Collectively we create our life experience. The breakdowns we see – the breaking apart – are happening because our social structures are based in fear and held together through force. We are literally generating these breakdowns by trying to hold onto ways of thinking and relating that are no longer viable. Nothing is “wrong”; things are changing.
Within these breakdowns is a time of unprecedented potential. The apparent chaos is handing us opportunities to bring in new ways of relating and to get things done. Simply, breakdowns enable breakthroughs when we drop our positions and agendas and their inherent win/lose mindset. Polarities limit our perspective and the potential for solutions. As such, we are our own worst enemies because we perpetuate what we say we want to change.
It’s pretty simple and straightforward. Force is imposing one’s ideology or will on another; it aims to “win” or be “right.” It is based in fear and always separates, never unites. It takes many forms. Some are overt like war. Some are more subtle like competition or compliance and control. In all forms, force seeks to oppress, suppress, exploit or take advantage of another.
All human relationships are dynamic: force begets force, fear begets fear, respect begets respect, love begets love. Within this equation of human dynamics, only love – care, understanding, respect and responsibility for and accountability to the whole – has the power to dissolve fear, force, divisiveness and separation and bring for our inherent unity for the common good.
Having positional authority is not leading. There is nothing is “wrong” with our current leaders. What’s missing is their commitment to a purpose deeper than ideological positions. Without this, they resort to immorality and corruption for personal gain. This deeper purpose of leading is to bring people together in a common cause – to enact our unity in diversity. It should be clear by now that the use of force does not unite. Only the Power of Love can dissolve what separates us and move us forward – Leading as Love. The only way we can unite and make progress is through the Power of Love.
Leaders seek opportunities to collaborate and cooperate with win-wins for everyone. In government, we drop labels and political partisanship of ideologies and agendas. In business and organizations, we drop actions that value one stakeholder over another and practices that judge and control. In education, we stop conditioning our youth for compliance. In religion, we drop our self-righteousness.
There is nothing “soft” about Love. We are not talking about the human emotion of attraction or affection. We are talking about true Leaders with the strength and courage to commit to enacting our human unity and doing what is in the long-term collective best interest of humanity as whole. If you can’t use the word “love”, its essence is to care deeply about others and our individual and collective dignity and well-being and respect our differences and act from here. Social, economic, political justice are the public face of Love.
The world can only reflect what is going on inside of each of us. What we put into the world, we get back. This is the source of our power for change. If you believe you can make a difference and act on this belief, you will be amazed at the difference you make.
What difference do you choose to make?