"WE THE PEOPLE" - A Time For Love

In light of the heinous acts perpetrated against the good people of Charlottesville, Virginia and
against the fundamental values of the United States, I feel compelled to share a story about rediscovering our humanity, from my book, DreamMakers, Innovating for the Greater Good:

WE THE PEOPLE:

"... The most disturbing condition may be that we have lost our sense of community; our inextricable natural connection to one another. I believe the false assumption that we can live isolated and insulated from one another and from the planet that sustains us – is the root of most of our problems today.

I heard a Native American mythology that tells the story about a time when the survivors of the great flood came together and made a plan to renew civilization. They decided to separate into four groups and set out in four different directions to discover and rebuild the world. The goal was for each group to bring their rich discoveries back for the benefit of the whole community.  One group went east, another ventured west, one group went north and the other south. The group that traveled north learned to become highly efficient, organized, highly analytical and conservative – skills and perspectives they needed to navigate through their bitter cold environment and limited resources. Those who went east discovered the challenges of the dramatic topography, from the enormous mountain ranges to the vast deserts of the East. They learned to work in sync with the ominous topography that overshadowed them. The group that went west faced seemingly endless bodies of water. They learned courage, perseverance and independence for they had to navigate through the unpredictable oceans with no assurance they would find land on the other side. The group that went south learned the art of celebration, dance and song for theirs was a world of vast resources, beauty and warmth.  All of these discoveries, perspectives and skills were gifts that could have benefited everyone when they reunited - But something went horribly wrong. As time went by, each group forgot that their mission was to explore their part of the world, to bring their beautiful discoveries and the learning’s back for the greater good of the whole community. Each group began to form their separate culture and norms. Soon their norms became their beliefs, and their beliefs became their truth. They began to judge the other groups, and soon their judgments turned into hate and hate solidified their separation from one another. Eventually they began to venture out into the other groups territories. They fought and killed one another for their version of the truth; each group believing their truth was the truth. The community mission was long forgotten and prejudice, hate, war and conflict became the way of life. 

We have spent thousands of years learning to separate ourselves from one another and from the planet that sustains us. We are only now beginning to understand that we are deeply and inextricably connected, interdependent and part of a greater whole. I am beginning to understand that the way out of my problems is the same way out of yours. I was talking with my dear friend Peter Senge and he made a statement that rings true “start anywhere and you will end up everywhere”. The internet and social media has helped us to see that everything and everyone is connected in some way.

"A human being is a part of a whole,

called by us the universe,

apart limited in time and space.

He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings

as something separated from the rest,

a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.

This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting

us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.

            Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison

by widening our circle of compassion to embrace

all living creatures and the whole of nature in it beauty.”

                                                            Albert Einstein  

      

People are waking up! The most powerful catalyst for change lies within each of us. We all want clean water, clean air, good health, an education, a good job and a sense of well-being. We also want to be heard, to participate, to contribute unique gifts; to be recognized, to be valued and mostly - to love and be loved. Whether we are business leaders, employees, consumers, families or individuals, we want our lives to matter and we want to have the opportunity to flourish and prosper.

            I often think of the caterpillar as it goes through its journey to become a butterfly. It serves as a useful metaphor for me during these times. Just before the caterpillar goes through its transformation, it’s cocoon is dark and rapidly deteriorating. Things must look very scary messy, ugly and even life threatening to that caterpillar. Soon however, that caterpillar sees a vision of a better life and a butterfly emerges, but only when the caterpillar has learned to release itself from what it was, so it can become what it is meant to be next. When I walk through a field in the springtime I see some cocoons that have turned into coffins, but mostly I see beautiful, colorful graceful butterflies enjoying the next stage of their lives.

            We humans have the advantage to choose our next stage of being in this world. We must choose well and wisely, and with great respect for the dignity of all of life. In this most remarkable, unprecedented time in the history of humankind, we have within our reach, the means to make our hopes and dreams come true.

    When I left Herman Miller to join President Clinton’s administration, a group of employees gave me a beautiful gift that hangs on the wall in my office; I cherish it. It is a beautiful abstract painting by Carol Johnson, of our planet with people connected at the head and the heart. The inscription below the painting is a poem called Ascension, it reads:

            “Ascension fuels the passion to explore

            unchartered territories without hesitation or doubt:

            To be a change-maker while challenging

           others to make the same commitment;

           To provide a legacy by which others are      

            motivated and transformed.”

My dream is that we learn from the many DreamMakers we see, read and learn about everyday; to inspire us to discover the DreamMaker that is within each of us. If we put our collective hearts, minds and imagination together we can co-create the lives, the families, organizations, communities and the world of our dreams. Like any great movement, the pursuit of a worldwide state where all people and the planet can flourish together, is an idea whose time has come."

May we work together to create a world where ALL people and the planet can flourish!