Trim Tab Effect

We are always looking for inspiration and hope on our journey toward consciousness. Parts of our lives are connected to limitless creativity and parts of them are ultimately limited by the physical laws of the universe. That's why I like to share a naval engineering concept brought to light by the venerable R. Buckminster Fuller.

Imagine that the Queen Mary, the world's second largest ship, is headed toward an iceburg, ie. global disaster. One man, at the helm of the ship is able to steer that 175,000 ton vessel around that obstacle. How is that possible? Well, to begin with, you do not stand in front of that overwhelming momentum.

Through comprehensive design engineering, the captain of that ship turns his steering wheel which is connected by linkage to the back of the ship. Located at the bottom of the rear of the vessel is a ten story high rudder, at the bottom back of the rudder sits another rudder 6 feet tall. His linkage is connected to the second rudder, as it turns it creates a vacuum into which the big rudder slides. This in turn creates a bigger vacuum into which the rear of the vessel glides. This small rudder is called the Trim Tab!

"So I said that the little individual can be a trim tab. Society thinks it's going right by you, that it's left you all together. But if you're doing dynamic things mentally, the fact is that you can just put your foot out like that and the whole big ship of state is going to move. So I said call me Trim Tab." R. Buckminster Fuller

We always remember that what we do and think matters, in fact it is the most important thing that matters. The most recent global example of this is how the momentum of people's positions on the war in Iraq has changed. Every person who had the courage to speak at the water cooler, or march peacefully at a rally has trim tabbed the Democrats and even the corporate media into speaking much more clearly on the issue. Michael Moore and Howard Dean are two very public Trim Tabbers.

It is our mission to push with maximum force to articulate and take action, in order to create a world that works for everyone, where everyone wins.