The Crucible (Part 1)
Place blame where you will. For me, the most difficult aspect to digest of the current assertion of executive power and national unraveling is that it is what some people want. The infliction of suffering on others is pretty much the definition of evil. It comes from some deeper place from which injustice arises. I'm not above that capacity. I don't know how to diffuse it, but I do know that while it is relatively easy to assert, it is difficult to sustain. Just as much as there can be a force to oppress, (generally an act of fear) there is also one, a more powerful one to liberate (generally an act of empathy, if not love). Having had conversations with many clients and colleagues in the social innovation/impact sector recently, I've been reflecting on what strategies and actions are important in our current context. Here are the first few:
- Seek Situational Awareness: I keep up with the daily news not because I want to, but because it is essential to understanding what is occurring and not being surprised later. Know what's happening.
- Maintain Perspective: with so much happening on the very specific, very personal level, it can be easy to lose sight of the larger trends being established. This isn't a one-step, one-issue phenomenon; keep an eye on what it is adding up to understand the real intention and where it may be headed. Know why it's occurring.
- Understand Systems: Our current state didn't occur in a matter of months, but rather years. A complacency with linear, siloed, short-term thinking limits the potential for more fundamental change, the kind we're currently experiencing. Comprehend multifaceted, long(er) term relationships and potential trajectories.
Part 2 later this week.
