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
An Open Letter to Vishen:
As a businesses owner and influencer of many, I suggest take a page out of Hal Elrod’s book and learn to keep your politics out of your business correspondence.
I am a proud American. Since before his first presidency, I have been ashamed of Trump, his so-called leadership, and the America that elected him. However, those of us who paid you a lot of money with the hope of improving their lives should not be subjected to your political beliefs without their consent.
While I may agree with many of your stated opinions (and I do), your analysis is oversimplified, and your customers should be spared the “benefit” of your limited understanding.
Come live in Israel (as I have for the past 16 years) before you spout off about bombs falling on Iran. Live through October 7, 2023, as a member of a kibbutz bordering Gaza. Be a researcher at the Weizmann institute, and have a lifetime of work obliterated in an instant. Be a patient at Saroka Hospital in Beersheva. Be a parent in a bomb shelter with your child and have to explain to them why they are there. Experience what it’s been like to live in Tel Aviv for the past 2 weeks, being awakened by blood-curdling alerts on your phone at 3 a.m.–running in and out of bomb shelters at all hours of the day and night, and hearing the windows rattled (or shattered) by booms. Take a look at the damage a single ballistic missile can do (and has done), then just imagine what the result would be if it contained nuclear payload. Be an Israeli taxpayer and understand what it means to foot the bill of fighting a war on behalf of the whole free world. Then maybe you would thank America for shouldering some of the responsibility…
Then maybe you would thank God that (despite all their frightening failures), the US and Israeli governments showed the foresight and the courage to save the *whole world* from what lay just around the corner.
Do all of that before subjecting your paying customers to your opinions.
And, in the meantime, expect this paying customer to unsubscribe from every one of your email communications and demand an immediate refund for her subscription to your website.
Hello and Good Day,
Thank you for your thoughtful words with your blog. I have created an NFP called Loved People Love People and it has a mission to Make America Loving Again. I like you see the same events in the last 6 months and I see them from a different point of view. When were we taught to be able to discuss the 3 taboo’s; Religion, Politics and Sex? How do we discern what information we hear, if it is true or merely a talking point that was heard on the news? As a student of personal development for 35 years my heart hurts to see the divide. The DIVIDED states of America is what I see now and wish to aid in bringing it back to the United States of America. How do we do that if we allow our own bias to enter into the solution? How can we get curious to seek to understand any differing opinion than our own? While I am not in agreement with a few of your statements, I am VERY open to understanding your beliefs. Your statement that immigration raids are tearing families apart and those raids have CAUSED LA to burn is something I am curious about. My belief is that the people who set a fire, who took actions to light cars and throw items CAUSED LA to burn. My belief is that we are either loving or we are not. A person who lights things on fire to purposely cause harm is not loving. I truly believe you are writing this letter from your heart as I am writing this letter to you from my heart, because I believe that we share the same desire TO change the FREQUENCY that divides us. To find a way to become “as ease” not at dis-ease. With dis-ease on anything will over time create disease in one’s body. I am writing for your input into starting a conversation with you. I have a preliminary website that discusses a vision that I hold and would love for you to consider becoming a trainer who can add your ideas to help change our world. The trainers that I have identified are ALL different in their beliefs on many items AND i believe that it is imperative to take ALL those beliefs to create a better world and to Make America Loving Again. my website is http://www.mala247.com My phone number is 773-443-9902 I do not wish to have this information shared, rather, I would love to have a conversation with you to see how we can both create an even greater splash in the world and aid in healing- one thought at a time. Much Love Liz Lita
Your words felt honest and bold — like something a true friend would write out of love and deep care. As a Canadian who has visited the U.S. every year, I felt this resonate in my heart as I much love our neighbours. I see myself first as a human being, and I’ve always struggled with anything that creates unnecessary division. This letter reminded me that everyone needs moments to pause, reflect, and realign with what matters most. Thank you for writing something that invites reflection and reminds us of our shared humanity. I carry it with hope.
Your words moved me to tears. Thank you for your letter of love! Reading it was the first time I’ve been able to cry since all the destruction started here in America, just 5 long months ago. I felt there was some deep sadness, fear, and pain stuck within me, but I just couldn’t seem to touch it and release it, that is, until your letter. Thank you for reminding us that we are all in this together and that the vote we each cast impacts the lives and souls of everyone around the globe. It’s not just my vote and what I want for myself and my family; it’s for the entire family of humanity.
Thank you for this. We are here. I for one am holding hope in my heart. Hope that we can move beyond our past that has brought us again to this place. It was one that was fought before our founding, fought again at the writing of the Constitution, and again in the 1830’s, 1850’s, the civil war, the gilded age, the 1920’s, the great depression, McCarthyism, the 1960’s. Lost again in the 1980’s. Magnified in the train wreck that we watched as we headed into Iraq, Afghanistan and now this.
We are the light, but this time of a warning. The same thing is happening elsewhere. Corporations cannot be allowed to rule. We learned that in the gilded age. We are learning it again today. We cannot reverse the damage to mother earth if our economies are based on more people buying more stuff and force.
Change never comes from the top. It always comes from the people. People must choose to give up hate and revenge for this to happen. It takes the world, not a single country. That is the lesson of our times.
You are telling us to vote better. Many of us here are simply hoping we will have another free election.
Our politicians, and yours, must stand up to the bullies. The press worldwide must stop mincing words, stop being so ridiculously polite with all their code words. It is our duty to call out bad behavior. It is responsibility to keep the emotional stories out of it.
Will you stand up, wherever you are and also say, enough? Will you choose to be the shopper in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square? Will you choose to show all people respect? Will you recognize the equality of women? Will you choose to limit the number in your family? Will you choose to buy one less gadget, piece of clothing, poison food, bigger car, etc.? Will you recognize that we are “all works in progress and works of art”? Will you stop the blame game?
Vishen, have started the conversation, but that conversation must level up considerably. I am a coach. Leveling up is what I offer people. I am a writer. Offering insights is what I do. I am shaman. I offer healing. I am aware. I have been in the streets on and off since the 60’s.
When laws around the world label peaceful demonstrators as terrorists it’s time to look within. We cannot be the lighthouse. That lighthouse was built on genocide, slavery and the false belief in superiority. We all must move beyond our history.
Touché Vishen
Thanks for articulating what many of us are feeling.
A Canadian fan and longtime member of Mindvalleyp
Oh my, this letter made me cry. Thank you for writing it; we all need to be aware of how the world continues to perceive us. This is so terrible.
Best writing I’ve read in a very long time. Thank you Vishen. Your truth has hit a deep cord. I’m a 1960’s child born in America and the one we are living in today is something I do not recognize. The descent away from compassion and empathy is astounding. I think the responsibility of this descent is placed on two income parents needed for this economy, computer use in the younger generations, the pandemic creating isolation and separation, leaders/govt choosing money over the people, narcissistic children and adults choosing capitalism over true connection.
I could go on and on. The human decency I grew up with is no where to be seen. Community in neighborhoods are breaking down, the “US and Them” theory has had devastating affects.
I believe the lack self love is the root of all problems. Blaming others with no accountability has taken root in the younger generation. Looking to the external instead the internal has been the end of communal living.
We indeed have went astray. In my opinion it’s been a horrible change rooted in anger & frustration resulting from 45+ years of “trickle down economics ” that has made record number of billionaires but destroyed our middle class. Pure greed by our corporations & a slow steady changing of laws that allow it. I’m actually @ the point of considering moving to another country now as we quickly slide towards authoritarian control. I LOVED & supported Bernie’s campaign , but sadly again big $$ interest stepped in ( & maybe even some personal threats ) & the DNC buckled. I LOVED where I live & my passions in retirement, but @ 73 really would like to stop needing to work day jobs . So I pray 💓🙏💓 & do what little I can to spread awareness & service . I won’t live in a Nazi controlled country & we’re getting dangerously close to such. 🤷♀️☹️🕉️
Retired Arr teacher, Glenneth
So many of us know this and grieve our present situation. We pour discord, hate, anger, into Earth’s atmosphere, constantly as we talk to each other, with no plan to change, or make things better. First , I would like to ask people to stop reiterating our negative thoughts ad nauseam. Thoughts are energy and can pollute the earth, making what we would like to change stronger. We must know what is going on, but not give it the power of our constant attention.
We imagine terrible futures if this should go on unchecked, but give little thought to the future we want to shape.
Let’s put our energy into what we want our future to be; compassionate, inclusive, transparent. Let us create in our thoughts (all things start there) the picture of equal justice and mercy. Renew our help to suffering people here and abroad, accept and encourage diversity, for under our differences, humanity is One. How we treat each other is how we treat ourselves. When we speak to our friends let us focus on how to bring about what we want. No one is expected to have THE answer for all of it. Pick one thing like How can we support a completely free press? Without it we can be easily be controlled. How can we help ease the suffering the new policies have afflicted?
Struggle to be positive and hopeful. Pray, formulate what you want and put it out there. Though they want us to be powerless and compliant, we are not. This takes courage and tremendous energy, hope and dedication. And we can summon it, because it is in us.
,
The recent election was very reminiscent of the movie “An American President”, where Michael J. Fox states that strong leadership is what this country always desperately seeks out and will follow a strong leader to a proposed oasis and drink the sand rather than stay in limbo where they are at, feeling stuck in the life they created and wish they could change but don’t know how. Trump represents the epitome of what is wrong with American politics, promising the moon, or in this case Mars, and then only ultimately getting what he and his super PACs want while decimating the opportunities and dreams of millions of others who believed in Making America Great Again without realizing that this was just about feeding Trump’s insatiable ego. Again as is stated in the movie “An American President”, that office serves all of the American people, not vice versa, not to be looked at as a King of the country. It is a very demanding and complicated process to determine quickly, in the face of tremendous pressure for an immediate action to be taken, what course of action will benefit the most people the most and still being fair to those who must sacrifice their own personal gain for the greater good of most of the country. I feared going into the election that America was heading towards becoming another Russia, or Hungary, or North Korea, and we still have a great deal of time to see where this process ultimately lands. During the Great Depression I would suppose that most Americans believed that the American Dream was dead and a great President with a complete reversal of national policy and direction, along with the economic stimulus of WWII, pulled the country out of the Great Depression. Everything happening now appears to be an attempt to destroy the economics and hope of this country, in deference to only the richest and most economically powerful people in the world. There was already a trend moving towards AI eliminating most careers but now the push I can feel every day towards making as many common citizens as possible pheasants that will work for next to nothing, just to not starve that day. Change will always represent both crisis and opportunity, each of us are now challenged to create opportunity wherever we can find it each day in spite of leadership that pushes hard for all of the common man to become cheap pheasants that are happy to take whatever work they can get from the remaining GOP corporations. At some point we all must embrace resiliency, rise above the non-sense and create a new reality that others can get behind instead of continuing to drink the sand.
I am so disappointed that MindValley is now a political organization. I am now questioning the value statement of MindValley as it has changed its value statement personal growth to include political statements.
I gather from this passionate European viewpoint questioning the United States values and those of us who live here that MindValley is now a political organization.
Living with gratitude that I am alive, a citizen of the United States and the world.
Love ya, Vishen. I’m good with most of this but have a major issue using a picture of Mount Rushmore to portray the US. I mean, it is appropriate in the way that we’re colonizers and we destroy nature, enslave our people, uphold white supremacy, put profit over people, and call it art. So if you’re trying to embolden us to fight against injustice, you might want to use a different image. There’s nothing there to be proud of, imo.
To be clear, I didn’t vote for this. I love my country but we’ve always had problems. We did need change but this was NOT THE WAY. I’d like to apologize to the world for how our broken systems are affecting them, as many other countries have done before us. Whenever we get to vote again, may decency prevail.
Since you’re visiting, please be careful and safe. We’re not historically known as a country with law enforcement that respects being human over skin color, and it’s even more dangerous now with immigration bounty hunters. They won’t care who you are, how big your company is, or how much money you have. They’ll just kidnap you, put you in a concentration camp, work you and starve you until your lawyer can find you to get you out. That is our escalating reality here. Or at least, don’t come to LA. It’s not burning like in January, but our hearts burn for our neighbors and communities. We will continue the good fight.
Safe travels and good luck with the university hunt! ^_^
Disappointing Vishen. Another public figure who thinks we need to know their politics.
The American people DID vote – and their votes spoke loud and clear. Their votes spoke about how they felt about open borders that were affecting them – not others who don’t live here; how they felt about a climate movement based on lies, money, and self-interests; about never-ending wars; wars against women and faith; childish violence backed by money; and so on.
I, too, am angry about this war and broken promises. But I am also angry about the continuation of having politics brought into everything when we don’t ask for it! We know the vile acts and meager hope on all sides of politics affects all but there is so much more than just this. More that we can focus on to promote loving change.
I signed up for an education membership with MV where I could choose where I put my time and attention not another political opinion column. As a business person, I have admired what you’ve created and have been a long time client. But I have been disappointed by the direction of MV for some time. I’d encourage some self-reflection – like the use of a social media forum that has an awful history of censorship, abusive manipulation, disinterest in protection of children and others, etc. We all need to clean our own house before we stand on soap boxes. Thanks for allowing me to respond.
This one hit me straight to the core.
Thank you Vishen for this deeply moving letter.
I felt every word. I thought the people who need to read this aren’t the ones who subscribe to Mind Valley- but that is not the point, nor is it true. Americans who voted for the current destruction of our country under the guise of improvement?
I appreciate your letter Vishen, and I truly hope you reach the hearts of fellow Americans who are the cause of this current dishevelment either by their voting for this situation or by refraining from making their voices heard .
Thank you so much for having the courage to say this, Vishen.
Straight from the heart and soul – may your word resonate to all souls who want to join in creating peace and true power!
I’m at a loss for how we are at this place. It’s an unfortunate coalition of American’s who feel so ignored that they want to see the system burn and those who know better but live in a numb, indifferent state to the suffering of others. I also can not place the blame solely at the feet of the American voter. The exploitation of social media and the purposeful destruction of institutions creates a climate of misinformation and distrust. It clouds judgement and temporarily hides the dangers of carefully veneered bad ideas. Truth will eventually come out, but later and at a cost. Pain teaches and yet I hope enough of us wake up to avoid the worst possible outcomes.
Vishen,
You really have to turn around your thinking to see what’s happening. You’ve got to use your most revolutionary techniques to see another perspective. I don’t even know where to start with your list.
We couldn’t vote for cartel controlled borders (no one is against legal immigration) that were facilitating drug and human (beautiful Mexican women & children!!) trafficking. We couldn’t vote anymore for our taxes to be siphoned off into fake programs (USAID). Our social safety net was literally going to collapse though they tell you the opposite. You can’t have mass immigration and a welfare state at the same time. You have to choose, that is a fact. People used to come here and make it on their own. That is what we are proud to say has made us resilient and inventive over the generations. Mass immigration was being weaponized to increase the population in states like California that want more power when the 2030 census is done. That will give them more electoral votes. Hence the information war about our dictator.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKr-VUpxQwG/?igsh=MTU3MmV2ZWR3c2U0aA==
We no longer want to fund the forever wars of the neocons and they were running the “Biden” administration (President Autopen). Look what they have done to every country they invaded since we were warned by Wesley Clark, and actually the papers of PNAC presented their plan in the 90’s: chaos and destruction. We are watching this latest event very carefully. We don’t like it but we don’t think it will go further. 🙏🏻
Maybe try this to start to understand why he’s pulling out of international organizations who have been weaponized against our people. Most are not doing what they were designed to do as they have been taken over by corporate interests.
It’s an information war.
https://www.prometheanaction.com/the-saturday-wrap-up-british-empire-panic-trumps-iran-decision-shatters-their-middle-east-control-game-june-21-2025/
I will help you if you will open your mind to consider another perspective. I’ve studied NLP and I know it’s hard to break through belief systems. Saul Alinsky knew this too when he wrote Rules for Radicals. Accuse your enemy of what you are doing.
I hope you find a good place for your son. Maybe a classical education is best at this time or find a good mentor. In any case better here than Europe until they get free of the globalist-colonists. They are on the warpath because their bankers don’t have any collateral and the Africans are kicking them out. The colonial period is over now as you can see with BRICS. We want to join the community of nations, not be warlords.
As you can imagine this will not happen gently. Entrenched interests will fight with all they have. We are hoping for a better future and the Democratic Party has been captured by corporate interests disguised as something we should want, but will not get from them!
Open your mind! Give another perspective a chance!
Wishing you and your son will find a great place for him!
Thank you for speaking about this. We Americans feel the same. Only 31% voted for all this. 30% voted for the climate, social justice, equality, Dreamers, and trade. 38% – the outright majority by a huge number – didn’t vote at all. I hope America can be America again soon, too. So do millions of Americans – many were out on the streets 2 weekends ago in 2000 protests across the country. It will take much more than that to fix this. What I love about Mindvalley is the community of people who are consciously creating good and positivity in the world.