Seeing Clearly and the Illusions of Self
What a year.
For change to occur, there must be a need for that change or a misalignment revealed. Nature, as a most outstanding teacher, is all about transforming one thing to another, static to dynamic, dynamic to static, ebb and flow. Change, as we all know, is inevitable. So as I reflect on the nature of this past year, for me, it has been about seeing any illusions I may have had about myself. Like all things spiritual, it would seem that my self-work is reflected in how I see the world around me.
What has this year taught me? Tons. Like my outside world, I have been looking at my actions and reactions. This year has encouraged me to ask myself, "what kind of leader am I, and am I a kind leader? Where are my beliefs inflexible, and where am I struggling with two or more visions of who I believe I can be? Most importantly, am I listening?
This year gave us a world of examples of different styles of leadership and whom those leaders address. There are over 200 countries around the globe, all facing an equally non-discriminating event. Each country has leaders facing a similar set of situations and series of outcomes, and we, the voters, are asking, "what is healthy leadership?" We also read how each country sees looks at what leadership looks like to them.
In homes and offices worldwide, we have also seen faceless people yelling at their TV or computer screen, name-calling and spilling their misdirected energy into volatile situations. This aggression is directed at political leaders or company owners as if that handful of people have dominion over their lives. If, while witnessing these responses, we recoil from the anger, they say, "I am just sharing my truth." "Are you?" we ask, "how is name-calling helping?"
I appreciate anger as the first response of someone trying to understand something. It is easy to see, in fairness, that these people are stuck in a gasp of frustration. However, their actions also invite me to look at myself and ask, am I like them? If I am, how can I step out of the din of frustrated people and become part of a vision that resolves conflict?
A few months ago, Costa Rica had a general strike. The ordinarily passive people here do this when they disagree with the government. The country shuts down until there is a resolution. This time it was different. Among those unassuming people blocking bridges were furious people. I heard stories of aggression, even acts of violence, from normally peaceful people. These few angry people even ruined a police vehicle. Anywhere else in the world, this would seem normal. In Costa Rica, the protest leaders, appalled by what they saw, announced that they were ending the strike. "This is not who we are," they stated, and within a day, all blockages were gone. Within a week or so, Costa Rica returned to finding peaceful solutions. Though the strike had ended, the government, hearing the truth, approached the organizers and together, they addressed the concerns another way.
If your country is struggling with its leadership, I encourage you to become a leader. It's too easy to throw stones and yell disparaging remarks, and it's not very effective. Be one of those solid and calm people of change, the ones that history adores. Be a voice of peaceful, loving, and unstoppable transformation. Speak wisdom with your truth. It's not easy, and you will learn a lot about yourself in the process. Who knew 10 or 15 years ago that Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, would be recognized the world over as the new leader of the Free World? Yet there she is, being just that. I am sure there are times Mrs. Merkel yells at her TV too and then does something about it. She leads.
A true leader is, for the most part, is balanced. They are aware that mistakes occur, recognize them, acknowledge them, and then work with others on resolving those errors. They ask for help knowing they are human.
Being deathly afraid of standing before a group is common. Even more so when we find out we were wrong. So leaders learn to listen before they speak, speak when we know the truth, and then speak in a way that others can hear. Does this seem like something you can do? Are you part of the many worldwide that had an awakening experience between 2006 and 2009? To those in that collective event, remember how your perception of the world around you changed? Yes, you could see it the way things are, but also how it can be. Now, here we are a decade or so later, the people of the world have been shaken awake, and those visions you saw back then are becoming a reality. How would you like to contribute?
Why am I looking at leadership? As a fiery, cardinal rich, Aries male, I know only too well how to charge forward and take charge. It is a valuable trait for someone running out into a storm, offering assistance to those who need help. Not so much anywhere else. As I get older and my raging fire turns to embers, I see too clearly how practical a calm and rational approach can be. I now love hearing the exquisite wisdom shared by the wise. 2021 is going to be a year of progressive and monumental change. There is just no returning to what was before 2019. The entire world, not just isolated places, witnessed an immense collective shift. No vaccine can erase what we learned in 2020.
So, as one leader to another, I am asking you, yes you, are you ready? Are you going to choose to be someone wagging your finger and hurling disparaging comments at an electronic device or those who dare to lead? Are you ready to speak the truth calmly and make a difference? To transcend and grow beyond wasteful dramas and stand out front? Are you prepared to lead? The world has changed. Ahead of us is thousand years of peace. Are you willing to be one of the many contributing architects? It is time to share your vision of tomorrow, a collective idea of what tomorrow can be.
I know I want to live in a world where leaders emerge from the faceless crowds. Where new leaders are recognized for their compassion and their ability to offer a fresh and healthy perspective. Those people accustomed to listening to the truth will encourage them to speak up, and when those compassionate new leaders speak, I know I will hear,
"I have been asked to step forward and share my vision of what we are all seeing. I applaud those who have confronted personal fear by leading us now. Look how far these brave people have carried us. My vision is a lot like theirs, though I have another perspective. I have been asked to act in a supportive role with this current leadership. I know there is a lot to learn from their collective experience and wisdom. I recognize that my vision is new to most, and I am willing to explain it. I know others will ask serious questions about my vision. I trust that if I should be in a supervisory position, it will be the best for all concerned."
When they finish sharing their vision with us, we, the listening mass, will consider the truth of what was shared. If we all can hear and see that truth in the new vision, we can embrace the person sharing it. When a current leadership hears that truth, they will stand up and offer that new person their lead chair. Truth is truth, after all.
When another person emerges from the crowd and speaks their truth, this new leader will stand up and offer the new person their chair. Truth is truth, after all.
Am I dreaming? Perhaps, it is a vision after all. Yet, 2020 shows us how the old ways are crumbling, and from those cracks and fissures, light and truth are emerging. In this new world, the one I choose to live in, we will support those capable of speaking the truth, who can express themselves spiritually and honestly. Their words will sound familiar because our elders, the dream walkers, and those who share a love for Mother Gaia have been speaking the exact words for generations. These words, filled with loving compassion, will inspire healthy action that will salve a wounded populace. If you are unsure of whom they are, look for me, I will be standing beside them.
2020, what a year.