a massive audience in the US. So many people are so blinded by the current administration. It is a scary time but much is possible with people like you, taking a stand and using their voice.
Again, thank you.
Vishen, your letter was so beautifully written that it brought tears to my eyes. You are right on about everything you said. I want you and the world to know that the majority of American share your sentiments. I am a US citizen but I started off as an immigrant who came to this country at the age of 6 because my parents believed in the dream of America. As I grew up, I watched America grow into an even greater nation than what my family hoped to find here. The civil rights movement, the movement to protect the planet, women’s liberation, gay right, and so much more. While some people saw these as a threat, the momentum was toward a better planet, a better humanity and America was the leader. We hit a huge bump in the road. We lost our way. Many of my friends and even family members gravitated towards reverting back, were convinced that things were better 50 or even 100 years ago. I believe that we still live in the greatest time ever to be alive. What is happening in America now is not an anomaly, it had been the norm for thousands of years of human history. That is why it is so easy for humanity to revert. I hope your open letter resonates with my fellow Americans as it did for me. I am confident that eventually, humanity will get back on course to being great. My hope is that America will continue to lead the way, if not, I pray someone else will pick up the mantle because we must move forward it is our destiny.