From SGI USA, I'm Cassidy Bradford, and this is Budability, the weekly series where I talk with Buddhists from all walks of life about the power we each have to change our lives and the world around us.

Think about where you live right now.

Do you know your neighbors?

And do you like them?

What do you love about your neighborhood or your town?

What do you wish would change?

Maybe you're big into jazz, but there isn't a single place nearby to watch it live.

Or you love pickleball, but there's no recreational team.

So you let the thought pass, go on with your life, and hope that someday someone will do something about it.

But what stopped you from making it happen? Why not find a local coffee shop where you can

host a monthly jazz night? Or maybe create a Facebook group for pickleball players. When we sit

passively hoping someone else will do something, it might never happen. Buddhism teaches us that we have everything we need to make

our dreams a reality. We can play an active role in creating the community that we want to be a part of.

Culture and community don't happen passively. Today's guest, Amber Owens of Anniston, Alabama, decided to become the

protagonist of her story and create the culture she wanted to see in her hometown. We discuss how

chanting Namyo Hōrenge Kehl helped her uncover and gain confidence in her life's purpose.

As a heads up, there is a brief mention of a suicide attempt in today's episode.

So please take care when listening.

I am Amber Owens.

I'm 27 years old.

I live in eastern Alabama. Most of my life in like

Anniston-Oxford area. I'm a tattoo artist. I've been a tattoo artist for a

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